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This partnership between Asheesh Dewan, owner of the outstanding Jaipur restaurants, and Atul Kochhar, the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star for his renowned London restaurant Benares, promised a new benchmark for Indian food in Ireland when Ananda opened in 2008 - and that promise has been fulfilled with éclat.
The creative vision in the kitchen was carried through to the glamorous dining room, taking the best of Indian design and giving it a stylish contemporary twist. The decor has not changed noticeably in the intervening years, yet it is pristine and Ananda still feels like a newly opened restaurant.
Flock fabric chairs in jewel colours sit beneath organically shaped lamps that seem to float like giant jellyfish. Alcoves are trimmed with subtle dark woodcarvings, evoking the palaces of Rajasthan; bright canvasses of rural scenes reference the colourful southern provinces; richly coloured walls evoke the vibrant saris that dot India’s streetscapes. All these elements are perfectly tied together on a pale striped carpet, creating a stylish, comfortable and highly distinctive dining room.
Ananda's executive chef is Asheesh Dewan’s lifelong friend, Sundeep Bhagat, master of Ananda's highly innovative and contemporary menu.
Don’t come to Ananda expecting standard samosas and chicken tikka – instead be prepared for culinary treats that challenge the broadest perceptions of Indian cooking.
A great way to sample four dishes in one is to order Ananda’s thaali, available as a vegetarian choice or with meat and seafood. This selection of four complimentary dishes, served with rice and excellent naan, showcases the breadth of skill in the kitchen, and is a knockout dish. Interestingly, each menu contains a wine list, which is a useful idea.
This Dublin restaurants got a good choice of wines, by both the glass and bottle, carefully selected to complement the spicy food. Cobra and Tiger beers are available too, although they may not be listed on the menu.
Ananda also offers a creative selection of cocktails (try the Cardamom and Cinnamon Old Fashioned cocktail, it’s dangerously delicious...) and, unusually for a top restaurant, tap water is served without asking and is topped up regularly.
Warm, customer-focused service has always been a special feature of Ananda and - together with the purity of flavours, the wonderfully presented dishes, and the beautiful dining room - continues to make Ananda appealing on so many levels.
For the quality of cooking on offer, it offers surprisingly good value too.
* Also at: Jaipur Dalkey, Co.Dublin; Jaipur Malahide, Co.Dublin; Chakra by Jaipur, Greystones.
