Impressive Riwaz by Michelin Chef Atul Kochhar in Beaconsfield

Riwaz in the picturesque Old Town of Beaconsfield

Having previously reviewed a number of London restaurants by the renowned Indian Chef Atul Kochhar – namely Kanishka, Masalchi, and the now defunct Mathura – this time we ventured farther afield to the county of Buckinghamshire.

Heading to the picturesque Old Town of Beaconsfield, where every street appears to have an ancient tale to tell, we visited Riwaz, which in Hindi means ‘tradition’.

Located in Aylesbury End, this casual fine-dining Indian restaurant was launched in 2022, with the intention of “championing” the “Indian cuisine inspired by… the states of Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Tamil Nadu, West Bengali, and Orissa among others”.

Exquisite interior with beautifully exposed wooden beams

Having originally been a brewery, the building has retained some of its old features, which include beautifully exposed wooden beams and pillars, as well as low ceilings with ‘mind your head’ signs that require navigating when entering the premises.

Upon our arrival, and after a complementary Amuse Bouche of crispy mixed vegetable balls with tamarind sauce, we were ready to begin our review.

Lavendour & Coconut Cooler, Virgin Mojito, Passion Fruit Lemonade, Masaledar – £9 each

The best two beverages had was the sophisticated Masaledar, with the sharpness of the wasabi puree cutting through the sweetness of the mango, and the Passion Fruit Lemonade, whose candy-like sweetness we delighted over.

Although the Virgin Mojito was refreshingly decent, the Lavendour & Coconut Cooler was a one-dimensional affair.

Scallops – Orkney scallops, cauliflower veloute, caviar, citrus butter, £16.95

There hasn’t been a time where an Atul Kochhar restaurant hasn’t nailed the cooking of scallops.

These Orkney mollusks were sublime, with the light acidity of the cirtus butter countering the sweet earthiness of the smooth cauliflower veloute, and the touch saltiness (and luxury) courtesy of the caviar topping.

Scottish Salmon Tikka – Tandoori Scottish Salmon marinated in honey & mustard, £16.50

These tender segments of succulent Scottish Salmon weren’t just generous in size for a starter, but were marinated in a honey and mustard concoction, before being topped by a slice of radish and some more caviar.

Had with the dollop of chutney and the onion salad on the side, this was terrifically balanced dish.

Kurkure Khumb – Gunpowder spice mix crumbed fried mushrooms, paprika aioli £9.50

The gunpowder spice mix used for the batter culminated in crispy balls of punchy goodness that contained mushrooms so soft and moist that there was no need for a sauce. Highly addictive!

Kasoori Jhinga – Fenugreek flavoured tandoori king prawns, cucumber & mango salsa, £17.50

Again, the cooking of these deliciously plump king prawns was adjudged to perfection, with that refreshing mint sauce helping to temper the gentle heat of the fenugreek marination.

Chicken Tikka Pie – chicken tikka stuffing with berry chutney, £12.95

Atul Kochhar won an award for this signature homemade pie. And you’ll instantly know why, given how the lightly-spiced chicken tikka stuffing is complemented by the sharp sweetness of the berry chutney.

On this occasion, however, although the pastry was superbly soft and crumbly, this pie definitely required more of that delicious stuffing.

Lamb Seekh Kebab – Minced lamb kebabs, mint chutney and onion salad, £11.95

These were perhaps the best version of Lamb Seekh Kebabs we’ve had at any of Atul’s restaurants, thanks to a more textured exterior and more robust spices.

Monkfish Curry – Monkfish curry with southern spices, coconut & kokum, £17.50

Despite being more watery in consistency than expected, the curry was aromatic and just about managed to deliver on those southern spices.

And with monkfish being more firmer than other fish, this was executed brilliantly, turning out flaky and tender. Had with rice, this was nothing more than enjoyable.

Chicken Chettinad – Chicken curry with Chettinad spices & coconut, £17.50

Being recommended by the waiter, this Chicken Chettinad turned out to be uniform in its taste-profile.

Following the initial hit of garam masala, the curry petered out to not much else. What is more, the pieces of chicken were poultry in size. A lackluster affair.

Rogan Josh – Lamb curry with onions, tomato & Kashmiri spice blend, £17.95

This Rogan Josh’s tomato and onion base not only gave it good body, but also a far richer taste than the aforementioned mains.

With segments of lamb that were uber soft, all in all, this was the best of the lot.

Rasmalai Tres Leches Cake – Vanilla flavoured spongy milk cake with saffron, £9.50

This was an outstanding Tres Leches Cake, with the cake itself thoroughly infused in a vanilla flavoured milk, and the saffron absolutely playing its part to make this an unforgettable one.

Chocolate Mousse – Chocolate mousse, chocolate dust & cardamom cream, £9.50

As soon as our spoon slid through the mousse, we knew we were in for a treat. The chocolate was irresistibly decadent, with all three Lions engaged in spoon wars to devour as much of this as we could.

Bhapa Doi – Steamed, blueberry & wild berries yogurt, £8.50

Once again, the feature of this dessert was its texture, being both smooth and creamy in equal measure.

Masala Chai £4.95

As for the taste of this custard pudding, then it was reminiscent of mango.

And the assortment of fresh berries on top provided those moments of fruity relief.

Of course, we couldn’t end the evening without some Masala Chai.

And this pot was sufficiently brewed, with the aroma of the masala leading to a satisfying review of Riwaz.

Pulao Rice £5.50

Fragrant, long-grained rice is what defined this bowl of Pulao Rice, which is a must with any of the curries.

Naan – Garlic, £4.95

While being nicely buttered with plenty of garlic, these Garlic Naans came out hot and crispy.

Lachha Paratha – Ajwani, £5.95

The ajwani spice in this Lachha Paratha filtered through in the background, with the buttered paratha being thin and crispy.