The Ambrette, Margate
THE AMBRETTE: MARGATE
22/05/17
By Beth
WHY YOU SHOULD VISIT:
- To experience their unique take on Indian cuisine
- For a couple of hours of calm away from the seafront
- Enjoy food packed with spices and flavour
- For a feast!
From the outside, you’re unable to tell what culinary delights lay inside Margate’s The Ambrette. Situated on a quiet corner, the building almost looks residential and if you didn’t know it was there, you could easily pass by and not realise it’s a restaurant. That’s however, if it’s name didn’t already precede it, which of course it does.
The Ambrette is well-known in Margate for its unique take on Indian cuisine. I had heard fantastic things prior to visiting and with our love of Indian cuisine, my husband Steve and I were excited for our meal there.
On arrival, the simplicity of the frontage continued inside, and the restaurant is plainly decorated in a neutral colour palette, with a bar at the front and a restaurant area at the back.
We were seated at a table for two and were given two menu’s to choose from; the a la carte menu and a special meat-free Sunday menu. We decided to order from the main menu and it was no easy task, as every dish sounded mouth-wateringly good.
After much deliberation, I chose the Dosai with spiced potatoes, mustard and onion to start followed by lamb three ways and Steve decided on the Breast of Poussin marinated in turmeric and cumin with the Pork Belly for main course. We also ordered a glass of Pinto Grigio and a Cobra beer.
As Indian restaurant’s go, The Ambrette does things differently and we were brought an Amuse Bouche before our starter which consisted of a Spiced Lentil Soup and two Indian snacks, which were all full of flavour and had a depth of spice.
Our starters arrived shortly after and were both very well presented. Steve’s poussin was a very generous portion and it was perfectly tender, as was the chicken roulade on the side, and the combination of the fresh salads and zesty coriander chutney worked well. I love dosa and this didn’t disappoint, with the spiced potatoes arriving in perfectly crisp bread, perfectly complimented with a creamy mellow coconut chutney and spicy sambar.
You should arrive hungry at The Ambrette, as despite their artful food styling, their portions are very healthy. Our main courses had so many different elements to them but there was a good amount of each dish on both plates so we were able get an overall flavour of the dish.
Each variation of lamb was cooked perfectly and melted in the mouth. Lamb and aubergine are well known to compliment one another and they did just that with the smokiness of the aubergine chutney aligning with the sweetness of the lamb. Steve’s pork belly had crispy, tender fat and soft, succulent meat and it was balanced well with the flavoursome tomato and ginger sauce and creamy dauphinoise potatoes.
We would have loved to try dessert but we were both so full after two courses that we had to admit defeat and retire back to our hotel to bed.
The Ambrette is a must visit if you are in Margate; if you want to enjoy unique dishes, that are packed with flavour and spice, then this is your place.
Dotty Dishes was a guest of The Ambrette.
The Ambrette, 44 King Street, Margate, CT9 1QE
