Indian Odyssey

Before we stepped through the door at 1947, an Indian friend declared in hushed tones that the Federal St eatery does "the best Indian in Auckland". Regrettably for our friendship, his secret isn't safe with me, nor the many other in-the-know diners who filled up the restaurant on a stormy Wednesday evening.

From its chic yet unassuming entrance at the Sky Tower end of the street, we ventured into an open-plan interior with the feel of an upmarket blues bar, all concrete floors, leather banquettes, ambient lighting and jazz playing. On one wall: a large mural of newspaper clippings from India’s Independence Day, the festive mood reflected on paper broadsheet-style menus.

The menu itself is a celebration of food from all walks of Indian life, or as our waiter and mixologist put it, “from the street to the palace”. You could quite happily come for a romantic date night for a fun cocktail or two and a few bites of exquisite street food; equally you could turn up with a cohort of VIPs for a banquet of royal proportions, dining on everything from smoky sabz sheekh kebab to slow-cooked lamb shoulder and every piquant chutney and Indian bread your heart desires, (with most of the large sharing dishes an affordable $30-35.) By the time we’d left, nearly all tables were occupied by diners doing one or the other, as plenty of amusingly kitsch cocktails made their way from the busy bar – including the “Longest Island Ice Tea,” a cocktail of Yardie proportions, complete with a syringe of blue Caribbean liqueur.

Our party of five had fun working our way through the classic cocktails with a twist – the TGIF Negroni, Infamous Old-Fashioned, and "shikanji" street style Bombay Mule – to some truly next-level new creations with names that could belong on a personality test, their warm spiciness the ideal accompaniment to the food. All Night Long featured an exotic blend of almond liqueur, Cognac and charcoal syrup, the glass topped with sparkles that caught the light. One Love came with a precursor of mandarin toffee crisp – the gin had been infused with orange and cinnamon and the whole delicious concoction was encased in a glass of hickory wood smoke, removed with a flourish, the smokiness permeating the drink. But the cheekiest talking point on the menu, (and nothing to do with the food served "from the pot") had to be Dope Shope, a tequila and vermouth cocktail served in a skull bong with smoked Szechuan peppers steaming from the pipe. In other words, if you fancy a seriously inventive cocktail, put 1947 on your radar.

That fragrant smokiness is also a signature of the food, with many dishes sporting the delicious char of the tandoor oven. From snacks and small dishes to larger sharing plates, we started at one end and worked our way to the other, soon discerning that every detail, much like the cocktails, had been thought through and elevated, both flavour and presentation-wise. As our attentive waiter explained, the fresh spices in the majority of these dishes were developed in-house.

The crunchy street samosa chaat, or the bhel served on a delicate cracker, ignited our taste buds for the assortment of small dishes, including a deep-fried rawa soft-shell crab with crispy curry leaves, a comforting keema pav, (spiced lamb mince served with toasted butter buns, which also comes with a vegetarian option), and an early favourite: a ferociously flavoursome deep fried chilli chicken, cooked with three chillies and served with a suitable heat warning. The youngest member of the table loved the curry chips, with butter sauce, melted cheese, onion, coriander and mayo.

Next came a flavoursome, juicy tandoori chicken served on the bone, with a zesty green salad adding plenty of freshness. The beautifully presented lamb chops, charred on the tandoor, came soaked in lime, yogurt and dark spices, and served with masala fries.

Having successfully explored the menu to this point, how could we have bypassed the chance to try the most regal of dishes? A stunning dry goat curry on the bone, served in a thick gravy; koh-e-awad smothered in caramelised onion and cardamom; and another surprise favourite at our otherwise carnivorous table: spinach kofta, with soft homemade paneer sautéed in a super tangy Varanasi-style gravy.

After another round of cocktails, we found we were equally willing to submit to dessert – Jalebi, a sweet, sticky Indian pretzel soaked in cardamom and saffron, Kheer, a rice pudding with a subtle rose infusion and pistachio, and a spiced carrot pudding with ice cream, all of which, you'll already have guessed, were just as delicious as the savoury dishes. 1947, we pledge our allegiance.

 To make a booking at 1947, visit 1947eatery.co.nz