Best Newcomer Award for Lower Richmond Road Indian

Imran Mansuri's Raaz appears to be making an immediate impact

Imran Mansuri had previously worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants

November 6, 2024

One of Putney’s newest dining arrivals, Raaz, has made an immediate impact on the capital’s culinary scene, collecting three restaurant awards within months of opening its doors on Lower Richmond Road.

The modern Indian restaurant, which launched last year, added ‘Best Newcomer – Fine Dining’ at the Asian Food & Drink Awards (AFRA) in December to its growing list of accolades. The ceremony, held at the Dilly Hotel in the West End, celebrates excellence across the British-Asian food and hospitality sector.

The AFRA win follows two earlier honours: Best Newcomer London from the Good Curry Guide and Best Asian Newcomer – UK from the International Culinary Guides. For a restaurant not yet six months old, the recognition has been remarkable.

A spokesperson for Raaz said the team was “thrilled and humbled” by the response saying, “At Raaz, we invite guests to explore India’s rich culinary roots through a modern lens — refined, balanced, and bright, with the kind of elevated, nuanced food you’d expect in Mayfair or Soho, right here in Putney. To receive one prestigious award is an incredible achievement for the team — to win three is truly incredible.”

Since opening in the autumn, Raaz has been drawing diners from across SW15 and beyond with a level of South Asian cooking more commonly associated with London’s Michelin-starred Indian restaurants. The menu blends classic flavours with contemporary technique: chaat, modern small plates, tandoori grills and boldly spiced curries.

Chef Patron Imran Mansuri has spent over twenty years in some of London’s most celebrated Indian restaurants, including Michelin-starred Benares and Jamavar, as well as Tamarind, Annabel’s, and, most recently, Kolamba. Raaz is the first time he has stepped out on his own.

His signature dishes include overnight nihari rib, reimagined with beef that “falls from the bone,” finished with marrow, cornish lamb chop with kadai mushrooms and soft-yolk quail egg, wild garlic chicken with charred broccoli and malabar fish curry featuring wild sea bass in a coconut-rich Keralan broth. Vegetarian dishes receive equal attention, from Essex pumpkin moilee to malai broccoli with cauliflower purée and pickled onion. Classic favourites — chicken tikka masala, prawn Chettinad, palak paneer — round out a menu that balances comfort with ambition.

The drinks list mirrors the kitchen’s creativity. Indian-accented cocktails include a turmeric gin and tonic, jalapeño-guava margarita, lychee royale, and a coastal old-fashioned made with coconut-fat-washed bourbon and coffee.

Inside, Raaz offers a long central bar with counter seating, a glass-roofed dining room, and an intimate six-seat nook. Heritage details mix with modern design, while a sharp sound system keeps the energy high into the evening.

AFRA CEO Attul Haq praised the restaurant’s achievement, noting the wider significance of the sector saying, “The British-Asian food and hospitality industry plays a significant role in the UK economy and contributes greatly to the country’s cultural and economic growth.”

Meaning “secret”, Raaz says it draws on recipes passed down through generations, reinterpreting them with contemporary techniques and a fusion of regional Indian flavours.