12 May 2026
Shhhh… James Cameron might just have found a new favourite Indian restaurant…
I have heard favourable reports of Grand Cholas from three separate sources since it opened almost a year ago, which obviously made me excited to visit but also created a slight sense of apprehension.
Everyone else enjoying something before I do risks creating a snobbish backlash in me, it’s the reason why to this day I have never read a Harry Potter book.
To deny myself a treat like Grand Cholas through obtuseness would be a crime, though, so instead I will add my voice to the chorus singing the praises of this gem of an Indian restaurant on the Hatfield Road and pretend that I knew it before it was famous.
Past some sprinkly lights on entry is an enticingly well stocked bar. Grand Cholas have an impressive range of cocktails, including the wonderfully named ‘Slutty Kraken’, but I maintain that there is no finer combination than beer and curry and they have Kingfisher on draught so my route was clear.
We commenced with a basket of poppadoms of varying hues but consistent tastiness and some very interesting chutneys. Alongside the standard mint and mango there was a blow-your-head-off tangy tomato and a rich tamarind dip.
I faced a difficult dilemma at this stage, as they had bought the poppadoms quite a long time before the beer. I wanted to combine the beer and chutney flavours, but doing so would involve waiting and the very real risk that in that time the rest of the family would hoover up the whole basket. I therefore had to employ my rarely-used patriarch voice and command the nibbling to cease.
All was forgiven when the starters came, though, as they were exceptional. The Chicken Lollipops were at a level that would not be out of place at the finest of fine-dining establishments, with crispy batter and a depth of flavour under the hit of spice.
The excellently named Chicken 65 was still hot but with subtler flavours on each of the chunks and a spice mix that would make the colonel weep. Gobi Manchurian meanwhile was also well battered with a tangy sauce.
If my anticipation levels had been raised by the pre-visit hype then the quality of the starters had by now taken them sky-high. Luckily the service was so good that I did not have to wait long for the mains to appear and once again they did not disappoint.
I stayed on the chicken vibe with my big curry, a Chicken Karathai. The sauce was coconutty, reminiscent of a Thai green curry but less green. It was a generous serving, but I still resorted to scraping the bowl clean to get every last drop of curry goodness. Elsewhere on the table was a Lamb Kadai, lovely and tender meat in a thick and rich gravy topped with strands of punchy fresh ginger.
There is a generous vegetarian section of the menu, though not many of them seemed to be vegan. When we checked, however, pretty much everything without paneer was able to be made without dairy. This allowed plenty of choice from which the stand-out winner was the Aloo Gobi. A staple of many Indian restaurants, here they had elevated the dish with firm yet perfectly cooked cauliflower that was sweet and absorbed all the flavours of the delicious sauce.
We were able to adjust the spice levels on most dishes, and although we generally wimped out and went mild the Chana Massalla maintained an element of blowtorch to its flavours. The Dal, meanwhile, was the ultimate comfort food, beautifully creamy and warming.
For sides I tried Jeera Rice for the first time and I will be seeking it out in the future, the added cumin makes it a creamy and fragrant delight. The Roti we ordered could have been thicker, but the Garlic Naan was an absolute delight. It was drenched in buttery garlic, you could almost believe you were in an Italian restaurant, but the soft fluffy dough was more than up to the task of absorbing it all.
The Hatfield Road is not necessarily at the heart of the St Albans culinary world, but Grand Cholas is worth a pilgrimage.
The food is very reasonably priced, especially taking into account the superb quality and generous portions, and the four of us were absolutely stuffed and slightly tipsy for £130. There are many fine Indian restaurants in St Albans but (whisper it) I might have a new favourite.
