Small plates Indian Talli Joe closes its doors

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Soho Indian Talli Joe has closed its doors and looks unlikely to re-open.

A note on the door reads: “The restaurant is closed until further notice. Sorry for the inconvenience” and the venue's website is unavailable. 

The casual, all-day, 96-cover site opened in 2016 and was well-regarded for its punchy new wave Indian cuisine.

The venue was launched by a first-time Indian restaurateur alongside former Benares and Waterside Inn chef Sameer Taneja.

The “talli” name comes from a Hindi word meaning ‘tipsy and happy’, reflecting the venue’s focus on Indian style cocktails.

Key dishes included shrimp poached in a spicy South Indian tomato broth with curry leaves, garlic and coriander leaves); Sorpotel and Sanna (a Konkan pork dish stewed in chilli, coconut and vinegar, served with a savoury rice cake); and Patisapta (a take on a classic Bengali dessert of thin crepes, filled with coconut, jaggery, and rum).

Talli Joe departs at a time when competition in the capital’s quality Indian restaurant market is at an all-time high. Recent openings include Farzi Café, Tamarind and Darjeeling Express while upcoming openings include Atul Kochhar's Kanishka and south Indian restaurant Ooty.