I tried Coventry's viral Indian fine dining restaurant which made me feel like I was on holiday

I call myself a major foodie as I love to try out new restaurants that offer many types of cuisines. Coventry is starting to branch out more into the fine dining area, with restaurants offering a memorable experience alongside delicious food, luxury interiors, and an elegant ambiance.

One restaurant that has been all over my social media is Jhoom on Foleshill Road which went viral on TikTok with over 260,000 views on one video, and I can see why. The sophisticated restaurant doesn't feel like you're within Foleshill, it makes you feel like you're on holiday in a luxury spot like Dubai or Saudi. It has grand touches that I aspire to have in my own home one day from abstract sculptures to black diamante leopards.

The halal restaurant also has an extensive menu, focusing on Indian cuisine from curries and mixed grills, but also has a world menu for those wanting burgers and steaks. The viral establishment has been fully booked since opening less than eight weeks ago, so I recently visited with my friends to see if it lived up to the hype.

Read more: Coventry viral Indian fine dining restaurant that's like 'being transported to a new world'

When we arrived, we looked at the menu and there were so many options. It had everything from meat platters and veggie platters, biryanis, karahis, soups, salads, steaks, and a range of fish, lamb, and vegetarian starters. They also serve mocktails and desserts in a very 'Instagrammable' setting.

At first instance, we were given complimentary poppadums with various chutneys from chilli, mint, onion, and mango which was a nice variety of sweet and savoury condiments to combine with the crispiness of the poppadums. The drinks menu included mocktails, milkshakes, frozen daiquiris, cold beverages, lassis, and non-alcoholic champagnes but we all decided to have mocktails as the way they were presented looked amazing.

As there were so many options and I couldn't decide which to choose, I asked waiter Muzmail, who was attentive and looked after us well, to recommend the most popular drinks which are worth trying. He gave us three drinks: Blue Hawaii, Strawberry Mojito, and Summer Breeze which cost £8.95 each.

I had the Strawberry Mojito, and because it was a warm summer's day when I visited, it was a perfect drink to have (to cool me down). It was presented elegantly with mint and fruit garnishes and was light, refreshing, and not too sweet with the flavours of fresh strawberries, mint, lime juice, and club soda coming through. It was a satisfying drink to accompany the dishes I was about to indulge myself in.

Now onto the starters, we decided to go for a Veggie Platter for two which included paneer tikka, aloo tikki, vegetable pakora, mixed vegetable samosa, and soya seekh kebab for £22.95 plus the dynamite king prawns costing £13.95. My friend also ordered the Malai Boti which is boneless chicken pieces infused with yoghurt, cream, and spices that cost £11.95.

The food didn't take long to come to our table, around 15 to 20 minutes which was reasonable, and the platter came sizzling and piping hot ready to eat. I tried all the elements of the veggie platter, and the soya seek kebab was the first thing I tried as I had never had one before. It resembled falafel, with a crispy and crunchy exterior and a crumbly and flavoursome interior, with a reasonable amount of spice that tasted great with the mint chutney.

The vegetable pakora had a good amount of spice gram flour batter and was deep-fried well for a crispy and golden look and texture. The potato and onion filling was crunchy, smooth, delicate, and loaded with Indian spices, plus the charred grill smokiness elevated the flavours.

The paneer tikka was firm and had a tasty tandoori marinade which gave a smoky and spicy flavour, and was perfect to eat with the mint and mango chutneys. The vegetable samosa was crumbly and buttery and had a smooth filling of mixed vegetables with a crunchy exterior.

However, the stand-out starter for me had to be the dynamite king prawns as they were divine. The prawns were cooked to perfection, succulent and juicy, and the batter was seasoned well alongside the dynamite sauce which gave it a fiery kick with sriracha sauce, but also had a tangy and sweet flavour with honey and lime juice. I'd say this was a perfect starter to try - 10/10.

For the main course, I had the Badshah Cod Handi priced at £16.95 with cheese chilli naan for £5.95 which I shared with my friend. The staff created a magical smoky effect for presenting the mains when water is poured on dry ice, which I have seen become popular in many fine-dining places around the city, and for a place like Jhoom, it works very well for the high-end feel and those wanting pictures 'for the gram'.

Overall, the main course wasn't as good as I anticipated. I found the cod slightly dry, and there wasn't enough masala sauce to scoop the naan with, as I was expecting the curry to be creamy. I would have preferred the sauce base to be more soupier. But, the cod was cooked well and there were still fragrant spice flavours present in the sauce.

The chilli cheese naan was lovely with spicy chilli and melted cheese, and it wasn't too much or too little spice and the bread was soft and very filling. By this point, I was in a food coma but I was determined to save room for dessert.

After the mains, I decided to try another mocktail and went for Kiwi Crusher. The drink was served in an elegant cocktail-type glass and was vividly green in colour. It was very sweet, refreshing, and citrusy and reminded me of a healthy green smoothie. I'd say both mocktails I tried are great for summer, but I preferred the Strawberry Mojito.

Desserts are my favourite part of a meal as I have a sweet tooth, and love every type of sweet treat there is whether it's a chocolate cake or a pastry. We were recommended three desserts by Muzmail based on our preferences and got Hazelnut Heaven, Cocoa Cascade, and Biscoff Blossom.

I had the Biscoff Blossom priced at £9.50 which was quite heavenly and decorated beautifully with berries, white chocolate, and biscoff sauce with a single Lotus Biscoff on top. The Biscoff has a distinctive flavour which is thin, crunchy, and gingery and tastes like cinnamon that was present in the dish. The caramelised biscuit base complimented the creaminess of the cheesecake, and it was a delight to eat. It was a luxury treat that I savoured every bite and was a great dish to end on.

Overall verdict

I enjoyed my experience at Jhoom, and I can see why it has gained so much popularity in such a short space of time. The interiors are like no other and make you feel like you're not even on Foleshill Road. It makes you feel like you're on holiday in a luxury resort due to its opulent features from marbled floors and tiles, flower walls, silver diamante leopards, an angel wing wall, and extravagant art sculptures. All the features make the restaurant Instagram-worthy (of course I had to take my own pictures).

Overall, the food and service were great, with just a mishap on the main course, but the dishes were tasty, spicy, and truly ethnic to what it serves. My favourites were the Dynamite King Prawns and the Lotus Biscoff Blossom Cheesecake. The staff are also friendly and attentive, and treat you like family which is clear to see in the interactions between customers and colleagues.

If you're looking for a new restaurant to try in the city, Jhoom is worth visiting and I will definitely be coming again to escape and feel like I'm on holiday. But I would recommend booking as it does get very busy and can be long waiting times for walk-ins.

Where to find Jhoom Coventry:

• Location: 457 Foleshill Road, Coventry, England, CV6 5AQ

• Opening times: 4pm-11pm Sunday to Thursday, 4pm-12am Friday and Saturday

• Bookings: To make a booking, visit the Jhoom website.

Social links for Jhoom: Instagram - @jhoom_restaurant and TikTok @jhoom_restaurant.

Get daily headlines and breaking news emailed to you - it’s FREE