Chapel Allerton’s brilliant food scene just got an exciting new addition, as The Crossing Indian Bistro opens its doors at 33-39 Harrogate Road.
This isn’t your average new opening, either. The Crossing is a major international hit that started in Dubai before taking over food hotspots in Paris and Nice. Now, Chef-Founder Ankur Chakraborty has brought the concept to the UK for the very first time, choosing Chapel Allerton as the perfect neighbourhood spot to lay down roots.
The idea behind the food is super personal to Ankur. His dad worked on the Indian Railways, meaning Ankur spent his childhood crisscrossing the country by train. Along the way, he fell in love with how wildly different the food tasted from one train stop to the next, as regional spices and local family traditions changed with the landscape.
“The Crossing is built on the idea that India is not one cuisine, but thousands of local food cultures connected by movement, exchange and memory. Chapel Allerton feels like the right first home for us in the UK with its strong identity and an independent, community-minded spirit. We hope to add something distinctive to that neighbourhood.”
– Ankur Chakraborty, Chef-Founder of The Crossing Indian Bistro
That train journey theme runs right through the menu, which mixes traditional regional recipes with a fresh, modern bistro feel. You can dive into signature dishes like the slow-braised Railway Lamb Curry, coconut-rich Alleppey Prawn Curry inspired by Kerala’s backwaters, or crispy Gunpowder Prawns. For dessert, there’s even a Goan Mango Serradura and a date toffee pudding served with house-made carrot halwa ice cream.
If you are stopping by for lunch, they do a £15 Thali deal served on traditional silverware, packed with a main curry, Zeera Aloo, Saag Makai, Dal of the Day, raita, house pickle, basmati rice, and fresh tandoor bread.
Best of all for local foodies, The Crossing is running a soft launch offer featuring 50% off all food until 31st August. They are open every day from 12pm to 10:30pm, with table bookings open now online.
