Tony Blair with daughter Kathryn. (File picture)

London, March 2: Tony Blair held a family dinner party last night at an Indian restaurant in London to celebrate the 19th birthday of his daughter Kathryn.

The Red Fort, in Dean Street, Soho, is actually owned by a Bangladeshi, Amin Ali, but is considered an “Indian restaurant” because of its cuisine.

Indeed, it seems to have established itself as the “New Labour” restaurant, for it was here that Keith Vaz hosted a party barely a week ago for 130 MPs, including 10 cabinet ministers, to celebrate his 50th birthday as well as 20 years of representing his constituency Leicester East.

“I invited him (Blair) but he couldn’t come — he sent me a very nice note,” said Vaz, who is a regular at the Red Fort and has helped to give the establishment a higher profile.

When he was minister for Europe, he used the Red Fort to do official foreign office catering.

On Wednesday evening, the Prime Minister was there with his wife Cherie, Kathryn and other family members, though his sons Euan, Nicky and Leo were missing. Blair’s brother Bill and his Chinese-origin wife Katy Tse were present.

The restaurant made a white chocolate cake decorated with 19 candles for Kathryn, who recently graduated from the Sorbonne in Paris.

“We are the Blairs’ favourite restaurant,” said its manager of six years, Ashutosh Bhardwaj. “He comes here quite often.”

The menu for the night, after champagne cocktails on the house, consisted of til ki tikki (sesame cakes with golden fried cashew nuts), crispy Dover sole, zaafrani lobster, anaari champ (spicy lamb chops) and dum pukht biryani.

The Daily Mail published pictures of a beaming Blair, who was obviously happy and relieved that he had made it to his daughter’s birthday party. The children have largely been shielded from the scrutiny of the media.

At least, one Daily Mail reader was not happy to see Blair enjoy a bit of family life.

“Mike” from Coventry said not very generously: “I wonder if while feeding his face in warm comfort this disgraceful human being gave the slightest thought to the good and brave soldiers he has sent to their deaths. They, unlike him, will never again enjoy the warm surroundings of their families. Should a heavy charge for his arrogance await him, the price he pays will never be enough.”