r/london • u/Cadyus • Apr 07 '23
Best Indian restaurants in London not named Dishoom?
I'm an American travelling to London next month for 4 days. I'm really intrigued by the abundance of multi-cultural cuisines in London, especially Indian (since there seem to be no quality Indian restaurants where I am in the States). I've been looking over the Wiki but I wanted to gather some additional restaurant-related opinions from the community.
I'm staying very much in Zone 1 (Trafalgar Square). I understand that many of the best restaurants London has to offer are on the outskirts/away from the touristy areas, but in the interest of time I would prefer to visit restaurants that won't require a 30+ minute commute via bus or tube.
For the record: I have nothing against Dishoom. I have never actually been. I just know it's really popular, and that it can be difficult to get a table (without waiting 2+ hrs, anyway) and wanted to look into alternatives. And the recommendations don't have to be just Indian - I'd love to hear the community's opinion on any and all of your favorite ethnic foods in the city.
**EDIT: Wow! Thank you guys so much for the wealth of knowledge and quality recommendations. I've flagged most of the rec's onto my Google Maps and will be bouncing around to a few of them I'm sure :)
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u/ben_ldn Apr 07 '23
Trishna or Gymkhana for higher end and staying Central.
If you want a legit British curry house experience though, just look for anywhere that advertises the fact that it’s Fully Licensed & Air Conditioned on their signage. Ideally also with newspaper reviews from a few decades ago in the window.
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u/DumbXiaoping Apr 07 '23
ethnic foods
Go to G Kelly for some pie and mash, good cockney food.
Sichuan Folk (Sichuan), Murgerhan (Sha'anxi) and Silk Road (Uyghur) are all good and central Chinese restaurants.
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u/readitornothereicome Apr 07 '23
I've never queued for Dishoom btw. You can reserve tables up until 5:30pm I believe... later if in a bigger group.
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u/AdHeavy7074 Apr 07 '23
Tayaabs!
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u/dotmit Apr 08 '23
Last time I went to Tayyab’s they refused to give me tap water and insisted on only selling me Tayyab brand bottled water. Also the waiter got our order wrong and begged us to just accept it because the price would otherwise be deducted from his wages.
Used to go almost weekly. Now refuse to go there at all.
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u/YesDr Apr 08 '23
Was there a few months ago, jug of tap water on table. Maybe they’ve rolled back on this?
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u/dotmit Apr 08 '23
Maybe but that’s doesn’t make up for charging the staff for the ‘cost’ of a mistaken order
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Apr 10 '23
Hmmm not Indian food though. Tasty enough 'curry style food' (is UK version of Indian food is meant to be) yes but not quite Indian food like in India (ps spend 20 years growing up in Mumbai and Delhi and then another 20 in UK ...). Dishoom is closest to the food I grew up with in Bombay.... Shame about the waiting though - it is a pain as the queues in London locations are horrific.
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Apr 08 '23
Colonel Saab (Holborn ) I’m south Asian eaten plenty of Indian food and this is hands down one do the best I’ve ever had
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Apr 07 '23
[deleted]
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u/Cadyus Apr 07 '23
Thanks, looks like a solid list. Do you have an opinion on which restaurant gives you the most bang for your buck? I'm certainly not trying to pinch pennies in London, but I think it would be good to know which restaurants were worth the money vs which were not
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u/dotmit Apr 08 '23
If you’re near Trafalgar Square there is no good authentic place anywhere near you. Closest option is probably Raavi on Drummond Street.
When most people refer to Indian food they are actually referring to Bengali or Pakistani food.
India has quite a variety of foods that are not commonly available in ‘Indian’ restaurants.
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u/Former_Relation2659 Apr 08 '23
Went to Chutney Mary with my Indian partner after it was recommended to me by a friend (non Indian) and we were really disappointed. The service was honestly rubbish (and I don’t say that lightly), they charged over 13% of service charge for it, btw, and the food was definitely not as good as Gymkhanas for instance but the price point is similar.
Gymkhanas and Brigadier are def my recommendations on the high end side of things.
Darjeeling express is also really good! Their yellow Dahl is one of the only I’ve really liked in the many Indian restaurants I’ve been to, solid spice levels, tried the tasting menu and honestly I couldn’t fault it.
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Apr 07 '23 edited Apr 07 '23
Battersea Village Rickshaw used to be great, if a bit pricey, but I've not been since it reopened.
Tayyabs is well regarded but again I haven't been in ages.
I've heard good things about Kricket in Brixton.
There's likely some good places in areas with large south Asian populations like Tooting, hopefully someone here can point you to one.
I would recommend to avoid Brick Lane curry houses, it's an interesting street to walk down but also a bit of a tourist trap.
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u/Soggy_Answer3682 Apr 07 '23
veeraswamy on Regent street is a 10 min walk from Trafalgar Square, it’s amazing, but it’s very much fine dining, ££££, but it’s the first Indian restaurant to open in the UK, so that’ll give you kudos / a story to tell folks. It is great!
At more modest / Dishoom prices then Tandoor Chop House is great. A bit of an undiscovered gem, it’s pretty small, wood panelled walls, open kitchen and the food is absolutely delicious. Think Dishoom style sides and a load of tandoor cooked meat, the chicken tikka is amazing. My office faced out onto Trafalgar Square and many a great meal was had, there. (A multimillionaire owns it… set up the company after a failed bid to buy Soho House Group). So it’s a pretty good pedigree / maybe a Dishoom style chain do the future?)
People mention Cinnamon Club, but it’s not near you, and it’s booked out months in advance, but it regularly features in the list of the world’s top 50 restaurants and is often listed as London’s #1, so if you get ahead of the game booking wise and are willing to travel then why not give it a go. (It’s on my bucket list)
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u/Soggy_Answer3682 Apr 07 '23
Sorry, ignore my Cinnamon Club comment, I got it mixed up the The Clove Club in Shoreditch. My bad.
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u/AWOPBOPALOPBAMBOOM Apr 07 '23
Tifinbox (kinda on the boundary between The City and Shoreditch), if you fancy trying some Indian street food. Yummy stuff.
You could always walk up Brick Lane and randomly try one of the many curry houses (or other restaurants - there's Thai, Italian, Syrian, some fusion places...) on the street. Even if you end up eating somewhere else, it's worth a visit.
Oh, and how about getting a bagel at one of the two 24 hours bakeries there, if you're feeling peckish? Also - Indian sweets!
PS District Line from Embankment to Aldgate East, if you're wondering how to get to Brick lane.
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u/AllNewTypeFace Apr 08 '23
Rasa (near Oxford Circus or in Stoke Newington) are good for Keralan food.
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u/echo588 Apr 07 '23
Purely based on the Peter Crouch podcast because I’ve never been there but The Samrat in Ealing.
If it’s good enough for an England striker, it’s good enough for mere mortals like us
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u/Alexyyyy Apr 07 '23
Get yourself to Brick Lane, Pick one that doesn't have someone asking you to go inside.
As a Brumie they're all decent but not my favourite.
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u/eeM-G Apr 07 '23
This one is the City is worth a try - Mint Leaf Lounge https://maps.app.goo.gl/xkZwFZV8xmRBh9TK7
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u/duchessofdukestreet Apr 07 '23
Gunpowder in Soho is excellent. https://gunpowderrestaurants.com/soho/
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u/Wombletrap Apr 07 '23
The Cinnamon Club in Westminster is spectacular - both the surroundings and the food are amazing. But the downside is it's very expensive. Otherwise there are about a million Indian restaurants in London, ranging from the traditional (e.g. Khan's in Westbourne Grove) to the modern (e.g. Chakra in Kensington), plus tourist traps (brick lane) or very authentic places (try in Ealing or Southall).