DJ Tara Kumar Connects With Her Heritage at These Irish, Indian & Malay London Spots

Indian-Irish small plates served out of an old bookies is something you’d only get in Hackney. Shankeys is well worth seeking out for its chilli crisp oysters, spiced spuds, cauli cheese parathas, prawn sambal and Kerrygold-washed poitin cocktails.

 If you spent any time in Haggerston over the past seven years, you’ll have walked past the shuttered exterior of The Fox, the pub on the corner of Kingsland Road and Middleton Road. Happily it’s been given a new lease of life – the red exterior is gone and is now dark green – thanks to the same team behind Hoxton boozer Howl at the Moon. Fresh Hot Pizza in the kitchen, and weekly events, sports, gigs and more.

The second site from the team behind The Tamil Prince, this one tucked behind Angel on a quiet Islington backstreet where all the action happens indoors. It’s another pub reinvention doing food from the Tamil Nadu region, split over a lively downstairs bar and a smart upstairs dining room with a checkerboard floor and famously low lighting (bring a candle, or your phone torch). The menu leans on Tamil Nadu classics, Chettinad lamb and Thanjavur chicken curries laced with curry leaves and whole chillies, craggy onion bhajis, alongside newer additions like lime leaf-roasted chicken with pineapple chutney and a rich beef masala uttapam. And the roti, given the founders’ Roti King pedigree, is some of the best in London, order two rounds so there’s nothing left unmopped. Sundays bring an Indian-inspired roast with masala chicken, lamb, and coconut stir-fried cabbage.

After stints at Spitalfields and Peckham, chef Abby Lee’s Malaysian concept went permanent on Lower Clapton Road, and it’s some of the best Malaysian food in London. The room is small and loud, open kitchen, metal tables, colourful plates, a thumping soundtrack, with the strapline “Malaysian Heat + Juicy Wines” summing it up nicely. Lee grew up in Singapore working in family bakeries before cooking her way through Malaysia and Italy, and the menu reflects that layered Chinese and Indo-Malay influence. Don’t miss the lor bak (crispy pork and prawn roll with a killer chilli vinegar jam) and the otak-otak prawn toast wrapped in betel leaf, plus a rotating cast of curries, a black pepper chicken from Lee’s family recipe in Perak, or a pineapple curry topped with garlic chive dumplings. Wash it down with natural wine or a milk tea.

We once heard a rumour that a young lady approached the bar and asked the barmaid, “Do you have prosecco?”. The barmaid nodded and poured Guinness into a champagne flute. Yes, this is an Irish bar through and through. You’ll find characters from all walks with stories; there’s live traditional Irish music; and lots of loud, loud, enjoyable singing. Oh, they like football here too, so it’s not one for a quiet pint.

Tucked away in a basement near Euston, Roti King serves up authentic Malaysian grub that’s cheaper than chips. You can get two pieces of roti with dhal for a very wallet friendly price and still have cash to the roti filled with caramelised banana. Or if roti ain’t your thing they do noodle and rice dishes like beef rendang, nasi lemak and kari laksa – one to remember next time you’re catching a train!

Dalston spot Five Fingers is all about celebrating South Indian cuisine and showcasing traditional recipes. Chettinad curries and biryanis are specialities of the house, along with its crispy masala dosa and medu vada, but the menu includes a range of regional dishes, including gobi 65, Amritsari fish fry with garlic mayo, Madras chicken curry, dal makhani, and Malabar parotta. There’s also an extensive dessert section of waffles, crepes, cakes and sundaes for those of you with a sweet tooth.

If you’re looking for a traditional Irish pub in Dalston, it’s hard to miss Molly Blooms, mainly because of its bright green exterior. It’s a proper locals boozer, so expect lots of Guinness being poured at the bar, GAA and Celtic matches on the telly, and plenty of characters to bump into.

After winning a legion of fans with Indian pubs The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown, both in Islington, Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson expanded south of the river in 2024 with Tamila, their reinterpretation of a classic curry house. Beginning as a street food concept at Hackney Bridge in Hackney Wick, the first bricks-and-mortar Tamila opened on Northcote Road in Clapham. A second site opened in King’s Cross in 2025, complete with a basement bar and a takeaway hatch. The menu at both sites features the group’s signature roti and dishes from across Tamil Nadu and the Indian subcontinent, including onion bhaji, okra fries, fried sweetcorn, Thanjavur chicken curry, Chettinad lamb curry, garlic coriander naan, half tandoori chicken, and tandoori paneer with pineapple chutney.

Named after the region in Tamil Nadu, Chettinad Restaurant is bringing South India to Central London. The Bloomsbury restaurant is all about honest, homestyle South Indian food served in a laid-back dining room. Just like in Chettinad, some of the dishes are served on banana leaves for you to eat with your hands and the thalis, which come in seafood, meat and veg versions, are excellent here. Otherwise, don’t skip the array of dosas (there’s even a choccy version for dessert), the Chettinadu koli, the lamb biryani, and the kappayum meenum.