Indian
THE TAMIL PRINCE
On the quiet backstreets of Barnsbury, The Tamil Prince has taken over a nice whitewashed corner pub building that was previously called the Cuckoo. As you can tell from the name change this is no simple change of management – the pub has been taken over and reinvented by an ex-Roti King duo, chef Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson. So now we have a mash up of a classic London pub but with food inspired by Prince’s childhood home of Tamil Nadu in southern India, with the likes of okra fries, pulled beef uttapam with coconut chilli chutney, huge grilled prawns and channa bhatura with chickpea curry. With some top south Indian dishes served in a relaxed pub environment and good beers and cocktails too, The Tamil Prince is a royally good addition to the neighbourhood.
Bibi
- Monday: Closed
- Tuesday: 5:30 – 10:00 PM
- Wednesday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 5:30 – 10:00 PM
- Thursday: 12:00 – 3:00 PM, 5:30 – 10:00 PM
- Friday: 12:00 – 3:30 PM, 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Saturday: 12:00 – 3:30 PM, 5:00 – 10:00 PM
- Sunday: Closed
Indian restaurant BiBi is part of the JKS group and ran by chef Chet Sharma, who’s earned his stripes working at some of the country’s best Michelin-starred restaurants including Moor Hall and L’Enclume. Oh, and Chet also has a PHD in physics from Oxford University – which is really not something you can often say about a chef. Chet has a very strong debut in the can with BiBi, full of crowd pleasing hits, familiar notes and more adventurous moments. The Indian menu is split in to five sections – snacks, chaat, sigree, sides and desserts – and you’ll want to ensure a spread of six to eight dishes across these. The must orders in our book include the Wookey Hole (that’s the cheese fyi) cheese papad, giant cheesy crisps with a creamy dip and mango and green chutneys; the raw belted Galloway beef pepper fry, an Indian riff on a beef tartare, spiked with spices and fermented Tellicherry peppercorns; the chukh masala tikka; and the Swaledale lamb belly gallouti, glistening with rich fat and crispy skin. All in all, BiBi is a great restaurant, with truly exciting and inventive dishes on offer, and a fresh, contemporary take on Indian cuisine.
Heritage re-imagines traditional Indian cooking by putting a modern spin on established recipes, with a menu that manages to pay homage to India’s diverse culinary culture whilst also having a little fun too. The kitchen is headed up by Chef Dayashankar Sharma (ex-Tamarind, the first Indian restaurant in London to receive a Michelin star), who strikes the balance between crowd-pleasing classics and pure-genius plates, from the likes of Goan stuffed fish and lamb biryani to sundried tomato & truffle naan and plum, honey & mustard spiced duck. Heritage lives up to the hype, and as for the service, well that is well worth the trip to West Dulwich alone.
Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai, who also runs Kutir in Chelsea, has returned to his former stomping ground of Mayfair (having previously been Executive Chef at Jamavar and Bombay Bustle) for Manthan. It’s now a very sexy looking spot with a subtle ocean theme running throughout too and co-founder Abhi Sangwan has carried that theme through to the drinks list with a cocktail menu inspired by the seven oceans of the world and featuring fresh exotic fruits, botanicals and infusions. In the kitchen, Ghai unites his childhood experiences growing up in Madhya Pradesh with his knowledge of working in those high-end Indian restaurants to create a refined take on home-style cooking, resulting in dishes like ghati masala prawns, lamb osso buco curry, halloumi tikka, and garlic kheer.
Pali Hill, is the Indian restaurant in Fitzrovia on the old Gaylord site, from Rahul Khanna and Kabir Suri, the pair behind Indian group Azure Hospitality. The restaurant is named after one of the oldest neighbourhoods in Mumbai and it’s a good looking place – the design has been inspired by the art deco apartments found in the area with lots of warm yellows, deep oranges and greens, and an open kitchen at the back so you can see the chefs in action. Head Chef Avinash Shashidhara (previously River Café and Hibiscus) has created a menu that features dishes from across India, like papadi chat, Pondicherry squid, Pali Hill chicken tikka, and lamb biryani, and the portions are on the generous side so even the small plates aren’t really that small. Come hungry, leave happy.
Hoppers’ largest restaurant in King’s Cross has a big, weatherproofed outdoor terrace that faces the Regent’s Canal, making it a great summer spot. The two outdoor bars serve up a menu of cocktails and Sri Lankan snacks, as well as an IPA made exclusively for Hoppers in collaboration with Two Tribes Brewery. Inside, it’s bright, spacious and vibrant, with the kitchen knocking out all the Hoppers Sri Lankan and South Indian classics such as Swimmer Crab Kari; Bone Marrow Varuval; Lamb Kothu Roti; and of course the signature string and egg hoppers.
Bombay Bustle draws inspiration from the tiffin-wallahs of Mumbai and the menu recreates some of the most-loved dishes from the area, like Misal pav topped with potato salli, Kolhapuri spiced spit roasted chicken, and seabass and scallop Tawa Pulao. For lunch you can grab a tiered tiffin box filled with curries, rice and breads. The interiors also draw influence from Mumbai with art deco design, a pewter bar and lots green leather and wood panelling, just like you’d find at an Indian railway station, so you won’t run out of things to snap for insta.
Rohit Ghai, who previously worked at Gymkhana and won a Michelin star at Jamavar, has gone out on his own with Kutir in Chelsea. It’s taken over the townhouse building that was previously home to Vineet Bhatia, the restaurant that famously won a Michelin star only to close a week later. As Kutir, the restaurant takes inspiration from the royal hunting traditions of the Indian countryside, so it’s big on seasonal ingredients like game and seafood. There’s an a la carte menu and a few good value set menus too so there’s plenty of ways to play it depending on time and budget. The lamb tandoori chops and the nargisi kofta – an egg in an amazing spicy sauce served with paratha bread and bone marrow – are standouts, as are the deep fried prawns with coconut and roscoff onion, and the guinea fowl biryani, served with homemade raita and pickles. The cocktail list, created by co-founder Abhi Sangwan, matches the menu well by using wild and natural Indian ingredients.
Widely considered to be one of, if not the, best Indian restaurant in London, Gymkhana is looking better than ever after a refurbishment following a fire. There’s new artwork and photographs on the ground floor level, and a more substantial remodelling in the basement, which has seen the bar moved and a more colourful design adopted. The menus still feature many of the Gymkhana classics, as well as a few new dishes and cocktails, so there’s plenty of reasons to visit again even if you’ve been before. The kid goat methi keema was always one of the most hyped dishes at Gymkhana and it’s still a must order – scooping up the rich minced goat meat and piling it on to the soft buttery pao buns is a joy to behold. Another one of Gymkhana’s most famous dishes, the muntjac biryani, is still here and again it’s one you won’t want to pass up. The pastry crust is broken upon table-side, revealing a steaming bowl of rice and chunks of muntjac deer – it’s a heavy dish but it’s served with pomegranate and mint raita which helps add a bit of freshness. Whether you’re a long time fan of Gymkhana or you’re yet to visit, the refurbishment of the space is the perfect excuse to visit. It’s certainly pricier than your average Indian restaurant but the cooking is exceptional, and fully worthy of it’s Michelin-star status. A five star experience all round.
While there are Indo-Chinese restaurants on the outskirts of London, this style of food is still not very well represented in Central – something Fatt Pundit changed. The Soho spot specialises in fusion food from Tangra in Kolkata, a result of Hakka Chinese immigration into the city from Canton. The fact that you start with momos, steamed dumplings that are commonplace in Tibet, Bhutan, Nepal and Northern India, lets you know you’re in for something a bit different at Fatt Pundit. The Chinese influence on the menu is clear. Chilli and Szechuan pepper both feature heavily and many of the dishes have sticky glazes rather than curry sauces, like the crispy Bombay chilli prawns and the excellent venison in a sweet chilli reduction, served with mantou bread (a Northern Chinese steamed bun). Instead of salt & pepper squid, there’s salt & pepper okra, and the moreish crackling spinach is similar to crispy seaweed, given an Indian twist with sweet yoghurt, date & plum sauce and pomegranates. Don’t miss the lamb chops either – covered in a black bean and masala dust, charred on the outside and buttery soft on the inside. Cocktails continue down the same road; inspired by the traders in India who sell fresh-cut fruit with spices and salts with some Chinese flavours thrown in. This is fusion done right.
Inspired by the old Irani cafes of Bombay, Dishoom delivers every single time. From the beaut decor (not only is every inch of this massive restaurant perfectly styled, it has a verandah too) to the Shoreditch special lamb raan to the legendary house black daal, it’s hard to have a bad meal here. And if you make it in time, you can never say no to THAT bacon and egg naan for brekkie.
Michelin-starred Trishna takes you on a journey through India with plates inspired by the south coast, rich seafood dishes from Goa and a range of puris, bhajis, behls and idlis, and you can go for seafood, veggie or meaty tasting menus. This is anything but your average curry house and is one to save for a real treat.
Roti Chai is located down a quiet back street near Marble Arch. This Indian street food joint has a simple cafe style dining area on the ground floor with a more formal dining restaurant below. The chicken samosas are crammed full of spicy chicken, the chicken lollipops are moreish and the hakka chilli paneer is one to go for if you can handle the heat. And wash the lot down with a lychee teapot cocktail.
Tamarind Kitchen is another curry house gem found in Soho, where you can tuck into dishes like Karara Kekda, soft shell crab with potato salad and pickles; Hyderabadi Gosht, slow-cooked lamb in a browned onion sauce; Guchchhee Kofta, morel mushroom and pea dumplings; and South Indian Alapuppuzha Fish Curry. They also serve up a game platter featuring tandoor-cooked quail, duck and guinea fowl, ideal if you’re in the mood for a meat feast. It even offers a subterranean cocktail bar, making it a great spot for drinking too.
Brigadiers brings some serious SPICE to the Indian restaurant scene in London. The menu is huge and everything sounds amazing so choosing is definitely the hardest part. The half rack of lamb chops are pretty exceptional, crusted in spices and served on a bed of soft tandoori onions, as is the kid goat shoulder with two paratha breads and the sagafella oysters. Brigadiers is another winner for the JKS group and it’s worth at least a couple of visits to get through as many dishes as possible.
Cinnamon Club is London’s original modern Indian restaurant and you can’t go wrong with a classic. Executive Chef Vivek Singh’s menu combines signature dishes, tasting menus, seasonal options and celebratory sharing platters. Tandoori octopus with chutney aloo, old Delhi style butter chicken and Shetland salmon with caramel jhal muri are just some of the highlights. If that doesn’t get your tastebuds tickling, quite frankly nothing will…
Dishoom sure knows how to do it. All their sites have regular huge queues out the door and it’s not hard to see why. They do Indian food like no other and their bacon and egg naan rolls for breakfast are the stuff of legend. This branch, housed in an old transit shed with nice decorative touches that nod to the railway as well as a basement cocktail bar, also looks amazing. It’s an absolute joy every time.
Created by Will Bowlby, who previously worked at The Cinnamon Club, the dishes are inspired by Southern India but use British ingredients and modern flair to bring them up to date. Samphire pakoras and Keralan fried chicken have become Kricket signatures but there’s a lot to love across the menu, including the likes of Goan sausage croquettes & burnt apple chutney, claypot baked cod, duck leg seekh kebab, and Mangalorean chicken gassi. The Brixton and Canary Wharf restaurants also serve Sunday lunch menus centred around charcoal grilled tandoori chicken, grilled cauliflower and braised leg of lamb, with sides like berry pulao, black garlic & dried chilli raita, and pickled onion & pomegranate salad.
