From hole-in-the-wall spots to opulent, Michelin-starred places in Central London, here’s our rundown of the best Indian restaurants in London.
Samuel Hopkins - Staff Writer•
London ain’t exactly short of Indian restaurants it has to be said, and there’s everything here from high-end fusion spots to local BYOB curry houses. Both are fantastic – it just depends what sort of night you’re looking for. So, without further ado, here’s our rundown of 20 of the best Indian restaurants in London:
1. The Tamil Prince, Islington
There is absolutely no surprise that The Tamil Prince took London by storm – an Indian pub-restaurant in Islington only fuelled more curiosity over time. Expect tapas style dishes – to start with okra fries and onion bhajis with mint chutney. Next, paneer butter masala – the best damn thing you’ll ever taste. Paired with pilau rice don’t forget to try the dal makhani – only the best and more comforting lentil dish ever. But the showstopper has got to be the Channa bhatura – a stunning lovely chickpea curry with the largest and most puffiest Indian bread and raita on the side. So so good.
📍You’ll find The Tamil Prince at 115 Hemingford Road, N1 1BZ.
🚇 Nearest station are Angel and Caledonian Road & Barnsbury.
2. Kanishka by Atul Kochaar, Mayfair
This absolutely fantastic restaurant is helmed by none other than Atul Kochaar – the two-time Michelin-starred chef who has been at the forefront of the Indian culinary scene in the capital for over 25 years now. The concept behind the restaurant is to celebrate a whole smörgåsbord of different flavours and cooking styles from all over the Indian subcontinent – using the freshest, local ingredients of course.
I was lucky enough to try their Diwali tasting menu which offered dishes such as ‘Khasta Mug’ – a chicken tikka pie with cumin mix berry chutney – and ‘Changezi Champen’ – fennel and star anise marinated Romneys lamb cutlet with kohlrabi, cavolo nero and jus. It was pretty out-of-this-world it has to be said, and I’d highly recommend paying this chic, tucked-away spot a visit if you’re ever in the centre of town. Add in the lovely staff and an extensive wine list and you can see why we love this spot!
📍You’ll find Kanishka by Atul Kochaar at 17-19 Maddox Street, London, W1S 2QH.
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
3. Ganapati, Peckham
This relaxed, colourful gem in Peckham has been regularly touted as one of the best Indian restaurants in South London – and it’s easy to see why. Drawing on inspiration from the verdant Southern Indian states of Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the food here is absolutely delicious, with vegetarian thalis, tiger prawns, lentil pancakes and sea bream all on offer doused with an extensive array of flavoursome spices.
Everything here is pretty affordable – curries come at around a tenner – and if the restaurant is full, head to the takeaway version just further down Bellenden Road. Fill your boots with the chaliyam fish curry, the vegan chutney dosas and the namesake dal and you’ll be one hell of a happy camper.
📍You’ll find Ganapati at 38 Holly Grove, London, SE15 5DF.
🚇 Nearest station is Peckham Rye.
4. Gunpowder, Spitalfields and London Bridge
For home-style Indian fare that offers modern twists on family recipes, visit one of Gunpowder’s three brilliant London restaurants in Spitalfields Market, Soho or right by Tower Bridge. This authentic Indian kitchen uses responsibly sourced ingredients to shine a spotlight on the banging flavours of the Indian subcontinent.
The emphasis here is on celebrating traditional family recipes and giving them an innovative and unique twist. Delectable options here include Goan-style black tiger prawns marinated in lashings of garlic, black pepper and herbs, and lamb cutlets soaked in ghee made in the Kashmir region of Northern India. They also deliver if you’d rather tuck into these flavoursome delights from the comfort of your own sofa.
📍You’ll find Gunpowder at three different locations in London. You can find out more here.
5. Chourangi, Marble Arch
Another strong contender for the best Indian restaurant in London here, Chourangi only opened its doors in October 2021, and it has made waves throughout the capital ever since. Dishes feature an array of spices from the city of Kolkata – a district from which the restaurant takes its name – and these are coupled with the finest sourced ingredients from within the UK.
Standouts include the ‘banana flower croquettes’ – with a delicious coconut, cinnamon and mint-kasundi sauce for starters – and the ‘daak bungalow chicken curry’ which is drizzled in a heavenly fenugreek, mace, stewed tomato and cashew nut sauce for the main. Room for dessert? Go for the ‘langcha, rabdi’ – a delectable pistachio sweetened milk cake dumpling which practically melts in the mouth.
📍You’ll find Chourangi at 3 Old Quebec Street, London, W1H 7AF.
🚇 Nearest station is Marble Arch.
6. Dishoom, Various Locations
Ah yes – Dishoom. Chances are you’ve heard of it – and if you haven’t then where the hell have you been?! Now with six branches across the city, you’re never far from a Dishoom, and they’ve got banging breakfasts and brunches, excellent curries to share and much more besides.
Highlights include the mattar paneer, the chole puri – a yummy chickpea curry served with puffy bread – and the spicy gunpowder potatoes, which are great if you’re looking to try something a bit different than rice. This being Indian cuisine, they also cater well to vegetarians, vegans and gluten-freers, and there are some bloody great co*cktails here too.
📍You’ll find Dishoom at six different locations across London. You can find out more here.
7. Trishna, Marylebone
Tucked away in the heart of the charming Marylebone Village lies Trishna – a sociable neighbourhood restaurant delivering a contemporary taste of Indian coastal cuisine.
It’s so good that it won itself a Michelin Star back in 2012, and they’ve got everything here from ‘telicherry squid and shrimps’ with curry leaves, onion, raw mango and coconut chutney to ‘badami broccoli’ with cardamom, almond, gajar murabba and garlic chutney. With an excellent wine list to boot and a special Diwali-themed menu this year, it’s well worth a visit.
📍You’ll find Trishna at 15-17 Blandford Street, London, W1U 3DG.
🚇 Nearest station is Bond Street.
8. Punjab Restaurant, Covent Garden
As the ‘oldest North Indian restaurant in the UK’, the staff at Covent Garden’s Punjab Restaurant certainly know their stuff. Owned by the same family for four generations, they’ve been perfecting their recipes for – well, decades – and their blow-your-head-off lamb madras is one of the best you’ll find anywhere in the city.
Other highlights of the menu include succulent butter chicken, acharri gosht – a tasty pickled lamb curry – and Pahalwan Amar’s mint chicken. Legend has it that if you eat enough of this dish and stand on your head for three minutes a day, you’ll get a buff body like the namesake family wrestler. Challenge… accepted?!
📍You’ll find Punjab Restaurant at 80 Neal Street, London, WC2H 9PA.
🚇 Nearest station is Covent Garden.
9. Dosa n Chutney, Tooting
Another contender for the best Indian restaurant in London here, Dosa n Chutney is a legendary Tooting establishment which specialises in – as the name suggests – dosas (or Indian rice pancakes). Filled with tasty fillings like chilli and coriander, ghee and spicy onion and potatoes, they’re a real delight and are a must-try when you’re here.
On top of this, they’ve got some excellent biryanis, tandoori dishes and sides too – all are best washed down with the mango lassi, which is one of the best you’ll find anywhere in the capital.
📍You’ll find Dosa n Chutney at 68 Tooting High Street, London, SW17 0RN.
🚇 Nearest station is Tooting Broadway.
10. Naamaste Kitchen, Camden Town
Next up on this roundup of the best Indian restaurants in London is Naamaste Kitchen – a past winner of the ‘Indian restaurant of the year’ and the ‘award-winning chef of the year’ at the prestigious ‘Asian Curry Awards’. It’s certainly hard to argue with those titles – the food here is completely top-notch.
While everything on offer at this award-winning spot would go down a treat, it’s the house specialties which really go down a treat, and they range from pan-seared Goan sea bass to potato and apricot dumplings cooked in a creamy gravy. Wash it all down with a variety of beers, wines and co*cktails, and you’ve got one hell of a good night on your hands.
📍You’ll find Naamaste Kitchen at 64 Parkway, London, NW1 7AH.
🚇 Nearest station is Camden Town.
11. Bengal Spice, Holloway Road
Located at the top end of Holloway Road – just a stone’s throw from Upper Holloway – Bengal Spice is all about authentic Bengali cuisine, friendly service and fantastic flavours. Their signature dishes include the fish jara bhuna – a zesty and lemony, pickle flavour curry served with fresh spices, herbs and onions – and the Indian curried goat, served with potatoes, carrots, fresh peppers and mustard.
It’s also a BYOB spot (and don’t we all love them), and is pretty wallet-friendly, so if you’re looking for some excellent Indian grub then get yourself over to Holloway Road stat!
📍You’ll find Bengal Spice at 604 Holloway Road, Archway, London.
🚇 Nearest station is Upper Holloway.
12. Tayyabs, Whitechapel
This beloved family-owned restaurant in Whitechapel was founded in 1972 and has been serving up some of the best, award-winning Punjabi food in London ever since. Another BYOB joint, the lamb chops here are absolutely cracking, and the tarka dahl, tandoori chicken and mixed grill are also pretty bloomin’ good too.
Just a heads up though — people queue for hours for this place, so try and book ahead if you can!
📍You’ll find Tayyabbs at 83-89 Fieldgate Street, London, E1 1JU.
🚇 Nearest station is Aldgate East.
13. Grand Trunk Road, South Woodford
Taking its name from an ancient trade route connecting Afghanistan all the way to Bangladesh, the Grand Trunk Road offers up a vast array of dishes inspired by the sights, sounds, smells and flavours of this world-famous route.
Owned by the Michelin-starred chef Rajesh Suri – who’s regularly appeared on Master Chef The Professionals – the dishes served up here include chargrilled barbequed meat originally hailing from the regions of Peshawar and Rawalpindi, Amritsari butter chicken and baby okra cooked with vinegar-soaked onions and a juicy masala sauce. They also do two-for-one co*cktails on Sundays through to Thursdays – no wonder they’re a contender for being one of the best Indian restaurants in London with all of that going on then.
📍You’ll find Grand Trunk Road at 219 High Rd, London, E18 2PB.
🚇 Nearest station is South Woodford.
14. Gymkhana, Mayfair
Now this one needs no introduction, it has to be said. If you’re feeling particularly fancy or are wanting to wine and dine for a special occasion, then pay a visit to Gymkhana for your Indian meal. This Michelin-starred spot is inspired by the elite clubs and high society playgrounds of India; it looks absolutely stunning and rustles up some incredible food.
There’s everything here from succulent butter chicken masala to tandoori broccoli with chilli and green mango raita – best mopped up with a plethora of sides. This year they’re also doing a special Diwali menu to celebrate the festival of lights, and a standout on the menu includes wild muntjac biryani served with a pomegranate and fresh mint raita. Sign us up!
📍You’ll find Gymkhana at 42 Albemarle Street, London, W1S 4JH.
🚇 Nearest station is Green Park.
15. Brigadiers, Cannon Street
Another fantastic Indian restaurant in London here, Brigadiers – situated in the heart of the Bloomberg Arcade – is inspired by the army mess bars of India, where military regiments go to eat, drink and socialise. You’ll be able to enjoy tasty Indian barbecue while revelling in the camaraderie of this lively spot, which also shows live sport on demand in selected rooms and has pool tables too. Sort of a sports-bar-come-restaurant then.
However, because it is supported by the JKS group, the food served is of the highest calibre; sizzlers, steak, kebabs, chops, and ribs are all served in a sumptuous fashion. Numerous draught drinks, lagers, and wines are available to wash it all down. Sounds dreamy to us!
📍You’ll find Brigadiers at 1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, EC4N 8AR.
🚇 Nearest station is Cannon Street.
16. Hullabaloo, Deptford
A great Indian restaurant in London and this author’s favourite (partly because he lives five minutes’ walk away), Hullabaloo in Deptford is well worth a visit if ever you’re south of the river.
Decked out in Bollywood movie posters, it’s an authentic hole-in-the-wall kind of spot that whips up some absolutely delicious (and authentic) street-food style food. Everything here is vegan or veggie, and they do some cheap lunchtime deals here too. Winner, winner.
📍You’ll find Hullabaloo at 111b Deptford High Street, London, SE8 4NS.
🚇 Nearest station is Deptford.
17. Babur, Brockley
A popular South London spot and a worthy addition to this best Indian restaurants in London roundup, Lewisham-based Babur has been keeping peoples’ bellies satisfied since it first opened its doors way back in 1985, and for good reason. The food here is absolutely out of this world.
From lip-smackingly-good kasundi king prawns with a green papaya murabba and Bengali mustard to a jackfruit and young peas dosa with potato, curry lead and crispy pancakes, you really can’t go wrong here. They also do an incredible array of co*cktails – no wonder they’ve got themselves a Michelin Star.
📍You’ll find Babur at 119 Brockley Rise, London, SE23 1JP.
🚇 Nearest station is Honor Oak Park.
18. Kricket, Various Locations
Rounding off this list of the best Indian restaurants in London is Kricket – a great curry house that started its life as a 20-seater shipping container at Pop Brixton. It has now grown to three highly-regarded restaurants – in Soho, Brixton and White City – each of which does an excellent line in Indian small plates.
Tuck into the Keralan fried chicken or samphire pakoras, add some burnt garlic tarka dhal or saag aloo and you’ve got one of the best meals you’ll find in the whole of London Town. The co*cktails ain’t bad either – no wonder that people put this as one of the very best restaurants in London.
📍You’ll find Kricket at three different locations in London. You can find out more here.
19. Pali Hill, Belgravia
The name ‘Pali Hill’ comes from one of Mumbai’s oldest neighbourhoods and unlike other Indian restaurants in London, sets a menu filled with regional specialities coming from every part of the country. To start with, we highly recommend the Mango co*cktail which consists of mango vodka, mango liqueur, mango juice and yogurt – like a lassi but it’ll surprise you! It’s light, packed with flavour and absolutely delicious. For starters the papadi chat is a hit, crispy savoury cracked served with with spiced yogurt, pomegranate, mint and tamarind chutney and the hara kebab, an Indian style falafel filled with peas and spinach with a tamarind chutney. For mains, the sea bass in banana leaf is stunning and the lamb biryani. Too many options – you’re spoiled for choice!
📍You’ll find Pali Hill at 79-81 Mortimer St, London W1W 7SJ.
🚇 Nearest station is Bond Street.
20. Darjeeling Express, Soho
Owned by the amazing celebrity chef and much-loved supper club host Asma Khan, Darjeeling Express is her first restaurant. With no formal training like Asma, the restaurant is run by a team of ladies who cook with passion showcasing different taste palettes of Calcutta in the east of India to Hyderabad in the south. If you’re there – try some Indo-Chinese prawns with dried red chillies and garlic, the chicken momos which are steamed Darjeeling dumplings with chicken, onion and coriander served with smoked chilli sesame chutney, for mains I highly recommend the prawn malaikiri which is a traditional Bengali dish where the base is coconut milk. It’s an absolutely stunning spot for warm homecoming food.
📍You’ll find Darjeeling Express at 2.4 Kingly Ct, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW
🚇 Nearest station is Oxford Circus.
So there you have it – a roundup of 17 of the best Indian restaurants in London. Whether you’re looking for Michelin-Starred spots for a fancy night on the town out or a BYOB spot that is easier on the pursestrings, then this list has got you covered.
Read more: 32 of the very best Thai restaurants in London.
Tags:fusion food, Indian food, michelin starred, vegan, vegetarian
