Let’s face it, for those of us in the USA, Indian cuisine is really not something that is found well done except in a few pockets around the nation. But here in London, Indian cuisine is about the best in the world.
Over the past year I have dined in many an Indian restaurant, from the cheap and cheerful to the some of the most extravagant found. While I’m going to leave out the places that didn’t impress me, having now experienced all the ones listed below, I can safely send anyone wishing an Indian dining experience without any reservation…so book ahead.
Southall
Just outside of London two tube stops from Heathrow Airport is the Indian/Packistani enclave of Southall. Here as soon as you get off the tube or train you will find a kebob stand. This maybe the BEST kebob and curry shack in London, as many a taxi and mini-cab driver will swear by the food the stand that seems to never close will turn out.
In Southall, just down the hill from the station are three of my favorites in the London area:
162-164 The Broadway, Southall
Phone: +4420 8813 8669
This is more in the cheap and cheerful category, but offers the best Lamb Tika and Chops and Pershwari Naan around.
In the mid tier, somewhere well above a curry shack and not quite at the very top tier, but you would be hard pressed to really find better value for money in quality and service is:
39 South Road
Southall, Southall, UB1 1SW
+442085741897
Perhaps the best butter chicken in all of London is found here at Madhus. What’s more the curry dishes and the vegeterian plates are mouthwatering. I’m a big fan of their Bhindi Masala okra dish and all of their lamb dishes.
At the top of the scale in Southall is:
72-76 Western Rd
Southall, UB2 5DZ
+442085741928
Easily on par with the best the City of London has to offer, Brilliant is a true epicures delight, with top notch service, a very inventive menu and tremendous cooking.
City of London
Cheap and Cheerful
Mirch Masala (which also has a branch in Southall)
111-113 Commercial Rd
London, E1 1RD
+442072479992
When I want a good, fast and cheap curry and a kebob, perhaps a spicy vegetable dish or true Indian experience Mirch Masala always comes to mind.
2-4 Umberston St
London, E1 1PY
+442074819737
One of every cab drivers known haunts, the Lahore Kebob House is a fast and fun place to experience what I’m learning is best described as proper Indian, not the kind of food that the high end spots turn out.
83-89 Fieldgate St,
London, E1 1JU
+442072476400
For a BYOB (Bring You Own Bottle) lover, this is Mecca for me. Great food. Amazing well spiced curry and grilled dishes. Fast paced service and did I say “cheap.” Booking in advance is suggested as this Whitechapel gem is always full and the line goes out the door.
148-150 Bethnal Green Road
London, E2 6DG
+442077392645
Mai’da bills itself as Oriental Indian and combines some southeastern Asian dishes (the Pepper Soup with chicken is just mouthwatering) with Indian cuisine. How good is it? Well I went there twice in one week and tried over 10 plates but had the pepper soup twice. The lamb and chicken dishes are always cooked just spicy enough and their spinach dish is simply divine. The curries though are where the new chef shines. He has just the right touch both on the grill and with the gravy/sauce.
The Upper End of London Indian Dining
Halkin Arcade,
Motcomb Street,
London, SW1X 8JT
+442078231166
The best way for me to describe Amaya is to say it is to Indian food what Roy’s is to Asian in the USA. Taking the best of fresh ingredients and inspired by the original dishes, the chef at Amaya interprets tradition in a modern way. Small plates and share plates are quite good here and the service is on the mark. This is a very good business dinner spot.
The Old Westminster Library
30 Great Smith Street, Westminster, London, SW1P 3BU
+4472222555
Elegance is where the Cinnamon Club starts. Proper is where it continues. Extravagant is where it continues. Perhaps the most gorgeous restaurant that houses an Indian eatery in the UK, the Cinnamon Club is the big splurge place of places for Indian food. This is traditional cooking and modern all at the same time, with a well chosen and matching wine list. Very tasty and a very exciting meal will always be found here.
9 Devonshire Sq
London, EC2M 4WY
+44207626 5000
If I was to take a concept back to the USA for what an Indian restaurant concept in the states would be, the Cinnamon Kitchen would be at the top of my list. Think more of a well laid out brasserie with a lively bar, a very good mixologist and two or three beers to choose from. Add in some very tasty starters (appetizers) toss in some very good breads and raita, mix in the best of the Cinnamon Club’s inventive side and you have a very good experience from the start. As a matter of fact I even told the head chef of both that the Cinnamon Kitchen team does a better job of hitting the mark on the dishes. How much do I like Cinnamon Kitchen? This year alone I’ve been there four times, often with friends who admit it was very, very good.
52-156 Shaftesbury Avenue
London
+442078368635
Mela is one of these places that falls nicely between cheap and cheerful and high end. The cooking is high end, the prices moderate. The atmosphere bright and colorful, with a well inspired regional menu that seems to change with the seasons. Mela is also close enough to the theatre district that you can dine before or after the show.
45 Great Queen St
London, WC2B 5AA
020 72409329
GigaOM’s Om Malik turned me onto Moti Mahal some time back and the three times I’ve been here I’ve always felt I was both well served and well fed. Very tasty Tandoor cooking, with white linen tablecloths and very proper service, the food here is both creative and yet exactly as you would expect a north Indian meal to be. A great place for business dinners and also for a group of five or six people, Moti Mahal is a consistent dining experience in central London that can always be counted on to be very good.
112 Cheyne Walk,
London, SW10
+442073515232
Down is swanky Chelsea, just past Battersea Bridge on a tiny street is was one of London’s best kept secrets when it comes to upscale Indian dining. Not anymore as the guidebooks and reviewers are discovering what I learned almost two years ago. The Painted Heron is gem worth knowing about and enjoying. Imaginative menu. Proper service and a buzzing atmosphere of locals and people who have trekked far to dine there.
15-17 Blandford St,
London, W1U 3DG
+442079355624
Rapidly becoming a favorite of mine, this mostly fish and coastal Indian newcomer to the London dining scene is located in the Marleybone section of London.
Offering a scrumptious menu of fresh fish, that are all prepared with a deft touch on the spice level, Trishna’s tasting menu may be one of the best ways to experience Goa and Kreala inspired cooking.
1 Kensington High Street
London, W8 5NP
+442077956533
Perhaps one of the most wine oriented of all Indian restaurants in London, the imaginative menu and very creative dishes put this one on my short list of London eateries. It’s also offers a very polite level of intimacy, making it both purposeful for a date or a business dinner.
So if London is on your travel circuit and you want very good Indian food, avoid Brick Lane and search out any of these places. You won’t leave hungry or disappointed.
Agree on Mai’da. Ordered there almost every night when I was working at a bank in the city.
But, you’ll only get real Indian food (be it North, East, Western or South) only at an Indian house. Outside food is always different! 🙂