You can take the girl out of India – but don’t ever try and take the masala from the girl or she will kick, scream and run (possibly to the nearest Dishoom). It’s me, I am the girl. And much to my mother’s shame I do not possess a box of Indian spices in my kitchen cupboard – but what I do have at my disposal is the wealth of Indian restaurants in London that never fail to make me feel a little closer to home. From Michelins and celebrity faves, to unassuming spots serving authentic, flavoursome, these are London’s best Indian restaurants.
Gunpowder
Holding a Michelin bib since 2016, Gunpowder serves up some excellent contemporary Indian food that takes traditional flavours and adds some creativity to it – with family-inspired recipes that are best enjoyed shared with friends and family. The menu is inspired by India’s diverse cuisine – from mouthwatering Goan-style grilled prawns to the South Indian rasam ke bomb (the restaurant’s take on masala dosa) and the succulent Kashmiri lamb ghee roast.
Where: across london
Website: www.gunpowderrestaurants.com
Brigadiers
Any defence kid from India will have memories of eating at an Army Mess, while the dads sips on Old Monk rum, a card game runs somewhere, and the kids are all on their best behaviour. Brigadier is inspired by the Army Mess concept – a place where regiments would socialise, with interiors designed to reflect Mumbai’s art-deco heritage and the bold Gurkha military history. Plenty of options here for vegetarians – don’t miss the aloo tokri chaat or the samosas. Meat eaters will love the Afghani lamb ribeye kebab skewers, Amritsari fried fish paos and dum beef shin and bonemarrow biryani.
Meat eaters will love the Afghani lamb ribeye kebab skewers, Amritsari fried fish paos and dum beef shin and bonemarrow biryani.
Where: 1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, London EC4N 8AR, United Kingdom
Website: www.brigadierslondon.com
Kricket
Kricket’s dishes are inspired by the team’s memories and travels across the sub-continent. Using British ingredients with recipes and flavours from India, Kricket has a great collection of cocktail with a desi twist – try the Colaba Cane (spiced rum and cane juice) or go for the non-alcoholic iced masala chai for a summer cooler. The toddy shop beef tartare will whisk you straight to the beaches of Kerala and the mushroom pav bhaji is an innovative take on the classic Maharashtrian breakfast.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website:www.kricket.co.uk
Jamavar
Jamavar has a much-deserved spot London’s enviable list of Michelin-starred Indian restaurants. Located in Mayfair, the beautiful restaurant is all about celebrating regional dishes and pan-Indian flavours. The restaurant was brought to life in 2001 by Samyukta Nair with her father, Dinesh, as the first international outpost of Jamavar. From the eight-hour slow cooked laal maas to the Jamavar dal, that’s cooked over a whopping 24-hours, Jamavar’s dishes are carefully curated and brought to life by true masters of the craft. PS: Don’t miss the delicious tikks, these are charcoal grilled in clay ovens and are perfectly spiced, making the ideal first course to your meal.
Where: 8 Mount St, London W1K 3NF, United Kingdom
Website: www.jamavarrestaurants.com
Veeraswamy
Founded by an Indian princess and the grandson of an English General, Veeraswamy opened in 1926 to a very different London. As well as gaining a Michelin star, it also holds the title as the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, serving up a menu of fine classical Indian cuisine as well as some lovely seafood dishes made from recipes that have travelled from the shores of India and dishes straight out of clay ovens of the North West frontiers – the tandoors. It’s opulent, grand and a London icon for Indian dining.
As well as gaining a Michelin star, it also holds the title as the UK’s oldest Indian restaurant, serving up a menu of fine classical Indian cuisin
Where: Victory House, 99 Regent St., London W1B 4RS, United Kingdom
Website: www.veeraswamy.com
The Cinnamon Club
When The Cinnamon Club opened its doors in 2001 at the Grade II-listed Old Westminster Library, it became one of London’s most exciting Indian restaurants – and it has certainly held on to its position two decades later. Led by chef Vivek Singh, The Cinnamon Club is an institution in itself in the world of Indian dining. If you’re not sure where to start, go for the tasting menu which includes tandoori Kentish lamb chops with fenugreek rarha gosht, grilled Scottish scallop with varhadi techa spices, truffled potato and Kolhapuri sauce and a roast Balmoral Estate venison loin that comes with a masala mash – expect Indian food in a whole new avatar.
Where: 30-32 Great Smith Street, Westminster SW1P 3BU
Website: cinnamonclub.com
The Curry Room At The Rubens At The Palace
For authentic Indian flavours prepared with the finest ingredients, including spices imported from India, the restaurant has an intimate, luxirious vibe perfect for date nights or family outings. The menu includes onion bhajis, Punjabi lamb curry, Bengal fish curry and a glorious Chef Kumar’s Thali which lets you taste three delicous curries. For the perfect sweetener, end your meal with a bowl of gulab jamuns, that’s served in a sweet saffron syrup with vanilla custard.
Where: 39 Buckingham Palace Rd, London SW1W 0PS
Website: www.rubenshotel.com
Heritage Dulwich
Heritage is located in seemingly quiet and unassuming West Dulwich, but the food in this South East London restaurant packs a massive punch.
There’s a royal thali lunch every weekend if you want to switch up your traditional brunch plans – this inlcudes aloo chole, bhoona lamb, and paneer ka salan, with a creamy kheer for dessert.
The food in this South East London restaurant packs a massive punch.
Where: 101 Rosendale Rd, Norwood, London SE21 8EZ
Website: www.heritagedulwich.co.uk
Colonel Saab
For one of London’s most striking Indian restaurants, look to Colonel Saab, located in the former Holborn Town Hall. Complete with museum-worthy artwork, chandeliered ceilings, and interiors inspired by the travel tales of an Army officer and his wife across India, the decor is eclectic and elegant – perfectly mixing the old with the new.
The à la carte menu has a chaat bar, which includes some delicous Indian snacks like dahi sev puri and aloo tikki chaat. Stars on the menu include memsaab’s chicken curry or Colonel saab’s butter chicken curry, best enjoyed with an indulgent cheese and truffle kulcha or garlic naan.
Where: 193-197 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD
Website: www.colonelsaab.co.uk
Bibi Mayfair
Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch and dinner, Bibi Mayfair serves an exceptional a la carte and tasting menu, plus a tasting menu for dinner. Listed at #35 in the National Restaurant Awards this year, this is the third year of the restaurant celebrating a Top 100 spot so you can expect some great things here. We spotted an incredible achari wagyu beef sirloin on the menu, plus the buffalo milk paneer and black truffle looks fabulous for vegetarians.
where: 42 North Audley Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6ZP
website: www.bibirestaurants.com
Tamarind
The first Indian restaurant in London to get a Michelin star, Tamarind puts a modern twist on Indian flavours and has the tandoor at the heart of its kitchen. Go with the tandoori sweet potato if you want something sweet and spicy or choose the gridled scallop if you’re looking to experiment – this one comes with a red lentil and curry leaf sauce with green apple salsa and oscietra caviar. And for the ultimate showstopper, go for the tandoori prawns that are marinated with a blend of pickled chillies and tamarind – delish!
The first Indian restaurant in London to get a Michelin star, Tamarind puts a modern twist on Indian flavours and has the tandoor at the heart of its kitchen.
Where: 20 Queen St, London W1J 5PR
Website: www.tamarindrestaurant.com
Chutney Mary
For bar-raising Indian food, head to Chutney Mary in St. James’s for an evening of Anglo-Indian cuisine whose original Chelsea location made a name for itself when it burst onto the London food scene in 1990.
Known as the restaurant that paved the way for Indian fine-dining in London, its newer outpost in St. James’s is the place to go, not only for its coastal Indian cuisine and array of seafood dishes, but also for cocktails served at the glamorous bar. While you’re there, make sure you try the goat biryani – it’s a signature dish and one that must be tasted.
Where: 73 St James’s St, St. James’s, London SW1A 1PH
Website: www.chutneymary.com
Gymkhana
A restaurant to grace many a London foodie’s bucket list (and yet another of London’s Indian restaurants to earn a Michelin star), Gymkhana is the place to go for classic and contemporary Indian cuisine that truly lives up to the hype.
Try their Goan cafreal salmon tikka with tomato chutney, or the Gilafi quail seekh kebab with mustard and mint chutney. For dessert, go for the cardamom and basmati rice kheer with fresh figs, or the rasgulla tiramisu.
Where: 42 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JH
Website: www.gymkhanalondon.com
Dishoom
Of course, you can’t talk about Indian restaurants in London without mentioning Dishoom. Whether it’s their lunch deals with make for the perfect midday bite on a workday, or their breakfast menu that’s reminiscent of Bombay’s old Irani cafes, Dishoom is the place to go for comforting Indian food.
With the tag line “From Bombay With Love”, you’ll find most self-respecting Bombay-born Londoners congregating here when they miss their Parsi breakfasts.
With the tag line “From Bombay With Love”, you’ll find most self-respecting Bombay-born Londoners congregating here when they miss their Parsi breakfasts – we’re talking Eggs Kegriwal (two fried eggs on chilli cheese toast), akuri (scrambled and spiced eggs with home-made buns) and the classic kheema per eedu (spicy chicken keema studded with chicken liver, runny-yolked fried eggs and sali crisp-chips). For lunch, the black daal is an absolute favourite, and the chicken berry Britaania (think biryani, with a sprinkling of cranberries) is fantastic.
Where: Multiple Locations
Website: www.dishoom.com
Kutir
Set in a lovely Georgian townhouse in Chelsea (you have to ring a bell to get in), Kutir won the Restaurant of the Year award in 2022 at the British Restaurant Awards. With quite the celebrity clientele – Ed Sheeran, James Blunt, Pierce Brosnan, and Roger Federer have been spotted here, the restaurant serves up Indian food that pays homage to the country’s rich heritage and wildlife. Perfect for summer, Kutir currently has a gin garden pop-up on their roof terrace that’s worth visiting this season while the sun is out. On the menu, Handbook favourites include the guinea fowl biryani, the succulent lamb shank and the spicy aloo tikkis.
On the menu, Handbook favourites include the guinea fowl biryani, the succulent lamb shank and the spicy aloo tikkis.
where: 10 Lincoln Street, Chelsea, London SW3, 2TS
website: kutir.co.uk
Manthan
A restaurant by chef Rohit Ghai and Abhishake Sangwan, Manthan lies in the heart of Mayfair in a beautiful townhouse on Maddox Street. Its menu is inspired by Ghai’s roots across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where he spent his formative years. It’s hard to go wrong with anything on the menu if you love Indian flavours – but if you need some advice we’d say start with the samosa chaat and the beef stew idiyappam, then dive deep into some flavoursome Jaffna lamb or fish curry, with some kaali daal on the side. On the drinks menu. you’ll find some glorious Indian-inspired concoctions like the aam bellini or the Indian lager.
where: 49 MADDOX STREET, MAYFAIR
website: manthanmayfair.co.uk
The Tamil Crown and The Tamil Prince
A pub serving Indian food – what’s not to love? If you love your cocktails with your curries, then The Tamil Crown (and Prince) are two fabulous spots to head to. The Tamil Crown serves up a desi take on the Sunday roast, with the masala roast chicken and the masala lamb shank that come with potato and peas masala, coconut stir fried cabbage, mixed veg avial, gobi 65, roti and gravy. At The Tamil Prince in Islington, you can get yourself a traditional South Indian breakfast, that’s freshly launched this month – so we’re talking madhu vadai, dosas, filter coffee, and all the classic favourites.
At The Tamil Prince in Islington, you can get yourself a traditional South Indian breakfast, that’s freshly launched this month.
where: 16 Elia Street, London, N1 1BZ
website: www.thetamilcrown.com
Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai
Fitzrovia get a taste of Bandra (Mumbai’s affluent celebrity-hotspot) at this Indian restaurant that serves fine food inspired by home recipes. To elevate your dining experience, book yourself a spot on the Chef’s Counter experience, where you can enjoy a bespoke seven course menu created by Chef Avi Shashidhara, who was recently seen on BBC’s Great British Menu. From a lamb biryani to a homestyle fish curry, the menu will take you across the country, from the North to the South of India.
From a lamb biryani to a homestyle fish curry, the menu will take you across the country, from the North to the South of India.
where: 79-81 Mortimer St, London W1W 7SJ
website: www.pahlihillbandrabhai.com
Trishna Marylebone
Located in the heart of London’s Marylebone Village, Trishna brings incredible Indian coastal cuisine to London. Awarded a Michelin Star in 2012, Trishna has an informal, laidback aesthetic with a pretty terrace that opens onto Blandford Street. For the ultimate summer feast, try the Kerala summer lunch menu that features Calicut corn and coconut cutlets, Malabar porotta and beef fry and some exciting wild mushroom pilau.
where: 15-17 Blandford Street, Marylebone Village, W1U 3DG
website: www.trishnalondon.com
Benares
This one Michelin-star restaurant led by chef Sameer Taneja has a diverse, pan-Indian menu complemented by some inventive Indian-inspired cocktails. Don’t miss the tandoor ratan for the whole deal – chicken tikka, kasundi king prawn and lamb seekh kebab or go for the Malabar Scallops (hand-dived Scottish scallops that are baked on the shell and served with coconut curry and Malabar parantha).
This one Michelin-star restaurant led by chef Sameer Taneja has a diverse, pan-Indian menu complemented by some inventive Indian-inspired cocktails.
where: 12a Berkeley Square,
Mayfair
website: benaresrestaurant.com
Farzi
Whether you’re looking for a curry fix or you want to try something experimental, Farzi is a great spot to visit for some innovative Indian cuisine. Nestled in Haymarket, the restaurant is lovely for a romantic dinner or a fun outing with friends when you’re looking for a place to share plates. The restaurnat has an impressive selection of grills including the Patiala tandoori chicken, Lucknowi lamb burra kebab and tandoori salmon tikka. There’s also a great pre-theatre menu with some great choices like the Punjabi chole masala or the chicken railway curry.
where: 8 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4BP
website: farzilondon.com
Kahani London
Translating to “story”, Kahani is all about literally, telling the stories of India, through its food. Michelin-starred chef Peter Joseph working on the latest chapter at Kahani, with his fresh approach to Indian cuisine. There’s a vegan menu with dishes like truffle roti, cumin and garlic spinach and marinated tandoori broccoli jaggery, nigella seeds and wheat crisps. For meat eaters, go for the tandoor lamb chops with kashmiri-chillies for a spicy feast.
where: 1 Wilbraham Place London, SW1X 9AE
website: www.kahanilondon.com
Bombay Bustle
Inspired by Mumbai, Bombay Bustle pays homage to the culture and people of the city, and serves up some of Mumbai-inspired dishes. Think recheado fish tikka, chicken lollipops and kanda bhajiya pao with drinks like kokum margarita and jaljeera mojita making the perfect summer serve.
Inspired by Mumbai, Bombay Bustle pays homage to the culture and people of the city, and serves up some of Mumbai-inspired dishes.
where: 29 Maddox Street
Mayfair W1S 2PA
website: bombaybustle.com
Darjeeling Express
For some heartfelt Indian cooking, the Darjeeling Express, led by Kolkata-born chef and restaurateur Asma Khan makes for a lovely meal. Run by an all-women kitchen, the restaurant is no stranger to celebrities – Darjeeling Express is one of Bridgerton‘s Simone Ashley‘s favourite spots for Indian food. Start with a nostalgic chilli cheese toastie or a keema toastie (Khan’s childhood favourites) and then follow up with methi chicken or prawn malaikari if you like your seafood. For sides, there are glorious stuffed aloo parathas and some kuchumber salad which makes a lovely, refreshing summertime snack.
where: 2.4 Kingly Court, Carnaby Street, London, W1B 5PW
website: www.darjeeling-express.com
Amaya
A majestic dining venue by day or night, Amaya is all about the theatrics of Indian cooking with a tandoor, tawa, and sigree grills surrounding the seating area, where chefs carefully choreograph your lunch or dinner. With its moody lighting, Amaya feels like a great spot for a special meal with your partner or to celebrate an occassion. From wild venison seekh kebabs to chargrilled aubergine tikka, the menu features an inventive selection of dishes that are bound to impress.
where: Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street, London, SW1X 8JT
website: www.amaya.biz
