26 Of London’s Best Indian Restaurants
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.
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
Vatavaran
If you’re in Knightsbridge, this is one to add to your list. From the beautiful interiors to the carefully crafted menu by acclaimed Michelin-starred chef Rohit Ghai, Vatavaran has all the hallmarks of a memorable meal. Highlights include Instagrammable cocktails infused with traditional desserts such as Gulab Jamun and Jalebi. As for the food, we highly recommend the lamb chops from the tandoor, coated with black cumin, served with mint chutney, ginger, and yoghurt. Perhaps less surprisingly, the butter chicken was delicious, so definitely add that to your order, too.
where: 14 – 15 BEAUCHAMP PLACE, KNIGHTSBRIDGE, LONDON, SW3 1NQ
website: www.vatavaran.uk
Gymkhana
A restaurant to grace many a London foodie’s bucket list with two Michelin stars, 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
Dishoom Permit Room
Just off Portobello Road in Notting Hill, this spin-off from the obviously beloved Dishoom empire opts for a relaxed all-day bar cafe vibe rather than the full formal restaurant format. It’s inspired by the “permit rooms” of Bombay – small, social drinking spots that emerged during and after the liquor bans in the 1950s-70s. Expect breakfast naan rolls and chai to kick off the day, then chaat, curries, and plates to share with a signature Dishoom twist. The decor leans playful: think vinyl-spinning DJs after dark, bold artwork, and a buzzing bar counter that transitions from coffee to cocktails with ease.
Where: 186 Portobello road
website: www.permitroom.co.uk
As with any Dishoom, make sure you don’t walk away without having tried the Black Daal which is arguably one of the most iconic menu items in London.
Mallory, Junior Food & Drink Editor
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.
Not only are the flavours intoxicating, each plate is a delicious explosion of colour and culinary artistry. And then there are the cocktails… gorgeous. All the tasty essentials for the perfect dinner out.
Ashling, Contributing Style & Interiors Editor
Where: across london
Website: www.gunpowderrestaurants.com
Quilon
A stalwart of London’s fine-dining scene, Quilon brings the flavours of India’s south-west coast to St James’s with rare precision. The long-held Michelin star sets the tone — this is polished, quietly confident cooking built around seafood, coconut, curry leaves and delicate spicing rather than heavy sauces. Signature dishes such as pepper-fried prawns and seafood-leaning tasting menus show off the kitchen’s coastal roots, while the room itself feels calm and grown-up, perfect for a special-occasion dinner that still feels understated. If you’re looking for an Indian restaurant that blends heritage with modern finesse, Quilon remains one of London’s most reliable bets.
Where: 41 Buckingham Gate, London SW1E 6AF
Website: quilon.co.uk
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.
Brigadiers is one of my favourite new spots – it’s vibey, with a great drinks menu, and the food is top tier. The standout menu items are the Achari Beef Shortrib & Lasooni Chicken Tikka Skewers.
Natasha, Digital Editor
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 peach and pomelo bellini 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, which is 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 them the ideal first course to your meal.
Samyukta Nair’s restaurants never fail to impress and Jamavar knows what it’s doing when it comes to Indian fine dining – the Adraki lamb chop is a game-changer.
Andrea, Contributing Food, Culture & Lifestyle Editor
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
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 the restaurant has celebrated 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 look fabulous for vegetarians.
where: 42 North Audley Street, Mayfair, London W1K 6ZP
Website: www.bibirestaurants.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 paneer paratha, 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 – we’re talking madhu vadai, dosas, filter coffee, and all the classic favourites.
There are few places I love to eat out more than a great pub with excellent food. The Tamil Prince is just that: informal, dog-friendly, buzzy, and with incredible sharing plates – from their famous lamb chops to their pillowy dosas.
Astrid, Contributing Fashion & Lifestyle Editor
where: 16 Elia Street, London, N1 1BZ
website: www.thetamilcrown.com
Empire Empire
In the heart of Notting Hill, this newish concept serves Indian food with an extra dose of personality. Styled as a nod to India’s 1970s disco era, Empire Empire pairs kebabs and biryanis with retro jukeboxes, photo booths and vintage album covers of Indian disco stars on the walls.
The menu leans into the Punjabi and North-West Indian palette: charcoal-grilled kebabs, rich curries, classic biryanis; stand-out dishes include a house butter chicken and king-prawns in kadhai masala. The ambience is more relaxed, but polished enough for a fun night out.
Where: 16 all saints road, london w11 1hh
website: empire-empire.restaurant
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 wild sea bass steamed in banana leaf, the menu will take you across the country, from the North to the South of India.
From a lamb biryani to a a wild sea bass steamed in banana leaf, 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
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 terrace that opens onto Blandford Street. For the ultimate feast, try the lunch or early eve menu (3 for £50 or 4 for £55) that features nandy varuval, Koliwada squid and shrimps, kasoori turkey tikka, and cashew and pepper chicken alongside some exciting wild mushroom biryani.
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
Tamila
The latest launch from the team behind The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown, Tamila sees their first entry South of the river. It’s a new standalone concept with a casual edge, evolving from its food hall beginnings at Hackney Bridge in Hackney Wick to a fully-fledged restaurant.
The menu echoes co-founder and executive chef Prince Durairaj’s South Indian heritage, featuring dishes from Tamil Nadu and across the subcontinent. Whilst roti and curries will be a central component of the menu, guests can expect new additions and regular specials cooked in the tandoor for authentic Indian flavours.
Little sister to The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown, Tamila is all hustley-bustley casual street food vibes and serves a mean Gunpowder Margarita that I genuinely can’t get enough of.
Robyn, Managing Director
where: 39 Northcote Rd, London SW11 1NJ
website: www.tamila.uk
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 restaurant has an impressive winter a la carte menu including the fish gulzar, Bombay chow mein bhel, and truffle chevre kebab, to name a few.
where: 8 Haymarket, London, SW1Y 4BP
website: farzilondon.com
Ambassador’s Clubhouse
Named after the founders’ grandfather, a former Ambassador, the restaurant takes inspiration from his residence in Northern India and the abandoned party mansions of the region. Classic Punjabi hospitality is showcased through the sharing of fine food and liquor.
The menu is inspired by the food of undivided Punjab — India and Pakistan — and the shared food heritage of the two countries. Cocktails capture the spirit of generosity and theatre alongside large-serves and a playful list of shots, with an all-day drinks list moving through lunch to dinner to late-night party.
where: 25 Heddon Street W1B 4BH
website: www.ambassadorsclubhouse.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 plum chutney, fennel and star anise. Oh – and don’t miss live jazz on Thursdays.
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, paneer lababdar, or your classic butter masala with drinks like an old gold fashioned or a pearl of Bombay – you’ll just have to go and try it.
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 kachumber salad which makes for refreshing 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 occasion. From pheasant 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
