Spice Up Your Life: London’s Finest Indian Restaurants
Barbecued classics, street-food bites and secret family recipes: we’ve found the places bringing India’s best dishes to the heart of London
21 October, 2022
- Words by
- Georgina Groom
Feast on more stories in Vol. 38: Flavour.
London
London
is home to one of the world’s most
magnificent food scenes, including a next-level Indian offering,
whose seasonal menus, design-driven interiors and secret family
recipes have left us somewhat spoilt for choice – we’re absolutely
not complaining. Keen to track down the city’s hottest menus, we
took to the streets in search of a proper South Asian feast. These nine spots are where to go for
traditional fare fused with contemporary flair, from fluffy breads
to succulent meats and trays of chaat.
Delicious dining: our favourite Indian menus in the
capital
restaurant
Kricket, Soho
Best for: spectacular sharing plates
From humble beginnings in a 20-seater shipping container at Pop
Brixton, Kricket has since opened two bricks-and-mortar outposts,
in White City and Soho. Denman Street is where we’re heading for
our fix (don’t be surprised if you spot the entire SUITCASE team
feasting here come lunchtime – this is our well-loved local).
Upstairs, you’ll find an airy space with a marble-topped bar,
blush-pink bar stools, brass pendant lights and Aztec-inspired
tiled flooring. Downstairs, a low-lit, sultry space is lined by two
enormous communal benches beneath exposed pipework ceilings.
Portion sizes are generous: we suggest ordering a few plates to
share. Our pick? The garlic and coriander kulcha, samphire pakoras
and tandoori paneer.
restaurant
Brigadiers, City
Best for: barbecue classics
Brigadiers is exactly what you’d imagine a slick restaurant in
the City of London to look like, but better. Two dining areas and a
handful of private rooms are decorated with rich mahogany, leather
banquettes, gold-plated ceilings and a circular-shaped bar that
looks better suited to a private members’ club than a dinner spot.
Cooking up a spicy storm with traditional Indian barbecue methods,
dishes are passed through tandoors, charcoal grills, rotisseries,
wood ovens and classic Indian smokers before arriving at your
table. Make it your choice for a post-work treat, where a feast
menu for two includes a selection of skewers, wings, ribs and
chutneys, set at £75pp.
restaurant
Tandoor Chop House, Charing Cross
Best for: succulent meat cuts
Tucked down an unassuming street just a short stroll from the
Strand, Tandoor Chop House is renowned across the capital for its
meat cuts and quality naans – a statement you will find etched in
gold lettering across its glass-fronted facade. The concept here is
simple: to deliver north Indian-inspired dishes with the best of
British ingredients – against a backdrop of stripped-back
interiors, wood-panelled walls and exposed concrete ceilings.
Crispy lamb chops, peppery chicken tikka and tandoori duck are just
a few of the menu standouts. There are plenty of veggie options and
fish specials to choose from, too.
restaurant
Cinnamon Bazaar, Covent Garden
Best for: street-food bites
Embodying the flavours, food and culture of a traditional Indian
market, Cinnamon Bazaar brings a slice of South Asia to the heart
of Covent Garden. Bursting with colour, the dining room sees
sage-green ceilings strung with pink silk awnings and floral
hanging baskets. The food? Worth loosening your waistband for. Come
for the vibe and stay for the chaat tray (laden with sweet, sour
and savoury snacks), where crab cakes, curried popcorn, vegetable
samosas and pressed watermelon promise to tickle everyone’s taste
buds.
restaurant
Gunpowder, Spitalfields
Best for: express lunches
Founded in 2015 by Harneet and Devina Baweja, the demand for a
bit of this family-run joint’s flavour-filled menu soon led to
three outposts across the city. We’re pegging their newest opening
in Spitalfields, where sweeping views across the capital and a
contemporary aesthetic await – think matte-black walls, zinc
details and red leather furnishings. Ditch your meal deal and make
tracks for their express lunch menu, where a starter, main and
dessert weigh in at just £25pp. Okra fries, tandoori paneer and
triple chocolate brownie, here we come.
restaurant
Kutir, Chelsea
Best for: seasonal tasting menus
Set in a grand and glorious townhouse just a samosa’s throw from
the legendary Kings Road, Kutir is the sort of place where you
bring your fanciest friend for dinner – and we mean that in the
best way possible. On tracking down the oatmeal-coloured door, ring
the bell and you will be quickly ushered into a stylish dining room
– all herringbone floors, mirrors, abstract animal prints and
pistachio-green walls. Not for nothing did Kutir recently pick up
the Restaurant of the Year trophy at the British Restaurant Awards.
Come for the seasonal tasting menu, which wows with the likes of
prawn masala, mallard duck, pan-seared sea bass and zingy sorbets.
There is also a terraced rooftop garden for weather-friendly
days.
restaurant
Pahli Hill, Fitzrovia
Best for: art deco interiors
The cool new kid on Fitzrovia’s block, Pahli Hill is named after
one of Mumbai’s oldest neighbourhoods. The restaurant’s
brushed-concrete exterior is flanked by orange awnings, making for
a comfortable streetside set-up. Inside, a playful palette borrows
artworks from India, with rattan chairs and colourful printed
cushions making wait times appetising. The best bit? A three-course
feast will only set you back £29pp. Start by ordering the spinach
and potato tamarind chutney, then grab the beetroot chicken curry,
before rounding things off with the dark chocolate coconut cake –
served with dark rum and whipped cream. The cocktail menu is worth
checking out, too: the summer bombay should pass every rum lover’s
lips.
restaurant
The Tamil Prince, Islington
Best for: a gastropub vibe
The days of boozers being good for nothing other than a pint and
a dartboard are well and truly over, thanks to a new generation of
pimped-up pubs that are rivalling the most chic restaurants. Step
forward, The Tamil Prince. Formerly known as The Cuckoo, this space
has retained all its grit while adding a sprinkle of glamour –
panelled walls and potted plants complement original wooden floors
and bar stools. The menu is split between small and large plates:
if the okra fries are on, order at least three.
restaurant
Bombay Bustle, Mayfair
Best for: family recipes
Is it an old-school cinema? No, it’s Mayfair’s hottest Indian
restaurant. Bombay Bustle, which, inspired by the free spirit of
Mumbai and the city’s love of Hollywood, draws on a decadent 30s
style. Arrive for your reservation early and snag a seat at the
bar, where a selection of exotic cocktails will no doubt transport
you straight to the hustle and bustle of India. The incognito has
our vote – a blend of dark rum, pineapple juice and ginger beer.
Dishes are crafted from the secret family recipes that shaped
co-founder Samyukta Nair’s childhood. Our top picks? The truffle
naan, chilli chicken and fish tikka.
Discover more stories from the Flavour issue here.