Tayyabs would be my pick for introducing someone to Indian cuisine in London - excellent food and ambiance.
Tripadvisor score of 3.5 does not reflect the high level of praise. Now I know you shouldn’t get too caught up in this, but nearly 1 in 5 left a terrible review.Originally Posted by stelmo01
I would a consistently good restaurant to get a consistently good score. Even the Google review score is only 3.9, and most good takeouts have a score of over 4.5
Having been there (and recommended it earlier in this thread) , given the OP's stated circumstances of a 1-off visit, might be worth tending towards other options!
Having presented the many options recommended here to my wife, and discounting the ones booked up for Sunday, we decided on Jamavar. I am very much looking forward to it. I'll report back next week.
Thank you all for the recommendations as we'll try many of them in the future. I looked at booking some others first, but this short notice and being a holiday, the options were greatly reduced.
Report back please, I've never been!
As the author of the recent Brick Lane thread that has been mentioned this one has been quite insightful. We had to postpone our trip into town and we'll be going late Spring instead, whilst we may favour something close to LS Station we wouldn't necessarily be put off by tubing it somewhere.
OK, I thought to update this thread with the result. As I mentioned I booked Jamavar. I should give a bit more of a background to the reasoning as well. My friend actually part owns a Michelin star restaurant in NYC, he's not a food snob at all, but there was a bit of pressure I put on myself to dig out something great. As things progressed I decided I wanted both him and us to have something out of the ordinary hence I was drawn to the higher end suggestions on here. Once my wife got excited about the menu, the decision was made. We also went for a pub lunch earlier in the day which was decidedly not high end, but was very good.
Anyhow... Jamavar was excellent. Some stuff wasn't to our tastes, such as kid goat kebab (I would have preferred just a normal kebab!), but some was the best I've ever had, such as chicken tikka and lamb shank (the chicken was out of this world actually!). My wife said her lobster curry was superb (lobster is wasted on me so I didn't try it). Out of the three of us I think she was the most impressed. Overall, I thought it was exactly what I wanted, very high quality, but not overly pretentious, and generously portioned. I also thought it was reasonably priced for the quality, the location, service, etc. It's a really pleasant restaurant and we spent 3 relaxed hours there. I don't drink alcohol, so wasn't paying attention, but I think the cocktails the other two had were at least a third of the bill. Regardless, Mickey Mouse paid for it, so it was an excellent result.
A bit late to the party, but for future refence I'm surprised nobody mentioned Chutney Mary.
https://www.chutneymary.com/
Expensive, but really lovely food.
Andy
Wanted - Damasko DC57
As someone of Bengali descent , I avoid Bengali restaurants when out for a curry. The stuff sold , isn't reflective of the curries we cook at home.
My fave curries are East African . Living In North London spoilt for choice. The Regency, Zanzibar, Purple Flame. Downed with a couple of pints of Tusker beer!
Have you been to Bageecha near your neck of the woods? I enjoyed it when I went. Not as good as some of the others I listed I thought, but venue, views etc score some brownie points.
I haven’t yet, but ironically we all used to head up to The Fishery (the pub that gave way to Bageecha) as far back as our late teens early twenties - I’m 62 now. In fact, I used to meet our Howard/hhhh there regularly (and it was the venue of many a watch trade).
Anyway, I’ll definitely give Bageecha a go.
This thread has me so hungry, sounds like we need a TZ meet up at one of these establishments!
I would recommend Jamavar or Benares, both fairly high end and in beautiful spots in Mayfair. Worth splashing out if you want something a bit special l.
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Didn’t read all the way down, great choice!!
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Totally agree about splashing out, but not convinced about doing that for a ruby.
The best currys I have had have been cheap and cheerful.
I stick to splashing out for quality where it makes a significant difference.
Yup, I've yet to experience a gourmet curry,
"Once is happenstance. Twice is coincidence. The third time it's enemy action."
'Populism, the last refuge of a Tory scoundrel'.
Has anyone tried Atul Kochar's Kanishka in Mayfair? His cooking on TV always looks amazing, and it has excellent reviews.
Gourmet prices to pay gourmet Mayfair rents.
I went to Tamarind many years ago. Enjoyed it but well overpriced. As noted above, a Mayfair location will ensure you will probably come out feeling (a bit) cheated. With the exception of Gymkhana (which divides opinion anyway per this thread), all the best curries I've had in London have been in the 'burbs.
Been to his previous effort Tamarind (~5 years back?), as expected very good food & service at this level refined Indian dining is far away from ‘curry houses’, I thought the lunch meal we had was reasonable vfm on the Mayfair scale.
I haven't, but have been to his place in Petts Wood - very nice restaurant and the food was excellent.
i didnt see Chutney Marys in St James mentioned, pricey but very very good.
If we’re splitting the bill equally I’m out!
If we’re not then I’m in!
Wasn't that how the Curry game began...use spices, strong flavours on lesser bits of meat to enhance them...seems to me a powerful sense of marketing's involved, trying to take them upmarket, when sticking to the origins works so well.
Another vote for Cinnamon Club, truly exceptional.
Lobster is so nice unadorned or served with melted butter that I personally think currying it would be a waste, but everyone has different tastes.
I used to go to Masala Zone in Covent Garden - their thali were really popular and it's a great location for shopping. Not high end by any means but pretty tasty and good value for money.
Couldn’t pay me to eat there. I worked in Covent Garden for three years and parked my motorbike opposite it daily.
All their morning food deliveries were left on the street for hours in the doorway as presumably they wouldn’t time the delivery with someone being available to receive it.
Onions in the bags rolling around in a urine coated doorway. I emailed them a couple of times and never got a reply. Health hazard of a place.
I haven't eaten there for probably 6 years and not very likely to go back based on what you've said!
I suppose that'll be a haute cuisine version of pickled onions?
Decent food, reasonable and a laid back atmosphere.
https://www.delhigrill.com
I went to Benares when he was the chef there and whilst it wasn't bad, I certainly wasn't tempted to rush back and have been to many better Indian restaurants since. Seems like there is some positive feedback on this thread though so may need to give him another try!
Glad the OP enjoyed Jamavar, I am usually terrible at revisiting restaurants even when I enjoy them as there are so many places to try, will need to make an exception for Jamavar though.
I loved his place in the New Forest in the vineyard, don't fancy his London prices!
Late to the thread but the Tamarind Kitchen in Soho is my favourite, superb.
If you head out of London, I can highly recommend this place in Guildford;
https://raviz.co.uk/
It's our favourite restaurant in Surrey and the prices are pretty reasonable for the very high quality of the food and the diversity of the menu too.
Dishoom for me
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If I was going to head out of Central London for a curry, I’d be heading a few miles out to Wembley, Southall, Tower Hamlets or Tooting.
Every boring soulless middle class commuter town or suburbia (including the area I live in) around London has a half decent curry house.
I’ve been out for a curry with Indian colleagues and friends in all 4 of those Greater London locations you mentioned over the years and they all have their own merits……...authenticity for one.
And the place I linked to in Guildford is anything but “a halfway decent curry house” and was why I mentioned it here in this thread and it’s very much the exception to the suburban norm.
Would agree, really tasty.
Have you considered going to India, I hear they are a dab hand at South Asian cuisine, I suspect it’s all the chefs they send here to train…
I met with the esteemed Mr. Brown (and a few other members) at Sagar recently. Sadly, I was late to the party so didn't eat but I must say, the lager was cold, the company good and the smells from the kitchen amazing.
I would generally agree as I love a curry and one of
my favourite places is a cheap and cheerful spot in Reading. I have also spent time in India so had the real deal.
That said, especially Jamavar was a superb experience (had the taster menu). I have never had a curry where we stopped at every bite to discuss how amazing the flavours were and how blown away we were. We still talk about that night over a year later, so for me it was worth the extra expense. All cuisines can be elevated and have something special done with it. Not for a Saturday night after a few beers but we’ll worth it for a special night.
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^this. Hounslow has a great selection.
If in central London, Dishoom has a style of its own and is ok. Tayyabs is a Punjabi buzz if with mates on a night out (ensure you book the dry cleaners the next day). I quite like Haandi in Knightsbridge for more refined cuisine that doesn't cost the earth, and doesn't smell like you're eating in the kitchen (like Tayyabs).
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