Best 5 Indian places in London?

[NYJewboy]

I am a yank who will vist your fine land in the coming months. I know Indian has sub-divisons within sub-divisions, I am not concerned with that. I want to know what YOU Londoners like!

[Robin Joy]

I'll put in a vote for Rajasthan in Monument St. in The City (as the financial district is known). Smart modern place serving old-school Anglo/Indian food rather than new wave, but of excellent quality. Location may make it unknown to many Hounds, but it might prove a useful lunch venue if you are visiting St. Pauls or The Tower of London. Best to book.

This might help:

http://www.london-eating.co.uk/

[zuriga1]

I am an ex-New Yorker of your tribe. I've lived in the UK for almost 5 years and finding the wonderful 'subcontinent' food here has been one of my best experiences - so far. With the better exchange rate, upscale places should be far more accessible now. I'm not sure our American tastebuds are different, but perhaps.

I'd recommend you try out Bombay Brasserie (their buffets are legendary), which was my first encounter with Indian food here years ago. The Cinnamon Club has a terrific ambiance and is a bit more 'creative' than some would like, but I like. Amaya, Benares, Tamarind - all good. Quilon has been highly praised here, but I haven't been there yet - food of Southern India.

You will get advice to visit Brick Lane - lower prices, little ambiance but those are individual choices and to be respected. Tayaab's, too - very popular with people here.

Enjoy!

[NYJewboy]

Sounds like you might not be too keen on Brick Lane. Is it like E6th St here in New York City?

[zuriga1]

One of our regulars, JFores, will be able to answer that better than I can. He's a lot younger and knows Manhattan better than I do, as I lived a bit to the north. My last trip to the LES was years ago (for Katz's) although I usually stay with a cousin in SoHo.

I have a feeling it may be quite a bit the same - at least the appearance. I don't like people hawking for me to come in from their doorway. I've gotten to the point in life where I enjoy a nice surrounding when I eat out. I don't need fancy, but you know what I mean. That said, lots of people visiting London like to see different, ethnic neighbourhoods and go wandering.

You can always check some websites and see what appeals.

[JFores]

Brick Lane is like what main drag Chinese in Chinatown are. The best of the best that Brick Lane has to offer to the average unadventurous customer will be equivalent to ei. Wo Hop. If you're willing to dig a bit more, you can find glory (much like in NYC's Chinatown, but in this case it's in the form of Gram Bangla and a few other very Bangladeshi places), but it's still no Flushing (to continue the theme.) Think of it as Little Italy, because the two are pretty interchangeable except a lot of Bangladeshi still live in the surrounding area (though they're jumping ship for Romford, East Ham, Shoreditch, the Green St vicinity, and a few other spots at a mind blowing rate. Rent there has gone up a hell of a lot.)

[monkeytennis]

1. Tayyabs (a cliché but still holds)
2. Mirch Masala, Whitechapel (close second - and worth it if Tayyabs is too busy)
3. Lahore Kebab House (have the garlic bread, if nothing else!)
4. Kastoori, Tooting
5. Tayyabs

Sorry, ran out of ideas, but none of the so-called "posh" places are worth bothering with (Amaya, Benares, Cinnamon Club, all crap) and the rule seems to be, the cheaper the better!

[zuriga1]

Have you eaten at all those named 'posh' places?

[monkeytennis]

Yes, complete ripoffs. Went to Cinnamon Club before I started my blog, but here's Benares:

http://cheesenbiscuits.blogspot.com/2...

[zuriga1]

I find it interesting how so many people now write food blogs. Is it as valuable to a reader as reading the opinion of a paid food critic... better? I have to think about that. Many opinions... and everyone has different tastes when it comes to food.

[JFores]

Sometimes better. I don't know about here, but I know blog's like Dave Cook's "Eating in Translation" are SIGNIFICANTLY followed by major food writers, ei Sietsema of the Village Voice.

[monkeytennis]

I can only speak for myself, but I would trust Dos Hermanos and Andy Hayler above most professional food critics. They're always my first port of call.

[howler]

oh dear.

there is a looooong way from limster (chowhound poet laureate), jfores and other chowhound regulars to the professional critics, bloggers etc. perhaps those judge competence well. but the ethos here has always been about finding - and then worshipping - soul.

[PhilD]

I disagree. I find lots of the bloggers get the soul as well as the competence. Soul is fine, but if I am paying good money I also want competence in the kitchen/FOH and quality ingredients

I find lots of very good UK Chowhound contributors also have interesting and informative blogs. Amongst those I read are Simon from Dos Hermandos, Helen from World Foodie Guide, Gourmet Chick, Splendid Food Snob at Food Snob, Kristainlondon at londondelicious, and of course monkeytennis with Cheese and Biscuits.

Across these writers you get a good broad range of opinion and insight. I don't agree with all of it but it makes a nice change from reading about Thattukada again.

[JFores]

Tayyabs is OK, but I feel like it's a slightly shinier version of most East London kebabishes (and the food is not always as good as those places.) They also rush you beyond belief on busy days. Also, I really don't think the trek to Kastoori is worth it at this point. That place has down hilled very badly and I unfortunately can't think of any proper Gujarati restaurants anymore. I was recently told to try one around Wembley which I'm getting to.

[monkeytennis]

I'm actually off to Kastoori tomorrow JFores so I'll let you know what the latest is. Certainly I had just as good a meal as ever a few months ago.

[PhilD]

The great thing about "Indian" food in London is the broad variety. My advice is to try restaurants across the whole spectrum to get a feel for what is happening. I personally like to try different places and have a pretty open mind about innovation in food i.e. I am not of the "it must be authentic for it to be good" way of thinking.

New Tayabs (just won London Indian restaurant of the year) and other similar restaurants serve very good simple food often based around kebabs and other quickly cooked meats. There are also lots of very low cost restaurants (like Gram Bangla) in areas like Brick Lane or to the west of London in suburbs like Southall, some good cooking but it is cheap food that caters for a specific market and so it is not always good, quality food.

At the other extreme are the restaurants (some Michelin starred) like Benares, Quilon, Amaya, Tamarind, The Cinnamon Club, Verraswamy, and the brand new Trishna (a branch of a top Mumbai restaurant) are places which push the envelope in terms of cooking with some good innovation (although some purists decry this as sacrilege as it lacks "authenticity" - whatever that is).

There is also a very good middle ground that serves good quality "high street" food. In central London Haandi (Cheval Place), Mela (Shaftsbury Avenue) and Moti Mahal (Covent Garden) are all good - well cooked food at reasonable prices.

Lots of choice - best advice is to go for 5 styles of restaurant different.

PS - zuriga1 recommended The Bombay Brasserie, it has been closed since August for a major refurbishment and should open soon. Does anyone know when? The owners (Taj Hotels) are importing one of their top chefs to run it so it may be very good.

[zuriga1]

Thanks for that reminder about the Bombay Brasserie, PhilD. And that's very good advice about trying a bit of everything, if possible. If posters don't say what sort of restaurants they prefer (price-wise etc.), it's sure hard to try and advise.

[JFores]

Hey NYJewboy!

I live in East London now (and have for over a year.) Get in contact when you come to town and I'll show you my two favorite "Indian" places. The first is an extremely traditional Bangladeshi restaurant called Gram Bangla and the second is a similarly traditional Keralan restaurant called Thattakuda. Both serve amazing food (in my humble opinion.) Both are also very seafood heavy, but Thattakuda is the all together more varied place if seafood is an issue. At the former, I would recommended all of the usual village or Sylheti Bangladeshi dishes (shutki, fish eggs, God knows how many types of fish curries, fish fries, shrmp, etc. Their food is very much Sylheti Bangladeshi food of the grittiest and most village variety. It's awesome.) At the latter, I'd recommend pretty much anything. Excluding portions (one dish came in a very small portion, the fish fry) I have never had anything at the place that I didn't think was delicious.

Email me at the email posted in blog on my profile so we can get together and sacrifice a lamb to Domenico Di Marco or carry out some other sort of ritual of our Brooklyn based religion.

[mrnyc]

how funny -- i think i picked up a menu from GRAM BANGLA, but went somewhere else. old ch minds think alike.

you really got my attention with THATTAKUDA. sounds great. if we get stuck for open restaurants over christmas weekend i am so there! thx for the rec.

[NYJewboy]

Wow thanks!! I hope it happens!