Without question, Britain boasts one of the world’s most diverse gastronomic landscapes, with cuisines from all over the world making their way here. However, few cuisines are more prevalent in the United Kingdom than Indian food. You’d be hard-pressed to find a Brit who doesn’t enjoy an Indian dinner, with its rich and distinct flavors, delightfully enticing scents, and vivid colors on the plate. One of the most exciting things about Indian cuisine is how varied it is, with each area of the country offering something unique in terms of style and traditional dishes. It implies that no matter what your tastes are, you’ll be able to discover at least one type of Indian cuisine that appeals to you. The enormous variety of Indian eateries in London reflects this diversity. There are also a few Indian restaurants in London that have been given a Michelin star, showing the high quality of the Indian food available in the city.
1. Gymkhana
The Michelin-starred Gymkhana, which was named the finest British restaurant in 2014, remains highly popular, so make a booking well in advance. The restaurant’s name and decor are on Colonial Indian gymkhana clubs, where rich Indians socialize, dine, and perform sports.
2. Trishna
The similarly lovely Trishna in Marylebone village is Gymkhana’s younger sibling. Trishna, a Michelin-starred seafood restaurant, is reasonably priced, especially for lunch, with a four-course tasting menu for £35. The crowd’s favorite dish is Nandu varuval (soft shell crab). Similarly, the coriander and green chili tandoori bream with smoked tomato on the side is a must-try.
3. Benares
Benares is, without a doubt, one of London’s most fantastic Indian eateries. In 2001, Atul Kochhar became the first Indian chef to receive a Michelin star for his restaurant Tamarind. In 2007, he opened Benares Restaurant and Bar, which received a Michelin star, then in 2008, he opened Ananda in Dublin, and in 2015, he opened Benares Madrid. Kochhar is a well-known chef who has been on several television shows and published several cookbooks. The meal served is delicious.
4. Bombay Palace
For almost 35 years, this restaurant has dependably provided excellent traditional Indian cuisine. Chef Harjeet Singh has worked at the Bombay Palace in London since 2000, after receiving his training at Bukhara in New Delhi. It is a popular neighborhood eatery. Tony Blair, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, is a frequent visitor. On the menu are onion bhaji, lamb and chicken curries, and other classic favorites.
5. Flora Indica
Flora Indica, a bit further away but well worth the trek to West London, has just introduced a new menu with unique dishes like spicy pulled duck cheela, pickled octopus, and tamarind-flavored Jerusalem artichokes. Hearty curry meals were also gratifying, with Paul’s pick being a slow-cooked duck leg with potato and coconut sauce, and mine being monkfish and king prawn curry. The restaurant’s fascinating name is a nod to a nineteenth-century book of the same name that listed hundreds of exotic Indian flora that were previously unknown in the United Kingdom.
6. Jamavar
Jamavar, the new player on the block, is already one of the hottest meal tickets in town, and with good reason. The food and service are both excellent. The cuisine is diverse, with dishes from both the north and south of India. Stone bass tikka is one of the most famous delicacies served here. The fish is steeped in milk before being roasted in the Tandoor oven with the clever addition of avocado chutney, making it delicate, moist, and delicious. Lobster Nerulli, a coconut milk-flavored curry, is also a good option.
7. The Cinnamon Club
The Cinnamon Club was one of the first restaurants in London to serve modern Indian cuisine, and it is in the historic Grade II listed old Westminster Library. The halibut and sea bass on the menu, are their classics served with beautiful seasonings. The cinnamon bellini and mango and thyme gimle, two of the restaurant’s trademark drinks, are a must-try.
8. Pali Hill
Named after one of Mumbai’s oldest neighborhoods, this restaurant serves some of the most incredible mouthwatering regional cuisines. Admire the specifically commissioned Indian artworks decorating the walls while sitting on the side-street patio or cozying up amid colorful cushions in the art deco-inspired décor.
9. Attawa
Ravinder and Amar Madhray, husband and wife, own Attawa, which is situated in a property that Ravinder’s parents used to run as a shoe business and spent a lot of his youth. Apart from the snug, this place is known for its spectacular decor. Delicious wafts of spices, freshly baked naan, and coconut, makes this place a heaven for food lovers.
10. Gunpowder
Since 2015, Harneet and Devina Baweja’s modest, homely restaurant in Spitalfields has been offering Indian small dishes. This year, they opened its second chain, a considerably larger restaurant in a tower with views of Tower Bridge. The two restaurants are strikingly identical. However, this one replaces the original’s brick-and-wood style with polished concrete interiors, zinc surfaces, and terracotta tones. They also serve spice-encrusted Kashmiri lamb chops and spicy venison with a vermicelli doughnut, both quite popular.
11. Kutir
It has dwelled in a townhouse near Saatchi Gallery. You ring the bell and are led into a dining room with pistachio-green walls, mirrors, and elephant and tiger prints — the nature motif continues with vivid bird-print panels on the bar, flower-branch lighting, and hypnotic tree wallpaper throughout. The Signature Expedition (one of three tasting menus) is laden with gratifyingly sumptuous meat dishes and just-right fiery seafood — top contenders included the crisp prawn masala and velvety coconut seabass with mussels.
12. Tamarind
For 24 years, this restaurant has been a staple of London’s Indian fine-dining scene. It is old-school, elegant, and the first restaurant of one of its kind to be awarded a Michelin star. Begin with big plump scallops swimming in a red lentil and curry sauce, crunchy coconut and chili sea bass, or stunning lamb cutlets enclosed with a gently spiced pistachio crumb; the food menu takes into account plates and light tandoor grills.
13. Soho Wala
Fresh, little poppadoms with parmesan come on your table beside a bus-shaped napkin case with a relatively odd – but amusing – slogan “For use in any type of crisis” emblazoned down the side before you’ve even had a chance to order a gin and tonic at Soho Wala. The only issue is how fast the poppadoms go, but once the aromatic platters arrive, you’ll quickly forget about it.
14. Kahani
Kahani, which means story in Urdu, is chef Peter Joseph’s debut restaurant after 14 years at Michelin-starred Tamarind. The interiors mirror its opulent setting, right off Sloane Street: velvet seats, low lighting, and marble tables. It provides traditional Indian meals prepared with fresh British ingredients and a nod to Spanish tapas culture.
15. Dishoom
First and foremost, anticipate a line. If you persevere, you’ll find yourself in a busy area modeled after a Bombay café, replete with whirling ceiling fans and antique magazine pictures on the walls. The lamb biryani, bhel (puffed rice with spicy tamarind chutney), and black dal are our favorites from the menu.
16. Brigadiers
A Bank is never known for its eating options. Then, all of a sudden, burgers from Bleecker Street, fantastic coffee from Caravan, massive pizzas from Homeslice, and Koya’s unbeatable noodles are all within one block. Brigadiers, on the other hand, must be the standout. It’s not a chain, unlike its neighbors, but it’s run by the same people that brought you Gymkhana in Mayfair, so you know you’re in good hands. Unlike their perfect sister, Brigadiers’ City location is styled as an Indian gastropub.
17. Darjeeling Express
Asma Khan, the owner, is a self-taught chef who formerly hosted a famous dinner club. Khan’s debut restaurant, Darjeeling Express, is operated by a team of females who, like Khan, have no professional training and cook from the heart, showing Khan’s enthusiasm for classic North Indian, Bengali, and Hyderabadi foods. A slow-cooked Bengali-style goat curry with spice-soaked potatoes and fragrant mutton kebabs filled with hung yogurt and fresh mint is served here.
18. Kricket
This fantastic restaurant started as a pop-up in a 20-foot shipping container in Brixton. It didn’t take long for everyone in London to demand a seat at chef Will Bowlby’s tiny kitchen table. Kricket established its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Soho less than two years later. With bare walls and rough plastering, and huge communal tables in a darkly lit basement, the design is a contemporary homage to Mumbai. The cuisine incorporates both Mumbai and London flavors.
This fantastic restaurant started as a pop-up in a 20-foot shipping container in Brixton. It didn’t take long for everyone in London to demand a seat at chef Will Bowlby’s tiny kitchen table. Kricket established its first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Soho less than two years later. With bare walls and rough plastering, and huge communal tables in a darkly lit basement, the design is a contemporary homage to Mumbai. The cuisine incorporates both Mumbai and London flavors.
19. Bombay Bustle
Bombay Bustle, the twin sister of big-hitting Jamavar, plays true to its vivacious moniker. The cuisine is heavy on street food and chaat, and the décor is bright and colorful, inspired by India’s dabbawala lunchbox delivery. This Mayfair hotspot also benefits from being more inexpensive than other high-end Indians this side of Regent Street, with lovely cocktails, a sundae bar, and knowledgeable service. Our recommendation is to bring friends and share everything.
20. Ooty
Ooty is an excellent pick for almost every event because it is a three-in-one drinking and dining location. The facility comprises a dining room, basement bar, and ‘Ooty station’ — an all-day informal eating space and cocktail bar – and is located in the heart of Marylebone. Ooty, a south Indian restaurant specializing in small-plate fine dining, serves delicacies including baby goat sukka, tiger prawn biryani, and jaggery pineapple bake in a cozy setting.
