Buckhurst Hill, Indian, Southern Restaurant Guide

With its landmark puce frontage, Das Sreedharan’s Stoke Newington institution is a “really fun place” that “still hits it out of the park every time for authentic, vibrant Keralan vegetarian cooking” – “the menu has been the same forever”, but the food is so good that nobody minds very much.

A “wonderful restaurant, run by great people for nearly 30 years!” – Cyrus & Pervin Todiwala retain a mega-loyal fan club, who have followed them from their old site in E1 to this new distant unit on the Royal Docks (which they moved to in 2022). The draw is “just the most creative food” – “outstanding” cooking that’s “not Indian as you know it” but “with a Portuguese influence” – all delivered by “the nicest team” in a setting with views over the water. Even those who feel it’s “not a great location, being a long way out of town” say “oh the food! it’s well worth the journey!” Top Menu Tip – “be adventurous, the chutneys are unbelievable, the mains mouthwatering. You must try the Roast Chicken Cafreal Zambeziana and the beetroot and coconut samosa”.

“A classic old-school Indian, with service to match” in the ‘Little India’ pocket behind Euston station, this “really takes you back” with its “good (and good value) South Indian vegetarian food”. Top Tip – “great lunchtime veggie buffet”.

2023 Review: “Good scruffy fun with a side order of nostalgia” is to be had at this “hidden gem” in the Strand (a favourite with staff at the Indian High Commission opposite). “An almost anonymous doorway leads you up some stairs” where you “step back in time, not to a cheesy incarnation of the British Raj, but to the early days of independence”. Founded in 1951 (Prime Minister Nehru was among the founding members), the ‘club’ is open to the public and serves food that can be (but is not invariably) “excellent” at a “great price”, in an authentically “slightly chaotic atmosphere”. It’s been under siege for the past five years from a landlord itching to redevelop, but it’s “an institution that deserves to survive, and an oasis of good value in central London”. Top Tip – it’s unlicensed – “pause for a drink in the bar downstairs before or after eating” or carry your pint to the table.

If you’re looking for a “good pitstop in the West End”, this trio (also with an offshoot in Hammersmith) offers “tasty vegan and veggie Indian food” at “very reasonable prices” – nothing fancy, but “good basic cooking” of “South Indian staples”. Pickier diners can feel that some sauces are “rather watery”, or that the filling food can come “with no stand-out flavours”. Practically all agree, however, that “a great Masala Dosa and beer makes a very affordable meal in Central London”. Top Tip – “good choice to take a crowd: they’re not fazed by large tables”.

If you’re looking for a “good pitstop in the West End”, this trio (also with an offshoot in Hammersmith) offers “tasty vegan and veggie Indian food” at “very reasonable prices” – nothing fancy, but “good basic cooking” of “South Indian staples”. Pickier diners can feel that some sauces are “rather watery”, or that the filling food can come “with no stand-out flavours”. Practically all agree, however, that “a great Masala Dosa and beer makes a very affordable meal in Central London”. Top Tip – “good choice to take a crowd: they’re not fazed by large tables”.

“A genuine legend serving authentic South Indian food at reasonable prices” – this “long-established” Keralan near the Telecom Tower dispenses “tasty, high-quality” meals in dated surroundings (“don’t worry about the formica tables”). There is the odd concern raised that “the food is no longer what it was” but most reports are remorselessly upbeat. Top Menu Tip – “incredible masala dosa”.

The “wonderful”, “very delicate South Indian food” in this smart hotel venue near Buckingham Palace is “so much better than at the more ‘popular’ Indian restaurants about town”, and comes with “lovely wine pairings and great service”. Founding chef Sriram Aylur has remained in post since 1999, guiding a coastal-inspired menu to ‘evolve without losing its soul’. “The decor is drab” (a consistent complaint over many, many years) “but the excellent food and no tipping policy keep you coming back”.

“This old favourite” serving South Indian food “remains a pleasure” and remains a model of consistency under founder Claire Fisher, as it has been for more than 20 years. Top Menu Tips – “the homemade paratha is heaven on a plate and the spinach dal the stuff of dreams”.

This Kilburn institution has been serving “reliable” South Indian cooking – including “very tasty vegetarian dishes” – for more than 60 years, with a loyal following of regulars who have “been eating there for a long time” and see no sign of a dropping off in quality. Its interior design wins no prizes… never has! (During its long service, numerous celebs have been through the doors, including Harrison Ford, Kylie Minogue and the Indian Cricket Team!)

2024 Review: “Super southern Indian dishes at reasonable prices too” win a following for this family run Keralan in Kilburn. It’s either “brilliant and low key” or “very good but with slightly disappointing surroundings” depending on your tastes.

2024 Review: Within glorious Somerset House, Dipna Anand (part of the family who founded the famous Brilliant Restaurant in Southall) took over this stately, traditional chamber last year, and mostly earned recommendations for its Indian cuisine. Not all reports were 100% positive, though, and in summer 2023 it underwent a temporary closure (with re-opening slated for early September 2023).