Proper Indian Restaurants in London

[Sunray]

This isn't a general call out for peoples favourite curry house, I know plenty thanks.

This is a question regarding Indian food like they make in India, so there is a good chance that this post will have no answers. You have to have been to India and then found a place in London that serves food like it.

I know of no-where in London that does 'Indian' food. Brick lane is entirely Bangladeshi as are many of the rest, with some notable exceptions being Pakstani. Some of the Tooting restaurants serve south Indian food that I remember vaguely tastes like its been wafted towards India but do odd things like serving bad Iddly as a starter for an evening meal?

Its puzzling that its like this, India has a generally limited menu and from that menu they are very consistent in taste. Quite probably from the meals being pretty damn simple. Regional variations are generally new meal options rather than variation in flavours of the stock ones.

Anyone?

 

[Batboy]

This isn't a general call out for peoples favourite curry house, I know plenty thanks.

This is a question regarding Indian food like they make in India, so there is a good chance that this post will have no answers. You have to have been to India and then found a place in India that serves food like it.

I know of no-where in London that does 'Indian' food. Brick lane is entirely Bangladeshi as are many of the rest, with some notable exceptions being Pakstani. Some of the Tooting restaurants serve south Indian food that I remember vaguely tastes like its been wafted towards India but do odd things like serving bad Iddly as a starter for an evening meal?

Its puzzling that its like this, India has a generally limited menu and from that menu they are very consistent in taste. Quite probably from the meals being pretty damn simple. Regional variations are generally new meal options rather than variation in flavours of the stock ones.

Anyone?

Although I have not been to India I have always been intrigued by this. Curry houses are after all an invention by British Asians for a food to serve up to the British public and succesful it has been too.

There are some 'South Indian' restaurants in London including one in Stoke Newington . I would guess the authenticity is pretty dubious as a real representation of food from the south of India.

It would be nice to see some Asian restaurants opening up that steer clear of boring formula curries. I am sure with the right priciples this would be a huge success

I find the Brick lane thing a bit tiresome and predictable (even though I do succumb to murdering a curry every now and then it always leaves me feeling the next day as wishing I hadn't eaten it.)

A lot of these Brick Lane curry houses serve up exactly the same food and indeed simply buy the sauces from the same source/company who produce the sauces in huge volumes specifiaclly for the formula curry trade, so there is little variation from restaurant to restaurant.

 

[Guineveretoo]

I have not been to India either, but I have been assured that some of the restaurants on Drummond Street are "proper" Indian style restaurants?

 

[jaylon]

The Rasa one in Stoke is proper Keralan food - vegetarian. They've got branches up London that do fish and meat as well.

I recommend them.

 

[Mrs Magpie]

Best I've ever had (not that I've been to India) www.sreekrishna.co.uk/index2.html

Otherwise when I lived in Hanwell I particularly liked the Sikh equivilant of cheap and cheerful caffs in Southall. Don't ask me for addresses as it was 30 years ago.

 

[Fruitloop]

Mela on Shaftesbury Ave used to be very good and is a lot closer to the food you'd get at a restaurant in India than most. I haven't been in a while though as I don't live in London any more .

 

[Juice Terry]

Another vote for Sree Krishna.

Also Kastoori further up towards Tooting Bec does a mean Bel Poori

 

[lighterthief]

Geeta's on Willesden Lane is fantastic - proper southern Indian food, run by one family, dead cheap, fantastic dosa's, iddly and so on. The most authentic Indian I've been to in London. Loads of vegetarian food.

 

[twilighteyez]

Southall!

No-where in London serving genuine Indian food?!?...You must be mad!

SOUTHALL!!!

Full of proper home-style Punjabi food.....

Also actually, there are loads of places in Wembly which serve authentic Gujarati food as well.........A good test is the fact that you will see the place not full of White City workers (i.e.. most ofBrick Lane), but full up with Indian families!

 

[AnnO'Neemus]

I've always been struck by how poor the food is in London curry houses, even if they're somewhat formulaic and similarly cater to British tastes, the curry houses on Rusholme's curry mile in Manchester are leagues ahead of curry houses in London.

I'd heard so many people rave about Khan's in Bayswater, went along and thought: Is that it? A bit of a disappointment really.

Went to one at the top of Brick Lane (closest to the underground station, the one on the corner), it was okay, but nowt to rave home about, but I've had a lot worse on Brick Lane as well. Food tends to be swimming in grease, small portions and overpriced in comparison with similar restaurants in Manchester.

 

[jodal]

Best proper indian to be had in London. End of.

Chowki

 

[Ms T]

Best proper indian to be had in London. End of.

Chowki

I was just going to mention that. The owner has just taken over Three Monkeys in Herne Hill and it's meant to be much improved.

 

[jodal]

I was just going to mention that. The owner has just taken over Three Monkeys in Herne Hill and it's meant to be much improved.

Might have to try that Herne Hill one out. I wonder if thats the Indian that ChrisFilter keeps going on at me about?

Anyways, Chowki is really good, fresh, authentic, cheap Indian in central London.
*NOTE: Jodal owns no stock and has no fiscal interest in said restaunt(s).*

 

[maximilian ping]

Geeta's on Willesden Lane is fantastic - proper southern Indian food, run by one family, dead cheap, fantastic dosa's, iddly and so on. The most authentic Indian I've been to in London. Loads of vegetarian food.

i like Veejays (another south indian) on Willesden Lane too. starters are the strength

 

[lighterthief]

i like Veejays (another south indian) on Willesden Lane too. starters are the strength

In fact they are practically next to each other. Never did go to Veejays, mind, although I lived practically opposite it for a few years

 

[Poi E]

Everest Curry House at the bottom of Lewisham High Road serves a nice mixture of S Indian and Sri Lankan food. Only a few tables and chairs, not licensed but the food is lovely.

 

[Bond]

There's a nice variety of restaurants round Tooting. I'm not that impressed with Brick Lane TBH.

 

[Andy the Don]

What's the one next to the Indian High Commission on Aldwych, always appears to be full of staff from the High Commission, so must be pretty decent.

 

[Sunray]

Loads of recommendations. Did people read my initial post?

Have you been to India and found somewhere that serves indian food thats like it.

Been accused of being a snob, which I totally accept, but I want 'proper' Indian food when I get back. Given that there are so many people from India there, its very suprising that the food so radically different in taste.

 

[DaveCinzano]

snob

 

[Hollis]

Loads of recommendations. Did people read my initial post?

Have you been to India and found somewhere that serves indian food thats like it.

Been accused of being a snob, which I totally accept, but I want 'proper' Indian food when I get back. Given that there are so many people from India there, its very suprising that the food so radically different in taste.

Yes I have been to India Sunray, for 3 months.. and am damned if I want to eat any more of that insipid shite over here thank you very much..

 

[hiccup]

Southall, Southall, Southall. This is where you need to go. Just go for a wander round, you'll see lots of very authentic places.

And yes, I've been to India, and have had several very "Indian" meals in Southall. Proper masala dosas, thalis slopped out on metal plates, accompanied by a jug of water.

Bloody hell, I'm starving.

 

[lighterthief]

Loads of recommendations. Did people read my initial post?

Yes.

Have you been to India and found somewhere that servers indian food thats like it.

Yes and yes.

Been accused of being a snob, which I totally accept, but I want 'proper' Indian food when I get back.

Fair enough - it's worth making the effort to find it, imvho.

Given that there are so many people from India there, its very suprising that the food so radically different in taste.

Why is it? The majority of 'Indian' restauranteurs in Britain come from a geographically tiny part of Bangladesh, iirc. The range and variety of food on offer in the Indian sub-continent is vast. You are therefore unlikely to find the whole range of Indian cuisine on offer over here, and that which you do is tailored to western tastes: an over-reliance on meat and unsubtle, hot spices.

 

[Orang Utan]

Mirch Masala in Tooting and Norbury is THE DON! Can't recommend enough. JUST GO THERE!

 

[DaveCinzano]

Mirch Masala in Tooting and Norbury is THE DON! Can't recommend enough. JUST GO THERE!

<scrutinises>

but have you been to india???

<stern>

 

[lighterthief]

<scrutinises>

but have you been to india???

<stern>

 

[Orang Utan]

<scrutinises>

but have you been to india???

<stern>

No, I just have exqusite taste.
I also have an Indian friend who swears by it and it's always full of South East Asian families which is surely a good sign,
So nuur

 

[Belushi]

Mirch Masala in Tooting and Norbury is THE DON! Can't recommend enough. JUST GO THERE!

Innit, my favourite restauraunt in the world.

And I aint been to India but out Indian mates swear by it

 

[hiccup]

Actually, Masala Zone are pretty authentic, imho. I love their grand thalis. Pretty cheap for central London too.

http://www.realindianfood.com/events.htm

(scroll down)

 

[DaveCinzano]

No, I just have exqusite taste.
I also have an Indian friend who swears by it and it's always full of South East Asian families which is surely a good sign,
So nuur

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