The guide to the best Indian restaurants in London

When it comes to Indian cuisine, Dishoom is a mainstay in the UK. Taking inspiration from India’s street food scene, the restaurants scattered around town offer a variety of traditional delicacies ready for sharing, including hot naan straight off the presses, crispy rolls, tikka and biryani dishes, and the signature black daal. Queues out of the door are a regular sight at Dishoom’s elegantly styled King’s Cross location, which also features a basement bar with a hoppy butter punch.

Gymkhana in Mayfair is inspired by the elite members' clubs of colonial India, welcoming you into a world of luxurious spaces, exotic dishes, and exclusive cocktails. Thanks to its professional service and indulgent menus, it received a second Michelin star in 2024. The food is an exploration of contemporary and classic Indian cuisine, with the Tandoori kebabs and tikkas particularly popular. The wine list features vintages from across the world, and you can also treat yourself to one of the signature cocktails.

Michelin-trained chef Chet Sharma’s culinary identity was shaped by his grandmas (bibis), and his recently opened Mayfair restaurant reflects such traditional, comforting hospitality. Using carefully sourced ingredients from both Britain and India, the dimly lit venue serves upmarket takes on chaat street food plates such as scallops, as well as charcoal-grilled delicacies such as turbot and lobster. Bibi was named one of the top restaurants in the UK in 2022.

Serving Michelin-starred Indian cuisine in a contemporary Marylebone restaurant, Gymkhana's sister Trishna serves classics such as biryani, curry and tandoori dishes, along with a lengthy and well-curated wine list. You can experience all that Trishna has to offer through its set menus, including a three- or four-course lunch option. Private dining and takeaway is also available.

Located in the heart of theatreland, Gunpowder Soho is the youngest member of the group. It comes bearing a private space for hire, specially crafted martinis and new dishes, offering a sophisticated Indian dining experience through a variety of different menus. The small and sharing plates include modern favourites from all over India, for example Bengali beetroot croquettes, Karwari soft-shell crab and Kerala beef pepper fry.

Located in a Grade II listed library building, renowned chef Vivek Singh’s Cinnamon Club approaches Indian cuisine from a fine dining angle, blending classic flavours and ingredients with contemporary Western inspiration. The restaurant is known for its tasting menus with dishes such as chargrilled king prawns and tandoori venison with masala mash, as well as set lunches, brunch and a sizeable à la carte selection.

Chourangi, next to Marble Arch, is a relative newcomer to London's dining scene. The restaurant focuses on the intense flavours of Calcutta, a city with a diverse cultural heritage. The restaurant combines rattan furniture and cream walls to capture the essence of grand colonial architecture. Chourangi uses fresh ingredients in authentic dishes with a contemporary twist, for example, Chingri cutlets, beetroot chop or various curries.

A modern Indian restaurant that started life as a culinary pop-up, Kricket soon settled down in a permanent location and soon branched out to multiple London venues. Using the tried-and-true approach of combining unsurpassable Indian flavours with high-quality British produce, the restaurant offers must-try dishes such as Keralan fried chicken, tandoori malai paneer and samphire pakoras.

Brigadiers is a barbecue restaurant and TV sports bar with a pool room. It's inspired by India's mess halls for military officers, and the deep brown tones and polished wood give it a bit more panache than the usual sports boozer. You can start with beer snacks such as poppadoms and samosas, then make you way to the ribs and chops while watching the game. The varied offer of draught beers on hand makes sure the night goes smoothly.

At this sophisticated Michelin-starred eatery, the dining concept diverges from the usual restaurant experience. Amaya doesn’t offer mains or starters, just a seasonal array of bite-sized sharing plates, including seafood, chicken, lamb and other meats. The grilled specialties are saturated in unique marinades or spice blends, and there are vegetarian options like chargrilled aubergine as well. The wine list was hand-picked by acclaimed expert Matthew Jukes.

The Michelin-starred restaurant, situated in the heart of Mayfair, is distinguished by an exotic interior with hand-crafted furniture and refreshing water features. Under the guidance of executive chef Sameer Tanja, the dishes at Benares enhance quality British produce by using authentic Indian spices and culinary techniques. The resulting gourmet treats on the menu include items such as goat’s milk paneer tikka, samosa tartlets and ceviche chaat.

The first Indian restaurant in London to be awarded a Michelin star, Tamarind’s naturally bright and airy dining areas are decorated with floral arrangements for an elegantly functional feel. The cuisine is inspired by culinary traditions from all over India, putting modern twists on authentic favourites such as samosas, grilled prawns and chicken tikka. Tamarind also offers a wide variety of set menus, including a gourmet tasting menus, and an extensive wine list.

After many years, the sister restaurant to Mayfair’s Amaya recently relocated from Chelsea and is now a glamorous dining establishment in St James’s. You can enjoy classic Indian recipes with a gourmet twist here, with Chutney Mary’s menu including small plates such as venison samosas and griddled scallops, and mains that range from dishes such as Afghani chicken tikka to wild Madagascan prawns.

Bombay Bustle is styled after the first-class coaches of India’s railway system, with hip design choices providing a modern update. Divided into multiple sections, the restaurant includes a bar and an intimate retiring room for post-dinner relaxation. The menu served in the Dining Room contains all the Indian staples, such as curries, biryanis and tandoor dishes, with a set sharing offer for two also available.

Jikoni isn’t an Indian restaurant in the strictest sense of the word. The buzzy Marylebone spot fuses British, African and Asian culinary characteristics into new and unexpected offerings that bring together the best of different worlds. Prawn toast Scotch egg with banana ketchup and pickled cucumber, anyone? If you’re looking for something different from the usual lineup of curries and biryani, yet oriented around similar flavours and traditions, Jikoni brings the inventiveness.

Kahani is an elegantly decorated upscale restaurant in Chelsea, run by the former head chef of Mayfair’s acclaimed Tamarind. Using quality seasonal produce, he aims to reimagine Indian cuisine with small sharing dishes that take a fresh look at classics such as fish curry, chargrilled sirloin kebab, soft-shell crab and more. You can also choose a pre-theatre menu or one of the tastings sets, including a vegetarian one, or drop by for bottomless brunch or Sunday roast.

Well-known for its banquets and catering, served even to members of the Royal Family, Madhu's flagship eatery in Mayfair is an appropriately sophisticated spot. The menu includes inventive Punjabi dishes with Kenyan influences, based on secret family recipes – think cassava chips fried in masala spices. They also offer different sharing platters, including a vegan or vegetarian option, as well as a pre-theatre menu.

Soho’s Fatt Pundit serves up a unique culinary style that was born when Chinese immigrants came to Calcutta, fusing their traditional cooking techniques with Indian flavours. The resulting Indo-Chinese combinations available here include steamed momo dumplings with a spicy chutney, seafood such as Bombay chilli prawns, and rabbit wontons. Fatt Pundit also caters to different dietary requirements with pescatarian, dairy-free, gluten-free and other specialised menus.

Tandoor Chop House blends British chop house tradition with exotic Indian flavour, rubbing prime cuts of meat with intense spices and marinades before roasting them in the tandoor. Their famous Coronation Chicken Salad is a highlight of the menu, combining roasted chicken, mango and paneer mayo, naan croutons and lettuce. You can experience similar culinary mixing throughout the menu at this elegantly furnished restaurant in Covent Garden.

The first international outpost from restaurateurs who run restaurants in several luxury hotels around India, Jamavar brings their wealth of experience to London. The lavishly decorated venue in Mayfair features flavours and specialties from all over India, with signature dishes such as potato tikki, slow-cooked lamb shank and lobster neeruli a highlight of the menu. Get the tasting menu to head off on a culinary journey around the country.

Having opened in 1926, Veeraswamy has been treating patrons, including royalty, to its fine Indian dining for nearly a century. In the process, it has earned a Michelin star due to its traditional charm. In a vibrant setting, you can sample dishes like smoked chicken tikka and Tandoori tiger prawns from the à la carte menu, with a special weekend lunch of authentic Indian dishes is also on offer.

At the stylish Manthan, head chef Rohit Ghai draws on the manifold flavours that left their mark on him to prepare comforting dishes. These are accompanied by unique house cocktails from co-founder Abhi Sangwan. Dine on a diverse array of Indian staples, for example small plates such as aloo paratha and ghati masala prawns, or mains like egg curry and pink lentil dal. You can round things off with a selection of daring desserts.

Aiming for a communal sharing vibe, the team at Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai uses family recipes and traditional culinary techniques to serve myriad favourites from all over India. The menu at this Fitzrovia restaurant lists specialties such as Pondicherry fried squid, tandoori chicken tikka and fish curry. You can choose drinks from a sizeable wine list, or pop down into the basement cocktail bar.

Café Spice Namasté resides on the docks beside London City Airport, combining a leisurely maritime atmosphere with vibrant colour tones. The menu highlights Parsi cuisine, including the traditional Lamb Dhaansaak Sunday roast, as well as garlic chilli and ginger prawn balls, peppered beef tikka, samosas and more. You can refresh yourself with a mango lassi, or pop by for one of their occasional events such as comedy nights.

Shayona is an elegant dining room on the ground of the impressive Neasden Temple, offering a lengthy menu of authentic delicacies from across India. They champion saatvic vegetarian principles, meaning no living beings are harmed in the preparation of the meals, and no garlic, onions or other ingredients that provoke aggression according to Ayurvedic teachings are used either. The all-you-can-eat buffet is a very popular lunch option.

As is clear from the name, head to Dosa n Chutney in Tooting when you’re hankering for a rice pancake with a spicy chutney condiment, arguably the PB&J of Indian cuisine. You can try different dosas here, both crispy and soft, and choose from an array of sweet and savoury toppings such as prawn masala, omelette, paneer or just good old choc. There are also other traditional Indian dishes on the menu, available also as takeaway.

Specialising in traditional food from the South Indian temple city of Udupi, the Sagar eateries feature a fully vegetarian and vegan menu. You can sample various curry dishes and authentic thalis, freshly made breads, lentil pizzas, dosas and more. The drinks are also vegetarian, wines included, with refreshing lassis ready to go as well.

The Tamil Prince and its newer sibling The Tamil Crown offer a concise menu of South Asian cuisine by folks who trained at the famed Roti King. The pubs have received widespread acclaim from both locals and critics with a short but varied menu of tasty dishes such as channa bhatura, butter chicken masala and onion bhaji, accompanied by crispy roti. You can also get an Indian-inspired Sunday Roast at The Tamil Crown.

Placing an emphasis on seafood dishes from the southwestern coastal regions of India, the Michelin-starred Quilon caters to an upmarket crowd in a sophisticated setting featuring specially commissioned art. The chefs will gladly craft a tasting menu that's personalised according to your preferences, and there's a world-class wine list to go along. À la carte options are also available, and you can always dip into the bar area for a signature cocktail.

The acclaimed Darjeeling Express is run by acclaimed chef Asma Khan of Netflix fame, among other accolades. Forced to relocate, the restaurant managed to snag a new location where it had first opened in 2017. Surrounded by natural tones and textures on the top floor of Soho's Kingly Court, the all-women open kitchen serves à la carte lunch and a set dinner menu. The traditional Indian delicacies are perfect for combining, sharing and feasting. 

The family-run Zayna is an elegant Marylebone restaurant offering Northern Indian and Pakistani delicacies, including inspired twists on traditional tikka and tandoori dishes. The restaurant is frequented by celebrities, including N'Golo Kanté, Jameela Jamil, and David Hasselhoff, who has stated that there is no other restaurant in the world he has visited more often.

Vibrant restaurant Ganapati is a favourite for Indian cuisine in Peckham. The simple and homey setting is bursting with colour and has an outside terrace too. Menus here are concise but change frequently. You can try a variety of authentic curries plus thali meals at lunchtime. The restaurant serves alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks.

Whatever your budget is, you can enjoy a vegetarian Indian meal at buffet restaurant Indian Veg. This vibrant place in Islington has been open since 1985 and serves an ever-changing all-you-can-eat buffet of more than 30 Indian dishes. Expect snacks, salads, curries, and accompaniments in a lively place filled with pro-vegetarian slogans and signs.

Camden's Namaaste Kitchen is an award-winning restaurant serving inventive dishes inspired by cooking traditions across India, with ample plant-based choices on the menu. The smart and modern venue is all about celebrating food and the menu offers old favourites as well as more inventive recipes. A wide range of drinks are served here too.

Rasa is irresistibly pink and serves veggie and vegan Keralan cuisine at great prices. Food is designed to be nourishing and a feast for the senses, just like the distinctive decor at this Stoke Newington restaurant. Sample snacks, breads, curries, and rice dishes or go all out with a vegetarian or vegan tasting menu.

Head to Canary Wharf to visit Chai Ki, a modern and award-winning spot for Indian cooking. The dining area is contemporary and casual with dynamic light fixtures. Classic food is available all day like butter chicken and crunchy samosas. Signature cocktails are available as the ideal accompaniment to these flavours.

After a super successful pop-up in the summer of 2022, Shankeys decided to open a permanent restaurant on Hackney's iconic Well Street. Expect to be greeted with a smile from the two owners, who are always on hand to offer their recommendations and tell the story behind each dish - many inspired by secret family recipes. The food is Irish and Indian fusion, an uncommon match but one that is executed perfectly by Shankeys, including dishes like Cornish crab and tarragon omelette with sour mango pickle.

Kachori, situated in Elephant & Castle, boasts a talented team with prior experience at esteemed establishments such as Mango, Gymkhana, and Benares. The restaurant offers a modern interpretation of cuisine from various regions of India. The extensive menu at this spacious eatery with an outdoor terrace features delectable small plates such as corn ribs and calamari seasoned with ginger, chili, and lime. Guests can also savour traditional tandoor dishes, burgers, prawn curries, and butter chicken among other mains.