Calling Londoners! Where should we eat curry?

[FetchezLaVache]

Hi, we're going to London soon for DH's 50th and he really wanted to have curry on Brick Lane, but when researching it, the word on the street seems to be that it's turned into a bit of a tourist trap these days. Where is the best part of London to head for? We're staying on Chancery Lane, but will be in London Bridge area when we would like our curry.

Thanks in advance!

@LoserWinner I listened to that episode ! I had never heard of a Desi pub. It was really interesting and informative. I was really, really shocked by the rigorous enforcement of the colour bar in the UK. It was like a bucket of cold water (I 'knew' about it obviously but the verbatim accounts were both humbling and shaming) I digress - by the end I was practically gnawing my arm off for some of whatever they were having (bar the grill ha ha)

Not so much a response to your question OP, more a contribution to this thread, the Indian YMCA near Euston station is an authentic cheap curry cafe & worth a visit. Doesn’t serve alcohol.

Tooting High St is a cornucopia of Indian cuisine delights.

I remember hearing someone say that the way to do curry in London is to go ten times more upmarket than you’d expect, but do it at lunchtime. The restaurants are open, but nobody wants to ‘go for a curry’ in the middle of the day – so the lunch menus at the poshest joints are the biggest bargain in town.

No idea how accurate this is, but it made me laugh!

Tayyabs if you’re ok with authentic and chaos but AMAZING food

dishoom for something more civilised

everyone should go to tayyabs at least once

Yaatra in Westminster is very nice. Fab food and it’s in an old fire station,

Gymkhana. I don’t like not being able to book Dishoom.

Yes - I went to Tayaabs a few weeks ago. Love their food and so cheap! They don't have an alcohol license and they allow you to bring your own with no corkage fee. You have to book otherwise the queues are massive.

https://www.tayyabs.co.uk/

Tayyyabs or Needo Grill (easier to get a table there)

Came to say Tayabs too

Another vote for Tayyabs from me!

https://www.thetamilprince.com/
https://www.thetamilcrown.com/

Both owned by same team, both amazing but can be very difficult to get reservations (and even more so for walk-ins)

These are also a bit "out of the way" but both near enough to Angel Tube (on the Northern Line)

It really depends on the type of curry, how much your are prepared to spend and the experience you are looking for.

Cheap.and authentic I would.look as thr Dhosa places on Drummond street or in Tooting, but these tend to be veggie/vegan and BYOB If you are more of a meat eater then as people have said the Pakistanti grill houses of East London like aTayabbs, Needoo and Lahore Kebab house are the places to go (don't go on a Friday afternoon though as everyone will be piling out of the East London Mosque for a late lunch after Friday prayers).

Higer end Gymkhana, Dishoom, and Kriket are all good. If you are prepeared to venture to the badlands of suburban South East London Babur and Kokum are good shouts for a special birthday and exceptional food.

Thank you so much everyone, so much to think about for this time and future trips! I think we both like the sound of tayyabs the most, so we're going to try to book in there. Thanks again! <3

Dishsoom granary square.
paradise south end road nw3

Oh man. I was coming to recommend Tandoor Chophouse in Covent Garden but it looks like they permanently closed down only two weeks ago! What terrible timing. They would’ve fit your vibe and possible price point perfectly.