Indian Food
 

I understand there are zillions of Indian restaurants in London. I would love to treat my family to a real treat. Any recommendations of a really good one?

Thanks!

We like the Masala Zone in Soho---it is the bistro cousin to several very upscale London Indian restaurants, Veeraswamy, Chutney Mary, and Amaya.
http://www.realindianfood.com/

The decor at Masala Zone is casual and interesting, the waitstaff very helpful, and the food is great. We've also eaten at Veeraswamy for a splurge meal, and it was nice, but we prefer Masala Zone. Our two teenage girls loved the lassi drinks (and everything else!)

The Indian YMCA at Fitzroy Square serves really good Indian food at budget prices.

www.indianymca.org

...and just read these reviews...

http://www.timeout.com/london/restau...views/236.html

http://www.london-eating.co.uk/3000.htm

The food at the Indian YMCA is wonderful. Three of us ate lunch there for under 20 pounds.

Also highly recommended is Chowki, 2-3 Denman Street, W1D 7HA (Piccadilly circus station)

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Also highly recommended is Chowki, 2-3 Denman Street,
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chowki COULD be good but the service is pathetic. it is not the kind of place you linger (stools for seats, shared tables etc)...which is fair enough.

however, the staff take your food away whilst you are still eating...i am not joking. the last time i was there it was so bad that i refused to pay their automatic service charge...and I NEVER do that.

give it a miss...not worth the poor, rushed service.

walkinaround, I hate that type of attitude. It reminds me of so alot of the Chinese restaurants in the SF Bay Area. It's just the way they are, their culture. But it is very irritating.

Shezan in Knightsbridge is wonderful.

Thanks for your help and suggestions! I'm ready with list in hand!

Any near Picadilly Circus?

This is the one to go for!
The chef is Atul Kochhar and his restaurant is called Benares.
Look at benaresrestaurant.com

My friends were there last week and they were really impressed by the different tastes and fusions. They are real foodies so I trust them! The service had been brilliant too. not at all snooty like some of the London restaurants. Their only criticism was that the starter came really fast -befor they had a chance to finish their champagne so when they go again they will take longer to order.

I second Shezan - we've eaten there on two separate trips to London. The service was superb, food delicious, and location easy. Happy travels!

From my trip report to London, June 2006, with our family of four:

"We were getting a very late start on dinner one night, and knew the kitchens were closing at that late hour, so we opted to simply walk the pretty neighborhood by our hotel in Sussex Gardens (between Hyde Park and Paddington Station).

We found an excellent Indian restaurant down the street from the Hyde Park Radnor, the “Noorjahan 2” at 26 Sussex Place. I had an amazing prawn dish with shrimp so big you'd think they were lobster tails, in this incredible sauce. (And this from someone who thought she didn’t like Indian food!)"

Have fun in London!

I was going to recommend Noor Jahan (the original, assume it is same owner as above) as very good, and reasonably priced. It's on Bina Gardens, not too far from Gloucester Rd.

tayyab is GREAT...been there a few times and loved it...prepare for queueing...http://www.tayyabs.co.uk/

I think its called The Red Fort located in SoHo, I believe. Excellent service and fabulous food. Plus, the lounge downstairs was fun, too.

fodderfodder:

Chowki.

walkinaround is generalising from one (highly atypical, and who the hell cares anyway?) experience.

Chowki is the ONLY Indian restaurant anywhere P Circus that serves decent food. In fact it serves excellent, interesting and good-value food - which is the point of a restaurant. In my (frequent) visits there I've never come across anything other than proper London service: competent, unfawning and brisk.

Of course, if you're looking for that "My name's John, my star sign's Aries and what can I do to scrounge a tip off you?" claptrap that passes for service in more unfortunate countries, you might be better off looking somewhere else.

Not a recommendation - rather the opposite:

Your guidebook and indeed quite a few "knowledgeable" locals will tell you to go to Brick Lane for indian food. Don't.

Once upon a time it really was very good indeed, but the secret got out and it became the destination of choice for pissed-up city types and stag dos. As these people are completely mullered by the time they get there, the food is secondary, and the quality has declined accordingly.

I have a soft spot for the India Club in the Strand, but I'm not sure that I could in all honesty recommend it to a stranger. It is a very unique place that you will either love or loath.

Oh, Flanner or CotswoldScouser or whatever unbanned name you're currently using, your snide little digs are really getting boring.

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Of course, if you're looking for that "My name's John, my star sign's Aries and what can I do to scrounge a tip off you?"
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was my post about the waiter's lack of friendly introduction? it wasn't even about his friendliness at all. as usual you scrape up the same tired cliches and use them inappropriately. the sad, old sort who repeats the same tired punchlines over and over at dinner parties whether they fit the conversation or not.

service is always rushed at chowki, i can accept that. the last visit was it though...pulling food off the table when it is still being consumed is appalling in any restaurant. as usual, how management responds to a problem can be more important than the problem. when i went over to calmly discuss the problem with the manager, he threw up his hands and walked away. only then was the service charge axed.

it's ok, this is a successful restaurant that doesn't need me or any of its regular customers. if it continues this level of service, sooner or later its reputation will erode. most likely, i will eventually go back to give it another chance as i have eaten there many times and always enjoyed the food.

audere...

One cannot have gradations of uniqueness; one is either unique, or not.