The Best Indian Restaurants In London

Its somewhat concealed location adds to the air of mystery here at Amaya. Once inside, with its dark, moody décor and dimmed lighting, the focus is very much on the open kitchen with its tawa, tandoor and sigri grills. It’s all about the art of cooking over flames here, so expect a little theatre, along with an array of dishes designed for sharing. The smoked chilli lamb chops are always a highlight.

Chaat and grills from across India are at the heart of the menu here and dishes boast plenty of originality. Most of the cooking happens over wood, which imparts a real depth of flavour, especially when blended with the heat of the spicing. There are tables, but your best bet is to grab a seat at the counter and watch how it’s all done.

The Sethi family are well-versed in opening successful London restaurants and at Brigadiers they certainly nailed the brief, creating a space just right for its City location in the Bloomberg News HQ. It’s a busy, lively restaurant with various spaces for eating, drinking and entertaining and takes its influence from the old army mess clubs of India. The menu is a rollcall of street snacks and BBQ dishes, and there are feasting menus for larger parties.

It would be fair to say Chutney Mary was one of the pioneers of Indian cuisine in London. It first opened back in 1990 in Chelsea and then moved to these somewhat spacious and elegant surroundings in the heart of St James’s in 2015. The main dining room with its bright Indian artwork is certainly a jewel and the extensive menu will leave you spoilt for choice.

Having only ten tables in a tightly packed space ensures there is always a buoyant, buzzy atmosphere here. The name comes from the spice mix made in-house daily, while the menu of sharing plates takes its influences from across India – and that includes family recipes. Be sure to try the ‘spicy venison & vermicelli doughnuts’, along with ‘Chettinad pulled duck with homemade oothappam’. If you can’t get a seat, then try their other branch near Tower Bridge.

It’s a family affair at this neighbourhood restaurant in Dulwich, where chef Dayashankar Sharma, who is no stranger to some of London’s top Indian kitchens, cooks with his son Anmol. There are no particular regional leanings to the menu; it’s more an illustration of the sheer diversity of the cuisine. Some dishes respect tradition, whilst others are a little more original in their composition.

You’ll find Kahani – meaning ‘Story’ in Hindi – just along from the Cadogan Hall and Sloane Square. Experienced chef-owner Peter Joseph is the one to guide you through dishes, which showcase both his Indian heritage and the influences he’s gleaned from his travels. One hallmark of his cooking is the subtlety of his spicing, which gives the dishes their distinct identity.

A relative newcomer on this list, Pahli Hill is proof there is no end to the appetite for Indian cuisine in the capital. It has an intimate basement bar and a colourful, clever retro feel in the comfortable dining room and is just the sort of place to come with friends or family as the menu of ‘big’ and ‘small’ plates is made for sharing. Chef Avinash Shashidhara previously spent time at the River Café and there is an appealing lightness to his style of cooking.

Seafood is the way to go here as the kitchen looks towards the Southwest of India and the Malabar Coast – they even have a dedicated seafood tasting menu. Head chef Sriram Aylur oversees his kitchen with both passion and professionalism and, while the recipes and preparations are largely traditional, there are occasional hints of more contemporary influences. Try the beer pairings which come with certain dishes.

Tamarind is not just a stalwart of Mayfair, but the Indian dining scene in London as a whole. A complete transformation a few years ago gave it a bright and airy first floor dining space, along with a basement complete with a tandoor counter. While the tandoor is still the heart of the kitchen, the cooking matches the ‘lightness’ of the surroundings, with dishes free from over-elaboration.