Best Indian Restaurants in London

London has seriously upped its game with Indian restaurants in the last few years. Yet some people still associate Indian food with curries and tend to automatically think about traditional curry houses like the wealth on offer on Brick Lane. 

Times have changed. There is some seriously incredible Indian food in London that tickles the tastebuds and leaves you wanting more! The restaurants on offer range from relaxed Bombay style cafes to Indian fining dining.

We have broken down some of the best Indian restaurants in London into different areas and recommend the must orders on the menu! Make sure you take a look at the midweek lunch menus at each of these restaurants which are normally great value. 

Best Indian Restaurants in East London

Dishoom has been on the London Indian food scene since 2010 with its menu and décor paying homage to the old Irani cafes of Bombay.  The popularity of Dishoom has spiraled with five new openings in London – Shoreditch, Covent Garden, Kensington, Carnaby Street and King’s Cross.  

Overall the menu is the same throughout each of the locations apart from a couple of specials. The food is consistently delicious and very affordable.  Go early and you can get your hands on the breakfast naans cooked in the tandoor oven with a little cream cheese, chill tomato jam and fresh herbs. Absolutely heavenly. 

Get stuck in and share a few dishes in a group. Must-orders are the breakfast naans (sausage, bacon and/or egg) and the Keema Pau with spiced minced lamb and peas with a toasted, buttered home-made bun. 

Brigadiers comes from the same group as Gymkhana and Trishna offering Indian barbeque at Bloomberg Arcade in the heart of the City.  The menu focuses on mouthwatering meat cooked in different styles including tandoors, charcoal grills and the classic Indian smoker.  The vibe is relaxed but still sophisticated with live sport, pool and classic card games also on offer. Must orders are the Wagyu Seekh Kebab Anda Kati Roll and Tandoori Lamb Chops.

Another Indian restaurant in London that has been around for a while is Cinnamon Kitchen. Situated in Devonshire Square minutes away from Liverpool Street Station, it has an awesome covered terrace area which is great for outdoor dining. Head Chef, Vivek Singh, is keen to transform traditional Indian cooking to create dishes ‘beyond authenticity’. The menu is split into small plates, tandoor & grill, biryanis and curries and classic dishes. Must orders are the Chicken Tikka and Cheese Naan and the Punjabi Kurchan Chicken Leg Curry. 

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Best Indian Restaurants in South London

Est. India sits just behind Flat Iron Square near London Bridge and offers traditional Indian street food with a twist.  The small plates in particular focus on Indian street food including dosa’s and naan rolls and the main menu is a mixture of regional specialties. Must orders are the Dosa served with sambar and coconut chutney and the Papri Chatt. 

Gunpowder is ideally located in the new One Tower Bridge complex along the river and is all about the vibrant, bold flavours of Indian food. The menu features smaller and larger sharing plates and has a good selection of meat, fish and vegetarian dishes. The flavours are punchy and just make you want more. Must orders are the Spicy venison and vermicelli doughnut and Gunpowder aloo chaat.

Baluchi is a pan-Indian dining restaurant in London within the Lalit hotel, set in the historic Grade II listed former St. Olave’s Grammar School! It is pretty swanky but not pretentious. The Naan’ery experience at the bread bar is a must visit featuring four courses of bread with accompanying dips and wine, followed by a tiffin to share. Chef Jomon also sometimes lets you have a go at making the naans yourself! 

Best Indian Restaurants in Central London

Indian Accent in Mayfair offers a sharing feast weekend brunch. Taking inspiration from traditional regional dishes, the restaurant offers a number of creative dishes for brunch. The chilli crab cheese toast, summer cucumber pickle and tamarind ketchup was especially good.  Topped with caviar and bursting with freshness this is no ordinary cheese toast dis!  The parsi “salli per eedu” also ticked the many boxes of a good brunch dish with fried egg sat atop crispy tubes of fried potatoes and tangy chutneys.

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The menu at Lokhandwala in Fitzrovia is designed for sharing with a mixture of smaller and larger tapas dishes from different parts of India using a variety of cooking styles, ingredients and spices. The restaurant certainly has a romantic feel with low lighting, large ornately framed mirrors, birdcages and a decadent floral archway. Must orders are the Pata Chaat and Chicken Makhani. Not food but definitely try the Like a Bird cocktail: spoiler alert – it is served in a birdcage! 

Salaam Naamstse is a sleek, modern and contemporary restaurant in Bloomsbury specialising in modern Indian cuisine. The food focuses on traditional flavours, adding a contemporary twist. On the menu you will find a few classics, and plenty of curries, biryanis and grill dishes. Must orders are the Bombay Onion Bhaji and Tandoori Rubiyani Duck.

Best Indian Restaurants in West London 

Opened in 1982, Bombay Brasserie in Kensington has been a fixture of the dining scene for nearly four decades. Comprising of bar, restaurant and conservatory area, Bombay Brasserie serves a fusion of Goan, Bengali, Parsi & Gujerati cuisine. If you want to try a bit of everything, visit for their weekend buffet brunch with favourites including the paani puri and chilli pepper fried fish.

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Ooty and Ooty Station – Ooty is a gorgeous modern Indian restaurant in Marylebone named after the idyllic hill station in the state of Tamil Nadu, Udhagamandalam (Ooty). For brunch think dosas served with mustard crushed potato and soya mattar pao and the Ooty Tiffin with paneer and spinach tempered with garlic and chilli. 

Ooty Station is Ooty’s casual sister restaurant serving a selection of bar snacks, mains, dosas and desserts. All of the dishes are based on classic south Indian cuisine with a contemporary touch. 

Patri in Northfields serves up meals inspired by Indian rail journey dishes and street food classic. The starters menu is a “who’s who” of Indian street food star dishes including the Old Delhi Pani Puri. We recommend the Chef’s special thali of the day consisting of tandoori starter, chicken curry, daal makhani, lal maas (lamb), palak paneer, rice, pickles and naan. Very affordable and fun restaurant.