Fancy something other than your ordinary cuzza this National Curry Week? Use our London guide to discover where the best balti houses and nouvelle Indians are to be found, and venture out for a vindaloo. Here are the top 10 picks for Indian restaurants in London according to your reports in our 2015 survey…
Over £50 a head
£104
“The best Indian in London by a country mile”; Vineet Bhattia’s “elegant” Chelsea townhouse offers many “mind-blowing” dishes – “outstanding, even amongst the elite places” – in a set of “intimate and unstuffy” dining rooms; you spend a bomb of course, but it’s “worth it”.
£51
“It’s curry Jim, but not as we know it!”; this “fabulously inventive” Honour Oak Park fixture is “in a different league from your standard Indian” and – despite a fractional slip in ratings this year – remains one of SE London’s top destinations.
£78
“Amazing and free from cliché” – this “unmatchable” Belgravian offers a “refined” tapas-style formula that puts it among the capital’s very best subcontinentals; the interior is pleasingly “upscale” too (though “it’s best not to sit next to the grill”)
£68
Straight into the super-league of London’s nouvelle Indians, this “unstuffy” yearling, near The Ritz, offers a “sensationally subtle” cuisine, including some “wonderfully original game and other dishes” – it’s “worth the hassle to get a table”.
£90
“Atul Kochar is a master of spicing” and “continues to delight with the innovative interpretation of Indian cuisine”, at his “slick and showy” Mayfair operation; its ratings slipped a notch this year though – perhaps there’s just more competition than once there was?
Under £50 a head
£27
“Whenever I go, I’m amazed I don’t go more often!”; in 24 years, the survey view of this “very small” and “tired”-looking outfit, in the shadow of the Telecom Tower, has never really wavered – it’s a total “winner”, serving “wondrous” South Indian dishes at “unbeatable” prices. Since the survey was completed, Ragam has undergone a refurb’ (new look pictured).
£38
“Really unusual Indian fare” with “clear flavours, subtle spicing, and little resort to creamy sauces” wins acclaim for this “tiny” but “brilliant” Muswell Hill spot; it’s “always full”.
£43
“Exquisite Keralan food” at “great-value” prices again inspires ecstatic reports on this “tiny and basic” neighbourhood “diamond” in “an unlikely corner of Peckham”; it’s “rather cramped”, but “always fun”.
£48
“Bursts of gorgeous flavours” characterise Manoj Vasaikar’s “lovely and light” modern Indian cooking, which has won a gigantic fan club for this “always-busy” little place, near Ravenscourt Park; “closely-packed tables” are the only real gripe.
£49
A candlelit ex-pub, in Islington, which now functions as “an excellent upmarket Indian”, and one with “considerable charm” too; it serves an “attractive”, if “minimalist”, menu of “brilliant” dishes – “much better value than the big names”.
