Harden's survey result
Summary
“A wonderful nugget of culinary excellence” in deepest Woodford, just off London’s own ‘grand trunk’ (the North Circular), this is the first solo venture from Rajesh Suri, a veteran of top-drawer Indian cuisine who managed Tamarind in Mayfair. “You can feel, sense and taste the passion not only in the extraordinary food, but in the ambience and attention to detail”. “It gets better on every visit” – and offers “superb vegetarian options”.
Summary
“An exceptional local” – this Woodford four-year-old (from the ex-manager and ex-head chef of Mayfair’s Tamarind) delivers “a real treat of modern, well-spiced food”, and draws fans from north London to Essex. On the downside, the “noisy” room “could be more cosy”.
Summary
“An exceptional local” – this Woodford three-year-old (from the ex-manager and ex-head chef of Mayfair’s Tamarind) delivers “a real treat of modern, well-spiced food”, and draws fans from north London to Essex. On the downside, the “noisy” room “could be more cosy”.
Summary
“Some amazing tastes” reward a visit to this Woodford two-year-old from the ex-manager and ex-head chef of Mayfair’s Tamarind – “not your normal Indian, with a menu that showcases dishes from across the subcontinent (Afghanistan, Pakistan, North India and Bangladesh)”. Even those who feel the food “is a bit pricey for its location” say “it’s very good”.
For 31 years we've been curating reviews of the UK's most notable restaurant. In a typical year, diners submit over 50,000 reviews to create the most authoritative restaurant guide in the UK. Each year, the guide is re-written from scratch based on this survey (although for the 2021 edition, reviews are little changed from 2020 as no survey could run for that year).
Have you eaten at Grand Trunk Road?
Owner's description
We feel privileged to offer all our guests an experience of 2500 miles long gastronomic journey from Kabul to Kolkata on the Grand Trunk Road.
A moment in time, a stretch of history, a map of flavours with a modern take on ancient delicacies using traditional cooking methods. The seductive flavours range from barbequed temptations of Peshawar and Rawalpindi to the sumptuous secrets of the Imperial Dastarkhan’s (royal dining style) of Delhi and Agra; from the succulents kebabs of the princely state of Awadh region to sublime vegetarian repast of Varanasi, the tantalizing seafood from Kolkata and sweets from Bengal. Indeed, the Grand Trunk Road is the best introduction to the fulsome flavours of historic India.

Prices
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Wine per bottle | £22.00 |
Filter Coffee | £2.95 |
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Service | 10.00% |
Restaurant details
219 High Street, London, E18 2PB
Opening hours
Monday | CLOSED |
Tuesday | 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
Wednesday | 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
Thursday | 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
Friday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
Saturday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑10:30 pm |
Sunday | 12 pm‑2:30 pm, 5:30 pm‑8:30 pm |