Harden's survey result
Summary
This “great local Indian” in Kilburn, now 60 years old, was a pioneer of Keralan cooking in the UK (and has fed celebs as diverse as Diana Ross and Harrison Ford over the years); and still serves “lovely dosas and appetisers” as well as “good vegetarian dishes”. The odd report says “the dining room is looking really tired”… but they’ve been saying that for decades now and most diners warm to its unaffected style.
Summary
This “well-established” Kilburn curry house – purportedly the first to offer South Indian cuisine in the UK – celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Little has changed since it opened, with its “plain good cooking”, “authentic recipes” including dishes not found elsewhere and “lovely vegetarian meals” pleasing happy locals as well as a string of celeb visitors ranging from the late Michael Winner to Diana Ross, Harrison Ford and the Indian cricket team.
Summary
“Proper Indian food, proper paper napkins” – this Kilburn institution, which claims to have been Britain’s first South Indian restaurant when it opened in 1964, remains “exactly as it was when the great Michael Winner recommended it back in 1990-something. ‘Historic’, said the old boy, and it still is”. “Unfortunately you have to eat in drab surroundings” – which is a tactful way of putting it – but fans (who apparently include luminaries ranging from Diana Ross and Harrison Ford to the Indian cricket team), reckon it’s worth it for the “top-notch” food and “really polite and professional” service. It caters equally for “meat-eaters, vegetarians and vegans”. Top Tip – you may be tempted to eat in the more salubrious quarters of your own home, but the nosh is “so much better fresh than take-away”.
Summary
Grunge-tastic Kilburn institution that lays claim to being Britain’s first South Indian restaurant, opening in 1964. TBH, it’s not clear if there has been a decor rethink at any time since, so “don’t be surprised if it looks a bit basic”. For reasons it’s hard to discern, it draws quite a cool crowd, and has over the years hosted celebrities as diverse as Harrison Ford, Kylie, Diana Ross and the Indian cricket team. Presumably, they too were drawn by its “great choice of Keralan dishes for vegans, vegetarians or carnivores” at prices that are decidedly “not expensive”.
For 33 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 Vijay?
49 Willesden Ln, London, NW6 7RF
Restaurant details
Prices
 Drinks |
|
|---|---|
| Wine per bottle | £30.00 |
| Filter Coffee | £3.50 |
 Extras |
|
|---|---|
| Bread | £1.40 |
| Service | 10.00% |
49 Willesden Ln, London, NW6 7RF
Opening hours
| Monday | 12 pm‑2:45 pm, 6 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Tuesday | 12 pm‑2:45 pm, 6 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Wednesday | 12 pm‑2:45 pm, 6 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Thursday | 12 pm‑2:45 pm, 6 pm‑10:45 pm |
| Friday | 12 pm‑2:45 pm, 6 pm‑11:45 pm |
| Saturday | 12 pm‑2:45 pm, 6 pm‑11:45 pm |
| Sunday | 12 pm‑2:45 pm, 6 pm‑10:45 pm |
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