Hatfield, Indian Restaurant Guide

This local institution next to Queensbury station – towards the outer extremities of the Jubilee line – was founded in 1991 by accountant Navin Sharma and inspired by Asian community members’ clubs in Kenya. Now open to the public, it retains a clubby feel with dinner served at two sittings (6pm, 8pm), and excels for its “very friendly staff” (who are managed by head waiters known as ‘courier waiters’) and “great” Asian food with East African influences: “go for the grilled meats (the curries are good too)”. The well-stocked bar is “a great place for sports fans to watch matches”.

2023 Review: This cute family-run Muswell Hill curry house with a small terrace for outdoor dining prides itself on its Mughal-inspired north Indian cuisine, which goes down well with a local clientele.

All-you-can-eat vegetarian Indian buffet with a “good selection of dishes at reasonable prices”. Based in Wembley, where it started out 40-odd years ago as a family-owned market stall, it now has spinoffs in Harrow, Kingsbury and Hatch End (the latter à la carte only). Signature dishes include bhel puri, crispy bhajia and chilli paneer, washed down by a selection of soft drinks.

This “excellent local” Indian in the low-key setting of an East Finchley shopping parade trades on its good-value tandoori dishes and curries.

2024 Review: Nobody is entirely happy about the change of style at this “wonderful curry house” of more than three decades’ standing in Turnpike Lane, following a recent “facelift”, although “if that’s what they had to do to survive the pandemic, then fair enough I suppose – but we really miss the old place”. Some feel it’s now “essentially a large takeaway counter with the restaurant area tucked behind under glaringly bright lights”, while more positive types feel that overall it’s “still recommended for a quick casual eating experience, but not for a relaxed evening out as in the past”.

If you’re looking for a “good pitstop in the West End”, this trio (also with an offshoot in Hammersmith) offers “tasty vegan and veggie Indian food” at “very reasonable prices” – nothing fancy, but “good basic cooking” of “South Indian staples”. Pickier diners can feel that some sauces are “rather watery”, or that the filling food can come “with no stand-out flavours”. Practically all agree, however, that “a great Masala Dosa and beer makes a very affordable meal in Central London”. Top Tip – “good choice to take a crowd: they’re not fazed by large tables”.

“Wonderful Indian tapas” draws an enthusiastic local crowd to this Childs Hill spot which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (“we’re lucky to have it in this part of north London”). Some fans, though, “prefer the setting of the newly opened Muswell Hill branch” and say “the divine tapas is just as good as the original”.

“Great food and service” have made this family-owned Hampstead curryhouse – now run by the founder’s son – a winner for nearly 60 years. It’s “always noisy and cramped”, but that hardly dampens enthusiasm. High-profile regulars are name-checked on the menu – the ‘Arctic murg’ super-spicy butter chicken is a tribute to the Sheffield rockers.

2022 Review: Adding Indian spicing to pasta and crispy Italian pizza explains the name of Devinder Singh’s Tufnell Park venue, which opened in Spring 2020. Early bird feedback suggests it's a concept that ‘has legs’.

“Very high-quality Indian food” earns excellent ratings for this Whetstone fixture, which started out as a takeaway almost 30 years ago. “Authentic dishes” are “served with style” – and unusually for a South Asian restaurant, they promise to change the menu to reflect the seasons.

“Wonderful Indian tapas” draws an enthusiastic local crowd to this Childs Hill spot which celebrates its 10th anniversary this year (“we’re lucky to have it in this part of north London”). Some fans, though, “prefer the setting of the newly opened Muswell Hill branch” and say “the divine tapas is just as good as the original”.

“So different – Jay Rayner was right, it’s an amazing place” – The Observer critic’s February 2025 review of this converted pub on a residential street near Archway (fka The Prince Alfred) put it on London’s culinary map and many reports in our diners’ poll reference his write up. “OK, so we went on Mr Rayner’s recommendation, but the food really was very good” and its “proudly advertised gastropub ambitions are successful”. Chef Jolly of MasterChef India provides a “distinctive menu” of “unusual dishes” that “avoid Indian restaurant clichés”. The ambience follows the gastropub strap line, with tables squeezed together, but its decor is a cut above most pubs while service is “friendly and efficient” (although one or two reports suggest “it can be a victim of its own success thanks to Jay”). Top Menu Tips – “smoked poppadums are an excellent start to the meal as are the lamb roti tacos. The cocktail menu is well worth a look as well”.

2023 Review: A world away from the Mayfair luxury that made his reputation, Atul Kochhar gets more ‘down and dirty’ with this new, glass-walled 120-seater in the shadow of Wembley Stadium with a budget street-food formula. So far, we’ve only had limited feedback, but it says the food is “very good” and in a December 2021 review, Jay Rayner of The Observer told readers to “expect uncompromising fire and depth”.