The best Indian restaurants in London: currying favourites

From juicy jackfruit tikka to buttery parathas packed with chips, Samuel Fishwick has a guide to the hottest curry in the capital
Enjoy on the hoof: Talli Joe

Even in the heat of summer the curry scene is the heart of London. From Brick Lane to Tooting Broadway, it stretches from one curry mile to the next, a nexus of red, orange and green dishes served sizzling.

“The love of Indian food runs through Londoners’ veins,” says Karam Sethi, co-founder of JKS restaurants, which counts Gymkhana, Hoppers, Trishna and Motu Indian among its roster. So what’s hot right now?

All jacked up

Spicebox’s Indian food is 100 per cent plant-powered. Its jackfruit tikka masala is a masterclass in vegan food, as are cauliflower “steaks”, marinated in a tandoori spice rub and grilled over charcoal, served with a coriander pesto sauce. The street food start-up is the passion of Grace Regan, a former tech entrepreneur who became conscious of the environmental impact of her food choices while she was working in Silicon Valley.

Various locations, gimmespicebox.com

The British hot take

Lokhandwala’s fish and chips are a modern fusion of spiced-based tempura with fried fish, on a plate with pea purée and chilli sauce. The new Charlotte Street restaurant is the brainchild of the creators of The Grub Fest, one of India’s largest food festivals, so the focus on street-style small plates is perhaps no surprise.

93 Charlotte Street, W1, lokhandwala.co.uk

The Indian inferno

Vivek Singh’s Cinnamon Club boasts the “Bombay Burner”, also known as the world’s hottest curry (diners have to sign a risk disclaimer). In this lamb-based curry dish Singh uses some of the spiciest ingredients around. First there’s the Scotch bonnet, one of the world’s hottest chillis. Then there’s the Naga pepper — on the Scoville scale that measures the spiciness of peppers it scores 855,000, eight times hotter than a jalapeño.

The Old Westminster Library, Great Smith Street, SW1, cinnamonclub.com

Second to naan

Dishoom’s black daal dovetails nicely with its pillowy garlic naan. The daal is full of flavour, with lentils prepared over 24 hours. Mop it up with a plain, garlic or cheese naan.

Various locations, dishoom.com

Gymkhana

The comfort curry

Gymkhana’s Goan pig cheek vindaloo is a richly spiced curry with soft, melting pig cheeks. Using cuts of meat not traditionally found on Indian restaurant menus, the chefs bring out their flavours with complex spicing and traditional slow-cooking techniques. Sourness is achieved through toddy vinegar (made with coconuts) and heat through red chilli and cloves.

42 Albemarle Street, W1, gymkhanalondon.com

The fast track

At £10 a pop, and served to the table within 10 minutes (if not, they’re on the house), the plates on Talli Joe’s dabba menu are designed to be enjoyed on the hoof. The dabba, used all over India to transport lunches, are typically three separate tiers — one for a starter, one for bread or rice and one for a curry. On Wednesdays, enjoy a bhora murgh biryani.

152 Shaftesbury Avenue, WC2, tallijoe.com

The chip off the old block

Would you like chips with that? Curry On’s curry and chips range from rogan josh to the show-stopping mushroom pepper korma with aubergine masala, all served on triple-cooked, garlic and coriander chips, with raita, mango chutney and fresh chilli, with the caveat “Rice? No dice”. Pile up into a buttery paratha chip butty if you like.

Various locations, curryonfood.com

Rola Wala

The daily show

Rola Wala aims to be “Indian food you can eat every day”, so the core of the menu is fresh hand-made sourdough naan rolls and rice bowls filled with spicy Nagaland lamb or beetroot-red dal. Each dish weighs in at only 500 calories. It started as a street food sensation and now has a permanent spot in Spitalfields, so you can have your sourdough naan roll with vegan red dahl on a plate at a table.

Various locations, rolawala.com

The subcontinental show-off

Showcasing the best of the best Indian vegetarian street food, Borough Market’s Horn OK Please (named after the Indian bumper sticker) is laden with fresh, fragrant dishes such as moong dal dosa, aloo tikki chaat and pani puri. Your lunchtime snack will be a feast for your eyes as well as your taste buds — they’re best with a cool bottle of the traditional Indian take on Coca-Cola, Thums Up.

Various locations, hop.st

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