The best Indian restaurants in London
There are plenty of restaurants to choose from in London, covering every cuisine the world has to offer. While Manchester may boast ‘curry mile’, London can feel pretty secure in the fact that it has many of the best Indian restaurants on offer, with everything from Michelin-starred options to BYOB locals. Covering the coastal regions like Goa and Kerala to the food of central India and beyond, there really is plenty of choice.
Which area of London is best for Indian food?
There are Indian restaurants in every corner of London and Brick Lane certainly has its fair share, however according to our list, the best areas of London for high-end Indian dining are Soho and Mayfair. Here you'll find Gymkhana with its Michelin acclaim, Dishoom for breakfast, lunch and dinner and much more.
MAY WE SUGGEST: The best restaurants in Soho
The best Indian restaurants in London
1/14The Great Indian
This unassuming north London neighbourhood is a somewhat unlikely host for such a buzzy new Indian restaurant. Tucked away in the middle of Archway, The Great Indian has been packed out since its opening in January 2025, with excellent reviews pouring in across the board. Despite it's former life as the local boozer, this is excellent ‘gastro pub’ is much more the former than the latter (no bad thing – the area isn't short of watering holes.) Like some of the other ‘trendy’ Indian food spots that reign supreme in London at the moment, this offering by executive chef Surjan Singh,(experienced restaurant consultant and judge on MasterChef India) has a wide array of influences and styles. The outcome is a long and varied menu, with some reliable classics (the butter chicken is sensational – the best in London), and some funkier bites (like the moreish pot sticker chicken dumplings). Don't be put off by the fake foliage hanging from the ceiling, this restaurant has real substance, and will surely be around for along time. It's also remarkably spacious, so would also work brilliantly for group dinners or parties.
Neighbourhood: Archway
Address: 139 Marlborough Road N19 4NU
What to order: A delicately spiced white negroni, the lamb taco roti, smoked papadums and the butter chicken.
2/14Ambassadors Clubhouse
The latest opening from Jyotin, Karam, & Sunaina Sethi of the JKS Group (also behind Gymkhana, Trishna and Brigadiers on this list) has everything we have come to expect from these clever restaurateurs: stylish interiors, bold flavours and a buzzy atmosphere. Tucked away on Heddon Street (just off Regent Street), Ambassadors Clubhouse is named for Sethi siblings' grandfather, who was stationed around the world as Indian Ambassador. The interior is based on his former summer house in Dalhousie in northern India, while the cuisine is inspired by that of the Punjab.
The menu begins with chaats and ‘bitings’ (snacks), and moves onto kebabs and tandoor dishes, before ending up with curries and biriyanis. We particularly loved the mutton keema naan, tiny sandwiches packed with spicy mutton, the luscious tandoor prawns, and the showstopping lobster curry, which has you scooping perfectly cooked meat from the shell, doused in a creamy korma sauce.
For the more party-inclined, Ambassadors Clubhouse also has a DJ from 10pm Thursday – Saturday (AMBASSY nights) so it's not necessarily a scene for shrinking violets. But you will have tons of fun, so book a table now.
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Address: 25 Heddon Street, W1B 4BH
What to order: Ranjit Shahi Lobster Curry, Ajwaini Wild Prawns with Hari Chutney
3/14Pahli Hill
Pahli Hill is named after an affluent neighbourhood in Mumbai, and takes its inspiration from the style of communal living known in that city as “building societies.” The cooking in these buildings would take cues from all the regions of India where its inhabitants originated, and Pahli Hill has developed a similar melting pot of styles, channelling the pleasures of informal conviviality and shared cooking. The range of food is one of the most impressive things about this restaurant, with an extensive tandoori grill section on the menu, and a collection of joyfully crowd-pleasing main dishes from around India, from hearty biryani to southern-style fish curry. There’s a real feeling of generosity and abundance about this restaurant; a varied range of side dishes and desserts mean there’s something for everyone to like, no matter what your preferences in Indian food. Downstairs you’ll find the charming cocktail bar Bhandra Bhai, where you can hole up with delicious Indian-inspired cocktails and snacks drawn from the main menu.
Neighbourhood: Fitzrovia
Address: 79-81 Mortimer St, London W1W 7SJ
What to order: Chargrilled lamb rump and the ‘paper’ dosa
4/14BiBi
BiBi is an elegant dining room on North Audley Street that totally fits with its Mayfair surroundings but without any of the pomp that other restaurants in the area give off. It is warm, welcoming and feels half like being in a very elevated Dishoom and half like being on a luxury train in the middle of Darjeeling, depending on whether you sit at a table or on the counter. The counter is recommended for those who like to watch the action – and decide what to order based on what you see being cooked. There is an a la carte menu at lunch, and a chef’s tasting menu for dinner at £125 per person. It is all, without exception, exceptional. The seasoning and spicing is faultless, the textures varied, the service formal yet friendly, with dishes arriving promptly but never leaving you feeling hurried. If only all restaurants were as good as BiBi.
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Address: 42 N Audley St, London W1K 6ZP
What to order: Wookey-hole Cheese Papad and Nashpati Bhel
5/14Gymkhana
The opening of Gymkhana in 2013 marked a sea-change in the status of Indian food in the UK. While it wasn’t the first Indian fine dining restaurant in the UK, it has been the most influential, thanks in large part to its impeccably stylish atmosphere.It was one of the earlier venues in the universally acclaimed JKS Group, which had launched Trishna (also on this list) five years earlier. The compact space on one of Mayfair’s smartest streets gives you the sense of being transported to a first-class railway carriage 100 years ago, rattling through the Indian countryside with an excellent menu and attentive service. The menu earned it a Michelin star in 2014, which it has held onto ever since.
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Address: 42 Albemarle St, London W1S 4JH
What to order: Aloo chaat, Lasooni wild tiger prawns and wild muntjac biryani
6/14Dishoom
Modelled on the old Irani cafés of Bombay – which were a meeting place for people from all backgrounds and cultures to share stories over chai – Dishoom burst onto the London restaurant scene in 2010 and its popularity hasn’t waned a jot since. The interiors hark back to the Bombay scene too, with slowly rotating fans, bentwood chairs and the soft billow of incense mingling with the warm spices from the chai. It offers a superlative breakfast – order a bacon naan roll and side of masala beans – and is equally superb for lunch and dinner. The chilli cheese toast is the most divine of starters, along with the vada pau (or keema pau for that matter) in its soft brioche bun, and you must try a chicken biryani before you die. Just like the Irani cafés of yore, this is a welcoming space for all people and all occasions.
Neighbourhood: Soho, Covent Garden, Shoreditch, Kings Cross, Kensington, Canary Wharf
Address: various
What to order: bacon naan roll, chilli cheese toast, chicken ruby
7/14The Tamil Prince
Set in the quiet, leafy streets between Kings Cross and Highbury & Islington, The Tamil Prince's setting is very much a pub, and a pub-like informality pervades the new restaurant. At the helm is Prince Durairaj, formerly of Malaysian favourite Roti King, who lends both his name and the cuisine of his childhood home in Tamil Nadu to the new venue. The vibe is cool but not obnoxiously so; the wood panelling of the interior has been painted an inviting deep blue, and feels stylish yet laid back. The same goes for the service, which is friendly and expert at the same time, and for the smart, concise menu. There are some very good-looking dishes on there, including the Instagram-friendly channa bhatura, a hot, soft globe of bread with a chickpea curry to dip into, spiky onion bhajis, perfectly spiced lamb chops, and enormous, sumptuous tiger prawns. And the best news of all? It tastes exactly as good as you hope it will.
Neighbourhood: Barnsbury, Islington
Address: 115 Hemingford Rd, London N1 1BZ
What to order: Chicken lollipops, onion bhajis and channa bhatura
8/14Bombay Bustle
With a space and menu inspired by the busy urban playground of Mumbai, it's hard to imagine just how understated and calm Bombay Bustle is. Set in a quiet Mayfair spot, the street outside might be a world away from the colourful Indian city, but the charming train car interiors are transportive enough to take you there in moments. The restaurant has a casual, fun atmosphere but a fine dining ethos; it’s not cheap for dinner but you get a great deal if you come for the express lunch/early dinner menu. At dinner, the sharing menu at £75 per person is a serious feast, and we’d also recommend the Sunday brunch, with Indian spiced scrambled eggs, crab fritters and refreshing cocktails all on hand to spice up your weekend.
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Address: 29 Maddox St, London W1S 2PA
What to order: Akuri Truffle Naan and Kapurthala Baingan Bharta (chargrilled aubergine)
9/14Darjeeling Express
Ever since Netflix put Asma Khan in the spotlight with an episode of Chef’s Table exploring her past, present and future in cooking, the Calcutta-born, London-based chef has had the recognition she deserves. Darjeeling Express started as a supper club, before moving to become a permanent restaurant (originally in Kingly Court, then Covent Garden and now Kingly Court again). Expect rich and bold Indian flavours in dishes you've never heard of, cooked by Asma's incredible team of female friends who have been by her side since she started out as a supper club at home.
Neighbourhood: Soho
Address: 2.4 Kingly Ct, Carnaby, London W1B 5PW
What to order: Puchkas, Prawn Malaikari and tamarind dal
10/14Farzi
Just down the road from Piccadilly Circus and conveniently located for theatreland, Farzi was opened in 2019 by the son of the legendary Indian restaurateur Jiggs Kalra. Now run by head chef Dhwani Agarwal, Farzi's focus is on elevated northern Indian family cooking. We love the generous ‘Taste of Farzi’ set menus, which take diners on a romp through a wide variety of dishes, from Amritsari fish to Methi chicken, and don't miss the decadent and generous ‘Grill’ dishes, like tandoori salmon and a robata-grilled beef kebab. The bar in the centre of the restaurant is a great place to hop on a stool for a fruity Twisted Martini and a bar snack.
Neighbourhood: St James'
Address: 8 Haymarket, London SW1Y 4BP
What to order: Robata grilled scallops with tomato shorba, lamb shank Nihari.
11/14Brigadiers
As the name might suggest, Brigadiers is modelled on Indian army messes, places for eating, drinking and socialising in a casual manner. It is vast, buzzy and has a warren of different spaces to explore. Sports fans love it as a game is always playing and it has the feeling of a bar or pub more than a restaurant. That’s not to do down the food at all, which is very much in line with what you’d expect from a JKS group restaurant (they also own Bao, Berenjak, Gymkhana, BiBi and many more). There are more snack-style dishes to choose from if you’re stopping by for a drink or a range of wood-fired and grilled dishes as well as curries and biryanis. In summer, there’s a small but lovely outdoor seating area.
Neighbourhood: Bank
Address: 1-5 Bloomberg Arcade, London EC4N 8AR
What to order: achari chicken skins, achari beef shortrib
12/14Trishna
Since 2012, Trishna has held a Michelin star for its elegant take on Indian coastal cuisine, focusing on the southwest region and flavours of Goa and Kerala. Think seafood, coconut and Malabar tamarind all bringing a sunny skew to the dishes that diners flock here for. The restaurant feels glamorous and in summer, the doors are all flung open onto Blandford Street where the warm spices from the kitchen tempt passersby. Its USP against others on this list? The menu is expertly paired with glasses of wine from their menu, so you need not agonise over what to drink.
Neighbourhood: Marylebone
Address: 15-17 Blandford St, London W1U 3DG
What to order: Dorset brown crab, nandu varaval, coconut and curry leaf scallops
13/14Manthan
Having previously worked at Bombay Bustle, Jamavar (where he accomplished an impressive Michelin star in under a year), Gymkhana, Hoppers and Trishna, Rohit Ghai is a name you can trust when it comes to Indian restaurants – it's hard to imagine a more reassuring CV. Manthan occupies the long, narrow ground floor of a typical Mayfair townhouse, and has a sumptuous interior rich in shades of gold and teal, with a buzzy, noisy atmosphere. The menu is concise and considered, split into sections for (in layman's terms), starters, curries, grilled dishes, and sides. The team recommends two or three starters, a couple of sides and one each of grills and curries, based on two people sharing everything. Ghai has said that the menu is particularly personal to him, featuring certain dishes associated with the home cooking he grew up with, others with restaurants he has worked in, as well as takes on street food of northern India.
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Address: 49 Maddox St, London W1S 2PQ
What to order: ghati masala prawns, shami kebab, black pepper salmon
14/14Jamavar
The opulent Indian restaurant Jamavar in Mayfair opened in late 2016, the first overseas restaurant from the Leela group, whose luxurious hotels and restaurants are scattered across the subcontinent. Jamavar has an air of colonial magnificence about it, with interiors inspired by the Viceroy’s House in New Delhi, and fretwork that recalls the Kashmiri lace shawls the restaurant is named for. With a focus on the food of India’s ancient northern royal palaces, alongside southern coastal cuisine, the restaurant has earned a Michelin star, making this a perfect choice for special occasions.
Neighbourhood: Mayfair
Address: 8 Mount St, London W1K 3NF
What to order: Lobster Idli Sambhar and Stone bass tikka
