Fave Indian or Chinese restaurant in London

Hi Tracey!

When we were in London in 2012 I had my first ever (I know hard to believe) Indian food. We ate a restaurant named Malabar in the Notting Hill area of London. It was fantastic and made a convert out of me - wonderful! Even the more experienced Indian food lovers in our group were really impressed with their food. It was a little tricky to find the place, we had to call and they walked out looking for us - so nice. Well worth the effort to go there. Enjoy and Happy Travels! Hope to get back to London one day, loved it.

My favourite Chinese restaurant in central London is Y Ming in Greek Street, on the opposite side of Shaftesbury Avenue from the main Chinatown.

In terms of Indian food, there's a cluster on Drummond Street near Euston station, of which my favorite is Diwana - I prefer the lunchtime buffet to the evening food though. The Masala Zone chain is pretty good as well.

I rather like Imperial China on Lisle Street, but you can take pot luck in China Town and you probably won't go far wrong. I'm a little more wary about recommending an Indian place. Rather like fish & chips, Indian food in Britain is more a cultural experience than a culinary one. The point isn't really to have a good meal (though you can have some great ones) as to engage in something very British that has cultural overtones for the natives (usually involving alcohol).

The only dim sum restaurant in London that I know has trolleys where you point at what you want instead of following a menu is at New World opposite the fire station in Chinatown.

The dim sum will not set the world on fire but it is decent , with decent prices and I like it very much there.

Another vote for Dishoom. It's not at all like the Indian food I can get here at home in the States...which is a good thing. I loved the black dal in particular.

The Cinnamon Club has a lovely and unique atmosphere and I think would be a great place for breakfast, although they appear to be undergoing a re-do and will reopen in September.

London also has a number of Michelin-starred Indian restaurants. I'd look into: Gymkhana, Trishna, Quilon, and Amaya.

Chettinad in Soho is excellent (Indian cuisine). (16 Percy St.)

Tayyab's in Whitechapel.

Lamb chop starter. Go.

Thanks everyone! We had never had Indian food before but are going to take the plunge :)

I could happily eat Indian food 5x a week, and one of the few cuisines where i don't feel I'm missing out going for the veggie dishes.

Indian is as British as Sunday Roast and Pimm's in the rain!

As an easy entry to the world of indian food, some guidance for the beginner...

As you're seated, Popadoms with chutney, avoid the lime pickle on your first outing...

A meat samosa or tandoori chicken/tandoori lamb chops to start.

The famous Chicken Tikka Massala or the much hotter Lamb Dansak (personal fav) with a simple Pilau or Special rice for mains.

A plain or garlic naan bread to dip in the sauce, chilli naan if you're feeling brave.

Desert i dont bother with, but Gulab Jamun (spelling!) i like.

Drinks, is a simple beer or a mango lassi...

** tummy rumbles **

Tracey, I hope you do try Indian food on your trip. I think Mike has given you very good advice on easy-to-try menu items, but if you like vegetables, order a veg dish! That's what I always get! You really can't go wrong -- just pick a vegetable that you like and go for it!

We like New World for dim sum. In fact, we had a great meal there last month. Our transatlantic flight was delayed 5 hours...we were tired and hungry after 24 hours in transit and it was 3:00 in the afternoon, an awkward time to eat. But New World had a few carts going and everyone in my family was happy.

Please excuse the "slight hijack" here, but can anyone also recommend a good Indian place around the Earl's Court tube stop area?

Thanks.

Oh yes, if you're a veggie, indian is a dream.

Not the last word as far as dining experiences go, but great if you want to mix and match trying cuisines from around the world... The Westfield (White City) food court.

Vietnamese, indian, chinese, Mexican, morrocan, and many more, all in one place... Grab a table and get starters from one, mains from the next, desert from the other... Fun!

Dim Sum at Bamboo Basket there are very good.

Mary- There's probably some Indian places very near the Earls Court tube stop, but if you can "venture" just a little with a short walk, there are three within steps of each other along Old Brompton Road: Thali, Star of India and Noor Jahaan. All good, but N.J. is my favorite of them.

If you want to spend more money, there's Dehli Brasserie just steps away from the Gloucester Road station, and Zaika on Kensington Road near Kensington Palace....'fraid I've never been to either.

Mike - thank you for the brief introduction and tips! It is greatly appreciated. We just booked our tickets so I am super excited now.

Mike - thank you for the brief introduction and tips! It is greatly appreciated. We just booked our tickets so I am super excited now.

Thanks dgnagle4, I've added them to our list of new places to try next month. We have a few favorite places we always go to when visiting, but always looking for recommendations.

Our favorite Indian restaurant on the planet is Punjab in Covent Garden. They've been around since the '40s, so you know they're doing something right. We also visited Woodlands (three locations, we went to the Piccadilly location before a show), which was fantastic. They're completely vegetarian, and we had the best dosa there. Have fun!

http://www.punjab.co.uk/
http://www.woodlandsrestaurant.co.uk/

Loved the Woodlands in Marylebone Road.