TASTE ASIA · LONDON · INDIAN
Five of London’s Best Indian Restaurants
Five distinctive tables, from coastal Indian cooking in Marylebone to the comfort of a Bombay café. An independent Taste Asia edit for memorable meals.
By Taste Asia Editorial Desk · Researched 24 October 2026
Colonel Saab High Holborn / Kahani / Dishoom Battersea / Trishna / Darjeeling Express
This researched selection brings together restaurant information, public feedback and independent recognition. Numbering is for navigation. It does not represent a new visit to every restaurant.
01 / REGIONAL INDIAN · HOLBORN
1. Colonel Saab High Holborn
🔹 Taste Asia Featured (Awards coverage)
Cuisine Regional Indian
Address & nearest station Holborn Town Hall, 193–197 High Holborn, London WC1V 7BD · Holborn
Price tier £££
We order King prawn moilee
Google 4.8/5 (6,928 reviews) · Tripadvisor 4.2/5 (386 reviews)
Ratings checked 24 October 2026. Scores are shown separately.
Why visit
Dinner at Colonel Saab begins with a room full of stories. Roop Partap Choudhary’s restaurant occupies the former Holborn Town Hall, where chandeliers, Indian artwork and family keepsakes create an unusually theatrical setting. The inspiration comes from his parents’ travels across India; the menu follows those regional threads rather than settling into a single culinary postcode.
Consider the king prawn moilee for its combination of coconut, turmeric and ginger, then explore the menu’s different regional influences. Chef Sohan Bhandari leads a kitchen whose dishes include street-food-inspired starters and more elaborate mains. Time Out has reported recognition for the High Holborn restaurant in a 2026 curry selection. The dining room makes this a particularly appealing option for a celebratory meal, with Holborn station close by for the journey home.
What people say
Our summary of the linked public feedback and independent coverage.
Google feedback frequently praises the décor, attentive service and presentation. Tripadvisor’s lower overall score suggests a less uniform experience. Read recent reviews on both platforms when choosing dishes and planning a special occasion.
Visit & book a table ↗ | Time Out · 2026 recognition ↗ | Map & Google reviews ↗
02 / MODERN INDIAN · SLOANE SQUARE / BELGRAVIA
2. Kahani
🔹 Taste Asia Featured (Chef profile) | ⭐ Top Rated
Cuisine Modern Indian
Address & nearest station 1 Wilbraham Place, London SW1X 9AE · Sloane Square
Price tier ££££
We order Smoked Malabar prawns
Google 4.6/5 (897 reviews) · Tripadvisor 4.6/5 (412 reviews)
Ratings checked 24 October 2026. Scores are shown separately.
Why visit
Peter Joseph brings his Chennai upbringing and experience at Tamarind to this quietly glamorous restaurant near Cadogan Hall. Kahani’s approach gives British seasonal ingredients an Indian framework, with the tandoor and robata grill doing much of the work. It is a fitting address for a leisurely dinner after a concert, or an evening built around sharing several plates.
Smoked Malabar prawns are a useful starting point: Time Out praised them in its four-star review, alongside the kitchen’s approach to small plates and spicing. The restaurant’s current menus offer several ways to explore Joseph’s cooking, including à la carte and tasting options. Check the format before booking, especially if your party wants to share. Kahani’s matching 4.6 scores on Google and Tripadvisor provide another measure of its appeal, alongside the chef’s background and distinctive approach.
What people say
Our summary of the linked public feedback and independent coverage.
Both platforms currently return 4.6/5. Time Out’s review praised the food and Malabar prawns, while raising questions about the service on that particular visit. The combination suits diners interested in modern presentation and a leisurely meal.
Visit & book a table ↗ | Time Out · restaurant review ↗ | Map & Google reviews ↗
03 / BOMBAY CAFÉ · BATTERSEA
3. Dishoom Battersea
⭐ Top Rated
Cuisine Bombay café
Address & nearest station 42 Electric Boulevard, London SW11 8BJ · Battersea Power Station
Price tier ££
We order Chicken Ruby with house black daal
Google 4.9/5 (8,387 reviews) · Tripadvisor 4.7/5 (408 reviews)
Ratings checked 24 October 2026. Scores are shown separately.
Why visit
Dishoom Battersea takes its own route through the group’s Bombay café imagination. Its retro-futuristic design follows the fictional journey of a girl travelling from 1953 to an imagined 2023, a playful companion to the monumental architecture of the neighbouring power station. The result suits a lively breakfast, a shared lunch or dinner after a walk beside the Thames.
Start with the familiar pleasures of Chicken Ruby and house black daal, rather than treating the long menu as a checklist. Time Out’s branch listing highlights the two-floor setting, curry and chilli cheese toast. The restaurant is open throughout the day, offering different reasons to visit from breakfast onwards. It has the strongest pair of public ratings in this selection. Its popularity also means a bustling room: check the branch’s booking policy, particularly for smaller parties dining after 6pm.
What people say
Our summary of the linked public feedback and independent coverage.
Tripadvisor feedback often celebrates the food, welcoming staff and stylish setting, with noise and unpredictable waits recurring as qualifications. Its 4.7/5 Tripadvisor score sits alongside 4.9/5 on Google.
Visit & book a table ↗ | Time Out · Battersea listing ↗ | Map & Google reviews ↗
04 / COASTAL INDIAN · MARYLEBONE
4. Trishna
Cuisine Coastal Indian
Address & nearest station 15–17 Blandford Street, London W1U 3DG · Baker Street or Bond Street
Price tier £££
We order Hariyali bream
Google 4.6/5 (2,438 reviews) · Tripadvisor 4.3/5 (1,343 reviews)
Ratings checked 24 October 2026. Scores are shown separately.
Why visit
Trishna offers a coastal Indian counterpoint to the richer northern cooking often associated with London’s grand dining rooms. In Marylebone Village, marble tables, wooden panelling and antique mirrors keep the atmosphere closer to a neighbourhood restaurant than a ceremonial destination. Its wine list gives unusual regions and smaller producers room alongside the food.
The restaurant holds one Michelin star, and the guide singles out its seafood and tandoor cooking. Hariyali bream is a useful place to start; Dorset brown crab is another dish the inspectors highlight. A light refurbishment in 2025 refreshed the setting without changing the address’s essential appeal. Google’s 4.6 rating and Tripadvisor’s 4.3 tell different stories, so we show both. Choose Trishna for the coastal emphasis and Michelin recognition, rather than expecting an identical experience to the other restaurants in this edit.
What people say
Our summary of the linked public feedback and independent coverage.
Michelin praises the food and professional, approachable service. Recent Tripadvisor reviews include warm accounts of the welcome and seafood, although its overall rating is lower than Google’s. The two scores remain separate here.
Visit & book a table ↗ | MICHELIN Guide · one star ↗ | Map & Google reviews ↗
05 / BENGALI AND MUGHLAI · SOHO
5. Darjeeling Express
Independent research · MICHELIN Guide · selected restaurant
Cuisine Bengali and Mughlai
Address & nearest station 36–40 Rupert Street, London W1D 6DW · Piccadilly Circus
Price tier £££
We order Methi chicken
Google 4.5/5 (1,833 reviews) · Tripadvisor 4.3/5 (627 reviews)
Ratings checked 24 October 2026. Scores are shown separately.
Why visit
Asma Khan’s Soho restaurant puts family recipes and the cooking of Kolkata at the centre of the table. Her Mughal heritage and all-female kitchen give Darjeeling Express a particular identity within London’s Indian dining scene. The bright dining room is an inviting setting for food whose character comes from memory, patient preparation and carefully judged spice.
Michelin lists the restaurant for its cooking, highlighting methi chicken as an example of the kitchen’s strengths; this is guide inclusion, not a Michelin star. Lunch, pre-theatre and dinner have different formats, so check the current menus before booking. The emphasis on family recipes makes this a distinctive option for diners interested in the personal histories behind regional Indian food. Its 4.5 Google score makes it a strong candidate for exploration, with the lower Tripadvisor result offering a reason to read recent feedback too.
What people say
Our summary of the linked public feedback and independent coverage.
Guest feedback includes praise for the welcome and family-style cooking, alongside reservations about value and individual dishes. Michelin’s assessment emphasises the spicing and methi chicken. We present this as a researched recommendation, rather than a report of a new visit.
Visit & book a table ↗ | MICHELIN Guide · selected restaurant ↗ | Map & Google reviews ↗
Our selection and verification
We consulted official restaurant websites, Google Maps, Tripadvisor, Michelin and independent media. Each restaurant has a Google rating of at least 4.5/5 from over 300 reviews. The Top Rated badge requires at least 4.5/5 and 300 reviews on both Google and Tripadvisor in this snapshot.
🔹 Taste Asia Featured links only to existing Taste Asia editorial coverage, with its type shown beside the badge. A chef profile or news mention does not imply a restaurant review. 🏆 An award badge names the actual distinction. Being listed in the Michelin Guide does not by itself mean a restaurant has a Michelin star.
Price tiers are indicative: £ budget, ££ moderate, £££ premium, ££££ special occasion. Menus, ratings, prices and availability may change. Confirm dietary needs, access and bookings with each restaurant.
Guide data
View restaurant data
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