Since launching 15 years ago, the Thali Café has become one of Bristol’s greatest culinary success stories. Initially focusing on selling home-made Indian street food at summer festivals, the business now includes four low-key, laidback restaurants across Bristol, and a thriving takeaway service built around re-usable tiffin tins. According to the owners, some 10,000 Bristolians now own their own Thali tiffins – a remarkable fact, if true.
For first-timers, the Montpellier branch – tucked away on the corner of York Street and Picton Street – is the best way to sample the unique atmosphere and menu. The first restaurant to open, it is small, intimate and quirky, with a relaxed atmosphere that suits their rustic, home-style menu.
The emphasis is on ordering one of their numerous Thali dishes, which feature regionally themed meat or vegetarian dishes main courses, accompanied by numerous small side dishes, rice and raita.
Whether you choose to pop into one of their four branches, or invest in a re-usable tiffin tin and opt for a takeaway, the Thali Café’s greatest calling card is its casual nature. What they offer is no-nonsense, well-cooked comfort food, in a relaxed environment. It’s no wonder it has become something of a Bristol institution.