London's top 50 restaurants

Best Indian restaurants
Amaya
Indian food expert Camellia Panjabi, co-owner with sister Namita and her husband Ranjit Mathrani of this chic grill restaurant and bar, spent the best part of a year researching and preparing to launch what remains an extremely exciting restaurant. With their other restaurant Chutney Mary, the three had already been chipping away at British perceptions of Indian cooking (in most cases derived from our late-night predilection for curry houses) for several years, but Amaya immediately set new standards of quality, authenticity and culinary invention, and did so with great style. Much of the menu – marinated seafood, poultry, lamb, game and vegetables – is grilled on the tawa (a thick iron plate), sigri (coal grill) or in the more familiar tandoor (hot clay oven) right in front of diners, which adds a great sense of theatre to the sparkling surrounds. First-rate biryanis, unusual curried dishes, proper ‘Awadhi’ dishes from Lucknow and some sensational cocktails are available too.
When to go When you crave Indian food, but are tired of ‘curry’.
What to have Grilled meat dishes.
Amaya, 19 Motcomb St, Halkin Arcade, SW1X 8JT (020 7823 1166/www.realindianfood.com) Knightsbridge tube.
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Rasa N16
There are eight restaurants in this collection of pink-coloured south Indian eateries. Amazingly, this cosy restaurant in deepest Stoke Newington sprang from owner Das Sreedharan’s longing for mum’s home cooking. In the early days culinary icons such as Rose Gray of the River Café, Jamie Oliver, and a raft of vegetarian celebrities would travel across London to sample the authentic dosas, thorans, moru kachiathu, bagar baingan, lemon rice, appams and wonderfully fresh pickles, such was the rarity of brilliant Keralan cooking in London. Now we and hundreds of other West End workers enjoy the good-value Rasa lunchboxes on a regular basis.
When to go When spice would be nice.
What to have Don’t miss the pickles (really), and the dosai are spectacular.
Rasa N16, 55 Stoke Newington Church St, N16 0AR (020 7249 0344/www.rasarestaurants.com) Stoke Newington rail/73, 393, 476 bus.
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Sagar
Sagar showcases the vegetarian cookery of the state of Karnataka, the coastal, temple town of Udipi in particular. It cleverly recreates the layered, delicate flavours of the area from the excellent, crisp dosais which are ideal for dipping into soupy sambar (made from lentils sharpened with perky tamarind and softened aubergine). Spicing tends to be mellow rather than fiery, seasoned with curry leaves and peppy mustard seeds. It’s remarkably good value, too.
When to go After visiting The Lyric.
What to have The thali set meals, or the dosais.
Sagar, 157 King St, W6 9JT (020 8741 8563) Hammersmith tube.
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Nauroz
The Pakistani family behind Nauroz has been leading curry fans a merry dance across London: they set up a stunning karahi restaurant, make it hugely successful, then sell it and move on. Catch them while you can in Eastcote, where the cooking is robust and focuses on earthy fried-onion masalas, tandoori kebabs, and top-notch breads. Robustly spiced deighi gosht (on-the-bone lamb chunks simmered in a silken masala of browned onions with cardamom) is an outstanding rendition of mum’s-own cooking. This place is just a caff really, so don’t expect silver service, and alcohol is not served so BYO.
When to go When fickle fate takes you to Harrow.
What to have Meat or veg, and order a lassi to quench the heat.
Nauroz, 219 Field End Rd, Eastcote, Middx, HA5 1QZ (020 8868 0900) Eastcote tube.
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Madhu’s
The owners, the Anand family, are Kenyan Punjabi, and this is reflected in many of the dishes. The spicing is layered and complex in dishes such as lamb ribs cooked in the East African way, over an open fire, superbly seasoned and slightly smoky. Other triumphs include the aloo tiki, potato patties with a tangy yoghurt sauce.
When to go When you’ve time to kill on the way to Heathrow.
What to have Ask for the east African Asian specials.
Madhu’s, 39 South Rd, Southall, Middx UB1 1SW (020 8574 1897/www.madhusonline.com) Southall rail.
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