Shekha Vyas

October 2026: The latest additions to this list come from across the city, with Romy Gill at The Pem showcasing her fine-dining regional flavours in a posh Westminster hotel, Tamila in Kings Cross (and now with another outpost in Soho) doing an all-day menu of south Indian smashers, Kokum laying on some seriously high-end cooking in East Dulwich and the imposing Oudh 1722 giving Borough a taste of double Michelin starred Brummie chef Aktar Islam.  London’s South Asian food scene is a mosaic of flavours showcasing the culinary traditions of everywhere from India and Pakistan to Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, and Nepal. Rather than one unified cuisine, it reflects the complex cultural tapestry that has evolved through centuries of migration, trade, and gastronomic exchange across the subcontinent. For the diaspora, food goes beyond sustenance; it’s an expression of identity, memory, and community.  London’s best Indian and South Asian restaurants at a glance: 🇱🇰 Best for Sri Lankan food: Rambutan, Borough Market 🍛 Best for a quick curry: Tamila, Kings Cross ⭐ Best for a Michelin star meal: Trishna, Marylebone 🍚 Best for a street-food snack: Shree Krishna Vada Pav, Fitzrovia 👨‍👩‍👦‍👦 Best for a family feast: Kokum, East Dulwich Rooted in philosophical teachings, including the mindful and balancing principles of Ayurveda, South Asian food in London emphasises reverence for natural ingredients and the simple joy of eating. From masala-rich Pakistani karahis and delicate vegetaria

If the Addams Family ever developed a taste for Indian fine dining, The Pem would make a suitable dining room. Tucked inside the 19th century Conrad London St James hotel, the restaurant is a sprawl of deep reds and low lighting, with enough velvet-adjacent moodiness to make dinner feel extremely gothic.   It’s here that Romy Gill has made her grand return to the pass, taking over from Sally Abé with a menu roaming through India’s regional cooking. Since closing the acclaimed Romy’s Kitchen in Gloucestershire, the chef, author and MBE has written three cookbooks, but this is her first permanent restaurant kitchen in six years. Against The Pem’s brooding backdrop, Gill’s cooking feels positively exuberant.  The aloo bonda is an explosive opening act: a crisp potato parcel buzzing with curry leaf and pepper, which transports us several thousand miles away. If you’ve ever eaten a good South Indian lentil vada and thought, ‘Yes, but what if potato?’, you’re in the right place. Other small plates are equally joyous. Octopus is remarkably tender, with sweet potato and cumin bringing seasonal warmth. Tandoori king prawns are even better: fat, juicy things with just enough char around the edges. Not everything lands so neatly. Hand-dived scallops are beautifully cooked, delicate and buttery, and the assertive Bengali kasundi chutney they come with is excellent by itself. Together, though, the scallops’ subtleties are lost amid all that mustardy swagger. Milk and cardamom cake with p