Tipped

Delicious food

April 23, 2010

Have never tasted a better Indian.

Great!

April 22, 2010

A unique gem of a restaurant!

Keywords: charming

A real hidden gem

December 11, 2008

Totally agree with Andy's comments. You enter the place and suddenly it's like you are transported not only back in time, but also across continents. It's incredible that the Strand is below you yet you feel like you are in a 2* hotel in Mumbai or Delhi. The restaurant dining room is very basic, but totally in keeping with the establishment and unique appeal of the place.

Had a set meal which was really authentic, traditional Indian food and very good, all for £15 per head. The meal comprised poppadoms (a touch burnt) real lime chilli chutney,onion bhajis, the hottest whole chilli bhajis, lamb curry, dhal, prawn curry, chicken curry and rice. Service also superb.

You can bring in your own booze, or buy drinks from the bar below which results in a very inexpensive night.

Worth also becoming members of the India Club. When we asked what were the benefits, the owner replied in the most delightful fashion "there are no benefits at all sir!"....we still signed up for corporate membership (cost a tenner) nonethe less. Priceless.

Definitely recommend a visit, but don't dress up.

Welcome to the Time Warp

August 19, 2008

What country am I in? What year is it? Did I just walk up two flights of stairs in a residential hotel only to find an Indian restaurant? Does anyone else know this place exists? Am I going to eat something dodgy that'll send me running desperately for a toilet in about 30 minutes? How on earth does this exist in this part of London and how do they afford the rent? These were some of the thoughts running through my head when I was sitting in The India Club.

Walking into the restaurant you feel transported to another time, say roughly 1950, which is probably the last time anything here was updated. A picture of Gandhi hangs on the wall, and probably has since shortly after his death in 1948. Not all of this inspires confidence in the food, it must be said, but the flavor of the place itself more than makes up for the minor shortcomings of the cuisine.

When it comes to the food, stick to the southern Indian specialties like the dosas, which are authentic, crispy, and very good (plus I love coconut chutney). Avoid the naan, which was clearly rewarmed (perhaps no tandoori oven?), but the curries are spicy and tasty, and the food is very fairly priced (unfortunately not 1950 prices, but still cheap).

Keywords: cuisine: south indian, dosas, cheap