Described by the founders as a “modern curry house,” Tamila has had an impressively swift growth trajectory. From a street food stall at Hackney Bridge in 2021 to three permanent outposts by 2026, its expansion points to a clear appetite for a more contemporary, distinctly British-Indian way of eating.

Helmed by Tamil chef Prince Durairaj – also behind The Tamil Prince in Islington and The Tamil Crown in Angel – this is a restaurant built on casual, fast-paced, deeply comforting regional Indian food. And boy, does it deliver.

Unlike its two half-siblings, which lean into the curry-pub mould, Tamila feels more self-assured. It steps away from the pint-and-plate format with a tighter menu and sharper focus on the food itself. All you have to do is lean in – order generously, eat instinctively, and don’t mind getting your hands dirty. Which for us, is really not a big ask.

We visited its latest and largest site, which opened in late February in Soho. If you’re planning a visit, here’s exactly what to expect.

The vibe

The restaurant isn’t particularly flashy from the outside, but step inside and you quickly get the sense your stomach’s in for a very good time. There’s a striking bar by the door, with subtle Indian touches in the warm woods, lampshades and signposts. But, as with any Soho spot, it’s really the atmosphere and the buzz humming around the tables that bring it to life.

To whet our appetites, we started off strong with a Tamil Negroni and The Tamilan cocktail (£13.50), a gin-based cocktail with cardamom, honey, and orange flower – all of the good things.

The food

Plates are deliberately small as they’re meant to be shared, so don’t even entertain the idea of skipping the starters. We went for the chilli cheese dosa (£12), essentially a paper-thin, crisp bread folded around a thick layer of cheese, served with two dips (both of which had a pleasant level of spice).

The cheddar didn’t quite give you that satisfying pull as it was quite set, but it was delicious regardless. The masala dosa looked just as promising, so we’ll save that for our next visit.

We then ordered the paneer butter masala (£16), because how could we not? There are a lot of veggie options on the menu (e.g. a mango sambar and aubergine curry) but, for us, nothing beats the comfort of a lusciously rich and creamy butter masala, especially when you dip into it with a piece of roti.

It was just as creamy and rounded and flavourful as you’d expect but we left with something new to admire: the roti. Naan no more – the roti completely steals the show. It’s buttery, layered, and impossibly thin, falling apart the moment you tear into it.

Think of the soft, laminated layers of a fresh-out-the-oven croissant, but without the flaky crust. It looks simple, but laminated pastry is notoriously a product of Sisyphean effort, and more so when each one is made to order. The best advice we can give you is to order one per person. Do NOT share.

Lastly, we had a pineapple and mango salad (£11.50), which was a complete revelation. It was everything, everywhere, all at once: spicy from the chilli, sweet from the mango, sour from the pineapple, with bright, acidic notes from the red onion and plenty of fresh herbs to crown it.

The desserts

Desserts are small and each cost £6.50. We tried gulab jamun and a coconut payasam, both for the first time. Gulab jamun are deep-fried dough balls soaked in a cardamom,  rosewater, and saffron sugar syrup. The dough (typically made from milk solids, flour and milk powder) is dense, slightly grainy and soaked through with syrup, with a soft, squishy bite.

Though it may resemble a standard rice pudding, the payasam is actually a liquidy, almost drinkable dessert, yet still full of flavour. Made from milk, sugar or jaggery, and rice, this one carried a gentle threat of rosewater that gave it a beautiful floral finish.

Verdict

The roti alone makes the trip to this new Tamila outpost worthwhile, but once you’re settled in, you’ll find there’s plenty to enjoy. Tamila is a confident, well-crafted take on the modern curry house it set out to be, with indulgent dishes and pleasing shifts in flavour and texture. Whether the dishes are truly drawn from the market halls of South India, we have our reservations (based purely on the restrained use of spice), but there was nothing to fault. You’ll want to order the entire menu and find it hard to hold yourself back – though there’s always a second visit to work through the rest.

Key details

Address: 19-20 Poland St, London W1F 8QF

Website: tamila.uk

Instagram: @tamila_curry

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