Have you ever been in a situation when everyone’s scrolling through an Indian takeaway menu for twenty minutes and somehow still ends up ordering the exact same thing as last time? One person wants butter chicken, another wants biryani, and there’s always that one friend pretending they can handle “extra hot” vindaloo before immediately reaching for water.
That’s kind of the thing with Indian food in London. There’s so much choice that people usually play it safe.
But London’s Indian food scene is ridiculous in the best way possible. You’ve got tiny family-run spots, busy curry houses that have been around forever, proper regional Indian restaurants, late-night takeaway legends, and places doing street food that tastes like it came straight out of Mumbai or Delhi.
And honestly, some dishes deserve the hype they get. Not because they’re fancy or expensive, but because once you try them properly, you end up thinking about them days later while sitting at work pretending to answer emails.
So if you’re tired of ordering the same curry every Friday night, here are the must-try Indian dishes in London that people genuinely keep going back for.
The 10 Most Iconic Dishes to Try
Black Dal (Dal Makhani)
It doesn’t sound exciting at first. Lentils, butter, cream, and tomatoes. That’s basically it. But this thing gets cooked for nearly 24 hours and somehow turns into one of the most comforting dishes you’ll ever eat.
It’s rich without being too heavy, creamy without tasting bland, and the texture is ridiculously smooth. You scoop it up with naan, and suddenly you realise you’ve ignored every other dish on the table for five straight minutes.
A lot of people ordering Indian food automatically focus on meat dishes and barely notice the vegetarian section. Big mistake. Proper dal makhani can easily outshine half the curries on the menu.
Especially on a cold evening in the UK when all you want is food that feels warm and filling.
Chicken Tikka Masala
Chicken tikka masala has reached that level where it barely even feels like “takeaway food” anymore. It’s basically become part of British culture.
And honestly, there’s a reason. A good tikka masala just works. Smoky chicken, creamy tomato sauce, enough spice to keep things interesting without blowing your head off.
The problem is that loads of takeaway places make it way too sweet now. You order it, and it tastes more like tomato soup with cream than an actual Indian curry.
A proper chicken tikka masala should still have warmth from the spices and that slightly smoky flavour from the grilled chicken. It’s also the safest option if you’re ordering Indian cuisine for someone who claims they “don’t really eat spicy food”.
Wild Muntjac Biryani
The first thing you notice in the Wild Muntjac Biryani is the pastry lid covering the biryani. Then they cut into it, and all the steam and smell come out at once. That alone nearly sells the dish.
The rice is packed with spice, the meat is soft, and every spoonful tastes slightly different. Some bites are richer, some smokier, some heavier on the saffron.
That’s what people get wrong about biryani. It’s not just curry mixed into rice. A proper biryani takes time. Bad biryanis taste dry and boring. Good ones make you slow down because you don’t want the plate to end.
Tandoori Lamb Chops
There are some dishes that arrive at the table and immediately make everybody else regret their order. Tandoori lamb chops are definitely one of them. They come out slightly charred from the grill, properly spiced, smoky, juicy, and honestly hard to stop eating.
The char on tandoori food matters a lot. Without it, the flavour feels flat. Too much, and the meat dries out. When it’s done right, though, it’s unreal. Especially with naan and a cold drink on the side.
Butter Chicken
Butter chicken is sometimes unfairly judged because people assume it’s boring or too safe. But a really good butter chicken is hard to beat. This is comfort food.
The kind you order after a long week, when you cannot be bothered to cook and just want something reliable that you know will hit the spot. And somehow butter chicken always does. Especially with garlic naan that’s still warm when it arrives.
Keema Pau
Keema pau feels like one of those dishes more people should know about. By ordering, you get spicy minced lamb with buttery bread rolls that soak up all the sauce.
It’s messy. Slightly greasy. A bit spicy. All making it completely addictive. Honestly, this is the type of food that disappears fast when shared with friends because everybody keeps “just taking another bite”.
Street-style Indian food has really taken off in London over the last few years because people want food that feels relaxed and comforting rather than overly polished. Keema pau fits perfectly into that.
Masala Dosa
The first time you see a proper masala dosa arrive at the table, it’s slightly shocking because it’s absolutely massive. If your entire experience of Indian food is creamy curries and naan bread, this feels completely different.
Lighter. Crispier. More texture. You tear bits off and dip them into chutneys and sambar, and before long, the whole thing’s gone. South Indian food still feels underrated in the UK compared to North Indian curry house classics, but that’s slowly changing now.
Pani Puri
Pani puri is absolute chaos the first time you eat it. You’re handed these tiny crispy shells filled with spicy water, potatoes, chickpeas, and chutneys, and then someone tells you to eat the whole thing in one go before it collapses.
Sweet, spicy, tangy, cold, crispy. Everything hits at once. And somehow your brain immediately wants another one before you’ve even finished chewing. It’s probably one of the most fun Indian street food dishes you can eat.
Railway Lamb Curry
Railway lamb curry has an old-school comfort-food feel. The dish originally became popular because it was served on long railway journeys across India, and honestly you can kind of understand why people kept ordering it.
Not flashy. Not overly fancy. Just properly satisfying. This is one of those curries where you suddenly realise halfway through eating that you’ve gone completely quiet because you’re too busy enjoying it.
Onion Bhajis
People seriously underestimate onion bhajis. Too many places treat them like an afterthought and serve greasy little lumps that taste mostly of oil. But good onion bhajis are incredible.
They’re crispy on the outside, soft in the middle, properly seasoned, and dangerously easy to keep eating. You order them thinking they’ll just be a starter, then suddenly they’re gone before the mains even arrive.
They’re also one of the best things to order if you’re sharing Indian takeaway with a group because literally everybody grabs one straight away.
Final Thoughts
The best thing about Indian cuisine in London is that there’s always another dish waiting to surprise you. You think you already know what you like, then somebody orders something random for the table, and suddenly you spend the next week thinking about smoky lamb chops or buttery black dal instead of your usual order.
That’s what makes Indian food so good. There’s variety, comfort, spice, texture, and dishes that actually feel memorable, not forgettable takeaway meals.
So next time you order Indian food online, skip the automatic order for once. Try the dish you normally scroll past. There’s a decent chance it becomes the only thing you want to order next time.
