New Indian Restaurants in London (June 2026)

London's South Asian food scene never sits still — and for those of us who grew up with a grandmother's biryani as the benchmark, that's a genuinely exciting thing. Whether you're craving the fire of Chettinad pepper chicken, the slow-cooked comfort of a Hyderabadi dum biryani, or a proper South Indian vegetarian thali that reminds you of home, new spots are quietly opening across the city. Here's your community-first guide to what's worth knowing right now.

TL;DR

• 🍛 Chettinad cuisine finally has a dedicated London outpost — Anjappar UK in Eastham is the real deal for Tamil Nadu flavours.
• 🥘 Hyderabadi food is having a serious moment, with multiple new spots across East and West London worth exploring.
• 🌿 South Indian vegetarian dining is better than ever — Anandha Bhavan in Wembley and Andhra Ruchulu in East Ham are solid community anchors.
• 🗺️ The action is spread across zones — East Ham, Wembley, Leyton, and Kew all have something new or newly worth your attention.
• 📱 Always check websites before visiting — hours and menus can shift, especially for newer openings.

Why These Restaurants Matter to Our Community

For South Asians living in London, eating out isn't just about food — it's about recognition. Seeing your regional cuisine represented properly, hearing familiar languages at the next table, finding the specific pickle your mum used to make — these things matter. The restaurants on this list aren't catering to a tourist's idea of "Indian food." They're cooking for us, often run by people from those very communities, and they deserve our footfall and our word-of-mouth.

What's particularly encouraging this season is the regional specificity. We're not talking about generic curry houses. We're talking Chettinad. Andhra. Hyderabadi Mughlai. These are distinct culinary traditions with centuries of history, and London is finally getting places that honour that nuance.

South Indian & Chettinad: Spice on a Different Level

If you've never had proper Chettinad food, brace yourself — in the best possible way. The cuisine from Tamil Nadu's Chettinad region is famously bold, aromatic, and built on spices like kalpasi (stone flower) and marathi mokku (dried flower pods) that you simply won't find in standard restaurant cooking.

Anjappar UK, based in Eastham, is part of an internationally respected Chettinad chain with deep roots in Chennai. Open seven days a week from noon until 11pm, it brings that distinctive Tamil Nadu flavour to East London. Their website at anjapparuk.com has the full menu if you want to plan ahead — and you probably should, because indecision in the face of a Chettinad menu is a real condition.

Over in East Ham, Andhra Ruchulu on Shelly Avenue specialises in Andhra Pradesh cooking — a cuisine known for its fearless use of chilli and tamarind. If you're Telugu and missing home, or simply curious about what South Indian food tastes like when it really commits to heat and sourness in equal measure, this is the place. You can reach them on +44 7448 996008 or find them at andhra-ruchulu.co.uk.

For dosa lovers, Ahaa Dosa on Staines Road is worth a look. Dosa — that impossibly thin, crisp fermented crepe — is one of those dishes that sounds simple and is anything but. A good one requires properly fermented batter, the right pan temperature, and someone who cares. You can find them at ahaadosa.co.uk.

Hyderabadi Biryani & Mughlai: The Dum is in the Details

Hyderabadi biryani is not just a dish — it's a point of civic pride for an entire city, and Londoners of Hyderabadi descent have extremely strong opinions about who gets it right. The dum method — sealing the pot with dough and slow-cooking the rice and meat together — isn't optional. It's the whole point.

USTAD Kitchens at 86 Katherine Road, E6 1EN brings Hyderabadi Mughlai cooking to East London. Open daily from 9am to 11pm — unusually long hours for a restaurant of this style — it's a practical option for both early lunchers and late-night diners. Their email is ustadkitchens04@gmail.com and they have a website at ustadkitchens.uk for menus and more.

Al Hyderabadi Nawaabs blends Hyderabadi, Indo-Pak, and Arabian influences — a combination that reflects the genuinely cosmopolitan food culture of Hyderabad itself, a city where Persian, Mughal, and Deccani traditions have always mixed freely. Check alhyderabadi-nawaabs.com for current details.

Charminar Restaurant on High Road Leyton takes its name from the iconic monument at the heart of Hyderabad's old city — a reassuring sign that the kitchen knows where it comes from. They're open 11am to 11pm and can be reached at info@charminarrestaurant.co.uk.

Hyderabad to London on Woodgrange Road keeps long hours — 11am to midnight every day — which makes it genuinely useful for those post-work dinners that stretch later than planned. Find them at hyderabadtolondon.co.uk.

💡 Desi Insider Tip: When trying a new Hyderabadi biryani spot, skip the menu for a moment and order just the salan — the thin, tangy gravy served alongside. It tells you everything about how much the kitchen actually knows. A watery, flavourless salan is a red flag. A proper mirchi ka salan with depth and heat? You're in safe hands.

South Indian Vegetarian: Wembley Delivers

Wembley has long been London's unofficial capital of South Indian vegetarian food, and Anandha Bhavan — located within Hotel Anandha Bhavan in Wembley — continues that tradition. Open from 11am to midnight, it's one of the later-closing vegetarian options in the area, which is genuinely useful. The website is anandhabhavan.com if you want to check what's on before heading over. The phone number is 079435 56296 for reservations or queries.

For those in North or East London who want a proper vegetarian South Indian meal without making the Wembley trip, Chennai Spice on Hertford Road is worth knowing about. Open Sunday to Thursday from noon until 10:30pm, and Friday to Saturday until 11pm, the hours reflect a kitchen that understands its community's rhythms. Find them at chennaispice.com.

Beyond Indian: The Broader Desi Landscape

The South Asian food community in London extends well beyond the subcontinent's borders, and a couple of restaurants in this round-up reflect that beautifully.

Rara on Sandycombe Road in Kew brings Nepalese cuisine to South West London — a cuisine that sits in fascinating conversation with North Indian cooking but has its own distinct character, built around gundruk, dhido, and momos that carry a different kind of mountain-cool comfort. You can call them on +44 20 8332 1020 or visit rara-kew.co.uk.

The Ferry Gurkha Kitchen on Ferry Street also serves Nepalese food, adding another option for those who love the cuisine. Their number is +44 20 8398 1581.

Kolamba on Kingly Street in Soho brings Sri Lankan cooking to a central London location — genuinely useful if you want to show a non-Desi friend what the region's cuisine can do in an accessible setting. Reach them at +44 20 3815 4201 or joinus@kolamba.co.uk.

Practical Tips for Trying New Spots

A few things worth knowing before you go. Many of these restaurants are relatively new or recently updated — hours listed online don't always account for bank holidays, Ramadan, or seasonal changes, so a quick call or website check before a special occasion is always worth it. For group visits of six or more, ringing ahead is just good manners and often gets you better service.

If you're ordering delivery, bear in mind that some of these places are still building their online presence and may not yet be on every platform. Going directly through their own website — where one exists — often means the kitchen gets more of your money and you get fresher food.

FAQ

Where can I find authentic Chettinad food in London? Anjappar UK in Eastham is currently the most specific option for Chettinad cuisine in London. Their website is anjapparuk.com and they're open daily from noon to 11pm.

Are there good South Indian vegetarian restaurants open late in London? Anandha Bhavan in Wembley is open until midnight, making it one of the later options for vegetarian South Indian food. Chennai Spice is open until 10:30pm on weekdays and 11pm on weekends.

Which areas of London have the most new Indian restaurants right now? East London — particularly East Ham, Leyton, and the E6/E12 area — has a strong cluster of new and noteworthy South Asian restaurants. Wembley remains essential for South Indian vegetarian, and Kew and Soho have options for Nepalese and Sri Lankan cuisine respectively.

Is Hyderabadi biryani available in East London? Yes — USTAD Kitchens in E6, Charminar Restaurant in Leyton, and Hyderabad to London on Woodgrange Road all offer Hyderabadi-style cooking. Al Hyderabadi Nawaabs is another option worth checking.

How do I find out if a new restaurant is actually good before visiting? The honest answer: go with a friend who cares about food and order something regional and specific rather than the most familiar item on the menu. A restaurant that does the regional speciality well is almost always worth returning to.

The Bottom Line

London's South Asian food scene in 2026 is more regionally specific, more community-rooted, and more geographically spread than ever. From Chettinad pepper dishes in Eastham to Andhra heat in East Ham, Hyderabadi dum in E6, and Nepalese warmth in Kew — there's genuinely something new to try across the city. The best way to support these restaurants is simple: show up, bring family, tell your friends, and leave an honest review.

For more community recommendations, local events, and everything happening in London's South Asian world, keep exploring Desi.Net — your home for the diaspora, by the diaspora.