Not news, not rocket science but something close to just about everyone’s hearts… where exactly is the best place for Indian food in Twickenham? There’s a dozen or so restaurants around central Twickenham and Twickenham Green plus a few more take-aways. There are the traditional curry houses, there’s the more exotic south Indian food of Pallavi and there are those which set themselves up as modern restaurants.
So how about: Indus (new and well reviewed on here), Taste of Mogul, Sheesh Mahal, Delhi Durbar, Naz (aka Laagan), Pallavi, Twickenham Tandoori, Rawalpindi, Standard Tandoori, Regal Haandi, Taste of Raj or Green Spice? Or maybe Marble Hill Tandoori, Amin’s, the Gurhka’s Inn or Atithi?
Good reviews seem common for Sheesh Mahal, Twickenham Tandoori and Pallavi. Meanwhile the team at twickerati have been known to order take-aways from Amin’s and use the Delhi Durbar.
So what’s your favourite? There are people out there desperate for your recommendations and non-libellous reviews! P.S. You don’t need to be registered or provide an email address to comment.
(update: so, where is the best place to grab a coffee in Twickenham? Discuss the best cafes here or the best Chinese here)
Here’s a great big tick for The Ghurka Inn on York Road. We’ve been there regularly for eat-ins and take-aways since they opened a year ago and have been consistently impressed. The quality of the ingredients, fresh Nepalese flavours, and friendly service definitely mark them out from the crowd currently.
The Standard is still my favourite and their Bombay Aloo is one of the best.Maybe the restaurant lacks atmosphere but the food is always of a great Standard.
Have just ‘tested’ the new kid on the block – Blah Blah Blah. Was nervous knowing that the last restaurant on this plot was so AWFUL and apparently the last FIVE there have failed miserably and quickly. Blahx3 is a fully vegetarian restaurant (unlike Sagar who call themselves one on their sign but actually have the same meaty menu as any other Indian restaurant.)
The food at Blahx3 is biased towards Indian flavours but the menu is short and inspired, such things as – Mushroom Wellington – which are far from Indian in style. Also they have a fortnightly changing menu. Friday night was jazz night with a brilliant 3 piece combo and singer. About three quarters full with customers on its first week of opening is a good sign and made for a good atmosphere (though purple lighting is a bit off the wall!) I loved it!
Hooray for a good local veggie!
Thanks for the review. I was contemplating going but was put off by the apparent lack of atmosphere (the restaurant layout doesn’t help), however a jazz band sounds like a great idea so will give it a go.
You are unfair with SAGAR though, Sagar *was* definitely offering full vegetarian food, It was one of my top restaurants. Note however that the owners have changed a while ago and so has the name so I was surprised by your comment. It is now called ATHITI and is indeed non vegetarian (check the Twickerati high street archive for more details). I found out last week that it is actually the #1 restaurant in Twickenham according to TripAdvisor, which in my opinion it deserves. Note ATHITI is a genuine Indian restaurant (I believe around 90% so called Indian restaurants are actually not Indian, mostly Bangladeshi).
I must confess that when Sagar was due to open (a couple or probably more years ago) and its hanging sign, which clearly called themselves ‘vegetarian’ restaurant, went up I got excited at the thought. However, when they opened they did, of course, have some veggies dishes on the menu but also had the full range of meat dishes as found in most Indian restaurants. It may have changed over time but that first inspection of their menu did put me off checking again. So Sagar may well have passed into oblivion without me knowing it was after all a veggie restaurant – sort of serves them right for putting up the misleading sign at the beginning of their life in Twickenham.
Gurkha’s Inn is the best. completely original and yes the ale is moorish
Ghurka’s Inn has been great every time and is different from the run of the mill Bangladeshi Indian cuisine. I’ve always liked Amin’s takeaways, still good but it was better under the original management. Standard I’ve not been to for a while, but used to be good in a “standard” kind of way rather than outstanding. The original Pallahvi was good, a bit different and now missed. Taste of Moghul, Green Spice and Spice Dew all ok. From the reviews I am thinking of trying the Delhi Durba and Regal Haandi for a change sometime.
Have tried every curry house in twickers over the years. Sheesh Mahal was always my regular takeaway but have swayed to Twickenham Tandoori now on the strength of them also supplying poppadoms, three little pots of sauce and a bag of chopped onions. Food is always very good and ready about 15 to 20 mins after I order.
After a long day at work, me and my staff were looking to eat somewhere on church st in twickenham after some drinks at the fox we asked the staff were the best Indian was, they told us to try opposite THE NAZ BALTI, I have to admit they weren’t wrong, the staff, the food was brilliant, speaking to the owner I asked what is the best curry at the NAZ, he recommended me to try the bahar. I ate the plate clean, I asked him what makes them different to his reply was ” indian food has evolved with customers, people are looking for india in Twickenham, so we have the traditional as well as home cooking” he was right. I would recommend anyone to try and go to NAz BAlTi when im back in the area
My old favourite Pallavi, which never recovered from being centrally heated from below by the pizza joint which caught fire, has become Ragam2 which looks kaput already. So the Keralan option seems to be off the menu for Twick.
I can’t speak highly enough of The Spice of India in Whitton High Street, Mr Rahman is an excellent host & the food is delicious. I have introduced many friends to The Spice over the years, all have enjoyed their meal & the hospitality – some have travelled from afar especially to visit again!!
I’m surprised no-one’s mentioned Atithi on York Road. Been 3 times lately and it’s far and away the best Indian restaurant in Twickenham, in my opinion. The food is beautifully prepared and served and very different from the standard, run-of-the-mill, Bangladeshi fare served in almost all other British curry houses, including those mentioned here.
It needs more customers, so please give it a try. You probably won’t bother going anywhere else afterwards.
tried many and our favourite is the Taste of Raj on the Green: excellent food, good value, friendly service, freebies and best of all for me is that dishes are not too hot so you don’t have this pungent taste for the rest of the day/night as you do in most Indian restaurants. Inside of restaurant is a bit taty / old fashioned but that’s a minor point as you can use their take away service.
The Standard Tandoori is a family run business which always gives consistent good quality. The bombay aloo and chicken korai are always excellent , I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who loves good Indian Cuisine.
After the various rave reviews of the Standard on this site I decided to give it a go for a take away and I have to say that it was quite nice. Not exceptional and not poor but certainly slightly above average. Pretty much standard fare although there was plenty of chunky veg in the side dishes where some other restaurants serve up mostly sauce. All in all, worth trying from time to time but I’m happy to stick with the Delhi Durbar & Regal Haandi.
I’ve been going to the Standard Tandoori for about the last twenty years and would recommend it to anyone seeking an excellent curry. I’ve been mainly a take-away customer, but am always impressed to see familiar faces in there whenever I visit, a sure sign of a regular and appreciative clientele. I moved from
Twickenham several years ago, but always look forward to the opportunity of getting a curry there whenever I’m in the area. Since they opened several decades ago a lot of curry restaurants have appeared in Twickenham, but for me, and I know I speak for many other long-term patrons, the Standard Tandoori in Heath Road is simply the very best for service, friendly staff and superb curries.
In twickenham I have visited lots of curry house,but Delhi durbar is the best,service,food,staff and the boss man overall I enjoyed everything .From one staff I heard that the boss man who is the main,he is working since 1981,omg I will go there again and again.if any1 want to test the real Indian food in twickenham,then u should visit Delhi durbar
We have been coming to the Taste of Raj for eight years, which is testament to how highly we regard this restaurant. From our very first visit we have been treated to friendly service, good food, and the feeling that we are valued customers. A newcomer to the restaurant will experiece the same, but as long-standing regulars we are welcomed by Shah and his team almost as family. In eight years I have worked my way through most items on the menu, and they have never failed to please. My wife is less adventurous and tends to settle for a main dish similar to a lamb makhani which is prepared specially for her. The menu has remained moreorless constant throughout this time, but Shah will direct his chefs to make variations according to individual tastes and requirements. All the dishes are reasonably priced, and banquet night on Thursdays is particularly good value for money; any starter, main dish, side dish, rice and naan for £12. At the end of the meal a complimentary drink is offered. I have brought friends and members of my own curry club here on numerous occasions and they have always been impressed. There are many Indian restaurants in Twickenham, but I would always choose to come to the Taste of Raj.
I’m intrigued as to why the comment I sent in yesterday has not been entered onto the system. I have given you my real email address and you can contact me on it. I would like to know why another comment has been put on yesterday but mine was ignored. Are you a serious web-site or do you just have an agenda re. which restaurants you will allow comments on.
Let’s get one thing clear up front. This is not a serious website. Right then, regarding the other points. Nothing sinister going on here. Commenters who have provided an email address and had previous comments approved do not require new comments to be moderated, they get auto-approved. Your comment was your first, hence going into the moderation ‘holding pen’. As there has been a lot of comment in the last few weeks about how great the Standard is, despite it seeming to be almost empty most of the time, I wanted to check the veracity (with an email) before approving it. That’s about the sum of it.
The reason why there has been a lot of support for the Standard is that they have a very loyal clientele. Why would I go there for over 30 years on a weekly basis? It is not my nearest by any means. I am not unadventurous either. I have tried every single ‘Indian’ restaurant in Twickenham. I have enjoyed some of them and do go back on occasion. However if I want to go out for a meal, feel comfortable, and be confident in the quality of food, then I go to the Standard. I am not interested in swanky decor or sparkly toilet floors. I just want good food.
I often eat off menu as I was brought up on Welsh curry which was traditionally very basic, hot and favoured by hungry dockers. The Standard makes me a very delicious egg madras which is an old fashioned dish now but was very popular years ago. They also recommend other off the menu dishes which makes my dining experience unique every time. I have made friends going to the Standard so I think of it as a social occasion.
Tonight there were just two of us having a meal yet a week ago the chef was preparing a feast for a 100 people at a local school.
I don’t want to harbour on about this but I support the restaurant and the Lais family as much as I support the local history of Twickenham. Thirty years ago, I would be lucky to even get a table. It would be heaving and the only competitor was the Rawalpindi. But that was the other end of town……..
I’ve been going to the Standard for 25 years now. I’m a bit put out to see a poster above who’s been going longer. Respect!
It’s easily the best curry house I’ve been to in Twickenham with consistently good cooking and service with a smile. Over that time I’ve obviously tried most of the other Indian’s in town but I always come back to the Standard. On rugby days my mates who come from far and wide for the big games always insist that I book at table at the Standard as it knocks spots off their local offerings.
It’s also worth noting that on our frequent visits to the Standard my wife and I often see the same people there proving that it is not the sort of restaurant that you only want to go to once.
My favourite meals are the Lamb Balti which they will do any strength you like and good old chicken vindaloo. The chefs at the Standard always seem to be able to give you hot without losing the flavours.
My wife swears by the Tandoori King Prawns (which I often have to test out too!)
Give them a try – you won’t regret it.
Tried the Rawalpindi a couple of times – OK but I wasn’t over-impressed. Then I looked at their food hygiene rating : http://www.scoresonthedoors.org.uk/business/rawalpindi-grill-twickenham-299065.html . Shan’t be goimg there again.
Thanks to Horace Walpole for drawing my attention to the scoresonthedoors website which lists London Food Hygiene Rating scores. I’m amazed that so many restaurants and takeaways have been awarded just ONE or NO stars (out of 5) by the Council. That means that the Council have little or no confidence in these establishments because generally:
-they have ‘little or no appreciation of hazards or quality control’
-that there is ‘no food safety management system’
-’food safety and hygiene standards are low or non-existant’
-they have a ‘poor or varying track record of compliance’
Some of the establishments with these low ratings come as no surprise, but quite a few of the restaurants recommended in this and other twickerati blogs have ‘poor’ (1*) or ‘very poor’ (0*) ratings.
I’m not going to name names, but recommend that all twickerati check out the Hygiene Ratings before ordering another takeaway.
YOU WILL BE AMAZED !!
not sure what to think about these hygiene ratings, fast food chains always seem to get top marks (I guess because everything is prepacked and sanitized) and Indian restaurants low ratings. I know where I prefer to eat… I think we need to bear in mind the culture and type of food. Indian restaurants normally prepare food from fresh. I’m pretty sure our own kitchen would score low on their criteria. By the way, checking your link shows that Rawalpindi scored Fair on Hygiene (Some non-compliance with statutory obligations and industry codes of recommended practice. The premises are in the top 50 per cent of premises and standards are being maintained or improved.) and Poor on Structural (which could mean bas ventilation etc…). Sure this information is useful and they should improve but I don’t think we should put too much importance on that.
Please tell me more about the Standard…I walk past it every day (admittedly about 7pm) and I can say hand on heart I have never seen anyone in there? Even on Sat night there must be 4 perhaps 5 people?
Yes, very sad really. I think it misses out because people tend to gravitate towards the Church Street end. The family who run it are lovely and the food is always very reliable and delicious. Please do give it a try.
Then I shall at least give it a try and of course report back! Cheers
Agree with Liz. Lovely family. Lovely food.
Ok….I tried the Standard for two reasons…
1.) to achieve my dream of eating in every restaurant in Twickenham, ok some dream you may say…
2.) I read the recommendations on here.
I have said before I cannot see how its still in business as I walk past it every day and only ever see one table occupied and that’s on a busy day..We went in on a Wednesday after dismissing my two other favorites that’s how dedicated I am do achieving my dream, and boy was I disappointed.
I like the decor, very authentic and a little “street”, the music was perfect and in keeping but the plastic menus were my first disappointment followed closely by what was printed on them. A very average offering with nothing that really jumped out. The food itself was ok, we had a selection of dishes and sides of varying strengths and flavors, the service and speed was again ok. The problem I had was the owner or the owners son asking us why we came, what we thought and then spent ten minutes at the end of the meal explaining how hard business was in Twickenham and that the last 20 odd years have been in decline… Well wake up and smell the coffee, you have not changed or adapted in that time where others have and succeeded (as well as failed..) no point moaning to the customers..
However the REAL reason we wont be going back and that is….the next morning I spent a good forty minutes in the smallest room of the house (if you catch my drift..) before I felt confident enough to leave the house.. now I am well traveled and have not had a moment like that since eating something off the street in some far flung place many years ago..
You must try the Regal Haandi at Twickenham Green – the restaurant’s very small but the food is top notch.
I’ve always thought drinks in the Eel Pie followed by curry in the Twickenham Tandoori was a small slice of heaven. Love that place. Though I’m a curry weed my companions are often chllli kings who glory at what can be created with a naga chilli. So far I have witnessed them consuming naga chilli nan, naga chilli curries and on one occasion ice cream served with naga chillis.
I tried a bit. Mouth still numb.
Standard all the way. And not just because it’s a minute from my house.
We’ve been so impressed by the wealth of Asian food in Twickenham since moving here a few months ago. The winners for us are Naz Balti in Church Street and The Gurkha’s Inn on York Street. Hands down. Their spices taste so fresh and their selection is really original. Had really disppointing takeaways from Rawalpindi Express (very dry biriani) and thought Twickenham Tandoori was really ordinary.
If you want an old-fashioned curry restaurant the Curry Inn in St Margarets is excellent, they’ve been there many years and I always love the food they serve. Probably not the sort of place to go if you like the modern Tangawizi style places though.
I can’t agree with Howard. The last and only time I went to the Curry Inn, the food was as tired and old as the decor (and staff). I spent most of the night and following day on the toilet.
I’m a big fan of Tangawizi (because of food quality rather than style), Taste of Mogul and Sheesh Mahal.
I’d be interested to know where to get a really good fish curry, to compare with the sadly departed Bombay Bicycle.
Errr. And yet another big thumbs up for the Standard has just come in to the moderation queue and is still held there. Are they pressganging every customer to write a review on here? Or perhaps it’s just a co-incidence that it gets no reviews and then a load of comments inside a week. Funny old world.
Hey – I wasn’t pressganged! It is genuinely my favourite restaurant & I’ve been going there for 22 years, & my wife since it opened in the mid 70s.
In the interests of fairness, others I rate are Taste of Raj with big portions and busy on Thursday nights when they do a deal – gets a bit stuffy in there though I find. Delhi Durbhar I like, though food is a bit greasy. Nice pickles. The Naz is always a safe bet. I haven’t tried the Taste of Mogul for a while but it used to be pretty good. I’ve heard good reports of Indus. Also not quite indian but the new Nepalese next to the former-Sagar (also a firm favourite) is really good & highly recommended.
Finally Karahi Spice is great value & really good food. Brilliant lunchtime specials too.
It wasn’t your review, it was yet another one after yours which prompted suspending further pro-Standard comments for the time being. And thanks for the additional reviews.
Hey my comment was after Rufus McDufus. I came up as Anonymous as it was the first posting I had made on Twickerati and forgot to include my name. I am the aforesaid wife and I have been going to Standard for over 30 years. So as you don’t think I have been press ganged either, I would fully recommend the Ghurka Kitchen too.
i really really recommend the new Gurkhas Inn. had a great meal on Saturday, fresh spices , the rice is awesaome and a new one on me, Gurkha Ale which I have to say i over sampled.
Going back for sure
Never going back to Taste of Mogul since they took Officer’s Chop off the menu. It was distinctively Anglo-Indian and delicious. Now their menu is like anyone else’s.
The Standard Tandoori has been consistent for the past 18 years. Not the cheapest, certainly not the dearest, but always top notch.
I agree! I have been going to the Standard Tandoori for over 30 years and even though I have tried other Bangladeshi restaurants, I always know I will get a good meal there. Unfortunately it is in a bit of a dead zone up Heath Road so is often very quiet. But please please try it.
Another thumbs up for the Standard. I try others from time to time but just keep coming back. You can always go a bit ‘off menu’ as well – they’re very accommodating.
Best curry house in Twickenham without doubt. Been going to the restaurant with my family will over 10 years. If you’re looking for a curry house you can’t go wrong at the Standard.
Having tried Amins for the first time last weekend on the various good reviews seen herein, I can vouch for their excellent food, quality and taste, and a very prompt home delivery to boot!
Give them a try !
Regal Haandi – for me every time, tried just about all of them, they get the heat just right, others dont
For me you cant beat Sheesh Mahal for eating in and takeaways. Its all about the Lamb Shaslik.
Checked out the Rawalpindi last night. First time I’ve been there for years. Enjoyed the experience – it’s very plush. Interesting menu packed with stuff I’ve never heard of before. Full of flavour and no little spice – this morning I know I’ve had a curry if you know what I mean. Big shout too for the toilets – surely the poshest in any curry house anywhere!
Gah! I have a horrid feeling I’ve said that before on this very site. Yogi Berra would have reason to comment.
There’s surely something to be said here about how you wait months for a curry house review and then three come along at once
That is the result of more daytime repeats on twitter, encouraging new followers to add their curry preferences to this older item. No mystery here.
The Twickenhan Tandoori is always a good curry and has been so for well over a decade. Staff ate always welcoming, Knowledgeable and helpful.
The Sheesh Mahal is a great curry, never been disappointed with any aspect.
The Delhi Durbar has got back to what it used to be after a few year in the curry wilderness. Always enjoyed my meals there over the last few years.
In my opinion the Taste of Mogul has never been back to its best since it revamped itself years ago.
Rawalpindi is different to your typical curry house and good at what it does but I find they tend to be frugal with the spice.
The Standard is just that from my experience, it’s never set my taste buds alight
The Regal Haandi is good and homely to dine in. I’ve never had takeout but have a friend who swears by them.
The Green Spice and the Raj always deliver a good curry but not quite up there with the TT, Durbar or RH. If you’re up the green I’d say the Raj just edges it.
I love the lamb rogan at Delhi Durbar, won’t have anything else. Service is always good and I like the range of chutneys they have – tamarind is a favourite
Agree with Chris above – Amin’s dhansak was officially the best curry in Twickenham until Amin and Mr Miah moved on.
Amin’s is still good but in my opinion for all round food, atmosphere, friendly staff, prompt delivery etc you can’t beat the Regal Haandi, or the handy regal as it’s known in our circle.
Bumped into Amin recently and (you heard it here first) their chef that assisted Mr Miah is now working at the Regal Haandi so he suggests politely requesting an ‘Amin’s style’ dhansak when you go! Might get short shrift but worth a try…..
A concatenation of circumstance found me boarding the fast train from Clapham yesterday evening. Cab booked to take me back to Hampton but what about my dinner? Thought I’d try the Rawalpindi’s takeaway service and swing by en route.
LOUSY! Bland and tasteless. How any chef can manage to make whole green chillies mild is quite beyond me.
Tangawizi on Richmond Road is worth a visit if you like posh curry now and again. Starter platter is very nice and the lamb curries are particularly good. Posh, though. Very posh.
There is so much to choose from. Haven’t tried them all (Indus looks tempting!) but I can say this: have used Regal Haandi for about 8-9 years or so and never had a bad meal.
Except that Amin and Mr Miah are no longer associated with Amin’s. Dunno what it’s like since Mr. Miah retired and Amin moved on.
Ah that’s news to me. Shame.
I’m sad about Amin’s change of ownership. That was almost the sole reason I went to try it out (after all the front of the shop isn’t going to entice anyone). I’m glad I did though – yum, yum!
I used to frequent Delhi Durbar – not really authentic food, but good value Thalis. But the last few times I went there the peas weren’t really cooked.
Sheesh Mahal used to be very good, but the last couple of times I went there the quality seemed to have dropped.
I love South Indian food and I’ve had great experiences with Pallavi, but it is just too pricey now .
The Indus is interesting – a Hindu Punjabi restaurant (no-Halal), with an East African twist (Mogoo on the menu – boiled and fried Cassava). This is the first restaurant by the owner, I’d advise you to go the for the lunch menu quickly. They haven’t worked out portion sizes, my guest and I got served enormous quantities which we were unable to finish. Probably the best deal on the High street at the moment.
OK. So Indus is dead and gone, and in its place – ‘Noor’s’ a punjabi tandoori restaurant opened last week. Mid-range in design and Karahi Spices’ style pricing (very cheap).
I’ve had a sample tonight – naan (£1) and Palak Paneer (£4.50) – a very cheap and tasty meal!
Yep, Noors is gone after 3 weeks on intermittent opening. So please ignore the above!
Amin’s is still delicious, I’ve tried some others but I always end up back there. Plus I usually collect as I live around the corner and the guys who work there are lovely.
From the comments above, Amin’s has to be worth a go for anyone who’s not tried a take away from them before. (They used to run the Rawalpindi before moving to smaller premises down Heath Road.)
Unfortunately I’ve found over the last year the green spice dishes have been watered down on take away and they are more and more reluctant to deliver. Despite our 5years of service.
We had a dreadful experience at sagar and I wasn’t impressed with pallavi, but we were in a group. Regal haandi was having a cheap meal promo so probably wasn’t the best test taste, or was it.
I suppose curries are really individual to our own particular tastes and this exercise has shown how passionately we feel about them and how so many exist in Twickenham.
I am feeling inspired to try a few of the suggestions, so thank you.
Different places for different things at different times…
Back in the 90s I went for Veggie Thalis at the Delhi Durbar. I went through a Rawalpindi Express phase when it opened – that was nice. More recently I’ve liked the Rezellas at the Sheesh Mahal and the Chilli chicken dishes at the Marble Hill Tandori. I sometimes like insane heat and went through a period of getting chicken Fals at the Sheesh for lunch and taking them back to the office; Always with a long explanation during the ordering of how serious I was – imploring the waiter to make it as hot as possible and trying not to sound mad.
No-one’s mentioned Sagar yet. I haven’t been there since the weird Portuguese chicken episode, but when they opened I went there a lot and the food was fantastic – and amazingly good value.
I think, on balance, two curries always stand out for me as the best in the last 20 years – Amin’s/Mr Miah’s Dansaks and Jalfrazis. If I was going to treat myself now that’s where I would be going. Awesome.
Amin’s every time!
Although I do like The Bombay Bicycle clubs website with creditcard payment!
Sheesh Mahal and Rawal Pindi are great to eat in. I’ve been disappointed with Rawal Pindi’s take out/delivery food though, it’s always not spicy enough. My regular take out now though is from Green Spice though which I think it great.
Twickenham Tandoori has always been a good one for both take out and eat in. Although did visit Sheesh Mahal some time ago and thought it was great.
My daughter (9) insists it has to be Delhi Durbar every time! My favourites have always been Amin’s and Regal Haandi – but they’re all good, seriously.
It’s been a while since I was at Pallavi – but that has a unique atmosphere and fine food. I hope it hasn’t changed!
So many to choose from but all much of a muchness. Sheesh Mahal is well regarded. Taste of Mogul is pretty good. For take outs we generally use Regal Haandi which although it’s not exceptional is good and delivers promptly.