Brick Lane Tradition

May 14, 2009 3:42 AM

Brick Lane Curry House recommendations please. I must experience this quintessentially London tradition of a beer and a Curry on Brick lane. What is your favourite curry house on Brick Lane?

And please don't say go somewhere else. It basically MUST be 'On brick Lane' as otherwise one cannot say: "I had a curry on Brick Lane".

(there was a similar Ask in 2006 but most recommendations were to avoid Brick Lane).

posted by mary8nne to food & drink (19 comments total)

ok, it's not on brick lane. that said, it is very, very close to brick lane. a two or three minute walk at most.

it's called tayyabs, and it serves the most exceptional punjabi food i've ever had the fortune to eat.

book ahead. it gets hugely busy, with good reason. just go there. trust me on this.
posted by soi-disant at 3:57 AM on May 14 [2 favorites has favorites]

I used to be a big fan of Nazrul, though take this with a pinch of cayenne, as I haven't been to Brick Lane for over five years now...

At the time though, Nazrul was very cheap, excellent bangladeshi food eaten in on communal benches in a tiny restaurant just down from the old brewery.
posted by benzo8 at 4:09 AM on May 14

I just heard about this place today! I haven't been here, but it sounds good.

My own favourite place on Brick Lane, though, is Bengal Cuisine - orange and white fascia (if that's the word I want). If you're walking down Brick Lane from the Osborne Street end, it's on your right a bit less than midway up. I've been there twice, stuffed myself silly both times.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:16 AM on May 14 [1 favorite has favorites]

Oh sorry and I should add that Tayyabs is meant to be amazing.

Don't avoid Brick Lane! It's great.
posted by Ziggy500 at 4:17 AM on May 14

I went to Tayyabs, from advice I had heard from friends, and here, and elsewhere, and it was really very good, and surprisingly affordable, as well. As for it not being on "Brick Lane"...if you had asked me if I went to Brick Lane for some curry, I would say yes, I went to Tayyabs, and I don't think there are many people who would correct me...and I wouldn't even have known it wasn't on Brick Lane if soi-distant hadn't told me otherwise in this thread.
posted by Grither at 4:42 AM on May 14

Another vote for Tayyabs - the queue is normally out of the door, and for good reason.
posted by greycap at 4:56 AM on May 14

I used to live very close to Brick Lane until quite recently, and would also really recommend Tayyabs on Fieldgate st, behind the mosque. I've never known them to accept bookings, just try to get there before 7.30 and be assured it's worth the wait.

On Brick Lane itself, for me part of the experience is wandering and choosing somewhere, though don't get too swayed by the guys outside the restaurants trying to win your business, the better places tend not to have (or need) them. I've eaten well at a few of the places on the right before the old brewery (coming from osborne st), nazrul was ok last time I was there too.

Also, without scaremongering, try to pay in cash rather than by card, as card cloning is sadly more of a risk round there judging from friend's experiences.
posted by Skaramoosh at 4:58 AM on May 14

you actually can book at tayyabs, but not on the same day - you have to call a minimum of a day ahead...

/knows too much about tayyabs
posted by soi-disant at 5:19 AM on May 14

I've never known them to accept bookings

Tayyab's did accept my booking. They then made me stand in line for half an hour, as if I hadn't made a booking. But they did technically accept my booking.

That's kind of how the place works. But it's worth it. And for subsequent-anecdote purposes, it is in Brick Lane The Tourist Guidebook Neighborhood. Just not on Brick Lane the street.

The Shampan is a perfectly OK curry house on Actual Brick Lane.
posted by game warden to the events rhino at 5:22 AM on May 14

Freee beer? I've never seen that when wandering through.
posted by mary8nne at 5:36 AM on May 14

Not that I'm a huge fan of Indian cuisine anyway...

Important distinction – it's Bangladeshi not Indian.

If you do the Brick Lane thing and then try Drummond Street, Euston & if you really want to earn some bragging points, Southall. Then you can get some Indian 'curry'. Of course you could go round the corner from Brick Lane into Petticoat Lane & get some jellied eels from Tubby Isaacs' stall...

Now think about where the best bar in Sydney is to get a pint of Fosters for that classic Aussie drinking experience ;-))

OK, I'm done.
posted by i_cola at 5:44 AM on May 14

Important distinction – it's Bangladeshi not Indian.

Yes. Oh and Tayyab's is Pakistani Punjabi. Most if not all of the places in Brick Lane are Bangladeshi.
posted by Ziggy500 at 5:48 AM on May 14

My fave is Cafe Bangla - not so much the food (which is fine and cheap but not outstanding) - as the tripped-out decor. There's also a fabulous asian sweet shop opposite.

Otherwise, another shout for Tyyabs.
posted by freya_lamb at 5:56 AM on May 14

I went to a place called Bengal Spice, which despite the generic name was nice - okra passanda is a fine fine thing.

Southall is a very long way from Brick Lane - you'd want a tube and a bus, or a tube and a train. But probably cheaper and better.

Keep walking up Brick Lane and you'll come to 'trendy East London' - lots of graffiti, boutiques and shisha and sushi bars. Up there are two very good bagel bakeries, not that you'll need one after a curry.
posted by mippy at 6:08 AM on May 14

Once you've done Brick Land and are ready for something else amazing, I suggest Vietnamese on Kingsland Road, a few minutes walk up from Brick Lane.
Keep going until you get to the especially busy one on a street corner, 2 blocks or so past the train underpass at Shoreditch.
posted by Flashman at 6:19 AM on May 14

Thanks all for the great tips! mmmm spicy curry goodness.
posted by mary8nne at 6:34 AM on May 14

Tayabbs is the best place for Indian food in London. It's not on Bricklane though. It is BYOB no corking fee. And yeah, the food is phenomenal. Holy shit it's so good.
posted by chunking express at 7:50 AM on May 14

The cafe called 'sweet and spicy' used to be v. good. They just ladle curries out of a pot, not homemade but more cafe 'feeding the workers' type food, buttered biriani rice and all manner of snacks. It's not the full restaurant experience with grubby decor, cheesy sitars and waiters in sailor suits, but thought I'd let you know about it. It does seem to have smartened up since I was last in though so caveat emptorum.
posted by Not Supplied at 12:38 PM on May 14

I want to Le Taj on Saturday on the basis of Ziggy500's suggestion upthread and it was excellent. It was also an oasis of calm on a maniac street.
posted by ninebelow at 7:27 AM on June 8