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5 Best Indian Restaurants in London (2026)

Independently ranked by our review of ratings, reviews and reputation · How we chose

Thorne Savarin
By Thorne Savarin, Culinary Explorer · ✓ Data verified July 2026 · 8 min read

London doesn't have a shortage of Indian restaurants, it has a genuine embarrassment of them, from a 1979 vegetarian temple kitchen in Soho to Bombay cafes that queue round the block. The hard part isn't finding a decent one, it's picking between five that are all, by the numbers, exceptional.

Short answer: Govinda's Soho Street tops the list with a 4.8 rating across an enormous 30,151 reviews for its all-vegetarian thalis, tied to the Hare Krishna temple it sits beneath since 1979. Dishoom Covent Garden and Dishoom Carnaby follow close behind with near-identical 4.7 ratings and Bombay cafe menus. Fatt Pundit and Maharaja of India round out the top five with Indo-Chinese fusion and traditional late-night dining.
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London's Best Indian Kitchens, Compared

# Business Rating Reviews Best for
1 Govinda's Soho Street 4.8 ★ 30,151 Vegetarian and vegan thalis View ›
2 Dishoom Covent Garden 4.7 ★ 29,222 All-day Bombay cafe dining View ›
3 Dishoom Carnaby 4.7 ★ 22,284 Bombay cafe dining in Soho View ›
4 Fatt Pundit 4.8 ★ 18,050 Indo-Chinese sharing plates View ›
5 Maharaja of India 4.7 ★ 17,837 Late-night traditional Indian View ›
5 Best Indian Restaurants in London (2026)

Where to eat, and what to order

Govinda's Soho Street logo
#1 Overall🕑 Open 7 days↩ Responds to reviews

Govinda's Soho Street

4.830,151 Google reviews

Govinda's Soho Street is London's oldest vegetarian kitchen, founded in 1979 as an extension of the Hare Krishna temple it sits beneath. The entire menu is vegetarian and vegan, served as thali platters alongside a la carte curries, koftas and samosas, with Jain and gluten-free options available.

What people praise

  • Entirely vegetarian and vegan menu, run since 1979 alongside the temple
  • Thali platters praised as generous and good value
  • Calm, welcoming atmosphere connected to the temple upstairs
  • Jain and gluten-free options available

Worth knowing

  • Compact seating that can feel busy during peak hours and festivals
  • One reviewer found the service efficient but not especially warm
  • Below-ground-level facilities can be tough for guests with mobility needs
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.8 / 5
Review volume30,151 · 97th
Confidencevery high
Recency3 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown87% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Tops the list on sheer volume, over 30,000 reviews, and a 4.8 average that's remarkable for a nearly 50-year-old vegetarian institution.

Website+442036870617 Directions

9 Soho St, London W1D 3DL

Dishoom Covent Garden logo
#2🕑 Open 7 days

Dishoom Covent Garden

4.729,222 Google reviews

Dishoom Covent Garden serves Bombay cafe-style food across a large two-floor space, open all day from breakfast through late dinner. The menu covers everything from bacon naan rolls to Prawn Pathia, with vegetarian and halal sections throughout.

What people praise

  • Serves Bombay cafe-style food from breakfast through dinner
  • Large two-floor space with a lively, busy atmosphere
  • Staff bring tea and warmth to guests queueing outside
  • Vegetarian and halal menu sections widely praised

Worth knowing

  • No reservations for parties under six, so expect a wait during peak hours
  • Dishes are seasoned for a traditional Indian palate, stronger than some Western diners expect
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume29,222 · 92th
Confidencevery high
Recency4 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown84% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Ranks second on nearly the same scale as Govinda's, 29,222 reviews, the difference between them comes down to a few tenths of a point on rating.

Website+442074209320 Directions

12 Upper St Martin's Ln, London WC2H 9FB

Dishoom Carnaby logo
#3🕑 Open 7 days

Dishoom Carnaby

4.722,284 Google reviews

Dishoom Carnaby is the Soho sister branch of the Dishoom concept, styled around 1960s Bombay and serving the same all-day Bombay cafe menu, from breakfast plates to House Chaat and Chicken Ruby, in a two-floor Kingly Street space.

What people praise

  • Same acclaimed Bombay cafe menu, House Chaat, Chicken Ruby, gunpowder potatoes
  • 1960s Bombay-themed decor called out repeatedly for atmosphere
  • Staff singled out by name across multiple reviews for attentive service
  • Breakfast menu, sausage naan and chai, draws repeat visits

Worth knowing

  • Gets loud and crowded thanks to the music and crowds, per multiple reviewers
  • Queues build fast without a reservation for smaller groups
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume22,284 · 87th
Confidencevery high
Recency5 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown81% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Sits third as effectively a sibling to the Covent Garden branch, same menu and a near-identical rating, on a slightly smaller though still enormous review base of 22,284.

Website+442074209322 Directions

22 Kingly St, Carnaby, London W1B 5QP

Fatt Pundit logo
#4🕑 Open 6 days/wk

Fatt Pundit

4.818,050 Google reviews

Fatt Pundit is an Indo-Chinese restaurant in Covent Garden built around Hakka cuisine, the food created when Hakka Chinese migrants settled in Kolkata, blending Chinese technique with Indian spice. The menu runs tapas-style, with dedicated halal, vegan and gluten-free options.

What people praise

  • Indo-Chinese Hakka menu genuinely distinct from the other names on this list
  • Momos and the sizzling brownie dessert are the most repeated recommendations
  • Separate halal menu available
  • Pre-theatre set menu praised as good value

Worth knowing

  • Portions are tapas-style for sharing, so ordering enough for the table takes some calibration on a first visit
  • A couple of reviewers noted the bar area can be audible from nearby tables
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.8 / 5
Review volume18,050 · 82th
Confidencevery high
Recency3 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown88% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Matches Govinda's for the highest rating on this list, 4.8, on a smaller but still substantial base of 18,050 reviews. We rank it fourth on volume, not on quality.

Website+442078368883 Directions

6 Maiden Ln, London WC2E 7NA

Maharaja of India logo
#5🕑 Open 7 days

Maharaja of India

4.717,837 Google reviews

Maharaja of India is a traditional Indian restaurant on Charing Cross Road, open until midnight every day of the week. The menu covers classic curries and mainstream Indian favourites alongside its own house specialities.

What people praise

  • Open until midnight every day of the week
  • Naan and creamy, rich mains like Ruby Chicken and Saag Paneer praised repeatedly
  • Staff singled out by name for attentive, unhurried service
  • Described by visiting reviewers as authentic despite its central, tourist-heavy location

Worth knowing

  • One reviewer noted the food took a while to arrive on a busy night, though called it worth the wait
Reputation scorecardrank in London
Rating4.7 / 5
Review volume17,837 · 76th
Confidencevery high
Recency5 weeks ago
Info completenesssite · phone · hours
Rating breakdown89% 5-star
✓ VerifiedSource: Google

Our take: Closes out the list with the smallest review base here, 17,837, still enormous by most standards, and the latest kitchen hours of the group if you're eating after a show.

Website+442030913500 Directions

19A Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0ET

6

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Watch: 5 Best Indian Restaurants in London (2026)

How we ranked these restaurants

Rating is each restaurant’s live Google average. Review volume counts how many diners actually left feedback, benchmarked against similar London restaurants. Confidence weighs the rating against that volume, a smaller sample carries less certainty than a large one. Recency checks how fresh the feedback is. No restaurant here paid for its spot on this list; a Featured badge only marks a paying partner, never a boosted score.

What does Indian food cost in London? (2026)

Menu prices aren’t always published, but reviewers on Google routinely note what they actually spent per person, which gives a useful ballpark for these five restaurants.

JobTypical price
Thali or set lunch, per person£10-£20
A la carte dinner, per person£20-£60

Based on per-person spend figures reviewers reported on Google in 2026 across the restaurants on this list, not official menu pricing, so treat as a ballpark.

Indian dining across central London

All five sit within a short walk of each other in the West End: Soho, Covent Garden and Charing Cross Road. An Indian restaurant search in central London will almost always point back to one of these.

What to ask before you book

  • Do you take reservations, or is it walk-in only for smaller groups?
  • Is there a fully vegetarian or vegan menu, prepared separately?
  • How spicy is the food by default, and can it be adjusted?
  • Is there a halal menu or halal-certified kitchen?
  • Is there a pre-theatre or set menu, and what’s included?
  • How late is the kitchen open?

Frequently asked questions

Are these rankings paid?

No. Rankings come from public Google data, ratings, review counts and what diners actually wrote. A restaurant can pay to be a Featured Partner, which gets it a badge and top placement, but that never changes another restaurant’s score or position.

How did you choose these Indian restaurants?

We compared Indian restaurants across London with a real, sustained track record on Google, weighing rating against review volume rather than picking by name recognition alone.

How often is this list updated?

We checked ratings and review counts in July 2026 and refresh this page as new data comes in.

Which of these is fully vegetarian?

Govinda’s Soho Street is entirely vegetarian and vegan. The others serve a mix, with dedicated vegetarian, vegan or halal sections on the menu.

Is Dishoom Covent Garden the same as Dishoom Carnaby?

They’re sister branches with the same Bombay cafe concept and largely the same menu, so the choice usually comes down to which part of the West End you’re already in.

The bottom line

If you want the single most-reviewed, highest-rated option, Govinda’s thalis are the safe default, and they’re some of the cheapest on this list too. If you want a fuller restaurant experience with drinks and a longer menu, either Dishoom branch delivers close to the same rating on an equally massive review base. Book ahead for dinner, all five get busy.

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