Tamila

Tamila – 22nd May 2026

OCC Score: 8.01/10

The OCC headed to King’s Cross this month (22/10/2026) for a visit to one of London’s most talked-about modern curry spots, and Tamila largely delivered on the hype. Sitting just off Caledonian Road, this isn’t your traditional curry house experience - no flock wallpaper or laminated menus here - but what it lacks in old-school familiarity it more than makes up for in quality, pace and confidence.

The Tamila story itself is worth noting. Originally launched as a street-food concept at Hackney Bridge, the group has rapidly become one of London’s hottest Indian operators under the stewardship of Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson. Their first breakout success came with the hugely popular Tamil Prince pub in Islington, followed by sister venue Tamil Crown, before Tamila evolved into a more stripped-back, curry-led concept with branches now in Clapham, King’s Cross and Soho. Their focus is South Indian-inspired cooking with a modern London edge - concise menus, bold flavours and seriously high standards. 

And high standards were exactly what the OCC encountered.

The first thing that struck the group was the efficiency. By modern London standards, this was practically a speed-run curry night: seated at 8pm, wrapped up by 9:30pm, without ever feeling rushed. The compact menu clearly helps the kitchen move at pace, but importantly there’s no sense of corners being cut. Every dish arriving at the table felt polished, deliberate and properly executed.

The standout? Universally, the lamb chops. Smoky, beautifully charred and packed with spice, they quickly became the undisputed MVP of the evening. The meat quality across the board drew repeated praise, with both chicken and lamb curries receiving strong reviews for tenderness and depth of flavour. The butter masala paneer also earned special mention — rich, balanced and indulgent without tipping into heaviness.

Tamila’s approach is refreshingly restrained. There aren’t pages upon pages of curries competing for attention, but what is offered complements itself well. It’s a menu that knows exactly what it wants to be. The balance of spice throughout was particularly praised, delivering flavour and warmth without descending into gimmick or heat-for-heat’s-sake territory.

The atmosphere also landed well with the OCC. Busy but relaxed, trendy without trying too hard, and crucially lacking any pretentiousness. There’s a confidence to the place - a feeling that they know the food does the talking. A quality draught lager only strengthened the experience.

Service, however, stopped Tamila from climbing even higher in the rankings. While staff were generally friendly and efficient, one unfortunate incident saw a lamb curry nearly deposited onto a member, ultimately landing across the table instead. Cleanup was swift enough, but the lack of replacement or follow-up knocked the score down a touch. At this level, small moments matter.

There were also murmurs that the bill could escalate fairly quickly if the drinks started flowing, though most agreed the food quality largely justified the pricing.

Overall, Tamila delivered exactly what London’s food scene has been raving about: exceptional cooking, excellent ingredients and a modern curry experience that still retains warmth and soul. Not your stereotypical curry house - but unquestionably a very good one.

And perhaps the biggest compliment of all from the OCC: with members were already planning their return before the naan had settled.

Customer Care Rating 7.4 

Service Rating 8.1

Value Rating 7.58

Quality Rating 8.56

Atmosphere Rating 8.40

Overall score 8.01