Ranked by TableJourney editorial score.
Marinated tandoor-roasted chicken in a creamy spiced tomato gravy with butter and fenugreek. Britain's most-ordered curry, claimed by London and Glasgow alike since the 1970s.
Chicken tikka masala is a British-Bengali invention of the late 1960s or early 1970s. Multiple Glasgow Pakistani chefs claim the dish (Ali Ahmed Aslam at Shish Mahal is most frequently named), and London's Brick Lane curry houses popularised it through the 1980s. Robin Cook, then Foreign Secretary, called it a 'true British national dish' in a 2001 speech. The dish marries north Indian tandoor cookery with a milder Anglo-Indian gravy: tomato puree, single cream, garam masala and dried fenugreek leaf. Brick Lane's Bengali-run curry houses (Aladin, Sheba) and the Tayyabs Pakistani tradition both still serve it; Dishoom and Gymkhana plate the modern restaurant versions.
5 editor picks for Chicken tikka masala in London, ranked by editorial score. All London signature dishes · Chicken tikka masala across every city.
Also in: Glasgow.
Karam Sethi's Albemarle Street Indian dining room in Mayfair London, opened 2013 and Michelin two-starred since 2024, modelled on a colonial-club room.
OrderKid goat methi keema with sesame naan, plus whatever wild-game tandoori cut is being grilled that night.
TipThe basement bar serves the same kitchen as a la carte without the tasting menu lock-in. Book a fortnight out.
Harneet Baweja's family-recipe Indian small-plates kitchen on White's Row in Spitalfields London, opened 2015, plates regional Indian home cooking, no buffet.
OrderSpicy venison doughnut, then Chettinad pulled lamb shoulder for two.
TipTiny room. Bookings open six weeks ahead and burn fast. Counter seats released as walk-ins from 17:30.
Karam Sethi's Blandford Street Indian coastal restaurant in Marylebone London, opened 2008 and Michelin-starred, focused on Konkan and Mangalorean fish.
OrderBrown crab Goan curry, hariyali bream and a glass of riesling from the all-aromatic list.
TipThe tasting menu is the best route in, but a la carte stays open at lunch and books a week ahead.
The Bombay-cafe-styled Indian dining room on Boundary Street in Shoreditch London, opened 2012 as Dishoom's second site, runs Parsi cafe cooking.
OrderBacon naan roll at breakfast and house black daal at dinner. Chai on the side.
TipNo bookings for weekend lunch; expect a 45-minute queue on Saturday. Weekday breakfast from 08:00 walks straight in without waiting.
The Tayyab family's Punjabi grill on Fieldgate Street in Whitechapel London, opened 1972, runs charcoal-grilled lamb chops, karahi and seekh kebab.
OrderA starter plate of lamb chops, karahi gosht and tandoori roti to mop up.
TipBYOB. Friday and Saturday queues run to 60 minutes; aim for a Tuesday or Wednesday at 19:00.
Chicken tikka masala makes more sense with someone from London explaining it. These are the classes and tours we have checked, with booking links.
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