Terrible service and mediocre food. Chicken dish was dry, lamb chops were OK - pretty average fare to be honest. They'll also try to pull the "we don't accept card" trick on you, but they definitely do, so just tell them you don't have cash. read more

After the many good reviews the Mrs booked a table here for her birthday. It was really easy to book a table and they had no problem accommodating a large group as it's what the place is set up for. The BYOB aspect was very good as we had a mix of drinkers and non-drinkers and it makes splitting the bill much fairer. With a table that big the staff were helpful in suggesting how many rice and bread we should get and were patient while everyone made their choices but otherwise just let us get on with the evening. I think this restaurant is better for meat eaters. There wasn't a great selection for veggies but the food I had was nice enough and reasonably priced. Pretty easy to get to but a little tucked away. I'd say its great for groups although be prepared to be sharing the entire restaurant with other big groups and lots of noise. read more

Never experienced anything like this before. We had a reservation for 8 at 8. When we got to the restaurant it was like being on the tube at rush hour. One person running around like a chicken with their head cut off giving people tables, not even looking if they had reservations. After a half hour we ended up having to leave and go find another restaurant. The place epitomizes inefficiency and is the text book definition of a shit show. No idea what their best case scenario was, no system whatsoever. If this places closes I'll throw a party. read more

After hearing that the wait for Dishoom was almost 2 hours, I decided to place an order for Tayyabs instead. Although it's not Indian food, it really hit the spot. I got the dry meat and the famous lamb chops. The dry meat might not sound appealing, but it was better than I expected. The meat was juicy and tender, and the flavor was amazing. I could really see why the lamb chops were famous. They were good even though I got takeaway. The prices were pretty reasonable as there was enough for me to eat two meals. They were extremely busy, and took a while to prepare my order, but that's okay. Great spot for lamb! read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

**CASH ONLY!** A friend had mentioned that there's often a long queue and that we were very lucky to get in so quickly. Perhaps I had built up the hype too much, because I truthfully wasn't super impressed. The Garlic Naan cooled quickly, and was served prior to our meal so I had nothing to soak up my food (perhaps poor planning on my part.) It had a good number of vegetarian dishes for a reasonable price, but nothing that really stood out for me. All in all would say ... yummy stop if no queue, but not worth the wait. read more

The best Pakistani food you will have outside of Pakistan, you will not get anything close to this type of food in America. In the States, normal folks don't come out to Pakistani/Indian food but it was definitely a nice surprise to see how much the English love desi food. I first came here on a Tuesday afternoon which was quiet dead so we got our food quick and were in and out. We had ordered Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Karahi, Lamb Chops, and Naan...holy crap was it good! We tried coming back about 10 days later on a Saturday night and the line was out the door, about 30 people deep so we went to Lahore Kebab House instead. The next day we came and got the tandoori chicken, seekh kebab, lamb chops, goat karahi, biryani, and kulfi. I would low key pass on the biryani cause they got some weird raisins in it and it seemed just not traditional in both Pakistani and Indian dishes. The service is really great, throw some Urdu in and they will love you. We need this quality of food in the U.S ASAP! read more

Second time coming here. It's so well seasoned. Made reservations for 6pm a week before arrival. Place wasn't as busy, quieter and able to have conversation. Ordered rice, chicken tikka, chicken tandoori and Karahi chicken. Wasn't able to finish everything, leftovers! read more

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We enjoyed the lamb chops and a chicken curry. A London fixture, it was fast and inexpensive.

Well, if you're coming here for a spicy curry you'll be disappointed, since the place focuses on Punjabi food which although aromatic and full of spices, but tends to be on the milder end of things. We've tried the lamb chops + Seekh Kebab starter. Those were simply heavenly. I can't even start to describe how good they were. I also ordered the Karahi Ghosht, which turned out a milder than I expected, but had a fantastic blend of spices and aroma. My experience overall was fantastic, and much better than the sought-after curry houses of Brick Lane. read more

Wow this place is crowded! Fortunately, it was only the 2 of us so we were seated immediately. Overall the food was great and price was awesome. I'm just disappointed in the service because it took us at least an hour to get our food! After about 30 minutes of waiting, we tried to flag down a couple of waiters to see where our food was at but they would just glance and walk past us. Finally one guy was nice enough to stop (although disgruntled that he had to); we advised him we were still waiting on the lamb and he responded very confused saying "there are no orders for this table." WHAT?! By the time we finally got our last dish it was like 10 pm and we've been starving since 8. Also some warning, the restaurant doesn't have a good vent system and everyone's ordering the grilled lamb, so expect to walk out smelling like a BBQ. read more

Absolutely delicious, recommend to all. Added touch of bringing your own booze only makes it better.

Well priced Slightly small portions Tasty Clean environment Quick service once you are seated Best to avoid peak times Fri Sat nights are very busy. read more

Quite a spacious restaurant with Indian menu and a variety of sweet drinks and desserts you can choose. The food tasted pretty good but the portions ended up at an A-OK. We ordered the curry-like menus but would like to try the other meat/rib-like menus (not sure what they're called). read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

The food is good but DON'T GO HERE- they sat us at a table and provided us water and dips without telling us they were going to charge £12 for these. When we got the bill and I questioned it they tried to say they sat us in a "VIP room". Everyone else not in this room got tap water and dips for free, but in the "special" room they charge you for bottled mineral water and dips without your knowledge. Basically they take advantage of young people, tourists, and non-ethnic groups by charging them more and proceeding to treat them like shit. read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

The best Desi food I had in London. I was there on vacation and went to a few restaurant and the food didn't taste good. I saw Tayyabs and thought why not since I had a flight to catch the following morning. I was so sad I didn't know about it earlier. 10/10 recommend it. read more

There aren't enough stars in the universe for New Tayyabs. I would have a word with the man upstairs about fixing that, but I think he's still pretty pissed off at me about the orgy of deliciousness I participated in last night. Whatever...it was worth it - and anyway, I would spend an eternity roasting for some of their roasted meats. The dry meat was surprising and wonderful; the paneer tikka was simply the best I've had. And the lamb chops. Order lots of them for your table. Like a kid with a lolipop I sucked, chewed and nibbled on that thing until there was nothing left. Then, like a kid without a lolipop, I complained to my friends that I wanted more. So take your friends out here for fun. Or take me out on a date. All I require is lamb, naan and a £5 jug of delicious mango lhasi. read more

I'm going to stuff my little greedy face with as much Indian food as I possibly can, and I want to do it here. New Tayyabs for atmosphere and tasty meat gets a stonking 5 stars. Queues out the door, people drooling over your shoulder as they wait for you to finish so it's then their turn to eat, curry in still simmering metal pans hovering over your head, waiters ordering though "action man" style radios, New Tayyabs is chaos. But in a fabulous way. I love curry, I have a set few dishes that I like, "westerners curry" as my Asian friends will call it but here you are pushed to try something new. Tip 1: Ask what's on the menu, find out what is in each dish and order a selection for the table. This place is BYOB so make sure you bring your own lubrication. You'll also have to wait about 40 minutes for a table even if you have booked it, prepare fr that and you won't be disappointed. Tip 2: Slip a tenner in someone's hand and I'm sure this wait will get shorter, remain polite and patient. The food is totally worth waiting for. You will leave stinking of curry, this is normal. If you haven't split it down your front it's a sign that you didn't make the most out of the night. Tip 3: Have dessert! Yes I know you are full but you really need to sample the amazingness that is the sweet treats here. I want to swim in the food here, not in a pretty way. In a dirty cover me in food I'm a glutton way. I left here and my head was spinning from the wine and my lips tingling from the spice. I can't wait to go back! read more

I have to say, I was not impressed. From the moment I walked in and was nearly knocked over in the chock-a-block reception area by some completely oblivious Australian's messenger bag as he shoved me into a mass of people in order to get through with his off-license carton of Fosters, I knew there was NO way New Tayyabs could possibly live up to this hype. And I was right. Half of our party sat down at our table while the other half was left standing, waiting on the previous diners to eat their dessert. Strike one. The service was abrupt and not at all friendly, which, I have to say, I kind of liked, especially when the servers shouted on their walkie-talkies ("I need a naan here at table niner") and shoved through the masses of queueing patrons with poppadoms and chutneys without so much as an apology. The menu was very meat-tastic, and although there were vegetarian options, I have it on good authority that they're just not the main event. Perhaps this is why I'm underwhelmed by New Tayyabs and you can thusly ignore my review and opinion. You see, I got a pumpkin curry, and it was simply mediocre and contained too much ghee for my liking. But, also, the naan was a bit deflated and boring. The pilau rice was nothing special. Strike two. (The tandooried fish starter, that I tasted, however, was excellent.) But, barring the unimpressive food, the huge queues and the fact that you will dine with an audience of hungry would-be diners hovering over your shoulder (literally), my lasting impression of this place was the way it made me smell. My entire being wreaked of curry house. When I woke up today, my coat smelled so much of stale, nauseating curry that it transferred onto my clean cardigan during my morning commute, so I had to face my entire workday wallowing in curry shame, subjecting my colleagues, too, to the stench. I've taken two showers since yesterday. I can still smell the curry. Oh god, please make it go away... (Also, no chocolate with the bill? WTF kind of Indian restaurant is this?) read more

London has a ton of amazing Indian food, but Tayyabs is by far my favourite - and in my opinion the best. I've been lucky enough to sample nearly every dish, and you can't really go wrong with any of them - although the lamb and chicken tikka are standouts. There can be a queue if you come during peak hours, but since it's a restaurant with three levels, it usually goes rather fast. Did I mention the food is good value for the quality and the price, and that it's BYO too?! read more

I really wanted to like this place, I really did... erm... This is the type of establishment I wish I could give 6 stars... ummm... Why try... not even an abundance of over used yelpisms can describe the joy that was presented before me tonight. In the form of meat on a bone. I'll admit, other than throwing in an impulsive order for naan, I didn't have much to do with the piles of lamb chops, chicken tikka, spinach and potatoes, rice, chunky lamb and chicken curry and mango lassie action that I systematically devoured. But I wasn't complaining. I came, I saw, I loved, I yelped. Definitely a spot worth putting on your list of restaurants to try 'round these parts. read more

Lamb chops: I will gnaw you like a hungry mutt attacks a stray bone. Tinda Masala: You are delicious like baby pumpkins have no right to be. It is dangerous when babies are this tasty. Dry Meat: You are called dry, yet you are not. You are sort of wet from hours of soaking up flavor. Regardless of your misnomer, you are full of awesome. Naan: You are tasty. NAAAAAAAAAN! (That's for Laura N.) Gulab Jamun: You are a yummy sugar syrup-soaked little munchkin (for those of you raised on Dunkin' Donuts). Queue: You are renowned, yet you do not exist if one goes hungry at 5pm or 10pm. Go very early or very late, be seated immediately, then scoff at those who wait while you gnaw ravenously on lamb chops. read more

I really enjoyed the food but our service definitely left an odd taste in our mouth. We arrived early, as suggested to us by Londoners to "avoid a queue" We sat and were promptly greeted by a man who asked us for our order. I chuckled at his style because as I was speaking dish after dish, he was not paying attention whatsoever, staring out the window and saying "yes, yes". When I finished, however, he rattled off everything I had said and went to put it in. Ok, that's was kind of funny, no problem there. My buddy ordered a coke, which finally arrived 35 minutes later. We weren't exactly timing each minute but after half an hour of nothing, it became noticeable. The samosas were quite good, one meat and one veggie. I preferred the yoghurt cilantro sauce to the other two. Our mains were the kahani chicken, saag meat and the urid dahl. All three of these items were absolutely delicious. They had lots of flavor, well balanced heat and were just great, great dishes. The garlic naan was also absolutely awesome. Perhaps it's my perception of restaurant service coming from the US but typically, I'm not used to a place that acts like its customers don't exist. Either way, the place was packed by the time we left and I think that is the most telling. read more

Once upon a time I was tipped off that if you carried on past Brick Lane you got to the real top-notch Pakistani/Punjabi restaurant where the locals lined-up night after night for the best of subcontinent. Where? Where? was my reaction, and it wasn't that easy to find either. Behind the London Mosque of course! Try not to come right after prayers either doofus. Nowadays it's always busy. Awards Awards Awards. Queues Queues Queues. Karaahi Karaahi Karaahi. (so good) Eat until you explode. The menu showcases a handful of the best curries. They're cheap, full of flavour and mostly lamb or chicken. No beef and no beer but you can BYO fourpack or bottle, just don't get rowdy and disrespect religion. It's well worth the effort of all the legwork, the queuing and the impossible parking in this area. If you do get lost then just hold your nose into the air and drift towards the pungent smells of coriander and cumin like the Bisto kids. read more

I queued for 90 minutes and it was worth every second. Every dish was delicious though there were several standouts. The aubergine was seared on the outside, pulpy and soft inside, and balanced with lightly spiced dhal. The karahi prawn drew grunts of delight with its multifaceted symphony of a sauce. Ambience was festive and warm. The service was attentive and knowledgeable. Can't wait to go back, long wait and all, because its a treat just to SMELL the food from the queue. read more

Heard a lot of things about this place prior to our trip to London so having dinner here was high on our list. Neighborhood is not as bad as other reviews make it sound. Use the Whitechapel tube stop. About a two min walk from there. We had a reservation at 7 pm and came in with an extra person but we were seated right away. Staff is not unfriendly but to the point. Food comes out very quick. They have daily specials so check them or before you pick the day you visit. Lamb chops are very good but were over hyped in my opinion. Mango lassi was excellent Their credit card machine was not working on our night so make sure you bring cash. The place is recommended by everyone for Indian food. Was definitely a highlight of our trip. Will likely visit again. But would be a good to temper you expectations before you visit. read more

I'm just going to be straight up with you: I cannot tell you what my husband and I ate at Tayyabs. Wait... I stand corrected. Lamb chops was one of the dishes on the table. That's all I know. You know what else I know? This place is LEGIT. Located in a not-so-glitzy part of London, it's a true gem that only locals know about. We dined with my pal Lizzie G and her lovely boyfriend Al -- man, I'm so glad she made reservations for us here. I was a little uneasy at first (Indian isn't a cuisine I gravitate to normally) but knew I was in good hands and to just trust Lizzie. Like Kathleen M says, it's hot as ever in here -- even on a relatively cool evening. Body odor wafted through the air, but (thankfully) the smell of curry mostly covered it up. Lizzie wasn't kidding; we left reeking of curry (in a good way) and sweating like whores in church. We were lucky enough to walk in with reservations just after 7pm, but by the time we were done the line was wrapping around the block. It's a rushed service too... they obviously don't want you lingering. So here are a few things I learned: 1. Bring your own libations, and don't bother with anything but screwtop bottles 2. Ask what's in the dishes and don't be afraid to order them 3. Be prepared to take home food. Lots of it. 4. Drink the fruit smoothie they give you to help with the spice. 5. Leave your quiet voice at home. Yelling isn't optional to hold a conversation. Lizzie, thank you for a wonderful Tuesday night dinner. We loved it! read more

If you want seriously tasty meat, cheap and tonnes of it then this is the place for you. Forget the mains and max out the starters: lamb chops, kebab, Tandoor chicken mmm all fantastic and so cheap. As mentioned in other reviews be prepared to wait 45 mins - 1.5 hours after 8pm pretty much any night, especially bad on weekends. My friends and I just get a beer for the queue and wait it out, totally worth it! My favourite Indian/Pakistani place in London, it's just OTT flavour but all the best for it. read more

If I were forced to name only one (a terrifyingly difficult challenge for a food lover like me) favorite food establishment in the whole wide world, it would have to be Tayyabs. It took me a while to believe all the fabulous comments regarding Tayyabs having been loyal for so long to Lahore Kabab House, perhaps a mile away. But finally I did and from the first time I ate here I knew I would want this to be my last meal on earth. I do not exaggerate my friends. I can be quite demanding and merciless in my comments. So please take me seriously. My problem with Tayyabs is that everything on the menu is so good and I have only one stomach and so many dishes to choose from. So I always over order. The beef kababs are to die for. Then the karahi daal (most of the dishes come in karahis) the chana masala, the saag or palak aloo, I could go on to mention everything on the menu. When accompanied by my wife, we also order aloo gobi, chicken boti, karahi lamb and lamb chops and sometimes I order the huge tandoori prawns, (I may be using my own names for some of the dishes) -- all scooped with with delicious naans and washed down with a jug (yes I mean a jug for all that much food) of mango lassi. Go for the kheer but save some room (or more appropriately create some) for the blissful mishti doi at Ambala, nearby on Whitechapel Road. I spend so much of my precious London (another of my favorite cities) time trekking back and forth from the West End to Whitechapel but believe me it is worth it. For me a journey all the way from the US to London to partake in the devine food at Tayyabs is also well worth the cost and the time. --------------------------------------------- As an update, my wife and I went to Tayyabs on Christmas Day in 2017 (yes it was open, even though with the public transportation system in London closed that day and we had to find a cab there and back on a day when, understandably few cab drivers were working). The kababs did not taste like on previous visits although the daal, chana and saag were just as good. My wife only ate some of her kadai chicken and complained that it was not as good as in the past. So I am lowering the rating to 4 stars though would still like the daal here as my last meal. I have heard mention (and not having been there yet cannot confirm) that the previous chef from Tayyabs now has his own restaurant, Needos around the corner. read more

Tayyabs. To me it's an institution not only of East London but London itself. I've had 3 different groups of foreign friends come over in the last year and the first place I take them to introduce them to a bit of London cultural food is here at Tayyabs. It's not just that you can bring your own booze (offies nearby), it's not just that the queues EVERY day show that repeated business is showing it to be success, it's not just the place is huge. I swear I've been about 30 times and there seems to be more and more rooms that I never knew existed. It's cheap but most of all the food is exceptional. I love the curry's I really do. They are all tasty and if you look online you will see daily specials that are worth getting. Also 'dry' curry is not dry at all. It's probably one of the best. But it's the starters that I come back for again and again and again and again. It's these that I ALWAYS order. I love the chops. Ah those lamb chops sizzling toward the table. And the Sheekh kebabs....the Panneer Tikka...the Chicken Tikka. These FOUR you pretty much should get. I've been a few times when this is all I ordered for myself. It's that good. If you're really hungry of course go forth and get a curry and naans. Share those if need be. But always get those starters. The Lamb Chops if you've done your research needs no selling. It's the best in London. And though you can bring your own bottle of wine or beer...I would recommend (speaking as an Asian person myself) get a Mango Lassi. It's strange that my non Asian friends have rarely had this. I grew up having this mango pulp and yogurt drink that is fruity, creamy and smooth. it's ace. I'd actually prefer to have this than the booze with my curry to be honest. Yogurt is traditional to help cool you when eating hot food. So...what are you waiting for....GO! It's defo in my Top 5 places to eat in London. Enjoy! read more

I've been here a few times and really enjoy the place. The food is very good and really priced well. The staff is reasonably friendly and efficient. The food came out very quickly both times I visited. Two things to note if you're headed there for the first time; -it's going to be really busy, so be prepared to wait. I recommend making reservations (if there are 4 or more of you) or going VERY early. The queue is a little crazy. Also note that making reservations doesn't mean you will avoid the wait entirely during peak times, it'll just speed things up a bit. -no license, so come prepared if you want a drink. there's a convenient tesco on the walk from the tube station. read more

Walk straight past Brick Lane, do not be tempted by the mediocre and overestimated offerings there, and head straight to Tayyab for hands down the best Pakistani food in London. Make a reservation because some nights the line stretches down the street but even if you have to queue the wait is worth every second. You can either think of the restaurant as crowded and noisy or convivial and full of life as I did but, whatever, the food is worth it. We had a busy table jammed with so many dishes it was hard to work out exactly what I ate but nothing disappointed and I do vividly remember some outstanding spiced lamb chops that I woke up thinking about the next morning. The prices won't break the bank, especially as it is BYOB, you will have a delicious meal and a lot of fun. read more

Admittedly, a large part of the reason that I made a stop in London while on my European vacay was for some good Indian food. Sure, seeing Lizzie G and Miriam W would be highlights, but in my eye it was all about the Indian eats. The line at New Tayyabs wraps around the already cramped restaurant, ramping up the temperature indoors. Seriously, it was hot as Hades in here. And that's spoken by an Atlantan who's used to heat. It's hot. Wear as little clothing as possible during the summer, especially if you want to try their spicier dishes. It didn't help that they were overwhelmed by the crowd and therefore slow on the water refills: it was seriously disgustingly hot in there, to the point I couldn't appreciate my food to the level I knew I should. While the chicken tikka masala looked unlike any other version of the dish I had ever had, it was definitely delicious, as were the other foods I took advantage of that night. I didn't have anything that steered me the wrong way, and I left New Tayyabs fully aware of what London had to offer, and wanting more. read more

If my calculations are correct, this will be the 400th review for Tayyabs. Surely it doesn't need more people reviewing it, but that's not how we roll here, because I'm going to tell you a secret... stay tuned. A year or so ago Tayyabs changed their policy and started allowing reservations. Before you'd show up, wait an hour, and finally get to sit down, after spending all of that time staring at huge plates of grilled meat and luscious plates of curries delivered to other tables. Well, here's how to go to Tayyabs without needing a reservation, and you'll be able to just walk in and sit down. Sounds too good to be true right? Well, here's a tip: go for lunch on Sunday. I know, so simple why didn't anyone else think of it (to be fair people probably did). While all your other London friends are at the pub having a Sunday roast, you can go to Tayyabs and not have to wait! Do it. You know you want to. Maybe I'll see you there, on Sunday a little after noon. read more

This one is hard to review, I loved and hated it in equal measures. I'd give it three stars for the food, and one or two stars for the terrible service. My friends both really liked it, so I'm trying not to be too moody, and give it 3 stars. Making a reservation doesn't seem to help too much with the crazily organised queueing system! We booked a table for three, and arrived a few minutes early, but didn't get to sit down for around 25 minutes. We had to wait in a squashed hallway (completely rammed with other people trying to queue) with waiters pushing past us with sizzling dishes!! One of the waiters stood on my foot, which left me in a bit of a bad mood as he was heavy and it bl***y hurt! He didn't bother to say sorry...but did knock me over as he wanted to go in the other direction. The food was good, cheap and came quite quickly once we found seats! Meh...the bad service spoilt the whole experience for me. I enjoyed the flavours, but won't bother to go back. read more

Yeah, sorry (I'm not sorry really) but given the number of people who rave about Tayyabs, I was quite excited about my first time here. As it turns out, the majority of the dishes are swimming in oil and believe me, that isn't necessary though the flavours overall are good. I did like the sundries we had (naan bread etc) but it's hard for me to get over the fact that my plate looked like it had come straight from the Deepwater Horizon accident. Most of my friends rave about the lamb chops, which were tasty but not sufficiently so that I'd forget about everything else. In the UK, Indian food has this reputation of being unhealthy, rich and you'd think after the decades that Bengalis and Brick Lane had been here, they would have at least tried to change this image. Apparently not. read more

I had one of the saddest moments of my life here, but followed by a very happy moment when I returned only a week after... The first time I came here, I did so in response to my handy dandy Frommer's Free and Dirt Cheap London guidebook (which I try to read in secrecy as not to draw attention to the fact that I am new to the city). Unfortunately, I had just gotten sick and my nose was so stuffed up that I could only breathe threw my mouth. I know smell has a lot to do with taste, but I have never experienced a complete lack of taste due to a stuffy nose until that day. Needless to say, as a foodie, this may have been the most depressing day of my life. I sat there, watching my friend gobbling up the lamb chops and curry, as I slowly chewed on what I could only know and feel to be meat - but could not even taste AT ALL. I think I almost cried. BUT *light shines* I had the pleasure of returning just a week later when my nose was all cleared of mucus...when I practically devoured my food! Making up for lost times, gnawing off any spec of meat on the bone. If you enjoy lamb, I would say the lamb chops are a must. It comes out on a sizzling hot iron plate and makes your eyes bulge as they follow the plate to another table...you think, "Whatever that is, i'm gettin' it." The curries are also yum and the 3 sauces on the table are DELISH. Anyways, Thanks Tayyabs for showing me just how truly important the taste of food is! read more

Trying to get a seat in this restaurant becomes a serious bonding session with your fellow man. Near on one hundred (it seems like it) people cram into the already fully sat establishment aching for a seat, just anywhere they can be handed a menu so the delve into arguably London's best Indian food can begin. It doesn't matter whether you have a reservation or not, you are going to have to wait if you come here in the evening, the place is packed to the rafters. We did have a reservation, and the waiter took us to our table (after waiting) where some of the seats were still taken be a small group finishing their desserts. He duly told is in a loud enough voice for those sitting to hear, that this table was ours once these people got up. Talk about pressure. 10mins later they were gone and we had our table. The calamitous nature of trying to get seated is an experience in itself. The queue never ceased at any point of our two hour stay. Now we were to the reason that this place is the most popular restaurant in the area, if not London. The food is absolutely sensational. The meat samosa's were stuff of legend. The peshwari nan was impeccable and the lamb chops... OH MY GOD - heavenly! I ate and ate, till I thought my inners would spill'th out. Yet I would not stop. I ate fish, mince, curry, rice, weird brown cake that looked like poo, but tasted like a small moist parcel of love. I drank fluffy mango lassi and water from the never empty jugs. If Jesus wanted to remake The Last Supper I'd take him to New Tayyabs. Non of that water to wine nonsense, this is BYOB. Tayyabs is affordable, the experience and atmosphere is something to remember and the food is sexy incarnate. If you haven't eaten here yet, set a day, put it in your diary and go. read more

Our first dinner in London was a good one! Pakistani food was something I had never had, and to be honest with you, if you put it beside Indian food, I wouldn't be able to tell the difference. The queues were long, thankfully we had a reservation and were seated quickly. Service was a little spotty as waiters looked understaffed that night. But the food, especially the lamb, and grilled plates were fantastic. Just the right amount of spice on everything. And it is BYOB! BYOB! is this typical? I have no idea. But it is awesome. read more

When my parents came to visit, they wanted to get curry in the UK - heard it was better than the British food! We asked a friend and she recommended Tayyabs, so we headed there on a Wednesday evening. We phoned ahead and tried to reserve, but they said not to bother. Boy, was I annoyed when we arrived and saw a massive queue, and a crowded restaurant! I American-ly complained about this to the host, who then got us seated immediately, so perhaps it pays to be a bit of a whiny Yank sometimes. This place was PACKED with people - big groups, having a great time. It was quite hard to have conversation, we were shouting the whole time, but my mom said she didn't even mind - she just liked being around so many happy people! We brought our own wine and beer, since they are BYOB which is great. We perused the menu which doesn't do much explanation, so consulted our phones a lot. We munched on poppadoms and chutney while we tried to figure out what to order. Then we waited for maybe 20 minutes before somebody took our order. We had asked a few servers to be attended to, and they said they'd get someone, then disappeared. Finally, someone who looked a bit managerial (different shirt) came and put his arms on the back of my parents chairs and was basically like "what do you want?" So we gave him our order, which he didn't write down, then he walked off. Fortunately he got it all right, but he was pretty rude - was it because we'd asked a few times to be served? He seemed pretty nice to everyone else. We didn't really appreciate his attitude that made it seem like we were bothering him. Eventually, the food came out, and we forgot our annoyances about the service. We started with the lamb chops (which EVERYONE here orders) which were wonderful, great smoky grilled flavor. You get 4 in an order and we'd happily have eaten more. Then we shared a chicken with spinach, a prawn dish, and dahl gosht (lamb with lentils). Can't remember the names! Also pilau rice, tandoori roti and garlic naan. Everything was wonderful! I loved the garlic naan, and my boyfriend was raving about the roti. The prawn dish was the favorite, and know when they say it's spicy - it is! The lamb was very juicy, and the dishes weren't too greasy, which is always appreciated when eating this type of food. Took about a million years to get the check. I don't know - I'd give them four stars for the food, but the service is so, so crap. They just rush you, don't walk you through the menu at all, and we were treated a bit rudely initially. And I can't believe they told us not to bother booking when they knew they'd have a queue out the door! That plus hardly being able to hear each other....I think next time I'll try another restaurant. BUT, the food is very good, and if you know about the service and the crowds going in, you can probably enjoy it a lot more! read more

HOW have i only just cottoned onto London's worst kept secret? We were taken by friends after getting sloshed on the sparkly stuff at Town Hall Hotel, stopping off at a local newsagent for a bottle of Jacob's Creek's finest (hmmmm). I have never seen a restaurant so busy at midnight?! The queue was mahoosive, but thankfully our chums were regulars so we only had a ten minute wait before we were led downstairs. I don't think I have ever eaten so much. It's super super cheap, so we basically ordered everything and ate ourselves into a food coma! I can honestly say it was the best Indian I have had in London. Brilliant atmosphere, seriously good food and open late: simply brilliant! read more