For those in the know about the London food scene, it's not all about fish & chips and bangers & mash. Nay, it was actually chicken tikka masala that was declared Britain's national dish. Indian cuisine is oft enjoyed in London town and the Whitehall area is the place to go. After reaching out to a few local foodies and review sites, Tayyabs was highly recommended and we were not disappointed. The BYOB was bopping with the young crowd, dimly lit, bustling, yet somehow intimate. I appreciated that they brought out their branded water gratis. Perhaps they knew we'd need it for the curries to come. Chutneys A troika of chutneys were brought out including a spicy red chile with lasting heat, a white cucumber with slight chili heat on the finish, and a sweet, cooling mango chutney to save the day. Papadum Some papadum and a puffy rice cracker were on offer, featuring crisp, light textures. Salad A salad of yellow and red onions, cucumbers, tomatoes, and lemon was also brought out. Vegetable Samosa [0.80 Pounds = $1.31] We had to try a samosa, which was filled with savory potatoes and chickpeas, housed in a crisp shell. Lamb Chops [6.50 Pounds = $10.64] The lamb chops were definitely a showstopper and well-recommended. It's served smoky to your table thanks to the cast iron grill. In addition to the nicely developed char, the lamb was tender, moist, and delicious. Not at all gamey. The grilled onions added some sweet savoriness to each bite. Naan [1 Pound = $1.64] In preparation for the curry, we ordered some naan, which was the perfect vessel to sop up all the impending goodness. Chana Meat Curry [7.25 Pounds = $11.87] The chana meat curry was wonderfully fragrant and had great depth, with coriander and garlic permeating the roast lamb. The chana dal and the whole chickpeas made each bite even heartier and somewhat (only slightly) tempered the heat of this beast of a dish. Karahi Chicken Tikka Masala Special [7.25 Pounds = $11.87] Marinated chicken tikka, karahi masala, coriander, chopped tomato, sliced onions, chili The chicken tikka was moist and contained huge pieces of boneless chicken. The onions and potatoes mixed within were plentiful and the base of tomatoes helped to create a sweeter depth than that of the fiery chana meat curry. And as an attempt to soothe the lingering heat, our meal ended with some creamy milk chocolates. So, if you're ever in London, do pop on over to Whitehall and enjoy a proper curry. Tayyabs has got you covered on all fronts. It's also one of the better bargains you'll find. read more

I love this place! I have been searching for a place in London that makes good Pakistani food and this is it! The biryani specialty is good, the nihari specialty is decent too, and I want to try them all! The naans are amazing when they come to the table fresh and piping hot. One time I took a friend, the naan was not so good as usual, but otherwise I have found it to be excellent. I think the plain naans are better than the others I tried as well. My husband loves the seekh kabab here too. The palak gosht is decent too and the prices are very good.The kulfi here is amazing and they have the equally good pistachio flavour as well. The place is always packed so I assume everyone else knows how good it is too:) I'd advise getting a reservation if you can, the line gets long. It's not a fancy place but if you want to go somewhere casually, it's great!! Takeaway is fine too, but if you eat in it's always better. read more

Anyone else feel that the quality has gone down and that they are rushing you in and out when dining there? A bunch of friends booked a Sunday lunch time here and to be honest it was not as busy as it is during weekdays... It's carnage during weekdays! The starters or shall I say the mixed grill starter was the only saving grace as the meat was cooked, tasted great and got us excited for more. Well it got pretty no-frills after that (as advertised) where the meat was chewy and spices were a hit and miss. The pumpkin curry was not bad but still room for improvement. Now what irritates me the most is when they advertise mango lassi as a lassi when actually has no lassi like ingredients and is just a mango milkshake. I remember coming here many years ago and coming out satisfied by experience and taste and that's all gone down the drain. Rant over! read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

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Best. Indian food. Of my life. read more

I was very excited to check out this restaurant after having seen all the reviews and it certainly lived up to everything people say about it. Yes the queue (and the whole experience) is crazy, and so are people who go here without a reservation. Although actually, I'm not too sure that advanced us greatly seeing as we eventually got a table just because a waiter yelled TWO PEOPLE and someone I chatted to in the queue shoved us forward. We got to sit near the queue which was awesome because you're all like HAHA I'M EATING AND ALSO LINGERING. Following yelp reviews I ordered lamb chops and seekh kebabs, both of which were delicious although weirdly we both found that the lamb chop found underneath other food was much more tender and juicy than those on the top of the plate - sitting under lights too long? Tandoori chicken was also pretty good although no tandoori will never live up to my mum's tandoori ribs (which I recently tried to replicate with terrible results). If you're looking for a non meat dish I'd really recommend the methi. I love the fenugreek flavour and am always looking for this dish on menus since I was introduced to it a couple of years ago (by a Pakistani friend at a restaurant called Spices and Herbs in Juba, South Sudan, which is - implausibly - one of the best Indian restaurants ever, trust me. Go there if you happen to be in town). I also was really into the spicy popadom and the tandoori roti (chapati) was perfect. Which continuing on the random East Africa tangent this review has taken, reminds me of a dish called Rolex which involves an omelette wrapped in a chapati. Srsly: http://raebear.net/recipes/rolex.html My sister said she'd come back here, so that's her seal of approval as well as mine. Excellent value for money and fun, frantic, sizzling food. read more

I was warned that Tayyabs would be quite the experience. I was also warned that all my clothes would smell like Indian/Pakistani food for a good while after. We made reservations, but that didn't seem to matter as people just mobbed the front desk and they served whoever they saw, rather than who was there first. A sure sign of a popular restaurant! Note that this was on a Tuesday night as well! There were four of us, and for starters, we ordered the lamb chops, tandoori chicken, and chicken tikka. Everything was good, but the lamb chops were pretty amazing. For our mains, we ordered methi aloo gajar, karahi dhal gosht (lamb), karahi chicken keema, and the saag meat (spinach + lamb). The plates are a bit small, so plan accordingly. We asked for the karahi chicken keema to be extra spicy (since they said everything was basically mild), but they seemed to have forgotten. It was still good. My favorite was probably the karahi dhal gosht, which had lentils and lamb. In a word, their naan is AMAZING. Huge, fluffy and so tasty. We ordered three different types (regular, keema and garlic). All were amazing, but I liked the keema since it had meat. It's BYOB so stop by a deli somewhere beforehand to pick up some beers or wine. read more

Absolutely wonderful, authentic Indian cuisine. Prices are reasonable and portion sizes are well worth the money. Would definitely recommend the dry meat, and the tandoori chicken. Complimentary papadums, and a good selection of sauces at the table. The place was completely full when we went, so I'd definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. read more

Tayyabs - Lentil dhal, rice pilau, garlic naan and karahi - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

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Recommended solid and buzzing curry house However we were staying in the Central London had a local wax over this place so much that we took the trip and on reflection I didn't see it as 'so much' better than anything in walking distance to warrant the trip across London. I thought the food was excellent and extremely authentic as a Pakistani style curry joint. It was very busy, the waiters were rushing us through the meal to spin the tables but bang for the buck was on the very favorable. If you are in the city or east end and in the mood for a great curry where they don't hold back then I would highly recommend the place but get there early ! .. I would definitely return read more

Went again recently. This place never dissapoints on the electric atmosphere, always buzzing esp the Sunday night i went. The chicken curry was appalling, im sorry but it tasted like it was straight outta tin-can! However they did not dissapoint on the lamb curry and esp the lamp chops! delicious and huge should be called Dinosaur chops!! read more

Tayyabs - From the waiting area while waiting for fellow yelpers - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

Tayyabs is located near the Whitechapel Bell foundry. So Americans might want to consider a trip to Whitechapel to combine the two places. Yes, the area looks very dodgy but it's still safer than many US cities. Just use your commonsense and caution. The strange looking people live at the Sally Army Booth House hence their presence. For those not in the know, the foundry was where the US Liberty bell (currently in a museum in Philadelphia, US) was cast. But let skip to what Tayyabs is all about. It serves fantastic and fresh Pakistani food! However everyone knows how good it is. So I went a weekday to avoid the crowds and it was still very busy. So be warned first. However back to the food. Certain days have their specialities. I enjoyed two sticks of spicy minced lamb with a large side salad followed on by mondays special of slow cooked Nihari lamb. Two rotis mopped up the juices. It came to just 10 squid ahead! While in the area take a look at the entrance to the Mosque on the whitechapel road. Its a beautiful example of Islamic architecture in a road that is otherwise very drab and dreary. Have the American forgiven us yet for the shoddy workmanship on their Liberty bell? read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

Loved this place ! Loved the lamb shanks. Its a huge place with plenty of seating. We got the lamb shanks and keema. Everything was good. Will certainly recommend this place ! read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

The food is oily and overpriced. No better than a cheap takeaway but at £10-20 a plate. Staff were rude and disorganised. Manager was disgracefully rude and kept us waiting from our booking time before scolding us for being late. We weren't the only ones treated like this. They then made a point of asking service charge when we withheld this, which as a joke. They should be ashamed. Dining room is boiling and surrounded by obnoxious neighbours as it it BYOB. Could not hold a conversation across a small table. Avoid this place, it's one of the worst places in London. read more

This place is amazing for one reason, the food! All in all we wanted authentic and we got it. Too bad it's our last day. We would have totally come here again. On the negative side, our server was pretty rude and lacked personality. There's also no service charge included and we didn't know and didn't have cash. He rushed us to sign and basically leave. Food is great though I'll give them that! read more

Without a doubt, I had the best Indian food of my life at Tayyabs. When we got to Tayyabs, about 20 minutes late for our 7:30pm reservation, we saw a large crowd of people spilled onto the street, with complete chaos and pandemonium inside. The maitre d' was surrounded by several people angrily demanding why they hadn't been seated yet. I figured that we'd never be seated, but surprisingly, the maitre d calmly confirmed our reservation and sat us within 3 minutes of our arrival, while being chased around and accosted by other impatient would-be diners. We ordered the tandoori chicken, Karahi king prawns, Karahi mixed vegetables, along with 2 naans and rice. The tandoori chicken was the best I've ever had - juicy, flavorful, and spicy. The Karahi king prawns were amazing, in a deliciously spicy ginger and garlic sauce, perfect for mopping up with the naans. Tayyabs is BYOB, so we came prepared with a bottle of wine. We had a fantastic experience, and would definitely revisit Tayyabs the next time we are in London. read more

Taste food at east London.service is very good.near by east London mosques.you can try this food.

Are the people offering reviews not locals? Who on earth would give Tayyab more than the 3 star "ok" rating? The restaurant is beautiful and clean, and the prices are decent. You could be going to a shadier looking place and pay the same (depending on the dishes). Waiters were nice, but service was slow and inattentive even though we were RIGHT NEXT TO the kitchen. The servers bring out parathas and dips/chutneys once you're seated. Fantastic! Mixed grill - not on the menu, but they'll offer a variety of the tikkas-- lamb, chicken, shish kebob, etc. All of the grills were very delicious, and it all comes in a giant pile of greasy, oily meat. The shish kebob and the chicken were my favorite, but they really overcooked the lamb. Good flavoring... bad presentation and method. Chicken tikka masala - this is my favorite dish in any south asian restaurant (yeah yeah it's not "authentic" but that doesn't mean it's not crazy delicious!). There wasn't much curry. Flavoring was good but it left much to be desired. I'm stuffed but still want a curry... (from somewhere else) Daal - Lentils and aubergine. Eh. Didn't care for it to be honest. It was rather dry. Naan - Best part of the meal honestly. Soft, fluffy naan. I tried the plain, garlic, and paretha (?). The garlic one tasted like nothing. It just plain naan with some coriander sprinkled over it. The peshwari naan must've had crack. It was DELICIOUS. Tasted more like dessert (fruit and coconut-y in the inside). Nothing crazy fancy but the naan was fantastic. My biggest issue was how greasy it all was. The naan was dripping with (and had piles of) butter and oil. Yikes. I get that you're supposed to brush the naan with the butter but I don't want my bread with pools of grease, thanks. Mango lasso - YUM! Smooth, creamy, delicious. I wish it had more mango (and less yogurt) but it was fantastic and I had three glasses. Whoops. Order a pitcher if more than a handful of your table wants mango lassi. I really liked the place overall, but I'll probably head elsewhere for my curry cravings next time. read more

Wow! By 12:15pm on a Sunday this place was packed. Once we were seated and ordered, the food came out fast. We were in and out of this place within an hour. We tried a variety of dishes and everything was really flavorful and tender. The only complaint we had was one of the samosas we ordered was a bit cold. The chicken tikka was oozing with smokey flavor and the sauce for it was very different than what we have tried at other restaurants in London. Samosa Our homemade pastry triangles either contain lamb, or vegetables, each is spiced with green chilli whilst mixed with potato and onions " Chicken BiriyaniChicken marinated in ginger, Tayyab's spices, chilli and onion, and mixed into rice. Karahi Chicken Tikka MasalaMarinated Chicken Tikka, karahi masala, coriander, chopped tomato, sliced onions and chillis. Karahi Tarka DhalOriginally from North India, and spiced with turmeric, garlic and, green chillis, this lentil dish is perfect for those looking for pure flavours. Garlic NanIf garlic is your spice of choice this is not to be missed. Mixing garlic spices into our dough and served draped in butter for a rich and soft flavour. read more

This is a very successfully traditional family run restaurant opened in the 70's that serves traditional Pakistani food. They have a great selection of food on the menu including Karahi mixed veg which i had and Karhi small prawn which my friend had and both were absolutely delectable. Great value for money also at £14 for 2 main courses, rice and nan bread. The waiters are uber friendly. My friend brought me here one evening as she used to live around the corner from it, I wouldn't have come here otherwise because it is a little bit away from the main curry land that is Brick Lane. read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

This place has very very delicious food, but the service is not that great. Seemed as though the waiters were trying to avoid us anytime we tired to call them over. The meal itself however was excellent and outweighs the service issue. Casual dining, and not too expensive. read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

Honestly not totally sure what the other 632 people ate or saw in this place. We were originally heading to bricklane, but this one caught our eye on yelp, it looked and sounded different from your standard Indian restaurant in east London. We were rushed to our table in the basement, packed in like sardines, everything about this place was built for a fast in and out experience, we were shocked at how busy this place was, we honestly thought we were about to experience something special. The food was pretty standard, lacked spice and major key flavours, the naan was greasy, and again lacked any flavour at all. We also hadn't realised that it was a BYOB restaurant, so getting up to go to a corner store within the first 5mins of the meal was a great thrill. Thankfully the end of the meal came, but not before we had to down the beers we had purchased because they rushed the food from table our so quickly. We then had to queue to pay along with all the other people waiting for a table (not totally sure why). Not a terribly great experience, my advice would be to find a smaller more hospitable traditional atmosphere. read more

A very popular Indian/Pakistani restaurant out in grittier Whitechapel, but worth the trek out there. Lamb chops are the popular dish here but I liked the kahari chicken keema (ground chicken curry) and the dry meat (lamb cooked in curry sauce till the sauce is concentrated). The meats were juice and flavorful. Highly recommend those dishes. Also had the daal, mixed vegetables, and garlic naan, which were average but good. The only thing I didn't like was the burnt onion chips that topped most of the dishes. It's a loud crowded restaurant but we only had to wait about 10 minutes to get seated on an early Friday evening. read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

It's a little tight in here but I think these guys easily have the best lamb chops going read more

Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

Doubled back before I leaving the UK. Our company paid for a family style meal. The service was impeccable. The manager was there every step of the way to make sure we had what we needed. The food again was delicious. Everyone was quite pleased. read more

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There's usually a wait for this place, which signaled to us that it might be a place worth checking out. (That, and our host whom we were renting a flat from had recommended it.) We walk in and were lucky enough to wait only about 5-10 minutes before we were seated in the downstairs seating area. Note: the downstairs is DARK. I could barely even see what I was eating. We decided to order the chicken tikka masala, chicken keema, garlic naan, and a jug of mango lassi. It seems like only another five minutes pass before everything is brought to us. Super fast service always raises a red flag for me -- either the kitchen is extremely well-coordinated or everything is pre-made and reheated. Either way, the flavors of the food were decent enough, although it wasn't quite what we were expecting. Whenever we've had chicken tikka masala before, it was served in a creamy, thick, and rich sauce. However, this chicken tikka masala was soaked in a very oily and thin sauce and didn't taste as good as others that we have had (mainly because you would get a mouthful of oil with your chicken). The chicken keema, naan, and mango lassi were pretty tasty, though. For a party of two, we probably shouldn't have ordered a jug of mango lassi, but it seemed to be the better deal as opposed to ordering two individual glasses. All in all, I've had better. Maybe the Bay Area has spoiled me too much, but Tayyab isn't the absolute worst. The flavors are strong and definitely have potential. The service, though, is a bit rushed at points (re: food arriving five minutes after we ordered). I understand that there's a waiting list of customers, but that doesn't mean that the customers who are seated should be given a quick meal and shooed out the door. read more

Let me start this review by saying I am no Indian food expert. I grew up in the Midwest bible belt of the United States and our idea of ethnic food was a sweet and sour chinese buffet. When I moved to Chicago, I got my first taste of authentic Indian spices and fell in love. I was shocked to hear when I booked our honeymoon to London that some of the best Indian food was here. I was prepared for that whole fish and chips vibe, not Punjabi. We stayed near the Aldgate station area so this place was conveniently located to our hotel, plus it had some of the best reviews in the entire city. Also, when we arrived it had almost no tourists (aside from us) which is always a huge selling point for me. First piece of advice, grab a reservation. I was lucky and found something but just barely. Even with reservations we still waited for 15 minutes. We had the Karahi and Spinach Paneer with a billion orders of Naan. It's difficult to mess up Naan, but this was some of the best I've had. Also, whatever yogurt dip they brought, please bottle this and ship it to the U.S. so I can eat it on everything. I had my eyes on the dry meat but the portions were huge and we couldn't handle more. The table next to us ordered some kind of meat dish that practically covered their table and I feel like I could have gotten down with that if I hadn't filled my mouth with endless Naan. These were like, body building men three times the size of me though. read more

7 years ago this restaurant was one store front next to the biggest crack house in Britain. The menu has not changed one bit nor have alot of the waiters ! Here we are in 2008 and 5 well kept green store fronts later and newly renovated "luxury flats " next door -(former hospice famous for housing "elephant man" , "stalin" plus numerous prostitutes and crack addicts!!) Tayabs has had to expand to meet its customers needs. A totally mixed client base from Bengali locals, hospital workers , Shoreditch trendys and city bankers -you can get some serious lines for dinner. This is a place for meat eaters as the grilled meats are great - chicken tikka , grilled fish and lamb ribs are all crackling and spitting straight off the grill . The food is pakistani punjabi and is fresh and 100% halal. Service is really quick and prices reasonable. It is noisy and lively - tayyabs keeps the crowds moving - read more

Tayyabs - FULL VIEW - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

I came to Tayyabs on a Friday, and it was very busy. Quite a few people were waiting to be seated. I recommend a reservation if you are going during prime dining hours. The tables were very close together; so much so, that a waiter needed to pull the table out of it slot so that the patron could be seated. At the start, I was asked if I wanted Popadoms. I said yes and later found out that you are charged for Popadoms. It's an insignificant charge compared to the rest of the meal, but I'm not a fan of venues which are miserly. For dinner, I ordered Karahi Mutton Tikka Masala (for those unfamilar with Indian and Pakistani food, it is basically lamb chunks served in a skillet bowl with spices and a few veggies) with a Tandoori Naan. The Mutton and the Naan were delicious. Tayyabs also offered three sauces: white yogurt based, spice based, and sweet based; each was tasteful in its own way and added an element of versatility to the meal. read more

This was the highlight of London food for me. Some of the best Indian food I've ever had, and my hometown boasts some pretty spectacular Indian cuisine. It's real Indian food, not that the bland knockoff crap you find all over London. The pumpkin curry is so amazing, I don't even know what all to say about it...the complexity of flavors and textures is probably what's most impressive. The service is pretty awful and the wait is absurd, but both of those would have to be a whole lot worse to keep me from going back here every chance I get. We were in London for just one week and ate here for 3 of our 5 dinners, and that still really wasn't enough times in my opinion. read more

Tayyabs - Pumpkin Curry: it's to die for! - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

I came here on the recommendation of my friend...and yum! I really wanted to try Indian food in London, and this place was great. I had trouble identifying a good place for curry, as Indian food here is very different from the states. In the states, I could get a great Indian meal for less than $10. In London, Indian food looks fancy and goes for £15 or more. Dang... The food itself was yummy, but not that much more amazing than my favorite local place in SF. What makes this place a 5 star for me are two things: Naan and Mango Lassi. The Naan was SO FLUFFY. It had a bit of crisp on the outside, but was mostly soft, pillowy, and just yummy. The Mango Lassi was just super yummy. They must have found the ripest mangos in all of London. So glad we ordered a jug of that, because it was just amazing. read more

I was told to try Indian food in London as it was one of the best outside of India. So my friend brought me here and the amount of people waiting to put their name in was insane. Luckily someone in my party had the right idea to go online to make a reservation through Tayyabs' website. So we didn't bother with the line and just booked for half an hour later at 10:15p and the restaurant closes at 11p. We order a lot of stuff, can't remember what. None of the dishes were disappointing, and a few stood out. I'd like to return to London one day to check out more restaurants to do a proper comparison. The service was okay during the meal, weird towards the end. They cleared our drinks before we were done, some of the workers wore their jackets and stared at the remaining few tables to pressure us to leave. Then they shut off the lights. It was pretty hilarious. I think if you want to close promptly, or close to 11 as possible, you shouldn't seat people at 10:15. A nice tip is that they don't serve alcohol here so BYOB. It's nice there's no corkage fee here. read more

YUMMMMY! I went here for the first time this summer with a group of friends. The food was amazing and plentiful. We ordered 4 main dishes and countless apps, so I tried a lot of the food. I can't wait to go back! Side note: I would have given it 5 starts but our table was almost in the kitchen and it got pretty smoky (not great for my contacts or lungs). read more

Tayyabs - New Tayyabs - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

Love this place!! The dry lamb karahi is probably my favorite dish there. Lamb for me is a hit-or-miss at restaurants but at Tayyabs they definitely do it right! I've been there several times so I can attest to their consistency. read more

This restaurant is located 5-10 min. walk from west of Whitechapel underground station. Its easy to reach there anywhere from 4 zones via underground. Tayyabs serves almost authentic North Indian food (1 star removed for not being 100% authentic). I have visited Karim's in Old Delhi by Jama Masjid, which by far serves the most authentic North Indian food; Tayyabs is not quite there. I believe that the cooking method is similar but the spices are on the mild side. I had ordered Peshawari Naan (sweet stuffing inside and quite loaded with butter), Bhindi Gosht (Okra, mutton in spicy curry), Chicken Tikka and Sheesh Kabab. Peshawari Naan was interesting but too heavy (oily) for me. I would have just ordered regular Naan, which could have been more enjoyable with curry. Bhindi Gosht was really good but a bit on the mild side. Gosht was tender and cooked perfectly to absorb spices. I highly recommend this dish, which I believe is not offered at many other Indian restaurants. Chicken Tikka and Kabab were tender but again on the mild side. I would definitely go back to this place but ask to make everything spicier. read more

Tayyabs - Tayyabs from outside - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

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The place was packed when we came and had to wait around 20 minutes to get seated. I was stoked for this place. The food looked super good. We ordered the garlic naan, meat biriyani, and the lamb saag. The garlic naan with the lamb was good but I was expecting something better. The meat biriyani was sooo weird it tasted like flowers and perfume. Maybe we just ordered the wrong items but I wasn't the biggest fan of the food. read more

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Yes, it hit the spot! Their lamb chops, kababs and curry are all great. Plus BYOB. Highlights: Food was delicious, cooked great and ample quantity, Location was easy to find, Staff was friendly and a huge dinning area. Can improve: Lamb chops were a little over spiced and over cooked. Also, the experience feels very rushed, they will have ALL your food out in 5 and you feel like they want to turn the table as soon as possible. Benchmark: For me the best Indian restaurants are Delhi Spice, Namaste Lounge & Everest Lounge. Last dined in June 2015. I have dined here multiple times and have had several different items from their menu. read more

Tayyabs - Byob lamb lamb and lamb - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

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A local fav!! best for sharing plates with a big group. It gets very crowded on the weekend so prepare for a line that moves quick or show up on the early side. Definitely not a quiet restaurant but a fun, family ambiance! Will be back. read more

We were craving to Pakistani food for so long now so as soon as we got to london our first stop was Tayyab. It was recommended by couple of friends. I was expecting it to be equivalent to kebab king or dera in New York, meaning good food but average service but despite the google reviews my experience was beyond my expectations. We were seated right away. I realized not one waiter is assigne per table but each section has couple of pple waiting and u can call any one of them if needed. We ordered lamb chops, chicken karahi, daal Tarka and samosa. Samosa was very good, just like Pakistani Alu samosa. Chop masala and daal was good too. With chicken karahi if I need to point out something, that it's boneless. I prefer with bones and it was more of a bhuna chicken rather than karahi I am used to. Either way taste was good. I wouldn't say it's the best Pakistani food I ever had but the service, vibe and food combined, it's a must try when in london. Just an fyi it gets very crowded and loud as we literally had to yell when talking to each other lol. read more

Tayyabs seems to instigate very strong reactions in people who know of its existence, either really liking it, or disliking it. Their offerings are really simple and clear - a selection of Pakistani and North Indian appetisers mostly served on a sizzling platter, a variety of different curries, standard bread and rice and a small selection of drinks including a very generous sized lassi (I highly recommend the Mango one). They don't sell alcohol, instead opting for a Bring Your Own (BYO) licence so if you want wine or beer, you can really have whatever you want. Service for food tends to be very prompt, almost on the side of excessive eagerness and pressure to both order and clean up at the end. This is completely understandable when you look at the long queue of people inside, and often outside. One of the diners I was with found it a little on the rude side, although I think it just comes with the territory of the restaurant wanting to please all and is a way for them to keep the prices down. This restaurant is easily accessible from both Algate East and Whitechapel tubes, and just a small walk away from Brick Lane. I reckon it offers much better foods than many of the other places on Brick Lane, and made much better without the constant harassing or pressure to come and dine. This place knows what niche it fills, and that it doesn't need any more advertisement. Their prices are extremely reasonable and I've found their quality consistent enough to want to recommend to people who don't mind walking just that little bit further away from brick lane. read more

Tayyabs - What we couldn't finish - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

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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