Gone are the days when the dubious statistic that chicken tikka masala was Britain’s most popular dish was trumpeted as equally dubious proof of the UK’s multicultural palate. In 21st century London, “Indian” seems a woefully broad term for a cuisine spanning 28 states of the world’s second most populous country — much of which can be sampled in the capital.
Britain’s colonial legacy means that Indian restaurants have a venerable history in London. Veeraswamy, the historic restaurant under threat from its landlord, the Crown Estate, was founded by an Indian princess in 1916; the India Club on the Strand was until a few years ago (a sad closure) one of the capital’s most consistently satisfying and affordable places to dine, having opened in 1946.
