Just arriving in London today we were craving Indian food and Malabar Junction did not disappoint. The waitress recommended the Masala Dosa (pancake with potato inside) as a starter and it was amazing. We also ordered Chicken Tikka Masala, Vegetable Malabar, basmati rice and naan bread. Everything was super flavorful and delicious! The service was fantastic and the glass ceiling in the dining room made you feel like you were outside. I would definitely recommend it. read more

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Couldn't leave London without trying their national dish, chicken tikka masala! Legend has it that this dish even originated in the UK and not India when some Brit demanded the missing sauce be added to his tandoori chicken. Lucky enough, Malabar was across the street from our hotel. I phoned my order and it took about 20 minutes until it was ready for takeout. Malabar Junction is traditionally South Indian so ordered dal and basmati rice to go with the chicken tikka masala, they added a poppadom for free for a grand total of £20 quid. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/CMDXqKSTVQEAM1bEkNntaw?select=y55O5Zz9Ic4UGhBH8y97gQ#y55O5Zz9Ic4UGhBH8y97gQ) *CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA - £11 The sauce is spicier, thicker, almost paste like with more depth and heat. Not oily and overly creamy as the American version. The tandoor'd chicken breast wasn't as tender and smoky as I've had but good enough. *TADKA DAL (just can't get into dosas) - £6.5 This version had garlic, coconut, mustard seeds, and chilies. I love meat but I could become a vegeterian on Indian food. I could tell their basmati rice was cooked in a rice cooker because it stuck together instead of fluffing individually. (http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/CMDXqKSTVQEAM1bEkNntaw?select=hrnDfnYafARMvzEux1CLYQ#hrnDfnYafARMvzEux1CLYQ) I think I want all my chicken tikka masala to be spicy now.(http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/CMDXqKSTVQEAM1bEkNntaw?select=zn5Zjqjem7a1YsQbq80kww#zn5Zjqjem7a1YsQbq80kww) read more

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Okay this looks like nothing on the outside but do not let that put you off. Inside this place is a stylish, exotic and upmarket setting for offering South Indian food. The Malabar Junction claims to be London's first upmarket South Indian restaurant with a difference The restaurant has two sections, a ground floor licensed main restaurant under a glass domed ceiling with a rather elegant ethnic ambiance and a lower ground floor with an all-day wine bar/brassiere. The menu resembles other curry houses with its choice of curries with the exception of a much larger choice vegetarian curries all for 6.00. They also have some interesting 'exotic' starters but for 9.00 each I passed especially as most of them had the word 'fry' after the name. I love coconut rice 3.00 so when I saw this on the menu I was chuffed. I ordered the Chicken Dupiaza which was okay but not worth the ten quid price tag. I have not tried the lunch menu but I believe you can get a Thali for a fiver. Watch the time when you visit this place as a minimum of 10.00 pounds per head is required after 7pm although it is easy to spend that much and a lot more. All in all great atmosphere but pricey food for what you get which I thought was nothing special given all the hype I had read about. read more

Malabar Junction - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

There are a million amazing Indian restaurants in London...but this ain't one of them! Don't bother wasting your time or money here. The staff is awfully rude, food is tasteless and unauthentic and the service is very slow. You also pay a hefty price for the above. Sadly a very disappointing experience. read more

Malabar Junction - Interiors of the restaurant - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

Very good Indian food and excellent service. It's a great choice for late night dining. I highly recommend the special bread basket, which comes with 3 different kinds of bread. On the appetizer menu is the Cashew Pakora, which is also quite good. read more

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Life changing Indian yumminess! My boyfriend and I stopped here in December after a trip to the British Museum. This was my first trip to London. My boyfriend, a native said this wasn't even close to the best Indian food in town, but I was blown away! I tried the Kozhi Chicken Curry. It was so flavorful. We also had the Cheese Dosa, they were good and something I don't see in the states. The staff were very quick and attentive. I hope I will get to return one day! read more

My family and I went to this restaurant last week when we were in the UK. I really wanted them to have a chance to experience UK Indian food (which is very different than US Indian food) and Malabar Junction delivered an amazing experience for my family. The waitress and waiters were wonderful and we ordered a variety of dishes including dosas, bread basket, curries, and dessert. All was excellent. Highly recommended! read more

We passed by Malabar Junction several times to and from our hotel so it seemed meant to be. I went in for a late Saturday night dinner and it was relatively quiet. The inside of the restaurant is a lot larger than it seems from the outside and very comfortable. The food was spectacular. I'm not usually a fan of paneer as I find the texture weird but I could have eaten the whole chili paneer starter by myself if given the chance. It is not in a sauce like a curry but rather served in a stir fry kind of preparation with onions and crunchy bell peppers. I would say it is a medium level of spiciness. The chicken malabar was even better. I've never had an Indian curry with coconut milk, but it sure was amazing. The curry was so flavorful and the chicken was juicy. We cleaned up every last drop with the tasty garlic naan :) read more

-5/5 hygiene -Delicious food -Helpful service that can deal with food allergies -The dosa was the best I have ever had: crispy and well filled. The chutneys could be improved slightly and so could the bathroom situation (no paper towels for hand drying), otherwise excellent. read more

Have been here so many times and always a pleasure coming back. I love the authentic fish curries served here and so the device. Thankfully, there is no typical curry that you find everywhere in London. This is also in the centre so getting there is no problem. Will go back as many times as I want to have authentic Kerala food close to where I live read more

Malabar Junction - Love to find him in the entrance - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

Summary based on a few lunches while in the British Museum area: --good service --better than average food --relatively inexpensive Recommended in this area. read more

Malabar Junction serves passable Indian food, but why settle for mediocrity in a city so alive with amazing eats? It's pretty clear to me Malabar is focused on the middle-market. My dish was overly creamy (as was everything on the menu), lacked any discernible spice, and was sweet. I've eaten tons of Indian food, including from two trips in and around India, and every once in a blue moon you do run across a dish that is supposed to be salty but is presented sweet instead. I personally find this upsetting as someone who craves savory for dinner and sweet mainly for dessert. This switch sullies the dining experience the same way a meal would if you ordered a pickle and got cherry. When that does happens though, and you combine the characteristics of the meal with excessive cream and lack of spice, it says to me the restaurant is focused on the average-to-low end Western consumer who considers any cuisine from any country substantially enhanced by these aspects. See: the sad trend in Chinese and Thai food over the last 30 years. For me however, I crave the real deal. Spicy. Light on cream. Yogurt instead is preferred. And salt and sugar employed on the correct sides of the dinner:dessert line. Outside of the cuisine, Malabar was a pleasant enough place. The staff was friendly. The dining room has a nice atrium. Not overly fancy (and certainly not authentic), but agreeable enough. But again, why settle in London? I went to a place around the corner the next night and had a meal 10x better for the same price. read more

This place is turning 15 years old this month. With its incredibly polite service, airy conservatory seating and conveniently central location on Great Russell St, it's easy to see why Malabar Junction has lasted all these years. The good food probably played a role in the restaurant's longevity as well. I'm happy to recommend this place and must insist that if you go try the garlic mogo (cassava mariated in turmeric and tossed w ginger, garlic and herbs into a dry serving). It's gorgeous one of the best starters I've had this year the main reason I'd go back here would be for this dish. A good one to keep in mind if visiting the British Museum or shopping for gadgets on TCR, this old school Indian restaurant deigns flash for quality and comfort. Go at lunch to avoid the crowds. read more

We grabbed some take-out here the other night, and it was so easy. The website allows you to place your order directly, and then you get an email confirmation about your order and time. Simple as pie. As a result, we didn't really experience the ambiance of the restaurant, but it seemed to be pleasant and calm on the inside, a nice departure from the crowds of Great Russell Street. The food was still piping hot when we got back to our flat 5 minutes later, and the food was obviously very fresh. The chicken korma and butter chicken both had a nice, subtle flavor, with seasonings that were well balanced and delicate. All good so far, but there were a couple of quibbles. First of all, the price seems to be higher than it should be, but that is probably a function of the central location, and the fact that the British Museum hungry hordes will pay quite a bit at the end of the day for some sustenance. Secondly, the quality of the chicken was just so-so. Some of the pieces were tough and fatty, and others were stringy. Bleah. I probably should have known better when ordering from a *south* Indian restaurant, so maybe we'll just go the veggie route next time! read more

Good food with spicy flavors. I broke the rules and had a north Indian lamb dish in a south Indian restaurant but it was worth it. We had some dosas to start with. They come with really good chutneys. read more

Malabar Junction - Lamb Rogan Josh - Indian Near Me - London, XGL

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Really good! I'm just a tourist, and just had lunch here once, but it was a thoroughly pleasant experience. Sitting in the quiet main dining room, which is sort of a greenhouse, looking up at the rain coursing over the delapidated surrounding structures, I felt like I was in a lovely museum. Atmosphere? Check! How about the food? Very good! Service was a little slow, but the cuisine was well worth waiting for. Adequately spicy curry, good bread, overall an authentic quality Indian meal. read more

We absolutely loved this restaurant. We happened in because it was next door to our hotel. The food and service was outstanding. We hope to return when we are in London again. It was a great find. read more

My wife and I ate dinner here during a recent visit to London. I had some vague fond memories of the place from my time at the Florida State London Study Centre back in 1998, so I thought we would try it again. Overall, things were totally fine. The service was all right. The decor was nice. Most importantly, we enjoyed the food, though it wasn't anything exciting. I had a Vegetables Malabar that came less spicy than I expected, and my wife had Chicken Korma which was pretty bland (but she likes bland, so that was okay). We didn't feel inspired to try dessert. I guess a "pleasant blah" sort of sums it up. It was completely okay, and nothing more. read more

Nice, cool decor. Subtle music. Good menu with all the Indian standards, plus a double handful of South Indian specialties. She had chicken tika, I tried the lamb Malabar, shared a malabar eggplant dish. Meats were good, but less spiced than expected. Eggplant was great and spicy. Asked for payasam, south keer. Nice: served warm with cashew instead of pistacio. Would return if near Bloomsbury again. read more

Went for a meal after Christmas to shake off the turkey and it was great. I have been to Kerala in Southern India five times and love the place and people. Not the cheapest in London, but the quality was great and authentic. Try the Fish Mollee and Paratha bread very different to standard Indian bread. In fact I am going to go for lunch this week. Update- Went for lunch yesterday (27.1.11) with my friend Cate. I wanted to try the lunchtime thali but as it was Cate's first visit we went a la carte and had a blow out to celebrate the impending birth of her first baby (due today!!!). Really enjoyed it, especially the lamb dosa to start, plenty for two to share. No problem in recommending this place. read more

My go to for butter chicken when I visit London. Portions are quite large. Lots of options and beer choices.

We loved the food, service and ambiance very much. Our server Sushmita was a Super Star!! She was polite, friendly and very helpful when it came to picking items from the menu. The food was delicious! We had the cheese dosa, uttappam and kozhi varatha curry -SO GOOD!! We will definitely be going back here again! read more

A sentimental favorite for me with great Southern Indian style food. Curd rice, lively coconut chutney with the huge dosas. Nice deserts and friendly service. Vegetarians should not miss this if in the neighborhood. read more

I never eat Indian food, I usually try to avoid it all costs and none of my friends in the States has ever witnessed me eat it but I crave Malabar every single day. This is the best Indian food in the world. Found it over 10 years ago after a rainy day inside at the British Museum when it was the closest thing to get in from the rain. Best accident ever. Must have the Chicken Korma, Tikka Masala. Tandoori, Vindaloo and lots and lots of Coconut rice. The only things I don't care for are the tomato based sauces which seem an odd mishmash of Italian to me. They do not mess around with the spice level so if you are a 3 to 4 star eater at home, go with 1 or 2 and add from there or your head will explode. I head straight here after a long day of shopping on Oxford street my first day in London and it's proven just as good every single time. Easy on the budget as well. read more

You can only eat so many steak and ale pies and cornish pasties. This was the best meal I had in London - proving that English food is great as long as you consider Southern Indian food English. read more

Delicious and such great value! Great food, super-friendly staff, and really pleasant atmosphere. Would highly recommend. Our favorite dish was prawn and mango curry! read more

Indian food made from this Pakistani family at this restaurant. WOW! That's enough said... spicy deliciousness that made my 10 year old ask for more and more. As long as your in England who says English don't have good food?! Well, as long as it's not "English" food ;) read more

Nice room, pleasant staff. The food, however, was not up to standard. Bland, little taste and not exciting.

I loved this place. It wasn't crowded, so I felt like I got personal service and the food was super authentic (and delicious). I came here multiple times over the span of the two weeks I was working in London, and the staff was able to give me recommendations to try new dishes based on what I had already told them I liked. Highly recommend for a low-key dinner out! read more

First discovered this place after spending the better part of a day at the British Museum. Being a fan of India and Indian food, my feet propelled me in the door and into a setting that was not at all like the outside. Elegant, refined, hushed, very comfortabel seating, nice linens and flatware, much more upscale than I had expected. Handed the menu, I was delighted to see that all of my favorites were there, and we proceeded to order enough food for 4 even though it was just the 2 of us. Excellent, every dish, without fail. The service was and is great. Having been back more than a dozen times over the years, each time I am in London, and still so good. What a gem! read more

Very good food and excellent service. Good environment, relaxing and cool atmosphere. We came back ceveral times through the week because we enjoyed it very much. (We're from Norway, Scandinavia). read more

Once we stepped in there was a gentleman waiting for us and asked how many imediately. He seated us and asked for our drink orders and suggested wine. I held off on the wine since I wasn't sure what I was going to get. Instantly I know what I wanted. Butter chick and tandori rotti, yes real simple. We added the garlic shrimp which was amazing and a basic salad. The food had so much flavor we had to order another basket of tandori rotti. The place was decorated with wall art or paintings that kinda made you feel like your suppose to figure out what the painting means to you. There was a fountain in the middle which was relaxing. The waiter where looking over each table to make sure we needed anything or had any questions. Everything came out fast and fresh. It started to get a little busy but there was enough staff to support the high dinner volume. A must go read more

Going to this place I didn't read any comment before and wasn't prejudiced. Actually, my wife and I were not so happy. The place looks nice and stylish and clean and it has a good atmosphere. The service was quite friendly, but in a rather forced and artificial way. (Admittedly, we came at a busy time, maybe it's more relaxed at other times.) The Papadoms were nor fresh at all and the (shared) Onion Baji was not more than of average quality. My wife's Tandoori Prawns were also not bad, but also not very tasty. My South Indian Fish Curry was really nice. So it was just quite a nice meal, not more. read more

The food here is authentic ,comforting and quite tasty. Went here for lunch had the green chiken marsala with garlic bread. The atmosphere is kinda strange and dated. It is not totally bad but it could use an update. The staff is friendly and nice would recommend you try this place if you are on this side of town. read more

We were staying across the street, at the Bloomsbury Hotel, which made this worth checking out. We loved everything about Malabar Junction, from the friendly and professional waitstaff, to the quiet environment and, of course, the wonderful food. I have no idea how the cuisine here stacks up to other Indian restaurants in London, but it's easily as good as any we've eaten at in Portland, Oregon. The Lamb Rogan Josh was tender, rich, and aromatic; the Brinjal Fry (eggplant/aubergines) was light and flavorful; and both the garlic naan and mango lassi were delicious. All at a reasonable price! If you find yourself in the West End theatre district or near the British Museum, give Malabar Junction a try. read more

Fantastic food, lovely service! Some regional dishes from southern India that were really unique and enjoyable. Prices are reasonable with a pleasant atmosphere as well. Lots of vegetarian options. read more

Just discovered this place today - great lunchtime Thali (Chicken, Lamb or Vegetable) for 4.99 - loads of food and great selection plate, including desert. Loved the food, really tasty, friendly staff, and great value for a really filling and different lunchtime stop. read more

What a great place we discovered accidentally as we were walking from the British museum to the theater. Ordered some starters, and the waiter suggested the Dosa, which we had never had before. Everything was fantastic! The Dosa was a real treat, and now we plan to head back there another night for full dinner. read more

Complete rip-off. We ordered one mix non-veg platter for $10.50. We were four of us and they provided us with 4 of those. Can you believe ordering appetizers for more than 40 pounds? We requested them to cancel the order when they brought the appetizers to us as it was clear that there was a misunderstanding. But they refused. Will never go again to this place. read more

Malabar junction, was one of my favourite places to eat food from the state of Kerala, India in London. However my most recent visit left me gutted! It had gone from a specialist regional place to a third grade British curry house! Either the management had changed or their chefs have been poached. We ordered prawns poriyal, lamb chilli fry, chicken chilli. All cooked in the same way with tomatoes, onions and chilli, without any distinctive flavouring. The Kerala fish again bland and tasteless. The appams thick and sweet, ugggh! The dosas flat and flagging. Thought will never live to say this! But never going back! read more