To me, an Indian, living in the UK, there is nothing better than a desi pub. The best of both worlds because let’s face it – curry and a pint, is there a more iconic duo?
The Tamil Prince is the latest venture by former Roti King exec chef Prince Durairaj and ex-JKS manager Glen Leeson. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, Durairaj takes plenty of inspiration and cues from home, all within the setting of a pub. Desi pubs have been long a part of British high streets and The Tamil Prince is a gorgeous modern rendition of that concept.
Previously known as The Cuckoo, a nineteenth century public house, the restaurant sits on the corner of a residential area in Islington and the interiors remain intact to the pub’s history with subtle nods to South India as seen by the use of brass plates and Indian tea glasses.
The menu has a focus on vegetarian and vegan dishes as inspired from Durairaj’s home state. But don’t be alarmed, there’s plenty of meat dishes split between small and large that add a perfect balance to the menu.
From the small plates, the Prince’s special masala dosa truly hit the spot. A savoury pancake with spiced filling in the middle – it took me right back to the dosa diners in Mumbai. Notable mentions include the iconic chicken lolipop with sweet chilli chutney – our version of a Morley’s chicken wing if you will, packed with a lot more flavour of course. The onion bhaji of course which was the actual size of my face and had a solid crunch.
From the large plates, while the Channa bhatura with raita is visually the star of the show (tastefully too), for me personally (and Tom), the most memorable dish were the Robata lamb chops. So incredibly juicey, packed with so much flavour and spice – we definitely left the restaurant still thinking about it. And I must say, for the true experience, use your hands, it’s encouraged even.
Notable mentions also include the Dal makhani and Paneer butter masala – which in my opinion is a must order when having Indian food. How could you not? All of that accompanied with buttery flaky roti and you’re good to go. Eating South Indian food with your hands just makes sense, so I would say, lose the cutlery and order plenty of napkins.
To wrap it all up in a cozy snug, we ended the meal with Gulab jamun and Mango lassi. Although, I must warn you, the mango lassi after all of that, is not for the faint hearted. The Gulab jamun on the other hand feels like a cozy cozy hug.
While they already had me at ‘ex-Roti King chef,’ The Tamil Prince exceeded my expectations in every capacity and took me straight home to India in between bites. Every single dish was packed with so much flavour that we sure didn’t waste a drop of it. The Tamil Prince certainly has me in a chokehold as I will be returning back for that dosa and lamb chops. Dare I say, it’s giving Dishoom a good run for its money!
Key Information
📍Location: 115 Hemingford Road, N1 1BZ.
🍽️ Must try: Lamb chops, Prince’s special dosa and Channa bhatura with raita.
💵 Price Range: ££
📧 Email: info@thetamillprince.com
📞 Phone number: 07988 750721