Top 10 Indian Street Food Eateries in the UK

Indian street food is evolving and is one of the most enjoyed cuisines. Many eateries across the UK compete to become the number one go-to spot for some delectable street food.

Some menus are bigger than others, providing customers with a wider variety of choices.

When you think of Indian street food, you usually think of Papdi Chaat, Pani Puri and Kati Rolls. However, in this list, there are many other adventurous combinations that street food has to offer.

Masala and spices are key when cooking Indian street food, they enhance the flavours of the food as well as giving off great aromas.

Besides the scrummy food, street food lovers also look for outstanding, aesthetic interiors in restaurants for those Instagram shots.

DESIblitz highlight the top 10 Indian street food eateries in the UK.

Birmingham

Tamatanga

Tamatanga is Birmingham’s pride and joy when it comes to snazzy Indian street food.

It is located in the heart of the city centre and is the most vibrantly decorated place you’ll ever see.

As soon as you walk in, you are welcomed with a whiff of spicy aromas in the air. You are also welcomed with astonishing art on the walls.

The menu ranges from chaat plates to traditional thalis. Tamatanga serves each item with originality and tremendous tastes.

Rahul Khurana, the operations director at Tamatanga exclusively told DESIblitz why he believes this eatery is the best. He says:

“We’re not your average Indian eatery and like to do things a little differently. Our food is wholesome, fresh and true to its roots.

“Many say its as good as the food back home in India!”

Their Papdi Chaat is to die for, from the first bite, you can taste the spices blending into one. The price of the Papdi Chaat is £5.95 just like every other chaat item.

As described on the menu, it is made up of chickpeas, whole wheat crisp, mint chutney and sweetened yoghurt topped with blueberries and tamarind chutney.

Blueberries and pomegranate are widely popular at Tamatanga. The chefs use them as toppings on many dishes, mainly the chaats.

There are two types of thalis, each with different prices. The Tamatanga Thali is the more expensive one, priced at £18.95.

This includes salad, poppodoms, chutney, two vegetarian dishes, daal of the day, raita, rice, naan and any two curries. It is served in a metal thali, to present the dish in a quirky way.

In terms of curries, if you are a chicken lover looking for something spicy, the Garlic Chilli Chicken is recommended. It has an overpowering taste of fresh garlic and green chillies amongst the juicy pieces of chicken thighs.

Another bonus, Tamatanga offers a separate menu for those with vegetarian or gluten-free diets. Both menus include a wide range of items to choose from.

Once you order your food, it arrives pretty fast even if it is busy. When ordering, your waiter will inform you that your food will come out as and when it is ready.

This means that there is no such thing as ‘starters’ and ‘mains’ when eating at Tamatanga. Instead, you’ll get your food in a random order.

It certainly brings an element of the fast, hustle and bustle of the streets of India to your table. So, pull up your sleeves and tuck into whatever arrives in front of you, there is no time to waste!

The Indian Streatery

The Indian Streatery, the go-to place for either a spot of some quick lunch or an evening out with friends and family.

Rustic and authentic with a modern twist is the perfect way to describe this great Indian restaurant. It gives off a very chilled, casual vibe and most of all, provides you with scrumptious foods.

Let’s start off with their grab and go lunch menu for all of you busy, productive people out there. Luckily for you, the options are restricted, making it easier for you to choose.

There are a few chaats and a few curry hot pots. The chaats are as follows: Chicken Chaat, Deconstructed Samosa Chaat and Pakora Chaat.

The Pakora Chaat sounds rather unique. It is made up of a crunchy pakora on a bed of marinated chickpeas, coriander, red onion and other ingredients.

In terms of the hot curry pots, there is a vegan option, a black daal and a homestyle chicken curry. The prices from the grab and go menu vary between £4.95-£5.95.

Moving onto the main menu, which the restaurant serves from 4 pm from Monday to Friday and from 12 pm on Saturdays.

The main menu is a lot bigger than the grab and go menu. There are a couple of extra chaats such as the Tikka Chaat and the Kata Mitta Papdi Chaat.

Under the Family Favourites section on the menu, there is a dish called Cannon Hill Park Picnic. It is interesting how they have created it on the basis of its city, Birmingham.

Cannon Hill Park Picnic is a dish that involves baby potatoes, fenugreek, coriander and garden peas. They toss the ingredients with toasted cumin and nigella seeds, claiming to bring back memories of “long summers spent in Cannon Hill Park”.

What is so unique about their menu is the variety of roti they offer. They have green, yellow and red roti where each of them has tantalising flavours.

The green roti is infused with fresh fenugreek and spinach. The yellow roti is infused with turmeric and gram flour and the red roti is infused with fresh beetroot.

When discussing the best menus, The Indian Streatery has definitely won the place for that. The menu consists of foods and combinations that are so authentic, it is untouchable.

Glasgow

Tuk Tuk Indian Street Food

Through a mix of rustic roadside and railway dishes, award-winning street food restaurant Tuk Tuk is a hit in Glasgow.

Airy, stylish, vibrant, colourful and fun are a few words to describe Tuk Tuk restaurant. As you walk in, the bold art on the walls is the first things you will notice.

Rizvi Khaleque, the founder of Tuk Tuk exclusively told DESIblitz about the reasons behind their riveting menu. He explained:

“We carefully selected dishes from different regions of India as part of our inspiration for our restaurant menu.

“Our menu consists of a range of street food dishes from gol gappa, bhel puri to biryani. These have been adopted in a lot of Indian eateries, they are dishes which are familiar in people’s travels abroad.”

You begin with a roadside plate, maybe you will go for the Tuk Tuk Samosas or the Puri Yoghurt Bombs.

The Puri Yoghurt Bombs on the menu are classed as “everyone’s favourite cold Indian snack”. They are made up of a crispy puri with potato, yoghurt and tamarind.

Roadside plates vary between the prices of £4.30 and £5.75. Including Haka Chilli Noodles which they serve in a chow-mein style.

You then move on to the Tuk Tuk street curries, consisting of many delicious items. Including, Aloo Gobi Matar (£4.95), Bombay Chilli Chicken (£5.75), Raste Ke Biryani (£6.25) and much more.

Accompany your curry with a side such as a classical Tandoor Roti or a thick Chilli Cheese Naan. Raita, poppodoms and rice are also an option when you order a side.

Who can resist a tempting Indian dessert? Order a Mango Mastaani, a Kulfi Pop or a Naughty Chai Affogato. The Naughty Chai Affagato is the most unique dessert on the menu and is £3.20.

Spiced chai served over ice-cream is what it is. It sounds so simple, yet so appealing and mouthwatering.

When discussing how dining experiences have evolved, Rizvi Khaleque mentions:

“People’s palettes are changing for unique and different dining experiences.”

Leicester

Chapatea

The creativity and originality of the café is all in the name, Chapatea, ‘chapati and tea’.

If they are going to include ‘tea’ in their name, it has got to be good. The tea has been perfected by ancestors in India, achieving the traditional, good ol’ chai ni cup (cup of chai).

As their speciality is in chai, they have many different types. They sell Karak Chai which is available in different flavours.

These flavours include saffron, cinnamon, ginger and mint. They also specialise in Pink Chai as it is a popular Indian street food item.

To accompany their chai, they have cleverly gone down the traditional route, offering cake rusks with them. So, why not grab some chai and dip in that crumbly cake rusk?

Chapati’s and parathas are popular at Chapatea. Their chapatis vary from a plain roti which is 60p to a chicken tandoori chapati which is £2.50.

Their paratha selection consists of plain, masala, honey, aloo paratha, Nutella and Lotus.

Besides chai and chapatis, they also serve snacks such as Masala Chips, Pani Puri, Bombay Sandwich and Bhel Puri. The Masala Chips and the Bombay Sandwich are popular items on the menu.

If you are looking for a real traditional Indian dessert, then look no further. At Chapatea they offer Ghajar Halwa, Rasmalai, Rose & Cardamom Shakes and Pistachio Shakes.

Chapatea also sells all-day breakfast at a reasonable price of £5 which include a Bombay omelette, two chapatis, mung daal and a cup of Karak Chai.

Café Delhi

Found in Golden Mile in Leicester, Café Delhi serves Indian street food in the most modern yet authentic way.

Through creative, fun culinary styles and an informal, relaxed environment, Café Delhi does not fail to impress. Their menu is also proof of this, serving customers the real Indian street food experience.

Unlike many other street food restaurants, Café Delhi only serves vegetarian dishes, accommodating those with a veggie diet. But who cares when it tastes so good?

Their menu is very quirky, with fun headings for each section. The starters are named under ‘choti choti batein‘ and their parathas are named under ‘paranthe wali gali‘ and so forth.

From Nacho Chaat, Roasted Chali to Cheese and Chilli Kulcha, the list goes on. The Royal Memsaab Thali is £10.95 per person and consists of many varieties.

High tea is a distinctive element in the cafe. The menu has been carefully handcrafted to create a flavourful and tasty experience, at £13.95 per person.

The High Tea includes items such as Aubergine Pakode, Paneer Kati Roll, Papdi Chaat, Pistachio Kheer and much more. As tea is the main factor of High Tea, there are also a wide variety of aromatic hot drinks.

Masala Chai, Elaichi Chai, Kashmiri Pink Chai and Karak Chai are just a few of the different teas that they do. There are many more yummy, hot beverages on the menu to choose from.

London

Masala Zone

When you think of Indian street food, you might associate it with cheap prices and dingy cafés. However, Masala Zone is the complete opposite.

It places itself on the higher end of the Indian street food spectrum and is a high-end, classy restaurant, best for occasions.

Situated in London, Masala Zone has many restaurants. There is one in Covent Garden, Soho, Earls Court, Bayswater, Camden Town and Islington.

The Daily Telegraph rate Masala Zone as one of London’s best restaurants.

Now, let’s look at why this is.

India ships over some spices for Masala Zone, giving the food an authentic, traditional taste.

Masala Zone claims to serve Indian street food with a “contemporary spin and a touch of original flair”.

They achieve this through their delicious Samosa Chaat, Dahi Puri, Gol Gappe and much more.

The Samosa Chaat consists of a tasty vegetable samosa topped with creamy yoghurt, aromatic spices, imlee sauce and crunchy sev.

As their portions are fairly small, many would recommend that you order more than one starter when visiting Masala Zone.

Dahi Puri is the most scrumptious thing you will ever taste. As soon as you put it into your mouth, the rich flavours burst out the shell and tantalise your tastebuds.

There are only four dahi puris in one portion and are small to medium-sized which is enough for two people.

Dhaba Indian Street Food

Styled as though you are sitting on a kerbside in India with colourful vendor carts surrounding you, Dhaba is the place to be.

On the menu, the name of the starter section is ‘Roadside Starter’ which gives off a real Indian street food vibe.

There are a few unique items on their menu, implying that the restaurant has a flair of originality and style.

The Spicy Chicken Egg Roll is an item that stands out on the starter section. The menu describes it as a “delicious Mumbai street snack”.

It is a chicken kebab wrapped in a chilli infused egg, which the chefs then top with tomato and spicy green chutney.

Vegetarian and gluten-free items are also available on the menu such as Bhel Puri, Pav Bhaji and Keema Pav. The Keema Pav is gluten-free and is a mixture of spicy minced lamb and peas served with a buttered bun.

Kebabs are another main section on the menu, again offering various gluten-free options.

The Gilafi Kebabs are a gluten-free starter which consists of lamb and chicken mince kebabs. They use a marinade of coriander, ginger and garlic paste and then grill the kebabs in the tandoor.

Dhaba Indian Street Food either serves the Gilafi Kebabs as a starter or a main. The price of the starter is £4.95 and the main is £8.90.

Moving onto their street curries, the Railway Lamb is the most popular dish on the menu. This earthy dish of lamb and potato is £8.50. Dhaba recommend that you order the Railway Lamb with chapati bread.

To experience something different, the Saag Wala Gosht is a great option. They slow-cook the lamb and then temper some spinach with cumin.

For all those veggies out there, Chana Puri is also on the menu. It is a popular street snack in India, so why not bring it to the UK?

As seen on the menu, it consists of chickpeas tossed in onion and ground spice masala, served with flatbread. This vegetarian goodness is decently priced at £5.95 and is on the cheaper end of the menu.

Dhaba’s accompaniments are like no other. From Ajwaini Bhindi, Begun Borta, Masala Aloo and Mushroom Bhaji, Dhaba is a game-changer.

Shifting away from the food glorious food, the desserts and drinks menu is eye-opening. It involves drinks such as popular Indian Colas and a fizzy lemon drink of India.

Dhaba definitely marks its space as a top Indian street food eatery in the UK through its exquisite choices and tastes.

Tifinbox

Situated in Aldgate, London, Tifinbox is a small, cosy Indian street food eatery.

Whether you are looking for an Indian breakfast or a wrap made from paratha bread, Tifinbox is the one. Their Indian breakfast is delightful, but guess what? It is also very cheap.

For example, their Masala Omelette is £3.99 which they serve with toast and masala beans. The Chilli Cheese Toast is also very cheap at £1.99 and so is their homemade chai.

They also do a variety of biryanis, curries and tasty veg and non-veg thalis to accommodate all types of diets.

Many reviewers rave about Tifinbox’s food, saying it is real Indian street food with amazing flavours.

A very unique aspect of Tifinbox is their specially made Indian food truck. It is a real-size food truck serving appetising Indian street food.

They hire out the truck for weddings and parties too, meaning you can get Tifinbox at your events.

Lunch at Tifinbox is great for those who are working nearby and need a quick fix. Their curry wraps are to die for, enjoy a Methi Chicken wrap or a Sheekh wrap at reasonable prices.

Manchester

Dishoom

In comparison to The Indian Streatery and Dhaba Indian Street food, Dishoom is a high-end, sophisticated street food restaurant.

It is the best, swanky spot to visit for night outs or for even when you fancy treating your partner.

Dishoom is a traditional English style Indian restaurant with traditional elements such as metal drinking cups.

Starting off with the most important meal of the day, Dishoom offers a selection of breakfast items on their menu. It consists of items such as a Parsi Omelette which is a three-egg omelette with green chilli, coriander, tomato and onion.

The price of the omelette is £7.20. This is probably one of the cheapest items on the menu, while the breakfast naans can go up to £9.50.

Dishoom’s all-day menu begins with small plates and ends with puddings. In between, however, are tasty looking items such as Vada Pau.

Vada Pau as Dishoom claims is a “Bombay’s version of a chip butty”. The menu also includes Fried Green Chillies for those who love their spice.

Dishoom uses unique flavours to cook the biryani. This includes the Jackfruit Biryani and the Chicken Berry Britannia. Both biryanis share an element of the sweet and sour concept.

For something slightly more snack-like and simple, the Chilli Cheese Toast is the one, priced at £4.20.

Indian Tiffin Room

Inspired by the bustling streets of India, Indian Tiffin Room is a vibrant, eye-catching street food eatery. On one side of the restaurant is a row of colourful booths with hanging lanterns coming down from above.

They serve every mouthwatering dish in a metal plate accompanied by a thinly sliced salad with onion which is popular among diners.

Tiffin dishes are a main aspect on the menu. In India, the community eat from tiffins at any time of the day, whether it be for breakfast or dinner.

The different types of tiffins on the menu include Chilli Cheese Dosa, Madurai Masala Dosa, Onion Rava Dosa and many more. The prices of the tiffins are £5.95, while others are either cheaper or pricier.

Indo-Chinese dishes are also available on the menu, presenting the Indian take on Chinese food. Dishes consist of Fried Rice, Haka Noodles, Schezwan Rice and Schezwan Noodles.

Each Indo-Chinese dish can either come with vegetables, chicken or prawns and vary between £5.95-£7.50.

Indian Tiffin Room has something for every type of tastebud. For those who are slightly adventurous, items such as the Chilli Squid and Tandoor Broccoli are for you.

They also offer special roti and paranthas such as Missi Roti and Lacha Paratha which are popular Indian street foods.

Indian street food has gone through tonnes of quirky changes made by many restaurants and is extremely popular due to it’s authentic, yet unique take on street food.

Many people love street food as it is changing effectively to suit people’s diets and palettes.