That neon blue sign, beaming onto an unassuming Whitechapel backstreet, is a truly wondrous sight. If you’ve been before, you already know the joy you’re about to experience. If you haven’t, chances are that every other Londoner you’ve ever met has banged on about how you have to go. Once inside, you’ll be swept up in the raucous atmosphere of the capital’s most beloved Punjabi restaurant. The décor is simple, the service perhaps best described as ‘brusque’. But – oh – the food: try the pungent, steaming Kahari lamb chop masala; the gloriously gloopy tarka dal; and a cooling glass of yoghurt-based lassi to wash it all down with. This place was founded in 1972 and is still on top.
Time Out tip
Tayyabs didn’t take bookings for decades, but – presumably because demand dictated it – now does so. You will – and we cannot stress this enough – want to book ahead.
Keep them peeled
It’s might seem like an unstarry place, but Tayyabs has been known to attract a celeb or two, from Pedro Pascal to Idris Elba.
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