Needoo Grill

In the great battle of the Whitechapel lamb chop – an unofficial war being waged between Needoo and its nearby neighbours Tayyabs and Lahore Kebab House – it’s hard to pick a winner. The sizzling plates of succulent lamb that you get here aren’t cooked to pink excellence like at Lahore, and aren’t as pungent as at Tayyabs, but they are spiced to absolute perfection. Opened in 2009 by a former Tayyabs manager, this squashed space doesn’t suffer from the same problem of endless queues (though you will usually have a wait), but it is just as gaudy. Bright red walls, leather benches and blaring flatscreen TVs are the order of the day, yet with curries this good, the decor just fades into the background. What you get are succulent karahi dishes and specials that include nihari (lamb on the bone) and a very passable biriani. Pakoras and other pre-prepared snacks can often be disappointingly stale, but service is swift and friendly, and it’s hard to argue with the appeal of BYOB and curries of such high standard.