Prince Durairaj and Glen Leeson are good at this by now. Excellent, in fact. The pair have put together a small chain of top Indian eateries; Islington’s Tamil Prince and Tamil Crown, and the first Tamila in Clapham. Fourth time around with Tamila King’s Cross, the experience is more refined than ever.
London’s second Tamila is at the other end of Caledonian Road from the Tamil Prince, and, like the Clapham edition, isn’t a ‘desi pub’ but a curry house for fast, casual dining and with an all-day menu. Without the loveable musk of an ex-pub, the space is much airier and restaurant-y, while the service is sharper and more attentive. Food-over-booze indicators don’t get much more obvious than Tamila’s massive interior window directly into the kitchen.
The dhal flashed all sorts of vegetables across your tongue, while paneer butter masala was creamy and mightily generous
Our drinks flew out at an impressive pace. A bold harbinger of the strong, spiced flavours to come, the gunpowder margarita, boasting masala dust for salt and earthy smokiness, was sumptuous. The paloma had grapefruity sweetness but a proper, heaped dash of ginger that lingered powerfully.
Tamila’s dishes verge on the more generous side of ‘small plates’. On platters so spotless and shiny they’re genuinely mirrors, come miraculously un-greasy onion bhajis, each one just more than a mouthful of prickly, salty crackle. Retaining integral crispiness beneath dollops of mint chutney, one gets the impression that this is as good as these things get. It’s the same for the rich, loaded chilli cheese dosa and pokey masala dosa (both well-paired with tomato and coconut chutneys).
Quietly delightful, Tamila isn’t the sort of place which leaves you gawping at its design finesse; instead, each individual element charms. All green and orange – brick brown and scaly serpentine, terracotta and lime, rust and moss – from its façade to its lamps and trinket candles. The basement, far from stuffy or dark, is thoughtful and cosy, while upstairs benefits from huge windows without feeling like a goldfish bowl.
Centrepiece dishes are of the tandoori and curry persuasion. Paneer tikka is cooked to an affectionate level of tenderness, with a dusty heat, bulbous skewered onion, and a sharp pineapple chutney. The dhal flashed all sorts of vegetables across your tongue, while paneer butter masala was creamy and mightily generous in size. And the roti? Supremely fluffy, a mighty and worthy signature dish.
Mango soft serve followed, juicily sweet, coolly creamy and, after a meal rarely without an undercurrent of spice or fragrance, cleansing.
The vibe Tamila’s food is serious, but the atmosphere is warm and welcoming, with a radio banging out good vibes.
The food Trendy south Indian – curries, tandoori, roti, dosa, the works. I dined vegetarian, but meat and fish options include king prawn and curry leaf varuval, mutton curry dosa, thanjavur chicken curry and chettinad lamb curry.
The drink A selection of south Indian-infused cocktails (Tamil negroni, gunpowder martini, etc) with classic curry house beers (Kingfisher, Cobra, an own brand lager) and a short wine list.
Time Out tip While downstairs is a neat and well-designed, try and get an upstairs table. Not only do you get to sneak a peek into the kitchen, but Cally Road buzzing by only makes Tamila feel more intimate.