Tayyabs

Disappointing. I’m a very big fan of the Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine and was very excited when a friend told me she managed to book a table at Tayyabs (3 weeks in advance!). With high expectations I entered Tayyabs and was overwhelmed by masses of people queuing and trying to get the attention of the waiter. After around 20 minutes a waiter seated us in the downstairs area, which is very dark and less appealing than upstairs. You can find a very young and fashionable crowd at Tayyabs and you can bring your own booze. But we felt rushed during dinner, the meat was chewy and despite not ordering alcoholic drinks, we had quite a high bill at the end. I’m not coming back despite the hype around Tayyabs, or maybe BECAUSE of all the hype around it, the food does not fulfil the expectations.

I had heard and read alot about this place so knew what to expect. Yes, it is chaotic. I didnt get any cuttlery until 3 or 4 minutes after my food arrived! Yes, it is busy, and YES the food is fabulous. Food doesnt wait long on the hotplates here… straight off the grill and WHOOOSH, it arrives in a flurry of activity in front of your eyes. Fabulous naans like I've never tasted, and the lamb kebabs looked amazing… I dont even eat meat! The only downside for me is the location; it is a little difficult to get to from central London. Nevertheless, I recommend you go. It is quite an experience. Don't forget to BYO!

Went to Tayaabs for a lunch after a friend recommended. It is the most genuine Indian food I have had in London. The taste and aroma reminded me of the streets of Old Delhi. Incredibly tasty.

I have been eating here for years. I love bringing friends from out of town as they really enjoy the experience of getting a face full of spices as the hot grill plates go by, as well as being in a famous (but not in guidebooks) restaurant. Beware it's not a place to bring vegetarians!

I just rang them up today and I was told they no longer do bookings. It's first come, first served now. Which I hope will only improve on the wait. I don't really mind waiting for an hour for a table as it's all part of the experience for me. But if you go at lunchtime the wait is a lot shorter and the service is a lot more friendly. In the evenings they obviously have a huge amount of people to feed and there is a much more chaotic atmosphere. I always have really good service when I go there so I cannot comment on the others who have had a hard time. I use the waiting time in the queue to know exactly what I want when I sit down so there is no waiting to order. i have never been rushed off a table even when the place is packed and the queue is snaking around the restaurant like a middle class conga line. The service is fast and the food is excellent. It's a great place to go with friends as there is a real communal atmosphere. More so than in other curry houses.

The restaurant has expanded to include a basmment dining room as well. If you have a choice I would avoid this as the decor is like an essex nightclub in the 90's. Crazy lighting, loud techno music, which are not at all soothing. When I went recently, we had been waiting for an hour and 20 mins (typical on a Friday night) so we weren't going to quibble with our table.

My best advice is go with at least 3 people so one of you can always hold the place in the queue. Bring drinks to keep you going before and during dinner. Have a chilled out attitude and save some space for the kulfi ice cream or mango lassi as they are amazing but after all the lamb chops it might not be possible.

This place is seemingly famous for being famous. Its certainly not famous for it's food or service. It's now so busy you have to queue for a long time to be seated. They want you in and out and no care is given to much else. My pregnant friend asked for a jug of tap water and was told she couldn't have it because we were seated downstairs and tap water was only available upstairs. She is 8 months pregnant! I am pretty certain the law states that tap water can't be refused, especially to a pregnant woman. After A LOT of arguing with the waiters/manager she was given glass and told that only she could have it refilled – by going upstairs to receive it! The food was average at best – I tried their ‘signature’ dry lamb chops which were overcooked and grisly and not nice at all. The music would burst loudly and at times was more like a disco. Main dishes were served 15 minutes before the rice and breads. I am really disappointed in this place. I've had far better asian food up Brick Lane and FAR better service.

Tayyabs is a very popular hidden gem in London. It is extraordinarily busy for a restaurant tucked away behind the East London mosque and there is good reason for that – it is the best Pakistani restaurant in London and the food should be much more expensive.

However, as mentioned it is incredible busy and so you will wait and you will be rushed out. This is very much a place which enjoys cult status and is perhaps best enjoyed for its take out service.

Having said all of this, I am a regular and I enjoy it for its simplicity, buzz and knowledge that I am eating in a true local gem moments away from the distinctly average offerings of Brick Lane. So it's authentic and incredible but:

• do not expect fine dining;
• make a booking;
• expect to wait up to an hour regardless of booking;
• bring alcohol as this is BYOB;
• try to come in a group no more than 6;
• EAT THE SIZZLING LAMB CHOPS, do not eat the quail (it sounds great but remember it is a quail so tiny and there is only one).
  

If you can order take out then do that instead in order to avoid waiting if you want.

If you do not make a booking, good luck and prepare to wait up to 3 hours sometimes.

If there is a better value restaurant in London, then I have to find it: forty notes for four people; BYO vino; the best lamb chops ever. What is there not to like?

Well, judging by the complaints about the waiting staff, there is clearly that. But come on, this is a curry house in the heart of the east end; what do you expect? It is noisy, cramped and hot. It buzzes. The Ritz it ain't. If you want fancy curry, with fancy waiting staff and a (fancy) tablecloth, Rasoi Vineet Bhatia would get my vote. Mind you, it's not really a curry house is it; I mean, its in Chelsea. If you don't know that when you arrive, boy do you find out when they present the bill. And its not really curry either; yes it has lovely spicy flavours, beautifully cooked, perfect proportions etc, but really, where's the chicken tikka? No, if you want a true London curry experience, Tayyabs is very hard to beat.

The other niggle seems to be the queue. Now I know that this may be odd, but if you call their telephone number beforehand, you can make what is called a “booking”. Very hi-tech and slightly off-beat, I know, but give it a whirl. It works. Then you get the chance to swan to the front of the queue and wonder at the people who hadn't thought of it. Makes you feel all superior. Always a good way to start dinner.

The food itself is standard curry fair, but at a much higher standard than you'll find down the road in Brick Lane; the aforementioned chicken tikka is there, the tandoori terrific, the chops legendary and the keebabs just fine. And it is BYO, so you can have a Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru should you desire. I'd stick with something from Alsace myself mind; whether that is an Adelscott or a Trimbach is really down to taste.

A final word of warning: do not, under any circumstances go for a romantic dinner a deux. The couple next to us last time had done this. Mistake. Big, big mistake. This is a four-of-you-or-more kind of place; lots of dishes, lots of sharing, lots of fun.

Few restaurants so cheap they can boast such popularity that people will queue for over an hour to get a table. Not that you could ever persuade yourself that you're waiting for a table at an exclusive new haunt. The interior and casual dress of the diners ensure this is nothing more than a cheap and cheerful eat.

The best curry places are rarely glitzy – and certainly not in London where you can find an infinite number of authentic international restaurants. Those who consider their surroundings more important than what's on their plate would do well to aim for a bland Mayfair restaurant. If you've made the journey from Aldgate East or Whitechapel station down this back road (which you would never walk down by accident) then you either know what you're coming for or someone in your party does.

If you have the foresight to book, and I strongly urge that you do – it's the equivalent of a queue jump, then the wait isn't too unbearable and you get to enjoy watching less organised, impatient, hungry people as they form a queue that crawls round the restaurant.

The service is not amazing. But that's also not why you would come here. You are served promptly, which is marvellous if you don't wish to wait 45 minutes for your food. And when it comes it's worth it. The menu is limited and it has every right to be. They know what they do well and I would struggle to order anything other than the lamb karahi as I know I will be more than satisfied. That said, I've never had a bad meal here and have yet to find another curry in London more tasty. Given the option of an Indian (and being able to book) I would plump for Tayyabs every time. There are two types of people in this world: those who love Tayabbs and those who don't know about it.

Just don't forget to bring your own beer (Tiger or Cobra, obviously) as it's unlicensed.

A lunch of mixed starters , including the delicious lamb chops , more than sufficient with the breads to completely satisfy . All of exceptional mouthwatering quality and value. No waiting for a table, though we were there at around 12 30. Service remained reasonable even as the restaurant filled though the atmosphere and service are not what this is about. Will definitely return and try to get past the starters, suggest you try it out when very hungry and not looking for a quiet leisurely meal.

I had the worst service here i have ever encountered. The staff were surly, aggresive, moody and insisted on sticking the couple next to us on an adjoining table despite there being an entire restaurant free. When we moved the table over an inch to give us both some room they shouted at us and put it back. The grill was good but the curry was horrible – the prawns were overcooked and chewy, the chutneys were average at best and before we were half way through they were giving us the bill. Nothing on earth would convince me to give a penny more of my money to this place and if i were you, i'd save the cash and go down the road to East is East where they are friendly, actually want you to be there and the food is fantastic.

I am honestly at a bit of a loss as to why this is such a popular restaurant. Getting there; and enduring a ninety minute queue amongst waiters ramming pushchairs into my ankles, small children running into you, and seeing various couples from the queue behind get seated ahead of you doesn’t quite compensate for the quality of the generic, but admittedly delicious meals.
The atmosphere; as previous reviewers' have quite accurately described; is very much – get seated-order-eat-get ushered out as fast as possible – I was quite disappointed that this was no exaggeration.
This restaurant does offer good value for money; however for the whole rushed eatery experience; there are better places in town – the same can be said for service, and food quality. It's most notable point, is the fact it's a BYO
As I mentioned, the meals are delicious. I'd go back here in a flash – but only to collect a takeaway.

Fantastic value and some of the quality of the food is just brilliant, but let down by poor service, chaotic table management and being just too busy!
The starters are the best bit, amazing mixed grill with fantastic lamb chops and sizzling chicken tikka (with onions). The easiest way to eat the lamb chops is to order naan bread and create ‘nan napkins’ (my friend Imran created that phrase!) else your fingers will be stained for the rest of the evening. Poppadoms and chutney's were average I'm afraid. Never got to mains depsite numerous visits, having always re-ordered masses of lamb chops and mixed grills. Even for the hungriest person, you will leave full having paid c£12 a head. Brilliant. Also, you can bring your own booze, which also makes it an inexpensive night out.
The issues are the staff barging past you in the rush to serve all the punters, the fact that even when you have booked a table you have to wait sometimes and the fact your clothes stink of curry on your departure. Additionally, it is in a very unattractive part of town. In saying all of that, i have always enjoyed it for a night out and will definitely be going back.

Quite possibly the best Lamb Chops ever, the marinade and the tenderness is to die for. I wouldnt waste my time and stomach capacity with Mains as you just cant go wrong with The Tayyab's Miixed Grill with extra portions of Lamb Chops. Unbelievably good value.

Fair enough the service is not the best, but this seems to be the type of restaurant. Frankly, it's more like an eatery. You come hungry, you eat and leave. The food is absolutely lovely, the mixed grills and currys, especially the saag. They could invest in new menus, as they are pathetic, amateurish laminated pages. Also not very good for someone who is not familiar with indian cuisine. The staff isn't very good at explaining either. The first time we went, we didn't have a booking, so we had to queue for nearly an hour. The other times, we have always had a table and we never had to wait.
Worst thing about the service is that they rush you with food and with paying. As soon as they notice you are about to finish eating, they will present a bill without asking for it. The best that you can bring your own wine, which they don't mind at all.
I wouldn't recommend the place for group celebrations. Definitely recommend for quick, hearty, delicious food . Do not expect resaturant style service and courtesy.

Went there last night with a couple of friends, without a booking. We got seated immediately which was great as there's usually a queue and you'd haev needed to book. It was freezing outsie whichi may explain it.

Poppadoms and chutneys were below average – the poppadoms were not crisp, and the chutneys very watery.

Mixed grill to start was good, a combination of chicken, lamb kebab and lamb chops which was well spiced and tender.

Garlic naan's were quite small and didn't really taste of garlic. Rice was fine.

I had lamb curry. The lamb hadn't quite been cooked for long enough (still quite stringy), and the sauce had far too much oil in it. The flavour was quite nice, though by no means exceptional.

The service is truly rubbish; my friend had a dessert and the waiters were forcing the bill on us and trying to take my card out of my hand before he had finished. Throughout the meal they were generally surly towards us.

Starters and mains arrived at the same time, which was way too many dishes on the table at once.

They therefore received no tip.

I used to live near Tower Hill, and all in all there are much better curry restaurants in the area for the same price or less then Tayyabs. It really doesn't deserve it's reputation.

The Mrs and I had previously booked a weekend break in London Friday and Saturday 6-7 November 2009, which included a west end show on the Saturday, but the Friday was ours to do as we pleased.
I booked (online) a table for two at Tayyabs, for 21.00 on a very wet Friday the 6th of November. We arrive, complete with a bottle of red, and a bottle of white at aprox 20.40 to find a huge queue inside, and about 30 more outside. We pushed our way inside and were immediately aproached by the manager, who asked if we had a booking. He checked off our name and told us "do not move, your table will be ready in five or six minutes. So there we were, standing under the fan heater drying our hair, when back he came to inform us that a table was ready.
A waiter arrives with the menu's, and a corkscrew, leaving us to drool over the menu and have a glass of wine. As soon as we closed the menu's a waiter took our order.
5 piece Chicken tikka starter.
2 meat samosa
3 lamb seek kebabs.
1 Dry meat.
1 Chicken Karahi
2 Rice
2 Nan
1 Mango Lassi
After a few minutes the popadums, salad, and chutneys arrived. I told the waiter that we never ordered this. He told me that this is standard complimentary fare, enjoy!!
So we got stuck in, and all the dishes arrived in due course, perfectly cooked, perfectly timed. One and a half hours later we had finished the food and the wine, and asked for the bill.
£26
This was indeed, the best Indo-Pak food we have ever experienced in 30 odd years, at home or abroad, and comes highly recommended.
Gordon and Sandra Mills, Scotland.

We'd booked, but we had to wait for 45 minutes, standing up in a very very busy restaurant with staff constantly barging into us. The staff were graceless and rude, and our food took a long time to come.

They need a new manager who will ensure that pre-booked tables are turned around quickly, and that walk-ins are turned away when they can't be accommodated.

I won't be coming here again.

Among the best in London and in terms of the quality of the cooking, exceptional in any context. No prizes for glamour, but full prizes for the fantastic meats, sides and specials. Our friends' vegetarian daughter manages quite well with the menu, but for the carnivores amongst you, come often and come hungry. The blandly named “dry meat” was stunning but my favourite remains the tandoor prawns, many the size of a banker's bonus, and urad dhal with fenugreek. Partner's affection for their buttery peshwari naan directly responsible for substantial weight gain…at least that's his excuse.

I am a regular at Tayyabs and I would point out the service does only slip during busy times, the waiters do push to clear the tables and can be quite unfriendly at times. If you decide to walk in without booking a table, expect a very long queue, it is always extraordinarily long – I have always avoided that!

Tayyabs is one of the best Indian restaurant I would recommend and I always consider it when out with friends and family for a meal. The naans are fantastic, the mixed grills (lamb chops mainly) and keema curries are just awesome and, you must try the baby chicken curry – brilliant! – next best thing to my mum’s curry. Have been disappointed a few times – once when they ran out of popodoms which I always look forward to and, another when I pre-booked and arrived to find they had no record of the booking ref!

Tayyabs is a small but extremely busy family run Pakistani restaurant, I have witnessed the service to be awful at times, but the queue is never ending. I have booked a table for tomorrow night anyway! The food is irresistible and excellent value for money.

I would judge a restaurant by its hygiene, a good way to do that is to check out the cleanliness of the toilets, haven’t been to the gents as far as I am aware, but the ladies washroom is always clean and fresh – always a positive for me!

Don't forget to try the keema naan!

I've been going to Tayyab since I first moved to London 8 years ago and have never been disappointed – it's vastly superior to the identikit restaurants on Brick Lane (which is, admittedly, easier to get to being only a short stroll from Spitalfields/Liverpool Street and in a nicer area), which I would never choose to go to.

This Saturday was one of the very few occasions when I didn't manage to get a reservation (they were fully booked) and we queued for 20 minutes to get a table – however we were lucky compared to people who turned up after us, at one stage the queue wrapped the whole way around the restaurant! I would strongly recommend making a reservation to avoid hanging around.

Having said that, the food is still wonderful and we enjoyed it all the more for having had to wait. I went with 3 Tayyab Virgins who were all hoping for plain old Chicken Tikka Masala but then gave in and decided to branch out – and were amazed at how much tastier the food was than their usual curry haunts. The lamb chops for starter are amazing, so soft and juicy, really flavoursome and the masala fish went down a storm. For main course the four of us shared 4 naan (their peshwari naans are the best in the business, light and fluffy and not the greasy, doughy lumps you often get at other places), 2 rice, the dry meat (which isn't dry at all, it just means there isn't much sauce), the chickpea chana, karahi dhal gosht (lamb and lentils – divine!) and the chicken keema. We ROLLED out the door, fit to burst, with our leftovers in a little takeaway bag and there wasn't a peep about chicken tikka masala… It helped that we paid £20 each for a pakistani feast.

The three Tayyab Virgins were converted and are all dying to go back. Yum!

PS it's BYOB so stock up before you get to Fieldgate Street to avoid wandering around and being overcharged for Cobra, like we were.

After a long wait for a table, and an even longer wait for the food, I was not impressed with what we got. I had heard such great things about Tayyab and went in with extremely high expectations. I came out disappointed and my mouth was on fire!!! I love spicy food but practically lost all my tatstebuds after the first bite. I was not very impressed with the service – it felt more like a factory churning out Kebabs rather than a restaurant with a host. It may be part of its ‘charm’ but there is a fine line between efficiency and feeling like you are being shoved around.

One thing that did surprise me was the great value for money. They probably save a lot on personnel.

Food is fantastic – tandoori meats are flavorful and curries and breads are numerous. The lassis are tasty without being too heavy. Service is a bit rushed and clearly they want the table turned around but everything comes out quickly. Atmosphere is sort of like a busy deli at lunchtime but the smells inside are mouth-watering. And once you get the bill – you're amazed at how low it is!

Looking at the other reviews – I didn't have a problem with reservations though I did book in advance (who doesn't when you are living in London)! I had heard there were problems with the online system not always working so I called to confirm a day before and showed up on time. We had to wait about 10 extra minutes on a Sat night but sort of expect that from busy places!

I think the reader below might think that poor service is charming but I found Tayyabs a nightmare experience.
The restaurant has given into greed and money and forgot about the customers that became regulars there after my last experience. I couldn't believe how money grabbing they have become – the staff there lacked any customer service, were rude and difficult when you challenged them about how long we had to wait (over an hour and a half).

I was told by their manager on Friday last week that I would have to wait approx 15 minutes to get a table so I was completely misled. One they don't take bookings on the day apparently and then they told me the queue would be minimal but ended up waiting for an hour and a half. I was with a pregnant friend and felt it was unreasonable that she had to stand that long. When I asked the manager for help, he was so flustered he couldn't take it in and was rude and difficult and upset me.

Food is good and yes much better than Brick Lane but by the time we got to our table I had lost my appetite.

The customer service is beyond bad and from what I could tell, the owner has organised bookings and a queue system which they can't manage or maintain and all you have a sense of is they want to take your money, give you your food and straight back out again. I am not unreasonable and I don't mind waiting for a table and in some places it is all part of the experience but it was chaos in Tayabs and the front of house staff didn't have a clue about who was to serve next or what to do. At one point I thought the front of hourse guy was going to have a meltdown in front of us. Doesn't make for a good evening at all.

I wasn't the only disgruntled customer there and I won't be going back (after being a regular for years).

I have lived off Brick Lane and gone to Tayyabs with tables of 5-10 friends every other month for 7 years. I don't bother going to “Brick Lane for tourists” anymore. The food is the best and most authentic in the area. The service is quick and the queue is huge at peak times for a good reason: the food and its amazing value. Note that it is peak times, 7 days a week for both lunch and dinner. My friends keep on asking me when we’ll next go. Go early (6.30-7.00pm) with friends or on Saturday/Sunday afternoons so you can sample more dishes and minimize your queuing time.

Must orders: lamb chops (amazingly marinated), “dry meat” (best lamb dish), “Saag Gosht” (lamb with Spinach), “Bindhi Gosht” (lamb with okra), “Keema Nan” (Nan with minced lamb mixed with herbs), “1 jug of mango Lassi” as desert to extinguish the spices fire. If you don’t over-order you won't pay more than £12/head. Wait until the end of your meal to order the Lassi.

The girl who wrote the previous review must be confused, as I have never ever queued to reorder nor seen my bill before the end of my meal and there is a vegetarian section in the menu.

21/9/08
I was not impressed with the way in which you had to place your order, I would have preferred to have sat down, had a flick through the menu then ordered etc. Well to my surprise you had to queue, order, pay and finally eat. The food was on view. Had to keep askin what's in this etc (not labelled so not good for vegetarians). All food ordered was then brought to the table. By the way if you wanted to order more or even dessert you had to QUEUE again. Have to admit though the food was satisfactory.
Would I go again? hmmm only if wasn't so hungry.