The Tamil Group’s popular south Indian concept Tamila has opened a second restaurant just a two minute slouch from King's Cross. This split-level site follows the same fast-casual approach as its sibling, serving traditional South Indian food for a modern audience. Also like its south-of-the-river sister, it boasts a canteen-style dining room that houses a tightly-packed jigsaw of tables and booths, only this one also has a seductive bar-dining room downstairs, filled with amber tones and ambient lighting that teeter on the verge of special occasion territory. The beauty here is that you could pop in for a curry and a roti in 45 minutes, or sit for a few hours over cocktails and sharing plates with a mate (or date). So yes, Tamila King’s Cross has levels that aren’t just physical.
We plonk outselves downstairs, tucked into a cosy booth, and admire the space while slurping on a smoky, tequila-heavy Gunpowder Margarita. Not everyone will enjoy the close-knit, small tables set-up, but there's an intimacy to the experience that feels fun and relaxed.
The menu comprises a reasonably-priced list of Tamil big-hitters: flaky roti, tasty street food snacks, dosas, curries, breads. Over ordering would be easy to do, but the team recommend about five or six to share. We try a tangle of freshly fried onion bhajis with a cooling mint chutney, plus a chilli cheese dosa moulded from a comforting mix of molten cheese and crispy edges. Chana masala, so often the sum of its parts, is rammed with smoky, heavily spiced ammo. People wax lyrical about Tamila’s rotis, and they are fantastic. Flaky, buttery, addictive rounds that are delicious on their own, or for mopping up chutneys and sauces.
You could easily eat well at Tamila for less than £30 a head, AND be full - a miracle in London these days. In fact, it just might have it all: cracking food, punchy cocktails, electric vibes, and a price list that won't make you weep.