The Tamil Crown

The Tamil Prince team are back with a second gastropub – perhaps no surprise given the phenomenal success of the original. Slightly isolated from the bustling heart of Islington, you’ll find The Tamil Crown down a quiet, residential street, but the peace of the outside disappears once you step through its doors. Hit with a warmth and the spiced aroma of burning incense, at its heart it's a classic pub – dimly lit with leather chairs and a wood panelled bar that splits the room in two. Upstairs continues the casual atmosphere but it feels a bit crowded, the kind of place where you’ll get cosy with your neighbours.

The menu, however, is what sets the place apart from your traditional pub. Lime leaf-roasted chicken was the first dish to arrive, a delicately cooked interior that contrasted the spice-crusted skin and was really enriched by the addition of the sweet pineapple chutney. Okra fries followed – it's the kind of place that brings out plates as and when they’re ready – and whilst they were salty in a golden, crispy batter they lacked flavour (and by this point we’d already finished the tiny pot of chutney).  

The coconut prawn moilee takes longer than other dishes but its rich and creamy lemongrass sauce makes it worth the wait. Although it’s over far too quickly with ‘large plates’ that don’t live up to the name. A melt in the mouth Chettinad lamb was also one to order, although it’s the addition of the buttery, flaky roti that really brings everything together. A crepe-like texture and sweetness that balanced out the spice of the curry. Dessert, a mango lassi, was bland and quite forgettable, lacking in the fruity tastes that were expected.   

The cocktail menu is pretty substantial for a pub. The Gunpowder Margarita packed the punch it promised, although other drinks come in rather small glasses, so you’ll probably only get a couple of sips before reaching the bottom. It may have only been open a couple of weeks, but it feels like The Tamil Crown is already a local favourite and we can see why. 

Housed in a centuries old pub, you may expect the Tamil Crown to be something of an understated evening out, usually with what we call pub grub and ordering pints. However, the Tamil Crown is the second site for the team that dreamt up the Tamil Prince, and is more of a restaurant, just in a pub setting, serving delicious and authentic Indian food. Over two floors, the upstairs dining room being more traditional, and the ground floor split into one half for table service, and another with a fireplace and casual seating, the Tamil Crown is a cosy and friendly environment.

Small plates are very popular amongst discerning guests at the Tamil Crown. Try the okra fries paired with onion bhajis, and lime leaf roasted chicken and pineapple chutney. There are also dishes of bhel puri and beef masala uttapam with a spicy coconut chutney. It's clear to see that even the smaller dishes at the Tamil Crown have taken the core of traditional Indian food and given it an incredibly delicious twist.

Large plates include the aubergine curry, mango sambar, thanjavur chicken curry and robata lamb chops. Although the menu is vague, and just describes each dish in a few words, you can be sure that you'll enjoy them with the most satisfying flavours, crafted by the talented hands of the chefs.

Imagining a pub in London, you wouldn’t be wrong to think up a deliciously heart roast served on Sundays. Well, the Tamil Crown have taken that popular tradition and given it an Indian twist. On Sundays, enjoy the Tamil roast, whether opting for the vegetarian dish with sambar, potato and peas masala, coconut stir fried cabbage, mixed veg avial, gobi 65, mango pickle, basmati rice and roti, or the masala roasted chicken with the same sides, you may not want to go back to eating turkey and stuffing again.