Tandoori Tower, London’s oldest Indian restaurant is a natural fit for the historic Tower Bridge area. When Israaf Ali lit the charcoal in their Tandoor oven, for the first time in 1978, he could never have imagined that 45 years later, the flame would still be glowing bright, and that delicious, soft, slightly charred, naans would still be peeled off from the searing walls; and that his grandson Suhel Ahmed would be at the helm of one of London’s the oldest curry-houses.
Customers are greeted with an enticing bar with carved wood screens. The main restaurant space is gorgeous and inviting with its crimson and gold décor complementing the wood flooring, tables and the Indian artefacts. As a reviewer, I have grown accustomed to smiles and special treatment so when our waiters beamed at us and took away the menu away in favour of ‘tonight, you’ll be sampling our choice of food for you’. I was not surprised in the least. But, I was surprised to see that they were doing something similar with all of the punters. No, they don’t magically remove the menu card, but they gently encourage the guest to ensure they make the best choice for them.
The waiter at the table next to us asked if the couple would mind ordering a little less, ‘You can order more later if you want’. Whatever happened to the old, ‘Is that all, don’t you want an extra naan with that?’ which always makes me feel mean and guilty for considering the economic impact of food waste.
So now that we have established Suhel and his team as my new heros, what about the food? While the family next to us was enjoying Onion and Kale Bajis with Masala Chips, I warned you that all tastes were customised for, we savoured our Mocktails, popadoms, pickles, chutney, tamarind and raisins sauce. Following that, we were served perfectly seasoned creamy Butter Chicken, delicately spiced, Tandoori Mixed Grill, rice, and a Tarka dahl. The flavours were delicately balanced, and the ingredients were of the highest quality.
There is no need to be concerned about the heat from the chillis since we are either accustomed to it or the blend of Indian cuisine and western taste has finally found its stride, tasty without making your nose and eyes run. Though, I am sure that if you ordered a Naga Curry, the team would make it for you. As for me, I can’t wait for the Tower Tandoori ‘heritage menu’ to arrive next year.
Phone 020 7237 2247 -https://www.towertandoori.co.uk/
