Thattukada London — Restaurant in London

Update after today's visit (6 months after the initial review is separated at the bottom):

A lot has changed, it seems a young energetic guy is at the forefront. The menus have also updated (the pics I attached are the old ones from the initial review). This guy is quite attentive and seems to handle a busy packed restaurant well. The menu is presented way better and we were able to customise the options (for example the parotta and appams which come as sets of 2..he said we can also order them as single pieces if we'd like, he's really good and explains everything nicely). The waiting times on the food is quite long...expect a 20 minute wait or even longer but still totally worth it!

As for what I recommend...the Chicken Devilled, King Prawn Roast and Kerala Beef Roast (all of these are highly recommended). You need to pair those meats with some carbs so you should try these with Kerala Parotta (this will taste different to the Parottas you get from most Indian restaurants as those aren't done in the kerala style), Biriyani or Vella Appam...you actually want to try all 3 of these if possible so go with a few people so you can share.

Unsure if it counts as a dessert but the milk Appam was sweet and delicious (my partner found it too sugary and a bit artificial in taste)...but I have no limits when it comes to sweetness in desserts so if you're like me then you'll like this...the milk we got wasn't sufficient so we asked for more and they brought it in a small tub (it's a type of sugary coconut milk with coconut pieces mixture)...to be honest that on its own was like a dessert for me and I just directly ate everything from the tub

They don't have much of a drinks selection other than Chai and Lime juice but if you never had Indian Lime juice then make sure you give it a try as it's sweet and delicious (a must try)

I've removed the recommendation of the Karimeen Pollichathu (fish), it was good and presented nicely but quite small for the price...gladly the cost was cheaper than what's stated on the menu but still very small (used to be several times the size many years ago).

expect to eat with your hands which is normal there...a lot of the foods will probably be easier if you do as well. They won't bring cutlery unless you ask.

Few things I'd like to see added is to have tissues at the tables ready, and also to have a tissue dispenser by the sinks to dry out hands after washing them.

It runs a lot better than before, well done!! 6 months ago: Food is an easy 5 stars! definitely a must try but several things to keep in mind regarding the service... You won't get seated...you need to ask for each thing including a menu and water...I waited ages for the menu and they work with tunnel vision so you'll have many attempts to get their attention if you need anything. Also the menu prices aren't up to date.

Regardless of the service the food is amazing, btw expect to eat with your hands which is normal there...a lot of the foods will probably be easier if you do as well.

For the main I recommend the Chicken Devilled, King Prawn Roast, Kerala Beef Roast and Karimeen Pollichathu. You can have this with Kerala Parotta, Biriyani or Vella Appam. They don't have much of a drinks selection other than Chai and Lime juice but if you never had Indian Lime juice then make sure you give it a try as it's sweet...

They allowed us our birthday cake and played music for us; they are nice people and that's what saves this review from being a 1 star.

I don't blame the waiting staff; they clearly haven't been trained properly, they don't seem to understand English, walk away mid-conversation and go and have long chats with other tables, they don't seem to be taught the menu or how to respond to simple requests, nor any awareness on time taken or on which customers arrived later than others.

The chefs are also lacking; food was burnt dry and was bitter, drinks did not come out until we repeatedly asked, that too only one by one, not to mention the food took so long that our drinks were finished by the time one main arrived and that was cold by the time the other mains arrived. The portions were small considering the prices. It's a shame because I habe been looking forward to visiting this place for a while.

Again I believe the staff there are genuinely nice and happy people, always smiling and friendly. This saves the review. I can't give it a negative rating. However, I really might not be visiting again. I understand the need to hire staff that speak Malayali and Tamil, however it completely cuts out the rest of the world when the staff can't understand the customers needs.

It doesn't have to be this way, I don't blame the waitresses, it is that the managers need to provide bettee training based around asking about common customer needs and requirements and being able to understand questions about the menu. I am sure that many South Indians and Sri Lankans may enjoy this place and deservedly so; it must be really pleasant when the staff actually commumicate with you.

I wonder if I will give this restaurant another chance in the future. I hope that by then some improvements...

I would have given a perfect 5-star rating due to the exceptional taste of the food. However, the service I experienced was extremely disappointing, to the point where even in India, waitstaff are not known to behave in such a manner. Upon entering the restaurant, we were perplexed by a woman who seemed to be aimlessly wandering around. It was unclear whether she was a fellow customer or our assigned waiter. After approximately 5 minutes, she finally approached us and stared at us until I explicitly requested a table for two. I won't delve into excessive detail, but her performance as a waitress was truly subpar, leaving me with an immediate desire to leave the restaurant. Clad in a red plaid shirt and jeans, her approach to delivering the food was lackluster, as if she simply wanted to hand it over and be done with us. On a positive note, the owner was incredibly kind and pleasant. We would have been much happier if he had been the one to serve our food. When dining out, it is far more enjoyable to receive your meal from someone who is courteous and amiable, unlike this particular waitress. I would gladly return to the restaurant if she, or any other staff member resembling her behavior, were no longer employed there. ‘Just for the one from the restaurant who would be reading the review - it was on a Sunday (16.07.2023), about around 10:00 PM...