A lively basement Indian restaurant in the City with strong lunch and dinner appeal, generous menu breadth, and standout hospitality—but a meaningful minority of diners report rushed service, cramped seating, and hit-or-miss dishes.
The India delivers solid neighborhood Indian dining with a memorable underground setting that genuinely appeals to City workers and visitors seeking an intimate escape. Food quality shows real highs on signature dishes like lamb chops and paneer, but inconsistent execution across visits and occasional complaints about muted flavors and cold plates prevent grade A territory. While the distinctive basement room is a genuine draw, moderate uncertainty exists due to review authenticity concerns — patterns in the review data suggest encouraged feedback — making it difficult to fully trust reported quality metrics.
The India sits in that pleasingly old-London, down-the-stairs kind of space where the dining room is half the story. Reviews keep circling back to the basement setting: cosy, intimate, a little hidden, sometimes atmospheric enough to feel like a secret and sometimes dark enough to make people reach for their phone light. One diner called it a “hidden gem,” while another admitted the room felt more cave than restaurant; both are basically right. On the plate, this is classic City Indian dining with enough breadth to please a crowd: tikka masala, biryani, thalis, paneer, kebabs, lamb chops, and richer chef’s specials. The best reports are enthusiastic about the lamb chops, dum gost, paneer dishes, and fresh naan; the weaker reports complain about sweetness, blandness, or portions that look smaller than the price tag suggests. In other words, it’s not a formal tasting-menu place, but rather a lively, full-service curry house with a few real hits and a few predictable safety plays. For families, the menu is friendlier than the moodier basement vibe might suggest. There are plenty of familiar dishes kids can actually eat here — naan, rice, tikka masala, butter chicken, samosas, and even a vegetarian thali — and one family of six said they were well accommodated. That said, this is still a spice-forward, below-ground restaurant with a busy, sometimes rushed service style, so it works best for children who are happy with proper Indian food rather than picky eaters wanting plain pasta and fries.
Area vibe: Major financial centre with corporate offices, historic landmarks, and limited residential feel.
Safety: Generally safe and well-lit with good evening foot traffic on weekdays but quieter on weekends.
What's nearby: Near Cannon Street station, St. Paul's and Bank; surrounded by office clusters, lunch spots, and a few historic churches.