Lahore Karahi

You know when you’re really looking forward to a great curry. that was me when we went to Lahore Karahi one week night. The restaurant was packed, so we thought we couldn’t go wrong!
Unfortunately, it left me so very disappointed. My chicken jalfrezi was tasteless and the chicken was dry. My boyfriend had the lamb dhansak — slightly more flavour but the lamb was chewy and fatty. I’ve had some great curries in Tooting and this just didn’t come close to hitting the mark.
The keema naan bread was by far the highlight, but not worth going back for.

Lahore Karahi was once the best on Tooting High Street but now I’m not so sure. It has recently had a refit but it still retains the café style and is certainly not a place for those looking for fine dining but that is reflected in the prices.
It is always packed out so you need to catch it at the right time to avoid a lengthy wait for a table. The service has always been a little slow but they have now taken to forgetting to bring certain things we order and when we BYOB they offer glasses but never bring them. When its on form there is no better curry in London but recently the standard seems to have dropped.

Great food excellent choice. Delicious naan bread. I found the level of chilli a bit much for my tastes next time I go back I will choose mild dishes. This is real Asian cooking as the local Indians & Pakistanis eat here. Bring your own drinks as they do not serve alcohol. Your can by drinks from the Lidle store on tooting high street across the road.

large servings, nothing special compared to other places if youve been to some, like captain da dera, accomodating staff, busy place, especially at late nights, easy to find, about 7 minutes slow walk from brixton station **¥

Worst restaurant ever. Food swimming in grease. Terrible customer service. Ordered Marsala mutton on the bone — it was all bone, no lamb. DON’T GO!!!

I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I had the chicken methi, which was delicious! The staff was so helpful, friendly, and patient. They were recommending dishes to us and service was very prompt. The price was great for the quality, I will definitely return next time I am in London.

One of the best curry houses in London, the food is quite consistent. The only thing is, it recently got busted for hiring illegal immigrants so it looses a star for that. I haven’t eaten there since I heard that news but I think I would still go back.
It’s always super busy but it’s worth the wait for a table. Plus it’s BYOB which makes it so much cheaper.

This was the first curry style café in tooting and has had lots of reviews in articles.
Its always busy with lots of staff. Its not for those looking for fine dining it really is a café style place serving curry etc,
You can bring your own alcoholic drink but i prefer the mango lassi but they will give you a pitcher of water if you ask for it.
It can be cheap and cheerful £2 for a kebab roll or you can order a full spread.
It it very spicy and i love their tandoor lamb chops.
There are a few of these style of places in tooting now but this and «Roti» are my favourites

I could wax lyrical, I don’t think I need to.
I liked it, I’m going back. I like the bright light and the takeaway counter in the downstairs dining area. Yes they are busy, but they are well staffed too. Just come an chill out and order several dishes with a group of friends.
Don’t expect too much more than being well fed on a small budget and to leave with spicy tingling lips. We’ll be going back … soon.
Oh and it’s BYO too.

We took some out of towners here for a classic British curry experience and it totally met expectations. The star of the show were the lamb chops. I have a great photo of my friend gnawing on the bone but I won’t embarrass her by posting it.
We also had the Karahi chicken, chicken jalfrezi, tarka dal, and saag paneer. All delicious.
Service was spotty but would you expect any different?

If you want to eat until you pop for really cheap– this is your place!
Seems that everyone else knows this secret too. And the food is good to boot!

I first came to Lahore Karahi about 4 years ago after a colleague said this was hands down much better than Tayyabs. From what I remember, the grilled lamb was really good. Definitely a 4 star experience.
I came back recently as I’ve had to hit up Tooting frequently to get my punjabi suit tailored — I came back for lunch on the weekend. We ordered paneer pakoras (really good and surprisingly big portion. And had chicken biryani (okay, a little greasy), weekend lamb stew special (I forget the name — it’s something they only offer on the weekends) — it was really good as it just melts in your mouth but it was a surprisingly small portion and a little on the greasy side, and last we had the okra — which didn’t taste very fresh. I’ve knocked it down to 3 stars ‘cuz I didn’t feel too great for the rest of the day. Not because it made me sick or anything but it was that really heavy — couldn’t digest it too well feeling. Now I’ve got a pretty tough stomach as I’ve abused it quite a lot with street food but my friend who had all of the same dishes felt the same.
I’ll come back to have the grilled stuff again but I’d be cautious about ordering some of the other stuff.

There was nothing wrong with my food. The fried cheese was good, samosa– meh a bit on the heavy side; butter chicken and peshwari naan, good. Not amazing, not the best but good. Also, I thought their veggie curries were REALLY expensive. Usually I get veggies because it meant I got 2 small curries for the price of 1 big one, but it was only like a pound cheaper here. And, I know we are in an «ethnic» area; I do know some curry items but seriously what’s with the no description thing? I don’t expect you people to come to China Town and order from a Chinese menu WTF?
The 2 star clincher– We waited over 30 minutes to order and then another 30 or so for the food. They forgot our pompadoms (and seriously, I personally think these should be offered while you look at the menu). The sauces look suspiciously like they were merely topped up and not changed between people– you know people actually double dip their foods? The service was (and dude I am Chinese, I understand the lack of service) beyond non existence and I have serious doubts about the cleaniness of the place (Again, playing the dirty steel made asian stomach here– I normally have no qualms about eating from dirty places where they essentially rinse the cutlery and crockery in a bit of luke warm water, but this seriously gave the impression of dirty dirty dirrty)
Considering most of the stuff was precooked this was unacceptable. No one makes me wait an hour for dinner. Not even Heston Blumenthal (well, that’s because he wants to give my table to someone else).
In the battle of Tooting curry VS East End Curry: So far East End is winning.

Best curry in Zone 3. I come here every Tuesday night, close to midnight, with a bunch of regulars. We get the papadam, peshwari naan (it’s sweet and scrumptious), chicken tikka masala, butter chicken, saag paneer, and a whole host of other dishes to rotate through. I have never had anything to complain about, although some dishes are better than others. I’ve eaten at a few places nearby, and would say this is the best in the neighbourhood. Rizwan, the proprietor, has a great sense of humor and is quite kind. The TV plays top 40s Bollywood music videos.

I was 9 years old when my mum took me to try this curry she frequented while she was in uni, and ever since then I haven’t found a curry house that lives up to the standards this place has set. I have since lived in America, but every time I come back to London, this place is always on my list of places to visit.
The Chicken Korma is one of the best dishes I have had, and still tastes as good as when I was 9 years old. Rich, creamy and just plain delicious. Their biryani is also delicious and their garlic naan goes really well with any dish. The mango Lassi washes down any heat well and tastes great.
Just make sure to order the chicken korma and you will feel at least satisfied, if not elated with your visit here.

This used to be a favourite but standards seem to have slipped. The service is always friendly and it has a lovely neighbourhood feel.
Lamb chops were disappointing. Only thing I really enjoyed last time I went was the sag paneer.

I love Indian food, but I don’t get why this place gets such good reviews.
I’ve had Indian food in five countries across three continents, and this is the worst by far. The food is bland, the service is beyond terrible, and the place is REALLY cramped. (Don’t fit tables in a place just because you can!) There are much better places close by this location. Save yourself and go somewhere else!

Anyone who knows anything about London curry will give Brick Lane a pass and head way out to Tooting for their masala fix. To me, there are only two real choices out here– Mirch Masala and Lahore Karahi, conveniently located within a block of each other.
Zoe makes a good point about the demographics of this place — looks like their customers know a thing or two about curry.
I mostly eat veggie, which is a shame as their meat curries look outstanding. I can say that their karahi channa is the best I’ve had, including the subcontinent itself. Onion bhaji is an item to avoid though.
BYOB, service with a smile (and a wink), plus truly memorable food. And cheap! My girlfriend and I can eat there for under 10 pounds combined.
Just don’t show up when there’s international cricket on. You’ve been warned.

There is nothing fancy about this place, but it tastes great and most of the customers are Indian or Pakistani which is always a good sign. There is a constant stream of people filtering in and out for sit down meals and take aways. The portions are generous and the food tastes fresh and even healthy at times. Beware though, the spice is intense in some dishes. You may need a mango lassie to cut the heat. And here, the mango lassies are particularly yummy – not to sweet and not too thick.

A friend took us-​a party of five-​to what he called «a take-​out with seats» and we were led through a brimming full open kitchen counter with dozens of items on display and a large seating area to upstairs to a quieter room with larger tables. We ordered several dishes off their extensive menu. Soon the small bowls of delicious morsels arrived.
The veg Samosas were fresh and crisp, and were a delight with the sauces provided on each table. I found none too spicy, and did like their Mango Chutney the best.
We ordered Masala Lamb Chops, Chicken Tikka Karahi as well as Tikka Masala Karahi, Chicken Korma, Keema Aloo, and Chicken Jalfrezi. Their Chicken Tikka Masala Karahi was the best dish I had in a long time, and would bring honor to every chef! Chunks of tender chicken in a balanced, thick, tasty sauce that was sublime! It was one of the occasions where one could «lick out the bowl» — and the best dish I’ve had for a long time (being a lover of creamy sauces)!
They allow beer and wine to be taken in, but we drank their delicious juices (Passion, Guava, Mango) and the Masala (spiced) tea.
Service was very friendly, and they went out of their way to provide us with an excellent dining experience. A must-​go if you like Pakistani food, or like to try succulent dishes that are a pleasure to the taste buds.