The story
The Tamil Prince is an Indian restaurant at 115 Hemingford Road in Barnsbury, London, and it was named Michelin Recommended in 2026. It occupies a former pub in Islington and has become a favourite with knowledgeable locals.
Chef Prince Durairaj, previously at Roti King, set the place up with JKS general manager Glen Leeson. The kitchen leans toward the southern states, with Tamil Nadu at its centre, though a few northern dishes make the menu. The Good Food Guide also listed it in 2026, remarking on the brio in the cooking.
Meals might begin with fried prawn and curry-leaf varuval in a sharp, spicy paste. The chana bhatura is a huge puffed bread served with chickpeas and raita, and it tends to turn heads. Chettinad lamb curry has real depth and tender meat, while the Thanjavur chicken is just as zesty. Paneer arrives in small chunks in a butter masala. Order the roti, which is superbly buttery. Gulab jamun finishes things with a firmer texture than usual.
Dark walls and a weathered bare-wood floor set the tone inside, with counter seating at the bar and a bamboo-shielded terrace out front. Cocktails and mocktails use Indian flavours, and the Piña Colada is rebooted with cinnamon, toasted coconut and lime zest. Wine starts at £29 a bottle (£8 a glass). Water comes in repurposed gin bottles, and a mango lassi is there if the meal has been heavy.
Recognition
Ambience
Details
History
Occupying a former pub in the Barnsbury quarter of Islington, this regional Indian restaurant has become a huge hit with knowledgeable locals. Set up by chef Prince Durairaj (previously at Roti King) and JKS GM Glen Leeson, it offers a smartly attired interior featuring dark walls and a weathered bare-wood floor, plus bar counter seating and a bamboo-shielded terrace out front. As the name indicates, the cooking is at least partly oriented to the southern states of India – and it displays plenty of brio. Proceedings might start with fried prawn and curry-leaf varuval, dressed in an assertive spicy paste. Hailing from the northern reaches of the Subcontinent, the huge, puffed chana bhatura (deep-fried bread accompanied by chickpeas and raita) is something of a showstopper. Returning to Tamil Nadu, the Chettinad lamb curry has impressive depth of flavour, with exhilarating spicing and tender meat, or there is an equally zesty Thanjavur chicken dish. Small, candy-like chunks of paneer are the stars of a butter masala. Durairaj's previous experience shows in the superb buttery roti, an accompaniment that should not be missed. To conclude, gulab jamun is unctuously sweet (as expected), but with a firmer, more satisfying texture than is typical. If that seems a bit much after the substantial preceding dishes, look to mango lassi for refreshment. There is some sound drinking on offer too, with cocktails and mocktails boasting Indian flavours – the rebooted Piña Colada with cinnamon, toasted coconut and lime zest is a doozy. An imaginative wine selection opens at £29 (£8 a glass), while water is served in repurposed gin bottles.
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