Glen Leeson and Prince Durairaj are set to open a flagship Soho site for their faster-paced Indian restaurant brand Tamila next month.
Tamila follows the success of sites in Clapham and King’s Cross, which are positioned as a marginally more casual counterpoint to Leeson and chef Durairaj’s London desi pubs, The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown.
The Soho venue, like its siblings, will focus on Durairaj’s South Indian heritage, with a menu expected to include dishes such as Thanjavur chicken curry and Chettinad lamb curry. Small plates, breads – including the new-for-Tamila garlic coriander naan and kulcha – tandoor-cooked meats and a range of vegetarian dishes will also feature.
Drinks will include Indian-spiced cocktails such as a Gunpowder Margarita, Tamil Negroni and Charcoal Old Fashioned, alongside a house lager and a concise draught wine selection.
Located on Poland Street, the restaurant will open from lunch to dinner daily and span two floors, with a ground-floor dining space and bar, plus a separate basement area available for private dining and group celebrations.
“Soho has always felt like a playground for some of London’s most exciting and much-loved restaurants, so opening here has been a real dream of mine,” says co-founder Prince Durairaj.
“It’s such a special and energetic part of the city for hospitality, and I feel incredibly grateful to be bringing Tamila into the mix and rubbing shoulders with places I’ve admired for years.
“We’ve spent a long time shaping Tamila Soho, from the interiors to the menu and drinks offering. This feels like a big step for us, and we really hope guests enjoy what we’ve created with the space.”
To mark its Soho pre-launch, Tamila will partner with nearby hotel Broadwick Soho on a curried masala lamb pinsa, available for six weeks at Bar Jackie. £1 from every pinsa sold will be donated to The Cycle, a Tamil Nadu-based charity supporting water restoration, dignified sanitation and menstrual health.