Machan Kitchen in Islington

Nice restaurant with decent food and friendly staff. Great for an office lunch!

🌴 Machan Kitchen 🌴 Where Sri Lankan cuisine comes alive! 🌟 Dive into a culinary adventure that will transport you straight to the beaches of Sri Lanka 🏝️ Must-Try Dishes: Starters • Bratty Sprat: Crispy, crunchy and oh-so-addictive! 🐟 • Mutton Rolls: Spiced to perfection, these rolls are a flavour explosion! 🌯 • Bitter Guard Salad: A refreshing twist with a bitter-sweet surprise! 🥗 Mains • Spot the Goat: Tender goat curry that melts in your mouth 🐐 • Butter Prawns: Juicy prawns in a creamy, buttery sauce 🍤 • Kajugama: The BEST in the world, a must-have! 🌟 • Hoppers: Sri Lankan heritage on a plate 🍳 • Parippu (Red Lentil Curry): Comfort food at its finest 🍛 Sides • Parata Roti: Flaky, soft and perfect for dipping. 🫓 • Coconut Roti with Coconut Chutney: A coconut lover’s dream 🥥 Desserts • Watalappam: A spiced caramel custard pudding that’s pure bliss 🍮 • Kiri Pani: Silky yogurt drizzled with golden honey – a sweet escape 🍯 Cocktails • Arrack Attack: A punchy, tropical treat 🍹 • Mount Lavinia: Smooth and refreshing 🍸 • Mahavali: Exotic and exhilarating 🍷 The chefs at Machan Kitchen are true artists, crafting each dish with passion and precision. 👨‍🍳 The staff? Simply the best - friendly, professional and dedicated to making your dining experience unforgettable 🌟 Come for the food, stay for the vibes. Machan Kitchen is not just a meal, it’s a journey!

This place is a revelation. The food is fantastic and the staff are incredibly friendly. I’d recommend this place to anyone who likes a good curry but wants something a little different.

“Had an incredible meal here! The Sri Lankan flavours were spot on, with just the right amount of spice and really fresh ingredients. The staff were lovely, and the place had a really cosy, friendly vibe. Definitely recommend the kottu, the gourd salad and “The boss” – they were amazing! Can’t wait to come back. Five stars!”

Tasty food and excellent service

Delicious food and great value for money

Really good food! Asked the boss for recommendations he is good at that:)) Very welcoming service too!!

Very friendly service and very tasty food

We came at lunch time when it was quieter. The waiter was very helpful and attentive. We had the crab and fish of the day curry. Both were delicious.

Food exceptional, service shocking. Table wasn’t ready when we arrived, food was quick out but then waited 40 minutes for our bill (after asking for it four times). No apologies for the delay - probably wouldn’t come back.

I booked for a work meal for 15 people. The food and service was brilliant. Everyone had a great time, and would definitely go again!

Modest restaurant with excellent food, drinks, and service. We ordered Chillah and The Chicken Situation, excellent dishes both. I also ordered the Kendy Daquiri, which is a beautiful drink, one of the better ones I had during my trip. I would visit again in a second.

Highly recommend - food is delicious, cocktails are great and the service very friendly. Also really good for vegans/vegetarians :)

The best fish curry I have ever tasted, fresh white fish slices sitting in a gently fragrancd curry with a hint of coconut and herbs. So good 🧡 truly 5 star restaurants, can't wait to return for my next culinary treat. ✨✨✨✨✨

Came here tonight, being an avid curry fan and was privileged to try the curried goat, along with a pork curry and an assortment of well cooked rice, sides and starters. Everything was delicious but the curry goat was without a doubt the most delectable curry I have ever eaten. Highly recommend this place. The staff were lovely and the bitter gourd salad is a game changer 👍🏻 Sinan the manager was also lovely and deserves a bonus.

If you’re looking for the best authentic Sri Lankan dishes, I have to say Machan Kitchen is the place. As a British-born Sri Lankan, I always have cravings for the dishes my mum made when I was growing up, and this definitely hits the spot!

Literally the BEST restaurant. Authentic Sri Lankan cuisine and lovely service. Come here all the time 😋

Third visit here a hidden gem of a place. Don’t walk past. The food here is outstanding what would I recommend? Well after multiple visits everything but especially the desert watalappam.

Lovely dog friendly with a consistently good quality food and service, so good we went for a round of starters and drinks which came to around £25 per person.

AMAZING. I had the seafood platter to myself and I was in heaven. Such lovely service. And the cocktails were also epic. Love spicy food and all the amazing authentic flavours. Highly recommend.

This place knocks it outta the park. The crab curry was delicious. The curry is a very dark savory dish that has just the right amount of heat and spice without being aggressive. We will be back!

I had an incredible experience at Machan Kitchen in London! The Kottu was hands down the best I’ve ever had—perfectly seasoned and packed with flavor. The Goat Curry was rich, tender, and absolutely delicious, capturing the authentic taste of Sri Lankan cuisine. I also tried the Old Ceylon cocktail, which was the perfect blend of refreshing and bold flavors. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making it a great spot for anyone craving a true Sri Lankan dining experience. Highly recommend

Really nice food and great service. Really worked hard to accommodate my mum who can’t eat gluten.

Food was delicious. Great range of dishes and wonderful, attentive hosts. Had some dietary requirements and the manager Sinan was incredibly thorough. This wouldn't be worth squat if the food was mediocre but it was extremely enjoyable. The vegan aubergine dish was as great as sold and my brothers were high praising of the crab curry. Strong recommendation if you're in the area.

Delicious food, taste like home food! The yoghurt dessert and Wattalappum were excellent!

enjoyed the beef curry and fish cutlets! rice is enough for 2 people

Hands down one of the most authentic and delicious spots in London for Sri Lankan food. The sprats and kottu are fantastic and a must have. All the staff and managers are wonderful and it has a lovely cosy vibe.

Food is really nice with good vibes and services :)

The food was incredible. The service was really homely and attentive. They were great with our kids too - especially Sinan ! All round wonderful experience.

Amazing delicious food and service

Best Sri lankan menu and delicious food I ever tasted... 100% recommended for those who love sri lankan traditional food....!!!

Absolutely wonderful food. We had the jaclfruit cutlets, chilli paneer, kaju/cashew curry, kottu, egg hopper, paratha roti and coconut roti. Everything was absolutely delicious and completely gobbled up, great service and speedy delivery. Lovely ambience and decorations. Highly recommended. My 2.5 year old loved the chilli paneer and paratha.

great food and great service! the kothu is super tasty

Amazing place! Delicious food, with many veggie options. The people were súper kind

Amazing food, the service is great, the people are really kind, and the ambience is beautiful. We had one dish each with rice and bread and paid 16 each, so pretty good. I came across this restaurant by chance and loved it. Highly recommended if you are in the area.

Best curry in London. Perfectly seasoned, come on!

The establishment offers a delightful ambiance and delectable cuisine. I personally savored the Chlilaw and egg rice, but we also sampled a diverse array of starters and main courses. Notably, there are ample vegetarian options available. I highly recommend experiencing this establishment.

For indian looking for a change, it's the perfect place. The good feels so homely, the food is not very overwhelming. Reminds me of my mom's cooking. Light and delicious 😋

As a Sri Lankan, this is the best authentic Sri Lankan food I’ve had outside of Sri Lanka! Delicious food and cocktails, I couldn’t recommend more!

It was my husband's big birthday & as his heritage is Sri Lankan, he was looking for a London-based Sri Lankan restaurant for a big family lunch. He settled on Machan Kitchen and this turned out to be a great decision. The occasion exceeded our expectations: the food was fantastic, the staff couldn't have done more for us and looked after our group of 26 people as if we were their own family. Highly recommended for small casual meals (which we have regularly had) as well as a large party such as this one.

Went in with high expectations given the very good reviews and ratings. Food was okay, but nothing special. We had the chicken situation and the fish curry with the fish curry being the better of the two albeit both quite one dimensional. Service was a bit chaotic with seemingly not much communication between staff. However the staff were friendly and accommodating.

Absolutely good!! I am not used to spicy food so this was a bit difficult to eat for me but it was very delicious.

My husband and I visited the Farringdon location, and we tried the bitter gourd salad, lotus curry (our favorite!), goat curry, red rice, coconut roti and coconut chutney. Everything was delicious, and the servers were very kind and hospitable! Would definitely recommend

Superb food, really authentic, great service. Very enjoyable!

Nice, cozy place with good eats. Really enjoyed the kottu dish, which is similar to the kothu paratha I’ve had at south indian places. Other dishes were good, but not great. My friends personally did not enjoy the food, but I did - maybe the cuisine is more familiar to me. Overall, a good place, but the cuisine might be a bit too novel for some.

Wonderful food, staff and ambience, at great prices. Could not fault.

Amazing customer service and delicious food. Authentic Sri Lankan taste

Delicious food! Ordered the fish of the day curry, green beans with garlic, red lentils and jackfruit curry- all excellent. Excited to try the other dishes next time!

Excellent customer service from Sinan

Very accommodating, friendly and polite. Lovely service and the manager Sinan is so welcoming. I would definitely come back again.

Gourd salad is really nice surprise. Super refreshing, bitter and sweet! And egg hopper is unforgettable too

Lovely affordable Sri Lankan restaurant! The curries were delicious and aromatic! The goat meat was super tender! The fish complemented well with the coconut-based curry! The Kottu again was super flavourful!

Food is amazing, staffs are friendly.

Excellent excellent excellent Sri Lankan food. Excellent service and beautiful decor. Unique spot. Recommend.

Amazing food and fantastic service! Nice vegan selection-

Excellent food and great service! Get the black pork

Lovely restaurant in a convenient location! The spot the goat was so tender and the host was so friendly!!! Would definitely come again :)

Cozy restaurant, subdued atmosphere (sheltered from the tumult of London). Curry and stew are there, you will not be disappointed!

Amazing food! Had the chicken curry and it was absolutely delicious. We found this restaurant because of all the good reviews and it didn’t disappoint. Lovely staff as well :)

Excellent food! We had the crab curry and fish curry of the day 10/10!!!!!!!

Phenomenal food, great service, lovely atmosphere

Discover Sri Lankan cuisine thanks to this restaurant! The whole service is very friendly and the location in central London is also very convenient. I recommend this restaurant on your next visit!

Superb moment and discovery of Sri Lankan cuisine! A little spicy for the flavors but affordable for us who are not regulars! I recommend!

Had an amazing and authentic dinner experience here tonight. Both food and service was excellent and the staff were so lovely and attentive. By far the best Sri Lankan food we have had in London that resembled home. Will be back!

Great staff, great fun, great fun

Good for vegetarian, but the goat gave the people who ate it food poisoning—I would avoid the meat. I had this place on my list for months but unfortunately it wasn’t the best

Very helpful staff and lovely food made lunch a great experience. Get the guava juice cocktail wont regret it

Very attentive service, delicious cocktails, incredible food (although quite spicy!!!) highly recommend

The food and drinks are amazing! First time here, but definitely will come again! 🥂

One of the best Sri Lankan food I have ever had in London. The mutton roll is a must try! Aubergine curry was excellent - super flavourful. Wide range of options for my vegetarian friends. I’ll definitely visit again!

The chilaw crab curry was amazing the crab meat was soft and well flavoured. Highly recommend! The Passion fruit,lime lemonade was so delicious and refreshing this will now be my favourite drink

Great food and service! Full of flavour and nice portion sizes for the price (one rice is enough for 2 people, we ordered too much rice!) Would definitely come back again.

The service was lovely, the food was delicious and not too spicy. Loved the coconut roti.

Excellent Lunch with the ladies

Absolutely bursting with fantastic flavors. Good service and atmosphere. I’d definitely recommend coming and will be back. I recommend the hopper, calamari, goat, everything! Delicious!

Delicious authentic Sri Lankan cooking. Well spiced and tasty selection of Sri Lanakan specialties. Super friendly service and great cocktails. Thank you!!!

Very nice food! Looking forward to coming again soon

A great place for Sri Lanka food in London, just a short walk from Farringdon station. The service is great and food just taste like being home. the mocktails are quite interesting

Really tasty reasonably priced meal. Bitter gourd salad was delicious. Attentive service. Will return for sure!

Great place with a lovely staff. Easy access as well. Worth trying out if you are a fan of Sri Lankan cuisine.

Awesome Sri Lanka cuisine. The curry with fresh Coconut Sambol was delicious. Will definitely go there again next time I am in London

Food is tasty and is suitable for all tastes. Curries are mild enough for normal tastes, although people who only eat butter chicken may find it still too spicy. Every dish has a unique flavour and portions are not very big, so a wise thing to do is gather friends and share. Friendly service team is ready to answer questions and the general atmosphere is chilled too.

Tasty currys, in a welcoming location.

Great curry, wonderful staff, reasonably priced, couldn’t ask for more

Great food, very authentic! Yummy cocktails Excellent service

Delicious food, really enjoyed it here. Will be back! ☺️

Food is amazing! Try the bitter melon salad and the curries!!!

Delicious food and great service!

Such a lovely dinner. Food was excellent and the manager was so kind. The service was great, definitely a hidden gem!

Amazing food. One of the best restaurant in London. Everything we tried was delicious.

Excellent food- the mutton rolls and chicken situation is amazing. Really recommend!

Great service and food - thank you!

Very good and not expensive food, good service

Lovely little authentic Sri Lankan cuisine. A lot of vegan and seafood options.

Great evening, great food, great value

If u are looking for authentic Sri lankan food in city ,this defo the place to go with family and friends who enjoy and miss having sri lankan food! The Chilaw prawn with red raw rice was mind blowing.. the jackfruit cutlets are must try and also batu malu aubergine was perfectly cooked with the right spices ... defo one of the best lankan food I had 🤍 wattalapam was a delicacy . The ambience and the service was top notch..do not miss out x

Found this restaurant and wanted to give it a try. The restaurant has a lovely atmosphere and the service we received was excellent. The food arrived at a reasonable time. The taste was very authentic. We ordered a King Prawn curry and the portion was extremely generous and was the best prawn curry I’ve had in any restaurant. Loved everything about this restaurant. Manager Sinan has been extremely helpful in guiding us what to order. Will definitely be returning soon.

Fantastic, good quality and price food. Amazing experience

Food was delicious! Good level of spice, lots of flavour. Had the crab chaw, egg hopper, chilli paneer. Try them all, and try everything else too.

The food was incredible, very quick service lovely atmosphere. Very good value for money too! Will definitely be coming again.