Masala Zone Piccadilly Circus in City of London, Westminster

What a great experience.. We are here with my family ( also two grand kids 5 year old and 8 months) from East coast USA. The moment we entered to the restaurant and till the end, the entire staff’s hospitality was so remarkable. Coming from the hospitality industry, I have appreciated that most. The food and drinks are excellent. I would stringy recommend to visit them.

We used to go to the old, old, Criterion a lot. It was great when Marco ran it, interesting when some Russian took it over and was awful when it went Italian. Now it's an upmarket Indian and I am ambivalent about it. First the decor - it was always maximalist in a sort of Victorian Arabian sort of way and I would have thought perfect the way it was but the new owners have crammed it full of stuff, some of which works and others don't; all in all we gave it 5/10. What we hated was the entrance which used to be understated revolving doors and now looks like a plastic enclosure to a bust stop and gives no impression of the delights inside at all. The staff were all charming and knew how to manage a very busy lunchtime service. 7/10 to them. The food had some stand outs (I loved the bacon naans with spicy brown sauce) but in our tasting menu we had as many hits as misses, nothing that was under or over cooked but in some cases the spicing was too little and others too much. So food was 7/10 It was also rather more expensive than we were expecting, certainly more expensive than Benares and The Cinnamon Club with the food no better than either of those. Value for money 6/10. But what do I know? Jay Rayner raved about it, the place was full when we visited and interestingly over half seemed to be local Indian families and they know their food far better than I do! So, I think you should go and see for yourself, but we won't be bumping into each other as I don't think we would return. Which is a shame because, before the new design, The Criterion was the most wonderful, unusual throwback of a restaurant in London.

Right at the heart of it all. Firstly, the building is stunning and full of atmosphere and buzz. We were there on Saturday and there wasn’t a table to be had. Food was excellent; we could not fault any of the dishes. Drinks a tad over priced but that’s London for you. Quality of food and service makes this establishment well worth a visit … ps the ceiling is mindblowing original decor.

Fabulous food, service and ambience right in the centre of London. The staff were so helpful and very well trained in the menu and service. Food is delicious and prices reasonable. We will be back

Beautiful restaurant in a happening location. This was one of the best Indian restaurants we visited in London. The interior is similar to an Indian palace, the service is extremely good and the food is mouth watering. Menu had popular dishes from various parts of India and picking few out of the many options was difficult. Our evening was well spent here.

Would highly recommend this restaurant for breakfast. We had the bacon and masala omelette toastie nan and Bihari cup omelette, both were delicious and service was excellent.

Amazing restaurant, food and service is excellent, good choice of dishes and Thalis. Had a lovely waitress, very knowledgable and interacted very well with all diners.

Went for late lunch (4.15) before theatre . Didn't realise that main menu isn't served until 5.00 - menu is the 'high tea' based one so not a much choice for full mains . Restaurant room is beautiful - its nicer towards the back as feels more intimate and atmospheric . Service was friendly and professional and servers were able to advise and suggest on choices (that's good ). We both had the thali 1 x butter chicken 1x prawn and had rice on 1 and chapati on the other and then shared . Everything tasted wonderfully fresh and the spicing was excellent - vegetable side dishes were not just co- stars they were up there with main event . Fab dahl . Shared ginger ice cream to finish and that was lovely . Reasonably priced wine and drinks . Great value for this location and the elegance of the room and good friendly service . Would recommend and we will be returning .

Delicious food, lovely service, gorgeous room. We were there for my son's birthday - the staff were very friendly and gave him pudding on the house, which was kind. Great to see this beautiful venue buzzing again. A perfect central London spot.

The interior is gorgeous and the food is excellent. My husband had a veggie biryani which he said was delicious and me and our friend had veggie thalis. This was exceptionally good. We found the service to be both quick and very friendly.

Lovely pre-theatre meal in ‘The Masala Zone,’ which has very friendly and attentive staff, gorgeous interior and lovely food. My partner and I both had a ‘thali’ which is a choice of 4x curries (however, the waitress was accommodating to swap my choice for a Korma as another option as I do not like spic) rice or 2x chapatis, a potato dish (Bombay potato), a dal (which I was able to swap for a spinach and garlic dish), papadom and chutney, and another vegetable dish. I recommend paying the extra £2 for the raita too. Plenty of food, however we also ordered a cheese naan which was filled with cheese and delicious and an onion flower to start which again was fantastic. Overall, thoroughly enjoyed, but the only one thing that was missing for us was some background music for some ambience.

From the outside the building looks like any other on Piccadilly, but go through the doors and it is like stepping into an Indian palace, the ceiling is especially worth looking at. I was greeted and seated by a very friendly staff member. All of the staff were attentive and service was very fast. The menu was slightly different to what you find in most Indian restaurants but that was a plus. I quite liked the idea of the small plates, but had the lamb rogan josh thali. It didn’t look like much quantity wise, but turned out to be loads. As well as the lamb rogan josh I got aubergine curry, dahl, Bombay aloo, popadom, chutneys and two chipatis. It was all well cooked and presented and gave a mix of different levels of spicyness. I would definitely go again

Mazala Zone in Pickadilli is the most beautiful restaurant. The decor is absolutely amazing and very tastefully done. We were welcomed at the door with a big smile and was shown to our table. We have previously been to Masala Zone in Coventry Garden, so we were familiar with the menu. Both myself and my husband chose Thali as it offers a little selection of 5 small dishes of delicious treats. Both the Lamb Rogan Josh & the Butter Chicken were scrumptious. We also ordered 2 side dishes, Onion Flower Bhajia & Punjabi Chicken Wings. Our only complaint was that the 2 sides were unexpectedly cold. I can also recommend the cocktails & deserts. 9/10 Can't wait to visit again next time we are in London. It's definitely our favourite restaurant

It was as good as Jay Rayner said. Lovely luxurious yet relaxed atmosphere, excellent food and drink. A Saturday evening, we well overstayed our 2 hours with no problem.

great experience ! we had breakfast here it was delicious, food was great service perfect . The location is stunning beautiful... you feel so welcome relaxed and peaceful. I highly recommend we come back for sure on our next trip to London

This restaurant is at heat of city and having nice decor as well nicely placed arrangement which led us to decide to choose this place for our family dinner on 11th February 2024. We had ordered many food and found restaurant doesn't have basics of F&B , be it like garnishing food or drinks and serves as if its being served in canteen kind of place. It has seating more than 150+ people on floor and not having aquostic system which can control should to make it pleasant to justify money being spend there. Food was served mild to low hot and seemed it were precooked which was served to table post just oven heating. All the dishes we order were not having authentic indian taste nor it has any good look too. We spent over 370 Pounds but felt like made big mistake by not wasting money but also wasted out good time of enjoyment. I would recommend people who are looking for good and authentic indian should think twice. Most of Western and non indian are their guest who may not be knowing real taste of india,

We visited for a celebration meal for 9. The back office team that deal with group bookings were fantastic and sorted out a special menu for one of our guests with an allergy. The food was amazing, the service impeccable - attentive, discreet and very friendly. Everyone enjoyed the variety of different dishes and a number of the party are already planning repeat visits.

Superb restaurant, large and roomy. Beautiful decor. Food was amazing, chose the lamb rogan josh thali with a selection of lots of dishes and rice. We’ll worth a visit. Service was excellent

In London for the week and we wanted to try Indian food in the area. We found Masala Zone and decided to grab lunch. We ended up ordering the Paneer Makhanwalla, the Butter Chicken, Vada Pau, garlic naan, and pulao rice. Everything was very fresh and delicious. The top notch wait staff was very prompt, professional, and courteous. I highly recommend giving them a try and letting them impress.

This place is so amazing. Interior designed very well. Staff very helpful and friendly. We ate here before going yo the theatre. We enjoyed the food very much, excellent food. Will return again another time. You will need to book as it gets real busy.

We've had a lovely dinner here for my birthday. The atmosphere is lovely, calm and the staff is very welcoming. Allergies are handled professionally by the manager herself. The drinks were outstanding as well as the dishes. Fresh, savory, beautifully decorated. The servers were on...

We had a dinner with the family before enjoying a theater night. The menu has great Indian dishes. They are all well presented and delicious based on the ones we could try. The service was very cordial and fast. The atmosphere is great and nicely...

Looking forward to having our meal here. On entering told to wait at the bar while they cleared the table. Only four tables had diners! We asked the barman for draft lager “what” “umm” “umm” “ask my manager …. He was standing nearby “no draft...

Having enjoyed a meal a couple of times previously, I was looking forward to dining at the Masala Zone last night. Had Karala lamb stew-extremely dissappointing, small portion, half the meat was bone and fat. Extremely small portion of chutneys with our popadoms. 2 meat...

Absolutely astounding from the food to the decor to the service! We walked into a gorgeous Indian palace just off Piccadilly Circus and were immediately transported. The service was discreet, prompt, and detailed - dishes were explained to us along with suggestions, and we never...

The interior is lovely and the food is great but… they are constantly trying to upsell you more food and drinks! They walk past every 2 minutes and take something away or ask if everything is ok! I just want to be left alone to...

My review is mixed, partly between average and very good. The decor is stunning and service was very good. We ordered 4-5 starters, I think the prices were on the high side for portion sizes. £7.50 for 4 pani puri's which I am sure are...

Really enjoyed our experience here, beautiful building inside. The food was delicious we got the veggie platter and had a very good selection. The service was amazing, our server Harshal was very attentive and friendly :) we had the mango srikhand dessert which we must...

We often dine at the Masala Zone in Covent garden but wanted to see their new venture. We visited for an early dinner before the theatre on a weekday so when we arrived the restaurant wasn't busy. For some bizarre reason the host walked us...

Previously, it was Criterion restaurant (downton abbey filming location) and the deco of the restaurant was amazing. The service was very good, the staff were very attantive and friendly. However the foods were average. If you don't like the spicy foods, you may not like...

If you've been to Masala Zone in Covent Garden, you;ll know the food it awesome, but this takes it to another level! Astonishing fitout from what looks quite ordinary from outside...we were blown away by the interior. Good but not the best service (neglectful at...

Fabulous breakfast choices in beautiful building. The ceiling is amazing. Food and service excellent. Everything made from fresh so expect a bit of a wait. Well worth it.

Bad service ruined the entire experience. The manager did not treat us equally and I felt discriminated. The place was half empty but the manager would not let us but he did let an Indian couple sit a a table exactly like the one we...

Great restaurant, innovative interesting and very good food (small plates are what to go for and not so small) service brilliant- really lovely efficient charming staff, very reasonable, no music (yea we could speak). And of course a beautiful restaurant. Thank you for a great...

Very mediocre food and service that turned out to be very expensive. Maybe you pay for the location and the grandiose of the place.

The right combination of tasty food, well serviced in a destination room. Good variety of flavours in the main courses (not full portions, but more than “small plates”). Interesting takes on some familiar starters, generally I preferred the main courses. Excellent value for central London

Best Indian in London. I have travelled far and wide the service and quality of food is the best. asala Zone Piccadilly Circus in London offers an unparalleled Indian dining experience. The vibrant ambiance complements the diverse menu, featuring authentic flavors and a wide range...

The restaurant is so beautiful and the location is quite convenient. I really enjoyed the food and the price was reasonable!

Poppadoms were awful - sooo disappointing - like shop bought Very pricey & small portions . Lovely restaurant/ambience but food not as amazing as reviews said - lovely staff but got confused over part of the order resulting in a very pricey starter.

Absolutely stunning interior, busy with lots of people having a good evening and the food was amazing. And very good value,very affordable in central London. Recommended if you enjoy Indian food.

Beautiful setting. Friendly efficient staff. Fresh, tasty food and good size portions. Reasonable prices. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic food and ambience. If this is your first time and you are not sure what to order I would Reccomended a thali as you will get to sample a variety of accompaniments along with a curry. The naan bread, grills, chaat, masala drinks -...

The food was ok, nothing special, but good enough considering the price point which was reasonable value for the location. The dining room is impressive from a visual point of view, less so for the ears, a cavernous space with bad acoustics and nothing to...

Great for a celebration and special meal. The food was lovely and the drinks were great. I had the lamb thali which was delicious. The service was excellent and the surroundings beautiful. Can't wait to go again.

You could not ask for a more convenient location - right on Piccadilly Circus! The interior is stunning. It is fun to visit such a vibrant and colorful restaurant. Our service was good, we frequently had a member of staff at our table checking in...

Absolutely loved this place, we booked it almost A month ago for my sons 18th as wanted to go somewhere special. I’ve visited the one in soho before which I’ve enjoyed but the Piccadilly one is exceptional. There’s a great vibe, the staff where very...

The food was amazing, the service was excellent and the restaurants overall look was gorgeous. We were expecting a lot less then what we got from all of the above. We were greeted right away, got a nice table at the front part of the...

The setting alone is worth a visit & the food is wonderful too. The service is attentive without being intrusive. Along with familiar Anglo-Indian staples there are specials & the starters are spectacular.

This is a really good restaurant considering it's right in the middle of Piccadilly Circus where restaurants are usually terrible and overpriced. Here, the prices were decent for the area and the food was good too. The service was very good and there's lots of...

Wow, so Jay@Guardian hyped this place, and bless him he was way off based on our experience. For the first time pretty much ever in 59 years on planet I thought, this is so bad that I am not paying! But of course being British,...

Beautiful setting, pleasant friendly staff and excellent food. Everything was just right - samosa and bargie starters followed by excellent Thalia. Wine was good and at a fair price. Already booked for a return visit to try the evening service.

Food was delicious, service amazing and staff so polite. lovely atmosphere and would return to try their wide range of foods.

Great location in central London, spot on service, but most of all the food was delicious (I had the vegetable Thali) as were the cocktails we tried.

What an amazing experience from booking, to food to service and surroundings - five stars! The lovely Anna, could not do enough and worked hard to accommodate all our different requests when I was booking We warmed up with a large and comforting cup of...

🎉My hubby and I had an incredible time celebrating his birthday with a mouthwatering Indian lunch at Piccadilly Circus! 🇮🇳 The flavors were out of this world! 🔥 The Sharing Grazing Selection featuring Bombay Sprouted Lentil Bhel, Bombay Pao Bhaji, Delhi Jalebi Chaat, Punjabi Chicken...

We ordered 2 starters the Punjabi vegetable samosa which to my surprise was quite different and tasty compared to others I have tried before (I normally don’t order samosas when we go to a restaurant). The Lucknow Dahi puri was average. For our mains we...

Fantastic food and the best service. The people that work here are so friendly and sericeminded. The restaurant is absolutly a Beautiful place.

Booked here after reading review in Guardian - and were not disappointed. The interior is simply gorgeous - very sparkly and eye turning in every direction. We were seated right at the rear of this large restaurant; divided into 3 large dining areas but actually...

What a fabulous restaurant. The food was delicious, the service efficient and friendly and what a beautifil venue. Thank you team Masala Zone - we will be back for sure.

A good night out with long lost friends We used to work together , and had lost touch . Some had gone overseas It was 35 yrs. Later , we met Restaurant was perfectaly located for access to all , being 2 mins from Piccadilly...

My friends and I, there was 8 of us went there last night for a birthday meal. We had a great table in the middle of the restaurant. The restaurant decor was lovely and charming. The food was tasty, some of us had a Thali...

Amazing venue. I went here with a group of friends (7 in total) and we ALL had a great time. Firstly I'll start with the greeting on arriving at the restaurant. There was a short queue which moved rapidly - but a lot of people...

I would have given 5 star rating for the food, that was brilliant. The reason for me only rating this a 2 star is simply because we had to tell the waiter to stop harassing us. Within a minute or two, we were asked a...

This place is just amazing. Interior is authentic and stylish, food is better than you can even imagine. It was one of the best experience in Indian restaurants

The room is iconic, the staff are great and the presentation of the food is good enough to delight even the most hardened trout faced influencer. Fine dining however this is not..its great value for the tourist heart of London and flash enough to impress...

Restaurant was nicely decorated, staff friendly and the food was delicious but we were so rushed - 3 courses in 45 minutes. Fast food ! Such a shame

My friends and I went to the Piccadilly Circus restaurant for my birthday party and the service was fantastic. The staff accommodated our birthday cake, provided candles, offered to take pictures for us, were very attentive about orders and we did not feel rushed at...

We had the seven dish sampler, two deserts and one cobra beer. The bill was 78 including service. The service was good. The restraunt is very deep and the ambiance is quite special. We had window seat, but probably the least interesting place to sit....

The only good thing about the place is the are in the famous space of the former Criterion Restaurant and you can see still some of the features of the other place. Overpriced drinks, food wasn't anything excepcional. They overcharged us when we pay and...

Food was absolutely lovely, we had the butter chicken thali and it was amazing, full of flavour. The waitress explained everything that was on our plate and explained that this was how Indian people ate. Staff very attentive. Decor inside the restaurant is beautiful. Well...

Amazing food with great flavours! A wide variety of options from different areas of India. Amazing service with very helpful and polite staff. Amazing ambience and beautiful decor. Highly recommend to anyone coming to London!

Place is very nice with some cool interiors, however felt the food is not customizable. The food is very high in chillies and kids menu has only one no chilli option. All kids menu foods were medium chilly based. Simple drinks like tea are also...

We had a lovely dinner experience at Masala Zone at Piccadilly Circus. We walked in without a reservation and we even asked to be re-seated before ordering our food - and the staff accommodated us with a smile. They also took our allergies seriously and...

Excellent choice of food. Super service. Great location and fabulous decor. Highly recommended. Went here with my daughter prior to going to a Westend Show. Ideal location and great friendly and knowledgeable service. Definitely go back again.

Been waiting for the resurrection of the old Criterion and Masala Zone Piccadilly pulled it off. Fabulous, vibrant interiors. Great atmosphere and buzz even though we booked early. Fantastic Indian food reasonably priced. Service was excellent. Highly recommend Masala Zone Piccadilly.

This famous London dining room has been re-sculpted into something incredible. The interiors are layered with delight, every aspect of the space is visually interesting to make this an exceptionally special dining experience. Of course being a Masala Zone, although every restaurant is individual, the...

This spontaneous visit turned out to be one of the best I’ve had in a while. My partner and I couldn’t believe what we tasted. The butter chicken was creamy with just the perfect amount of spice. My partner’s lamb rogan josh was even better....

Went for dinner with one of my girlfriends at this new opening - it did not disappoint. The food, staff and décor is all lovely. We were helped by the staff to make selections for drinks and food and we just loved the whole vibe...

We have long been fans of Masala Zone and have visited all of their restaurants over the years. This is a new opening in the Criteron building next to the theatre in Piccadilly Circus. The decor is outstanding and you just can’t stop looking and...

We are regulars at Earls Court and could not wait to come to the newly opened Piccadilly Circus venue! Outstanding. Amazing fit-out, delicious food, friendly staff. Three of us shared 2 x curries, 1 x biryani and naan bread and this was ample food. Easy...

Great food, beautiful interiors and great service thanks to Rohin. Would definitely return when in London again.😊

Great atmosphere, great food but above all great experience! I went to the new branch in Piccadilly with low expectations as it is a new opening. I completely got amazed by the service provided and the high quality of the food. Georgeta has been very...

Stunning decor that matches with food. I had thali and all the small dishes were full of flavours. Service top notch and managers are very friendly. Will definitely come back

I made a reservation at this restaurant following the recommendation of my friends, everything was perfect wonderful food

Just spectacularly good, real Indian food at its best. Highly recommended. Rare to fond the real deal almost everywhere

The Criterion restaurant directly behind the statue of Eros in Piccadilly Circus has never looked better. Its opulent neo-Byzantine interior now supplemented with oriental art and wooden elephant sculptures has become home to the latest branch of Masala Zone a small chain of Indian restaurants...

I went here twice to decipher whether I liked it or not! The service from management is so so Fake that it makes you uncomfortable. However, the actual staff are decent in comparison. The food is decent enough but nothing spectacular! It’s very average and...

The food is good quality, even if dishes are prepared for a multicultural client rather than original. Prices reflect the prime location and decore. Staff is very nice. All in all OK for a tourist area, but would not return

Good Indian restaurant: the atmosphere was very nice, and the dishes were very tasty. The only drawback would be the speed of service (we had to wait 30 minutes for our empty plates to be taken away, and another 20 minutes to get the bill)