Tayyabs in Tower Hamlets

Fantastic as always, organised chaos with excellent food and excellent vibe. Curries & BYOB, what more could you want?

Tayyabs is a brillant curry house with lots of character and as been here for years. Plus you can bring your own alcohol to drink there aswell. The food was amazing and the service was very good when in town this place is a must visit.

Lamb chops good Rest of their gravy dishes are not that good

Food was so unflavoured, no spice and bland seasoning. The waiter gave us salad and popadoms when we sat down but later charged us £2 for them even though we did not ask for it. How you going to charge someone for something they didn’t even order? Had to take the horrendous 12.5% service charge at the end and the waiter “tried” to embarrass us and speak louder when we didn’t want to pay for unjust service. Also they charge £5 for a side of rice which is absolutely crazy. Avoid at all costs.

One of the good restaurants in London, their food is relatively better than other restaurants around central London. You can bring your own alcohol there

Over rated restaurant relying on its reputation. I’m sorry but there are much better authentic Pakistani/bengali/Indian restaurants in London. This is not one of them catering for majority ‘city’ staff. Rude waiters, long waits without apologies and distinctly average curries. I will not return.

Went with family to find some authentic Indian food for dinner and it didn’t disappoint. Very tasty food, freshly prepared and reasonably priced. The service was quick and friendly. Great for a curry dinner if you’re looking for a place in Whitechapel.

Very spicy food. Never go for set meals. In a group we felt a bit like they delivered 6 set meals but charged for 9 and no way to validate exactly how many they actually delivered.

I was quite disappointed how staff make horrible comments in there native language

Great food - The mixed grill was absolutely delicious.

Top Asian (ind/pak) restaurant in whitechapel & East london.

Rapid service and delicious. Reasonably priced as well. Highly recommend.

Amazing food!!! Really recommend the lamb chops!

Best punjabi food in London. Great atmosphere and buzz inside.

The food and atmosphere as well as the service is amazing. the food is cheap and well priced and the quality is above average. The staff are very fast and efficient while serving food and are quick to take orders. Had a 15 min wait and it was smooth sailing from there onwards.

Wanted to go here as I'd heard it was the best in East London. Upon getting there the host laughed in my face when I asked for a table for 1 - i didn't realise a solo woman eating out alone at 5.30pm on a Wednesday was that hilarious I guess? I awkwardly laughed along but it got to the point where it was clear he was laughing AT me. Curry was fine - although £4.95 for the rice was some wild pricing. Naan was delicious. I would have preferred more spicy heat in the curry but he didn't seem too interested in listening to me when I asked for it to be on the more hot side of medium - pretty sure I just got medium. Lots of chicken in the curry which was nice and the flavour was good. Everything apart from the rice was reasonably priced.

It is the Indian restaurant that we enjoyed the most in London. The food is great, the facilities are cozy and the service is fast and attentive. They don't sell alcoholic beverages on site, but you can bring your beers or a bottle of wine for a fee. There is a wide variety of dishes, including vegetarian. We ask for a little of everything to share

Finally managed to organise coming to Tayyabs restaurant. Starters were amazing! Lamb chops, chicken tikka and the kebabs were all great! However we were disappointed with the main courses. Naans were nice and freshly made. However a lot of oil was used in all the curries. Meat did not taste as good as the starter meats (v chewy). If I was to come back or recommend I would only say to get starters (mixed grill).

Tayyab’s has a big reputation, so I had high hopes—but unfortunately, it just didn’t live up to the hype for me. The chicken karahi was a little too mild, and the meat karahi was let down by quite a few fatty bits. The lamb chops and chicken tikka were nice, to be fair, but not exactly game-changers compared to spots like Lahore Karahi in Tooting. The prices felt a bit steep for what you get. Nearly £5 for a portion of rice that’s barely enough to share, and £2 for an average naan? Let’s just say I’ve had better value elsewhere. The £3.50 250ml glass of boxed Rubicon juice didn’t exactly scream generosity either. The masala fish was full of bones, which made it hard to enjoy properly. And while I don’t mind a service charge in principle, the 12.5% added to the bill didn’t feel justified given the overall experience—I politely asked for it to be removed. I visited after seeing the Best Ever Food Review Show recommend it, so I brought a few friends along, but we all agreed it didn’t quite meet our expectations. Not bad, but not worth the hype, either. A bit more care with the seasoning and portion sizes could make a big difference! Oh, toilets - DISGUSTING

Good authentic option. Service not great.

As fantastic as ever . Good quality cheap eats packed full of flavour. The dry meat curry is a highlight.

Came here last when I was a kid... a long time ago... it's as amazing as I remember it but bigger and busier than ever. The curry was as perfect, freshly cooked bread and the staff are super friendly. We got a lot of food for our money, looking forward to coming back again soon.

I recently visited Tayyabs with a group of 15, and I must say I was quite disappointed. As it was my treat, I was excited to introduce everyone to what I’ve always heard is a great spot for punjabi food. Unfortunately, our experience fell short. We ordered a variety of dishes, including lamb chops, chicken tikka, lamb karahi, and chicken tikka karahi. While the lamb chop masala had a good flavor, the meat was tough, chewy, and overcooked—almost inedible. When I mentioned this to the waiter, he suggested the chef might have used mutton due to the large order, which is quite shocking. Both the karahis (lamb and chicken) were extremely bland—there was no depth of flavor, and I honestly questioned the authenticity of the food. I’ve had punjabi food many times, and this was far below the standard, leaving me concerned that the restaurant may not be staying true to its roots. The lack of spices and seasoning made me wonder if the restaurant has changed management or chefs over the years. I was also told I could’ve complained and had the food replaced, but with such a large group and kids who were already hungry, it would’ve been both a hassle and quite embarrassing to ask for the platters to be taken away after people had already started eating. What also stood out was the demographic of the restaurant—almost entirely non-South Asian customers—many of whom likely wouldn't know the difference between basic curry house offerings and authentic pubjabi dishes. As a Pakistani, I felt genuinely embarrassed that people were leaving thinking this is the standard of our cuisine. I hadn’t been to Tayyabs in over 12 years, and sadly, I won’t be returning anytime soon. The food did not do justice to the rich, flavorful experience that Pakistani cuisine should offer. I hope the restaurant can address these issues, but until then, I cannot recommend it.

Don't know if we hit it on the wrong day/time but lamb was chewy dry curry was tough -exceptional flavour but not what we remember it to be; hard work to eat it.

The sheekh kebabs were great. lamb chops at this place use to be better unfortunately has dropped but overall meal was good . We was seated promptly but we asked to be moved and the waiters were helpful n quick in doing so .

“An extraordinary experience from start to finish! The mixed grill was a masterpiece—each cut of meat was perfectly cooked, tender, and bursting with flavor. The variety and seasoning were exceptional, catering to every palate. The staff were truly amazing—attentive, warm, and incredibly professional, ensuring every need was met with a smile. Their recommendations elevated the meal even further. The ambiance was inviting, and the service was flawless, creating an unforgettable dining experience. This is a place that sets the gold standard for food and hospitality.

Dry meat & mutton seekh are my favorite. They don’t serve liquor but you can BYOB.

Great place to take your friends. Any problem for me was it was too busy. Too much noise from other tables but other than that overall was a lovely night.

Don’t really understand the hype around this place. The food is okay - we got two different curries and they both tasted pretty much the same. They were flavourful but nothing special. Although the lamb chops were excellent and the naans were very tasty. The service also wasn’t great - I arrived at the restaurant slightly early compared to the rest of my party and was ushered to a table despite telling the staff that I would wait in the waiting area until they arrived. I was then repeatedly told that the time for the table starts when I sit at the table and they needed the table back ASAP. We were then rushed through the meal very quickly. The BYOB policy is great - but be warned that smaller off-licenses nearby sell bottles of Cobra for £4-5 so I’d recommend buying from elsewhere (cold bottles are usually sold out at the nearby Tesco).

Food was average. Starters came out with the mains which is quite strange since I thought it was normal for them to come out one after the other like a normal restaurant. The host that seated us was probably the only nice person there since we were later told that “you are here long time “. Rude. Oh and they were sneaky by giving us a naan bread that we did not ask for *underneath* a naan we did pay for.

Remembering when I last visited the restaurant 14 years ago, I loved that Grilled lamb chops, with Korai gosht and a roti, I envy that moment Today i visited with my wife to taste the same order but guess what? It was all precooked in big pot, worse to keep away is that my wife ordered king prawn korai and the prawns I left it because that wasn’t cooked enough to taste right.. Spent £133 including service charge. AVOIDING In future

I have been visiting Tayyabs as a student since late1990s. Good food always. Loved the lamb chops.

Terrible, chaotic place. Food was very ouly base sauce Indian. Would never go back. We felt so processed. In and out in 1 hour. Just awful

Enquired if all was fresh beforehand and we have all had stomach aches/issues since. Taste and quality was nowhere near how it used to be in the past.

Tayyabs food is fresh, plenty of, authentic. The restaurant gets busy, so book early and unless everyone shows up (as per your booking) you won't be seated. Before you are seated you end up standing around someone else's table, almost intimidating them to finish such that you can be seated there. When you do sit, at a table, table service is systematic and like clockwork staff ensure you are welcomed whilst giving you space to enjoy your meal. Tables are cleared quickly for the next guests who are already breathing down your neck. The process repeats. More attention should be given to the experience of dining in, with ~385 seats this place is about rotating volume of bums on seats.

Awful place. Didn’t honour our reservation for 19 people. Had to find an alternative last minute in the pouring rain

Subject: Concern Regarding Glass Usage at Your Restaurant Dear mr ceo of Tayyabs I hope this email finds you well. I am writing to express a concern regarding an incident that occurred during my recent visit to your establishment. During my time at the restaurant, I observed that glasses previously used for serving alcohol were being reused to serve non-alcoholic beverages. As a customer and a Muslim, this raises a significant concern, particularly because there was no acknowledgment or disclosure of this practice to patrons. Given that your restaurant is owned by fellow Muslims, I had expected stricter adherence to ensuring such matters are handled with sensitivity and consideration for Islamic dietary practices. I trust that this matter was not intentional and that it might have been an oversight. However, I believe it is important to address this issue to maintain the trust and satisfaction of all your customers, especially those with specific dietary and religious considerations. I kindly request that you review your practices to ensure that such incidents do not occur in the future. Clear communication and a strict separation of utensils used for alcohol and non-alcoholic beverages would greatly alleviate any concerns. Thank you for taking the time to read my feedback. I look forward to your response and any steps you may take to address this matter. Best regards, Mr javeed

Hectic place, food off the chart. Go.

Still amazing. 6 years after our last visit

Tayyabs, located in the vibrant Whitechapel area of London, is a renowned Pakistani restaurant that has earned a loyal following for its flavorful and hearty dishes. Known for its lively atmosphere and exceptional service, it stands out as a prime destination for those craving authentic and rich South Asian cuisine. The restaurant’s menu offers a wide variety of dishes, from sizzling grills to aromatic curries, all made with high-quality ingredients and traditional spices. One of the standout items is their iconic seekh kebabs, which are perfectly spiced, juicy, and tender. The lamb chops are another fan favorite, delivering a smoky, charred flavor with just the right amount of tenderness. The chana masala and dal tarka are also highly recommended for vegetarians, showcasing the restaurant's ability to prepare balanced and flavorful meat-free options. Tayyabs is also known for its impeccable naan, freshly baked and served piping hot. The tandoori naan pairs wonderfully with their rich gravies, making it a perfect complement to the robust flavors on offer. The portions are generous, ensuring that guests leave satisfied. Despite its small and bustling space, the restaurant’s atmosphere is lively and welcoming, though it can get quite crowded, especially during peak hours. Reservations are highly recommended to avoid long waiting times. The service is generally efficient, with staff being friendly and attentive, though they can be a bit rushed during busy times. Overall, Tayyabs provides an authentic and satisfying dining experience, combining great food, vibrant energy, and excellent value for money. It’s a must-visit for anyone looking to explore the bold flavors of Pakistani cuisine in London.

our first time going here wasn’t good. the food got cold really quick, the food didn’t taste right either all seemed old food with lots of oil just sitting around, one bottle of water costs £3. the whole place was really cold we got placed with people who were partying and couldn’t hear each other talking and the waiter only came once as well. the food after gave me and my dad a stomach ache and problems. wouldn’t recommend this place.

Great place for desi food. Choose the spice level carefully. The time to serve and take order requirements carefully needs a bit improvement.

2024 December experience We recently had our Christmas dinner at Tayyabs with work colleagues and booked a table for 9 people three weeks in advance for 5:30 PM. Unfortunately, the experience fell far short of expectations. When we arrived at 5:25 PM with six people, the manager refused to seat us, insisting that the table would only be provided once all nine people had arrived. Despite explaining that the remaining three were on their way, we were made to wait near the entrance. This was frustrating, especially considering we had reserved the table well in advance. Once seated, we encountered further issues. The waiter informed us that all food had to be ordered at once—starters, mains, and desserts. After some negotiation, they agreed to bring the dishes in sequence, starting with starters, followed by mains. However, when the food was served, everything was brought out together, creating a chaotic dining experience. Adding to the disappointment, we were asked to leave before finishing our meal. The staff suggested packing our food as takeaway, citing the busy Christmas season and the need to accommodate other waiting customers. This felt rushed and disrespectful, especially as we had booked ahead and were expecting a relaxed dining experience. This was the second time we visited Tayyabs for a Christmas dinner, and unfortunately, it will be the last. The lack of customer care and the disorganized service make it hard to recommend this restaurant for work gatherings or festive occasions. For future Christmas dinners, we’ll be looking elsewhere. 2023 December experience The service was bad we have booked the table online and after visiting restaurant the staff told only set menu was available and initially they rejected to serve the A la Carte menu. Then another manager has come then he accepted to serve after some discussion. May be staff can see that customer preference is the priority we were 8 people on the table so they should have realized that set menu or A la carte would pay them the same. Starter's were really good especially the Lamb Chops, Masala Fish, Paneer Tikka, Chicken Tikka. Mains the Garlic Naan, Plain Naan and Curry's are really good especially the lamb and chicken curries is recommended. Rice items we had pilau rice and meat rice both are not good, dont recommend to anyone felt like the rice is cooked in Microwave so felt like microwave rice. The biggest thing is you can get your Drinks from outside and can have inside the restaurant.

Kebab lacked decent flavour, chicken was overcooked and was generally over spiced and I'm indian

Ok for office or group, not for couples Noisy and rowdy but good value for money and can bring your own alcohol

The food was amazing, the menu was a little bit confusing for me however the staff helped me and the atmosphere was good.

Food was good and came out in good time but the service from the ‘Assistant Manager’ was appalling! Had expressed to him if they could do something for my friends birthday and he said yes but to let him know when. Great! However, his main priority was to flirt (so badly) with the table next to us that he completely forgot about our table. When one of the girls from that table had expressed it was her birthday, well then it became a huge thing! Candles with indian sweets and the whole restaurant to sing happy birthday! Despite gesturing to the bar staff that I too need a birthday surprise they shrugged it off! Completely ruined any special moment for my friend because the so called manager thought he had a chance with some drunk girls! Embarrassing!! Can definetly say never come here for special occassions!

First of all it seems they separate white and Asian people, I thought it's 2024 not 1950. We ordered lamb chop and pokora for starter, after two minutes the main came, bad planning looks like we need to eat fast and leave. The lamb chop was like chewing gum, the pokora without salt. For main we had lamb and chicken. The lamb tasted just tomato and beyleaf, absolutely disgusting. The chicken had no flavour, I am true when I saying, the only tasty was the garlic and coriander naan. To be honest this was my second worst experience.

Went for a family birthday celebration. On arrival, the reception person struggled to find our reservation. Once he located it, he said that some of our party were already here and that our table was upstairs. We went upstairs, they not there and so we asked again and were then told downstairs. We went downstairs and could not find our family and were told to go upstairs and to the right. Still couldn't find them, we asked again and were told to go downstairs again! We then found our original greeter, and he again said upstairs. We tried again, still no luck, so we called our family, and they said, "we are in the basement!!!" This place is chaotic and overcrowded with tables. The very hard-working waiting staff kicked my chair every time they passed me because the tables were so crammed in. We felt totally processed and were in and out in 1 hour and felt forced out. No dessert offered. The food was average. I had paneer to start, which was good, but the Chicken Korai was swimming in oil and typical 'base sauce' Indian food. My tip would be to balance cramming guests in and turning over tables quickly against getting repeat business. None of us would ever go back.

Good for Team lunch, and as I really need spicy food so I asked them to make it spicy, and additional salt for made it more Enjoyable.

Yummy food and fast friendly service.

we showed up 10 minutes early from our booking and were told to wait for a seat, we followed up lots of times and then an evil man said we were 30 minutes late for our booking and couldn’t be seated unless we paid £40 each for a set menu (it was 30 minutes after our booking, we had been waiting in the restaurant for 40) people that showed up after us were seated straight away m. AVOID!

Waited 45 mins for a pre booked table, was told hat out party of 8 would have a table of 6, . Getting served was a mission, then once the food arrived, felt very rushed as they wanted to spin it to the next group. It was Noisy, over priced... there are better places in the area, wont go back again.

Decent food but they were trying rush us on the hour. Spoiled it to be honest.

Service needs to be improved ,some people having attitude issues

Really downhill since the great heights of Tayyabs era, almost an hour to get a pre-booked table, having to shout for the front desk to even notice you. Service is no existent now, had to shout to order and once the final bill came, they were very hesitant to take off the service charge, making you walk downstairs to see the manager. Nearly 4 hours to from table reservation to actually finishing. Not worth the hype anymore unfortunately.

It was a cold, windy night in Whitechapel. Myself and George venture to Whitechapel to seek out a delicious Ruby. We were greeted by a spectacular array of lights outside the building and we walked into a bustling restaurant. We were greeted by many waiters who ordered us around the restaurant each time thinking we were getting closer to sitting down. In the end we waited around 30 mins to be seated even though we arrived at our booking time. I was so parched I opened a can perched on the stairway. However, when we finally got seated the food out of this world. Great first sign was the size of the chutneys and assortments that came with the poppadum's. I then opted for some paneer all of which I ate. George's starter was the chicken Tikka which I must say was very succulent. The main event was the mixed grill and lamb curry. Both superb, perfect level of spice which we washed down with a bottle of Spanish plonk and a few Cobra's. All in all a cracking Tuesday night. The only other slight downside was there should be more guidance given on the menu as we had enough food for four and George is having curry for the following days lunch and dinner..

Perfect for a quick work lunch. Had the dry meat dish and pilau rice... very good. Service was very fast. Done and dusted in 1 hour but would recommend booking as it was very busy. Will go again when in the area.

Excellent food but can get overcrowded

Amazing! I would travel way out east to eat here again! A simple but well executed menu, with great atmosphere. The place was bustling on a Tuesday evening

Simply amazing food. Service was as good as the food. Waiter had patience and great recommendations for this naive American.

I don't like people throwing things on my table, that is rude, customer service very bad unless you look super rich

Down hill big time. Food is not nice any more. Prices are ridiculous. Service??? Don’t get that any more. There are better places that taste better.

Buzzing place, constantly busy. Be prepared to wait for table, eve if booked

Really disappointing evening. Took us 50 minutes to get seated for our prebooked meal. Complete chaos at the front desk and was told by the manager that it was our fault for our wait. Food was fine but not really worth the stress, I wont be returning.

Lovely customer service the food is greatI highly recommend.

Should have higher rankings than it does, but that's our secret. Flavorful, not just spicy hot. Depth of smokey, combination flavors. Staff is efficient, used to serving big groups. I will be back!

Food was mediocre, service was strangely aggressive and rushed. We were a large table for a Christmas party and they had overbooked themselves in every possible way, meaning they didn't give a shit about service, just turnover, and the atmosphere was loud, frustrated and overall not fun.

Been coming here for years and food is amazing

Food was great. Table service was also very good after we sat down. It took us over an hour to get seated at our table despite reservations and placing a deposit for our group. When we arrived it was horrific, there were huge queues where we were unable to move, definitely a fire safety risk, staff were unsure of where to send people and we were being sent on wild goose chases. Massive detractor from our team night out. Really disappointed. Have previously had lots of great nights at Tayaabs. Won’t be returning any time soon.

I recently visited Tayyabs in Whitechapel, London, and unfortunately, my experience fell short of expectations. Upon arrival, the restaurant was incredibly crowded, packed with people enjoying drinks (they don't serve alcohol so you had everyone bringing their own and drinking at the entrance inside and out of the door). This might have created a lively atmosphere, but it was also causing significant disorganization. No one greeted us at the entrance or inquired if we had a reservation. Despite having booked a table in advance also paying a £100 deposit (now, I know why it's requested - so you cannot leave), it took an hour of persistence to finally secure our spot. We were redirected to different people on multiple floors, going back and forth with no clear guidance. The atmosphere was chaotic, and it was difficult to figure out who to speak to. When we were finally seated, the food was not to my liking. While I understand taste is subjective, I feel that spiciness in dishes should still be balanced. Here, the spice overwhelmed everything else—it felt like a challenge straight out of a hot wings competition rather than a carefully crafted meal. Additionally, some dishes lacked salt entirely, and the food was overly oily, suggesting that the quality may have been compromised in favour of large-scale preparation. To their credit, we refused to pay the service charge and they accepted their issues and mismanagement. To sum up, while the bustling environment might appeal to some, the disorganization and unbalanced flavours left much to be desired. I hope the management addresses these issues to improve the overall experience for future diners.

Had a booking for 20:15 on Thursday 5th December. Absolutely rude service from Omair when asked to be seated. Took over 30 mins to be seated. What’s the point of booking. Very rude and disrespectful service from Omair. Once seated table service from Ibrahim was flawless. Don’t think will be coming back.

Booked a month ago for a work team night out, party size 9 for the 5th December. When we got there the place was absolutely chaotic!!! A queue to get in, people who had booked for much earlier still waiting to get seated, it was a disaster. I was told to speak to the floor manager who was nowhere to be seen. A real let down.

A total disgrace of an experience at this place that seems to put their income before customer service!!! From before the visit to the end was a disaster. Our group was made to feel pressured on time arrival, then through the extremely rushed meal. We didn’t even ask for the bill when it just arrived (£370 for 10 ppl) whilst eating the only dessert option offered Kulfi ice lollies despite our set menu offering a choice. Nobody asked us to choose. Asher bill came, litany one minute later the waiter arrived with payment machine so they can clear us from the already half cleared table. We were prob not even seated for 1.5 hrs for a 3 course meal. They didn’t even let us finish out wine, and on complaining they asked us to wait downstairs only to find out no glasses were available to finish our drinks. Downstairs was choc-a-block - eventually staff went to coffee shop for glasses for us to finish our wine - that s also outside the . I would never attend this restaurant nor recommend it - a total rip off and money grabbing joint. Never experienced such a thing in my 50-a yrs I’m UK. A shame on Asian cuisine and hospitality. Even a single star is not justified. I personally kept quiet as I was with a company event and didn’t want to sour the mood but felt a gross injustice to keep quit about it, hence toss review!!! I only hope the establishment learns from this not to take its customers for granted!

The food might be good but despite booking more than a month in advance and despite a hefty deposit, we never managed to be seated. We waited about 45 minutes outside in the rain while inside it was total chaos. We got no explanation from the staff.

We went for a celebration diner and as a large a group, we were given the set menu. However, I'm very pleased to say that the food was still fabulous and the service was excellent. The only downside was that we were seated upstairs and one of our group had mobility issues. Plus, there were two others groups and one was quite rowdy even at 1pm in the afternoon. I've eaten here before and would definitely dine here again.

As a current in-patient at Royal London Hospital. I was beyond delighted to find such a fabulous curry house so close to the hospital. Our first visit on a Friday saw three out of four friends having the lamb biryani ( the main “ Dish of the day” and ordering another portion of the unctuous sauce. Lamb chops and a couple of somosas on the side to start and we got down to the serious business of the main dish wi Tarka and Chanda dhals, rice and bread. Beautiful, flavoursome food in ample proportions. Why have I not been here before?

Very good food. BYOB but there is good shop right next door that sells large bottle of beer and wine also. Would recommend.

Gone downhill. Used to be a great place to visit and dine in with family. BYOB policy has changed the place into a pub and not very friendly for the locals or those who don't want to be sitting in an alcohol smelling place.

The food here was so great and really good value for money. It is BYOB and they don’t charge corkage! It is a great venue for big groups. We went on a Saturday night and were seated near lots of other large groups so we didn’t feel like we were inconveniencing anyone by our loud chatter. The service was a bit slow at the start, we were sat about an hour before our order was taken! However once they took our order the food flew out. The waiter was a bit cheeky when we asked if we could order but he was nice to us again later.. i’m sure its a stressful place to work as it is very busy. I will definitely be back.

Food was a little bland for my taste expected more spice - menu did not indicate spice level as many restaurants do A little disappointed as had been recommended

Apparently chaotic on arrival with lots of people waiting. We'd booked for 8pm and we were there 15 mins early. Thought the worst. Seated by 8:05pm. Food came out quickly and was mostly excellent. Wouldn't have the kebab only available on Wednesday again. Lamb chops fantastic. It's BYO which helps keep the price reasonable. Very happy to return.

The service and the food have gone down hill big time. We used to come here with the family for years and the last time myself and the kids got sick the lamb chops were not even full cooked and raw in the middle. We had even made a reservation and then had to wait for nearly an hour and a half. Too busy catering for the hipster then the people and community who had supported you over the years. Now you allow them to bring their own alcohol and look how your place has turned into. You turned something good bad. Poor service and food quality.

Terribly unorganised restaurant took 2.5 hours for my food to be delivered

Mental gaff this, fighting to get seated, place is like a maze, disorienting, loud, pure chaos - part of the experience. Foods good

Staff were very accomodating for an electric wheelchair in our party of 2 and had good disabled access....Food was amazing, service was very good and thought the food excellent quality and value for money.

Had to change the review after it started going downhill... We were led to a room where only europeans were (we are also europeans), the tables already had bottles of water on them. I realised halfway through that it was not tap water (which they usually served in a jug). Now getting out of the room to leave, we saw the tap water jugs on people's table... Reading other reviews, some people have been denied tap water Sad as this restaurant had good food but I won't go to a place that is doing low-key racism

Nice Punjabi restaurant situated close to the Old Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel. Fairly good selection on the menu but a couple of 'watch outs'. They do not serve alcohol of any type but more than happy if you bring your own. If, like me, the highest spicy level you can tolerate is Korma then this place is not for you. They very kindly tried to accommodate me but even their 'Mildest', for me, was close to volcanic. Plenty of other folks were enjoying the food so not really a reflection of quality, just my namby pamby intolerance 😄.

Don't order the poppadoms, they're soggy (probably air-frying these days?) So busy but so damn good! They somehow also manage to fulfil bookings with hundreds of people queued up(all with bookings, don't bother without a reservation! The "platter" may not be on the menu but try it and be amazed😃

Refused to serve us free tap water. Served us papadam before we even ordered anything and didn't mention whether it will be charged or not. In retrospect, should have refused to pay for the service charge. Food was decent, but will NEVER go back to this place again because of their shady business practice

I remember visiting here 20 years ago in 2004, and I remembered how poor the service was and the food was equally bad. I went again with colleagues after hearing some good reviews from them, thinking that Tayyabs has changed. I thought wrong. As other customers have mentioned, they tend to dump all the grilled dish on one plate (even though we ordered separately), so it became our duty to find out what's what and split it amongst eachother. The food was delivered far too quickly, meaning now of this was actually fresh. The meat dishes itself was already cooked and all they did was just dump the sauce. Honestly, this is an insult to South Asian cuisine, in taste, quality and service. But I guess the unwarranted popularity gives them false sense of confidence. Just because there are many reviews, doesn't necessarily mean it would be good. If you're after authentic South Asian food, avoid - better off further East London than this.

Absolutely amazing food but service not so much. Had to wait even after reservation.

Very busy restaurant, can't move there. Management rush for you to leave so new customers can sit in.

Dinner with co-workers from London and Australia (United States for us). Excellent food and very good atmosphere for a Monday. Highly recommend.

Visited recently after not going for ~8 years. Overall, was okay but nothing special. I think if you go there, only go for the lamb dishes - the chicken was nothing special. Ordered lamb chops and chicken tikka to start. Chicken tikka was certainly cooked, but on the bland side even after adding the sauces to it - was not marinated it seems and not as tender as I might have expected. The other diner with me ate the lamb and thought it was pretty good (tender and tasty). As a side point, I was surprised that they sent the sizzling dishes all piled up rather than as separate dishes. For mains, we ordered a karahi chicken tikka masala (was on the chef's special) and asked for it spicy - was decent but not particularly spicy. Also ordered karahi vegetables which was nice but on the oily side. The garlic naan was very fluffy and the garlic was fresh, but found it overpowering when dipped in the karahi sauces (have not experienced that before with naans). Service was good. We did not have a booking but did not have to wait too long (only ~20mins) for a table. Price was okay for what it was. I think if you are a fan of lamb, you will like the restaurant - the chicken dishes, however, were nothing special

Solid restaurant. Lamb chops pretty good (though have not reached "excellent" level. Sauces to go with poppadoms were great. Friendly and efficient service. Will be happy to go again

It was ok nothing special. Think it’s just popular because it’s an OG spot.

Great food, good service, limited toilet facilities 🫠😀🤗

Probably the worst Indian restaurant I have been to. We ordered all the sizzling dishes, lamp chops, sheek kebabs, chicken tikka and wings which all came pilled up on each other on 1 dish.. this basically means that all the top meats were not sizzling and just warm, only the first layer of meats were sizzling. The lamb chops were hard and almost unchewable which was extremely dissapointing as they are usually my favourite. The glasses they give you for your drinks are of very cheap standard. We ordered a king prawn main dish and the prawns were not king prawns. We told the waitress who then replaced the dish with the correct prawns. All in all I have been to much better Indian restaurants and would certainly not recommend this establishment.

Very Oily food - I had asked for PAPAD - it was so soggy - they didn’t charge me for it , but at the end if the Papad it self is soggy - what the food would taste like ? Great vibes but food quality the management needs to work on