The Empress in Tower Hamlets

Bad service and attempted fraud There were three of us here. Two of us only received our food after an hour and a half. We patiently asked where the missing food was when two of us had almost finished eating. Funnily enough, this happened pretty quickly. So it was finished a long time ago and none of the conditions were of interest. To top it off, there were two dishes on our bill that we hadn't ordered. A guest at the next table had apparently also had his bill returned. In my opinion, this is an attempt at fraud and seems to have a system in this location. In general, in my opinion, the price-performance ratio is not the best.

Not bad tasting food. My one concern was the Phall, a Phall is a very spicy curry but the one I got didn't even match a Madras! I no the British palate may not be up for what is considered Spicy in India but some of really do relish the heat. I've noticed a few restaurants have really toned down the heat in their Phalls, don't forget it is a choice if we want our food spicy.

still the best restaurant ever, Thanks

Spamming me via SMS with “deals” with my details that I didn’t consent to you using and then having no way to remove myself is not okay, nor legal. Your number to remove myself doesn’t work either.

Fantastic as always. Food was delicious, good portion sizes and arrived on time and perfect temperature delivered with a smile. Couldn’t ask for more. Great value too!

Get the free shot, its a once in a lifetime. Love the service❤️

Food great, good service and nice atmosphere. Initially thought we were over charged but then realised takeaway menu on the website is cheaper than the restaurant. They were courteous and responsive to the query - excellent customer service and would highly recommend. Great Indian away from the overcrowded and over hyped brick lane.

Came for a valentines meal. Food was amazing. Catered for my dietary preferences. Had the chicken sag, mushroom rice and peshwari naan. All are recommended. Service was warm, friendly, welcoming, all the ladies received a single rose. Small restaurant so maybe call to book first. Imagine it to be quite a squeeze if tables are full. Toilets are down a steep staircase so maybe not accessible. Parking was ok after 6:30pm on road close to restaurant. Will def visit again soon.

Had dinner here last night for the first time with my husband. The food was fabulous, just as the service. We went for a couple of tandoori classics and they definitely didn't disappoint. Highly recommended ❤️😊.

Reliably the best curry house in east London. The food is superb.

Taste ok. Quantity not enough. Think twice before coming

A massive Thank You to all the staff at The Empress…had a great evening with 15 friends and work colleagues. As always….amazing food and drink…service absolutely superb..everyone said how amazing the evening was, will see you very soon.

Visited London from Houston and had dinner here as it was closer to our hotel. Good food and very nice, cozy atmosphere. Usman was very friendly and guided us through the menu very well as my partner could not eat too spicy. Dhaka chicken was very good, as well as the BBQ plateer.

Highly recommended! Good service, really tasty food. I got my "indian curry fix"

A great place to have a lovely curry!

Delivery was 20 minutes late. Food was cold. Mango Chutney was missing from order.

Very late delivery and no apology offered.

Delivery met with critism re the area I live in . Sadly that ruined enjoyment of meal and no worries we will not order again . Good luck with other customers .

Waited a long time and nobody seemed to know where our food was or how long it would be. Food was nice but arrived semi cold :(

Still the best Indian restaurant around.

Great food at Empress Restaurant King Prawn Puri LAMB chops Bhuna Chicken Rezela Rice Keema nan brilliantly tasty food Great service from Usman He looked after us well.

Great service, very funny and engaging host. Food was good and fresh. Good for parties of people.

I wasn't particularly impressed with both the quality and quantity of the food (highly-priced) . The chicken tikka appeared to be pre-frozen and heated, then added to a sweet curry. The naan was decent, and the paneer biryani was slightly better, but I had to ask a couple of times for a drink. Overall, I wouldn't recommend this place; I'm confident there are better dining options available. :(

The food at the empress is very good, and it would be a great restaurant if the service was better. Our server accidentally spilt a drink on us and such I believe he was embarrassed as we didn't see him again after he helped us clean up. After that we got a carousel of different waiters, but always taking a long time to serve us drinks, etc.

I live on brick lane and still get my Indian food from here. That's how good it is

One of the best places for curry. It's a real hidden gem with great food and friendly service. Highly recommended

Excellent food, very friendly and helpful staff. Good price. Staff gave good advice on different meals. Great place to eat with good prices.

Amazing food and amazing service couldn’t ask for a better local restaurant. I was so pleased with the food I had the crab cox which is a soft shell crab it was amazing. My friends had items consisting of Biryani, tandoori and some vegetarian dishes everyone loved what they had. The naan bread is the best I have ever had. Couldn’t recommend this place more. Celebrating every birthday here from now on!

Loved it! Magnificent service and great food at a reasonable price.

This place was right down the street from my hostel and it is by far the BEST Indian food I've ever had. If I am ever in London again I will make a stop especially for this place. Wonderful friendly service as well. This might just be my death row meal. Go here! PS I have attached a photo but I unfortunately forget the name of the dish. It was spicy and incredible

After a lot of trial and error this is the only curry house I ever need in London. Lovely food always tastes freshly made, friendly staff, fast delivery.

Was near to our hotel. Average food but nice if you looking for some simple Indian food after over dose of British menu..

Off the beaten track a bit from all the Brick Lane restaurants but easy to get to. Staff were really polite, friendly and attentive. Nice relaxed atmosphere. Food was delicious. I was a bit disappointed no pakora was on the menu but the onion bhajis were great as was the tikka masala. My husband enjoyed his food too.

All trips to London must include good Indian food. The Empress was extremely good. Awesome food, atmosphere, service. Must come back

Had a super tasty meal. Wonderfully friendly waiters, who all had a great sense of humour, would 100% visit again!!!!

Small, nice restaurant, with friendly service! Good advices about the level of spiciness for the Indian food! We loved ist!

I had ordered a delivery. I am not sure why this is coming as take away. I cannot go to collect and don't have the food. Kindly refund my money

Travelling from the south coast for the day, I found this restaurant online purely by chance when I was looking for restaurants close to Wilton's Music Hall, and I'm very glad I did. The restaurant was very quiet when we arrived - 6.00pm - and we got very attentive service, although I imagine it got busy later in the evening. The food was absolutely delicious and the staff were lovely. While we were there a small group came in who were revisting the area after many years away, and were coming back to the restaurant they used to use regularly - a commendation in itself. The prices were reasonable for London - we were very happy with everything and will definitely eat there again if we're in the area.

This was a restaurant that was used by colleagues regularly over 25 years ago when we all worked together in Royal Mint Court. The management are still same, warm and friendly good humour. The food was delicious and service excellent. Very clean , hospitable environment. So glad we had our reunion here, will come again 🙂

This restaurant is a hidden gem. We had looked around the area an read the reviews . The excellent reviews we’re spot on. For an entree we had King Prawn Butterfly (s). So nice not dried out but very moist. We tried the soft shell crab which was so tasty and the Salmon Korma which is Salmon cooked in the clay oven and re cooked in mild creamy sauce. The creamy sauce makes this dish. so nice. best meal we have had while here by a long shot. If you get the chance to visit The Empress do not miss it, you will not be disappointed.

We were staying at the Royal Leonardo & The Empress is just around the corner. Excellent menu & service. The food was very good, great flavours, non-greasy & the lamb madras was very tender. Chicken Shaslick superb. Funny & charming head waiter.

Best dining experience in London, and that’s after trying the places the guidebooks say to go! Amazing service (a rarity in London)! And the food was great. I’m used to the more Americanized dishes, like Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken (both on the menu), but tried some new things. The mixed appetizer was so good! The shrimp, chicken, and lamb were so nicely spiced and tender, and just the right amount for me to try but not fill up. The Cox Bazaar Crab was tender and crispy and the vegetables were so tasty and just the right consistency so they weren’t raw but also not mushy. The Cauliflower Bhaji was light and yummy and a great side for the heavier fried crab. The cheese naan was also light and yummy, and I’m looking forward to having the leftovers as a snack. And when I was leaving and said how great everything was, the owner(?) offered me a piece of Jalebi that he was snacking on. Such nice people, such great food, and such a treat! The only con is that I went on my last night in London, so won’t have the chance to go back and try some of the dishes I saw other people get that looked and smelled amazing!

Authentic food, wonderful welcome always and great service. Our meal was truly delicious. The most flavoursome and succulent lamb. Good portions too, you never leave hungry. We will be back.

This is an astonishingly good curry house, in an unassuming location. If you’re thinking of heading to Brick Lane, don’t; come here instead.

Excellent restaurant. A fantastic choice if you are near Tower of London.

It was an exquisite experience. The food was very delicious, place and atmosphere are cozy, staff was very kind. If you consider to try Indian cuisine, I absolutely recommend this place 👍🏻

Our family had a delicious dinner at The Empress! Indian food is known for its diverse flavors and spices, so it's wonderful that we enjoyed the taste. It was fantastic that the staff provided great service, as excellent service can enhance the overall dining experience. Indian cuisine is renowned for its rich flavors, vibrant spices, and diverse range of dishes. It offers a wide variety of options, from flavorful curries to delicious biryanis, delectable street food, and mouthwatering desserts. Whether you tried classic dishes like butter chicken, samosas, or masala dosa, or explored regional specialties, Indian food has something to offer for every palate. Great place to try.

Stopped in while visiting London from America. We wanted to get some curry while we were here because we had heard it's done really well in the UK. We were not disappointed. The Empress is a small but excellent place. The staff was friendly and helpful. The food was excellent. We enjoyed everything we had. We would certainly return!

Delicious food 10/10 highly recommended

The food is the only thing holding down the fort. The sever was aggressively a sales person. Tap water is supposed to be served freely, but the waiter/restaurant insist that we must purchase still water for the table - which is illegal in London, and a major red flag. The waiter tried to milk money out of us Furthermore, the server took the menus from our hand without asking, and even took the child's hand to demonstrate something on the food without asking for consent. Very pushy and no respect for personal space at all, no manners whatsoever Other things include constantly hovering over us, reaching over us, trying to clear dishes when we weren't done despite mentioning that we were still eating The food tastes great but very poor quantity, and not worth the price at all. The restaurant is a wanna be fancy restaurant and has potential to be great if waiters are trained better. This is not Indian hospitality. It's a shame we will never come back again as the food is really good

First time at the india restaurant and heard lots of good reviews. Went there for my birthday meal. The staff were fantastic, friendly and very welcoming. The food was beautiful the best I have had it was tasty well presented and plenty for one person. We will definitely go back. Thank you for a lovely evening the india!

In response to my previous review: A) The staff is not trained well B) This restaurant charges for water - illegal in London and we were coerced to buy water C) The waiter who served us took the hand of the kid to break pappadums without asking for consent D) The owner instead of trying to compensate and do better, challenges the authenticity - does not take criticism at all Do not come here as the service is trash and not worth the hefty bill they charge.

Honestly this place has great food terrible service one of the waters there kept hovering around us and made us really uncomfortable when, we tried eating in peace the water kept asking us about the food none stop I must admit I don't recommend going there terrible service. Would give the service a 0 star if I could, but the 1 star is the lowest I can go

This was the best food we had in London including a dinner that we spent over $200 on. I have no idea how this place has a lower rating than the Indian restaurant next door to it as we tried both. There is no comparison. Too bad this is our last day in London or else we would be back.

Excellent Indian food served piping hot and fresh. Really enjoyed the Prawn Masala here. Service very good and efficient.

Stunning flavours, great service! Genuinely impressed by the quality of food here, I will absolutely be back when I can.

Prima eten. De chicken tika Masala smaakte prima. Nette portie genoeg saus. Met wat Pilau rijst en een naan prima eten Ook de lamb Madras heeft een goede balans tussen pittigheid en de smaak van de kruiden. Ook wat simpele pilau rijst en een naan om de pittigheid wat te dempen maakt voor een prima maaltijd, en om de hoek van Tower Bridge.

I’ve been coming here for over ten years, and they still haven’t missed a beat. Superb food.

Very small portions. No side salad or popadoms with starter.

Forgot how good the food is at the empress, I will be back

We had amazing service, excellent food, and an elegant yet relaxing atmosphere. A great location and value as well. Thanks, Moe!

Superb cuisine and overall experience. I had poppadoms, starter and main with sides and sundries. Each aspect of the meal was delicious. The service was excellent too. Dare I say it, best I've ever had.

Outstanding food. The paratha was the best I’ve had outside of India. The potato and giant prawns were delicious. Service was impeccable!

The best Indian restaurant in the area. Beautiful good and lovely staff. Very comfortable air conditioning in this heat. A real local institution 👌

Amazing food and lovely staff 😍 would absolutely recommended both in person and deliveroo

Delicious food and superlative service! I highly recommend The Empress.

Excellent food, atmosphere and great staff. 2nd visit as good as the first. Will be back next time in London. From the Mr Mills and the lads from the North

The reviews online were great. Our experience wasn’t. The service was beyond awful and we were “ allowed to go “without charge after been served by 4/5 trainees who couldn’t speak English and weren’t capable of bringing the right drinks. We left after been put...

Only stayed for popadoms that it took four staff to tell us that they had no cider, a fifth member of staff staff placed napkins on our laps for us. One of the men in black gave us the wrong drinks and forgot one,many more mistakes followed and I started looking fo hidden cameras??? The restaurant had 4 other guests! None of the men in black seemed to speak much English, as we all wanted veggie food and the menu was full of meaty dishes we decided to go as out trust had vanished The boss man came over and told us how good he is and apologised for his poor staff, I had to ask for the bill 5 times before the man kindly said he ‘ would now let us go’ My daughter who’s 18th it was, was in tears. We were eventually ,allowed” to leave and weren’t charged. We felt threatened and insulted, it was our worst eating experience ever. we booked here because of the Google reviews were good??? The pictures looke nice?? Many prizes won ( pre pandemic) spent 400£ on a lovely meal on the top floor in Eataly and my daughters day ended in happiness

Caught up with a friend and ex colleague for a beer & a great curry and a good old chat. We hadn’t been in The Empress for a good while due to Covid. Great services and staff, we went with their recommendations which were gorgeous....

Later thane quoted but still warm and fresh

Everyone knows the best Indian food on the planet is in the UK, and as an American foodie who has lived in the UK for nearly 25 years and in India for a few years as well, I can assure you that this Bangladeshi restaurant on Leman Street is the best you will find anywhere. Fantastic food and excellent personal service. I’ve been here many times and will keep coming back!

Very flavourful food. Would definitely recommend.

I arrived late in service and received an excellent welcome. The food is fresh and tasty. The service very attentive. I highly recommend .

Small restaurant in unassuming area but offering excellent tasty and fresh Indian and Bangladeshi food. Generous portions of freshly cooked meals and friendly service

I have ordered from the empress many times and they have been late more than 50% of the time. I will not order from them again

Absolutely delicious food and excellent service. Can’t wait to come back.

Ordered a takeaway and they hooked me uuuup! Chicken dansak was really good with lovely lentil paste and strong flavours. Delicious. Plus they chucked me a load of free poppadoms plus chutney and beer!! Saw a review commenting on Bangladeshi origin of the owners. All I can say is here in the UK we a melting pot of all nationalities and what counts is the food was fantastic. Who cares where the chef from?

The place is only small. The staff are friendly and attentive. I had a large Cobra beer to accompany my Garlic chill chicken with a portion of rice and 2 chappati's. It is up there with one of best curries I have had. Only one...

Off the beaten path a few blocks from Tower Hill we found this very good Indian restaurant. The food was fantastic. The service was prompt, efficient, and friendly. A nice, relaxing meal. Worth going out of your way for if you're in East London.

I love this restaurant. The service is impeccable and the atmosphere so relaxed. Recommended dishes include: Indian Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Madras, Methi Sag Gosht, Chingri Sag Paneer, Chicken Jalfrezi, Mxed Grill Bhuna, Tarka Dahl. But frankly, it’s all fabulous!

The food we ordered was late,it arrived at 20-27 not acceptable also item missing (onion Bhakti) some other dish was with our order.I want compensation or I will not use just eat again.

Always good! We never go to any other curry house 😊

Great Food, Fair price, fast and good delivery!

Was in there just before Christmas great food and very friendly staff will definitely be going back again soon

The tandoori chicken was burnt. Everything else was up to scratch

Food and service was fantastic... It's been a long time since I have had an Indian meal that nice. Naan was so fresh and tasty.. beers cold and service was great.. cheers guys .

Gorgeous food by very friendly staff. I’m here due to business but would return as a couple.

I was staying locally for business and found this little gem. The food was gorgeous and the staff very friendly. Highly recommended for a business trip or as a couple.

Everything about this restaurant is Amazing; the service, the price and the food itself is delicious. The chicken in each of dishes was cooked to perfection, and one of the best tasting chicken ever tasted at an Indian

We had papadums with pickles to start, and I was impressed by the pickle selection including something spicy with onion. My main was a chicken madras curry, which would have been even better had it benefited from more spicy seasoning. The chef managed to produce...

Best Restaurant in London. The food is marvelous and the service is first rate.

The restaurant was clean .Food was good portion and the taste was authentic .The host was really nice and the service worthed every pounds. Go and enjoy.

Great curry house, food exceptional, prices reasonable and service quick and very friendly. I wholeheartedly recommend and would definitely revisit.

Very tasty! We loved it. Thanks for having us on an (early) Friday evening even without a reservation. Absolutely friendly service and very good food recommendations.

Went here last year when staying in London for a conference. Went again this year with my son, then took a small group with me too. Food was excellent every time, including dealing with the fish allergy of one of the last group. Highly recommended!

Excellent customer service. Excellent food that I have had after a long time!!! Highly recommended. You will not be disappointed.

Excellent place for dinner. They really made us feel special. We have a very large group and almost took up the entire place. Next time I go though I will be sure to tell them to make it spicy.

Fantastic food, great service. Husband and I ate here last night. I had the Lamb Sikandari. That's a whole lamb shank, marinated in spices then cooked in a sauce with chickpeas. It was divine! The lamb was beautifully cooked, so moist and tender, falling off the bone. The spices didnt overpower the delicious lamb, but complemented it perfectly. Husband had lamb methi sag. Lots of chunks of moist, tender, lamb. Tasty sauce Will definitely go there again

Such nice food and always very good delivery service 5 stars 🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟