Tindli by Chef Karnavar in Croydon

Options are less but food is awesome

My life quality has significantly diminished since they have been closed 😄 please are they going to reopen? 👀 very tasty food, my favorite take out in the area …

The biryani tastes amazing but is quite oily

The food is amazing. Can't wait for it to reopen.

We tried out a Kerala Christmas meal at @tindlibychefkarnavar in Croydon which showcased traditional dishes that would be included in a Christmas/Easter meal in a Kerala Christian household. It was a large spread and the overall quality of the dishes was good. The service was ok.

It’s nice experience, Real South Indian taste.

The chatti choru was tasty but the lamb biriyani unfortunately was a major disappointment. Although fresh, I really disliked the smell of the biriyani which spoiled the entire experience. Overall ok one time experience. Not worth the hype.

It was very warm inside the restaurant, on a hotter day it might have been unbearable. Food excellent. Nice staff, seem to enjoy working which is lovely up see. Beautiful ceramic plates, though the tables and chairs not to the same standard. Toilet facilities fine but could be improved, the soap dispenser in the men's was a bit broken. Overall, fantastic, well done to the whole team.

I have visited Tindli a couple of times and the food is average. For starters, I have ordered the onion chilly Bajia and Cauliflower 65. They are stingy when it comes to the chitin's could provide a bit more. The mains I had the Kadi paneer and it was not properly cooked the tomato came out watery. Had the spicy lime soda once and my mouth was on fire so would avoid having that drink. Their service is very good and friendly staff.

The attention to detail in both presentation and taste was impressive. I left feeling satisfied and impressed by the overall experience.”

They didnt have much choice for vegetarian. The lamb didnt have much pieces it was more masala

We came from Bournemouth to visit Chessington world of Adventures and Tindli menu was in our bucket list for long time !!! So we clubbed chessington and Tindli. Drove through the whole Tolworth (where v staying) to Croydon Monday evening conjunctions and roadworks !! But the food and experience worth it for all. We tried “Chatti Choru”, “Chatti Poratta”, Poratta , Chicken 65 and Falooda. All were excellent and I just felt like I’m back in Kerala. Restaurant vibes were next to excellent and the service. I forgot to ask the two girls names who were on service. They all were pleasant and helpful and yes FIVE STAR SERVICE. Parking could be an issue but luckily we managed to get a pay and park nearby road (3 minutes walk to restaurant). We got a parking space on Elmwood Road, North with location ID on RingoApp 19625. It’s near to wellington road which is near to the restaurant. And if you drive from far please find enough time to reach Croydon as there are so much traffic.

Had done 4-5 times takeaways from here before... This is the first time I have actually visited the restaurant. Food has always been good and tasty... A little bit low on salt (which is actually good as you don't get your blood pressure high)... My favourite always has been Kappa (Tapioca/cassava) Biriyani but this time I tried Jackfruit & vegetable Dum Biriyani... It also came out nice but I would recommend ordering something with some gravy preferably some meat unless you are vegetarian. I rang and made a reservation but I think if it's not on a busy Friday or weekend you should be fine to get a table. Hope you'll enjoy your meal from there like I did mine...

Authentic taste. But very very over priced. Must consider the price reduce.

Great food, good ambience, good service. Can get busy at times, so its best to book in advance, walk ins are also permitted, though you may have to wait outside for a bit..

Really delicious Indian. Appreciated the free tap water if you ask for it. Rice portion was big enough for two. Very nice atmosphere and service as well. Reasonable prices.

Best South Indian restaurant in the area. Highly recommended dishes are Chatti choru & Chatti porotta. But finding parking area is a difficult task in this area.

Had chatti choru and chatti biriyani. Both were delicious. Good atmosphere and service.. Well done🙂

The food at Tindli restaurant is good, but we particularly appreciate the excellent customer service provided by Anjali. She is very kind and hardworking.

Really amazing place , authentic Kerala food , and lovely people

Very poor service clueless waitress food not that great for a so called highly renounced chief as for atmosphere seen more life in the grave yard needs attention in all departments funny really because the place is always busy mainly people from the own backgrounds there must be members of the RNIB keep smiling be good John (I'll pop back in soon to see if it has improved)

Finally long time waiting was over So much excitement 😍 to visit Tindli Love ❤️ the ☕️ Enjoyed chatti parotta and chatti biriyani Thanks 😊

After seeing this restaurant on the London Thamizhachi channel, I made it certain we would come here, and I was certainly not disappointed. For the starter we had a simple Chicken 65 and Half Tandoori Chicken, both having excellent seasoning and good combination of sauces. For the main, I would definitely recommend the Kerala Parotta with Malabar Chicken Curry and the Fish Mohini. Both curries, have a variety of tastes- both good on their own- taste wonderful when mixed together when eaten with the soft Kerala Parotta. But the best about their food, in my opinion, was the Bamboo Dum Chicken Biryani. It had a good ration of Chicken, nice consistency and superb taste. Bonus is that it comes fresh in the Bamboo pot. Not to mention the wonderful staff who were very knowledgeable and friendly. I would put this place on my to do list if I haven't already.

beef fry was very nice, biryani was ok. I don't think I'll visit again.

Such good quality, tasty food for the same price as a generic "Indian takeaway". It's some of the best curries I've ever tasted, amazing presentation and you CANNOT miss the parotta. I just wish they'd get a bigger premises in Central Croydon.

Visited this place more than once and gives same contentment always. Very delicious food, highly recommend 😋

Best mallu food I have had in a long time - chatti porotta was mind blowing.

Love the place and the food was amazing 🫶

The place has less occupancy but, the ambience is good and the food is very tasty. You can find both vegetarian and non vegetarian options. I suggest you try Paneer which I like here.

Nice and tasty. Food served with smiley face. Made with passion.

The restaurant was a little expensive. We had to wait 30 minutes for our meal. Although the dish was adequate, it didn't live up to the price we paid.

Fritters is predominantly only eaten in north and West India, not south India where the chef comes from. To serve my heritage dish and label it as onion chilli bhaji is disgusting. The authentic dish name is Pakoras or Bhajiyas. If the chef finds it demeaning to acknowledge that he cannot run his restaurant business without serving North Indian dishes, then he would rather not serve it all. Also, South Indians do not eat starters! so again, he is making his livelihood by only serving north Indian dishes and he should learn the authentic history behind each and every dish. Some other notes: Service was slow. The onion fritters had no salt and no table salt was provided. The chutney served was not enough for the quantity.

Amazing food and brilliant staff. We’ve been to eat in lots and had takeaway a few times too. Always delicious!!!

Very delicious Nadan food .. Adipoli …

An evening out with some of my nation-wide team to celebrate some work very well done. Where to go? Tindli, of course. Top of the list last time we went out as a team in December 2022, and the only restaurant on the list this time round. The food was spectacular. I can think of nowhere else where 9 people all reach for their camera phones when each course arrives. The food is a feast for the eyes as well as the taste buds. For my main, I had the Chatti Biriyani special. Even several hours later I have to pause to remember how fabulous it was. So many flavours, and textures. Some heat, but not too much; some spice, just enough; so much to savour. My colleagues raved similarly about the quality of the fayre on offer. Among us, we have vegetarians and a vegan, whose smiles said it all. We were well fed, and well served by the very keen and pleasant staff. I think we have a pretty decent idea where we'll be going for our next get-together. I will be dipping in more regularly; there have to be some benefits to living in Croydon...

Perfectly balanced freshly prepared Indian cuisine served by friendly and professional staff. I feel privileged to have found this gem of a restaurant and I can't wait till my next visit. 😋

The staff is really attentive. The food is not oily at all and very yummy. Really authentic taste.

We ate at Tindli whilst staying with friends nearby. They’d never eaten there but after reading a review somewhere, we wanted to try it. It was a good sign to see Indian families eating there. Our food was delicious, both the sea bass and chicken dishes. A fun evening and we would love to go back if only we lived closer.

Good food. Some portions are quite small for the price. The inside could do with some renovation.

Food was tasty but too expensive

Food tasted really good and like authentic kerala food. Potions was good as well. We had some chefs specials and can give 10/10 on it :)

Top-notch Biryani. Absolute perfection

Very good food and prompt service. Big protions as well, and not at all expensive.

A fresh take on Kerala cuisine that exceeded all expectations. Great flavours, well-priced and top service. A real gem of a restaurant, I would recommend highly.

Visit here for enjoying Kerala Cuisine in South London. 15£ for chatti choru!

The best south Indian food I ever had. This is the only caption I can think of about Tindli. I underwent through 'customer delight' when the taste and quality met the best customer service. Kudos to all the team from the chef to waiters to the 'chettan' who was managing all tables with a pleasant smile throughout his service. Thank you Tindli by Chef Karanavar for bringing in the best of South India especially Kerala.

I recently had the pleasure of dining at a Kerala restaurant and it was an absolutely fantastic experience. The food was simply incredible. I must say, I had the best food ever! I tried a number of dishes, but the standout for me was the Chatti choru I also tried an Chatti Porotta, Beef Ularthiyath & Fish fry and they were all equally excellent. What really stood out to me, though, was the customer service. The staff was attentive, friendly. The service was truly amazing. Overall, I would highly recommend this to anyone looking for delicious food and amazing service. The Chatti choru alone is worth the visit, but the whole experience was truly memorable. I can't wait to go back!

Very good traditional kerala foods available

Delicious food served and fabulous service, Very authentic flavours, serving on clay pots ! Highly recommend this little Indian restaurant in Croydon!

Another confused restaurant makes your mind up chef, either South or North The taste of it was really bad , and I kept repeating on me after the meal We went with friends to have kerala dishes none of the dishes tastes like kearal food .another instagram hyped up restaurant. Staff was very friendly helpful. Never again going back to this restaurant 😒

ബിരിയാണി പോളി ആണ്. The biriyani served in clay pot is very good and the best Malabar type biriyani i had so far in GB.

Had a family dinner here yesterday. Food was delicious, but even better were the staff, they take proper care of you 👌👍

Very tasty food.. satisfying I wish they also had parking would could be easy for dine in

Excellent Kerala Cuisine Experience! This restaurant offers excellent customer service with attentive staff who consistently provide updates on food preparation and timing. They specialist in serving authentic Kerala Cuisine served in traditional clay pots (chatti). The food quality and tastes are outstanding. The restaurant maintains a clean environment, including the restrooms. Convenient car parking is available on the lane.

Food was just average but the staff was exceptionally kind and friendly.

Nice customer service but the food is not good as expected. Ordered dum chichken briyani but it was like white rice mixed with some chichken curry. Cant even call it a biriyani. Used to get nice biriyani before. very disappointed.

Food has been amazing as always.

After a nearly two-hour journey, I finally arrived at the highly anticipated restaurant, my expectations heightened by the glowing reviews on Google and social media. However, my initial impression was less than stellar. Despite having booked a table for 6 pm and arriving five minutes early, I was made to wait for 15 minutes before being provided with a menu after being seated, which I had to request. Even after receiving the menu, I was left waiting for another 15-20 minutes before someone finally came to take my order, prompting me to ask for assistance yet again. While I did indulge in all of the special dine-in Chatti dishes, I must confess that the only standout was the Chatti Porotta, as the other Chatti items were prepared in a different style that failed to impress. In particular, the Chatti Chor left much to be desired, as it consisted primarily of rice with insufficient curry. Overall, the experience was certainly unique, but it failed to live up to the hype generated by its social media following. The poor service I experienced was certainly a letdown, and I can only hope that it was an isolated incident

Best South Indian Restaurant in London! Delicious food and friendly staff! Highly recommended!!!

I booked a table for 10 people. we enjoyed every single bite of the starters with a couple of beers and special Chatti food for the main menu. Considering the quality, the price is ok but the lassi price is obviously a bit expensive. you should skip the starters if you are going to order the Chatti foods. Staffs were helpful and knowledgeable. the overall visit had a good experience.

Hands down the best Kerala restaurant in London. If you're craving food from Kerala this is the go to palace. Great service too (Thanks Pranav!)

This is one of the rare Indian restaurant in London, with European standard service level. Mr Manto, one of the managers, was outstanding. He returned my specially requested lamb briani and kombutcha to the kitchen, on his own accord, because he remembered that the chilli was not chopped finely enough and that I hadn't requested a slice of lemon in my salad. He remembered my first visit (this is my second in two weeks) and what I wanted. Wow! The staff are polite, deferential and smiles (a rarity in many Indian restaurants) and constantly check if you are okay and need anything. They walk around with their i-Pads, asking for your details to send you offers and promos and noting your every minute taste and preferences: good for them! That is one to one custom marketing! Finally! An Indian restaurant than can rival the type of service you experience routinely in Italian and French restaurants. Well done Tindli! Highly recommended from a traveller.

Authentic Kerala food, good service, presentation and cleanliness. Overall feel good experience

Infact one of the best restaurants in London wherein you get to enjoy the best cuisines which are reasonably prices as compared to other posh restaurants. The portion size is also fine and the food is really tasty as we just went there on the basis of reviews but were delighted that it exceeded our expectations. Planning to visit again though we are based quite far from Croydon.

Value for money. Mango lassi was very flavourful. Best thing is their pongal set, which is unlimited. Also had sadhya for Vishu last month. It was so good. Tasty and worth every penny.

Delicious food and very pleasant staff!

You will get the most authentic INDIAN food and everything tastes good - Dal Makhni, chicken curry’s and Biryani and tandoori starters are not be missed! Timely home delivery too!

After a while I have enjoyed an authentic taste of Kerala cuisine. Service was excellent.

Likes about this restaurant are good location can always find parking in the side road. Ambience is good, food is decent. It is not like a typical kerala restaurant but more lean to cater western population even though they bring celebration like vishu Onam and make traditional feast. Also love there specials like biriani fest and such events which will last only for a certain periods. Only 1 time had a bad experience in terms of food, it was in one of the fest where they had chattichor and chatti parotta, that one we got was awful, did tell the management about it, but they didnt find anything wrong with the dish. Overall i like the restaurant will go again 😀

I was there to try Chetty Biriyani. They prepare only on a few occasions. It was ok ok, but my friend liked it, as I prefer more spicy. The other items were good, so just can't go with one items The main highlight is the friendly service. All are friendly and welcome with smiles and they are available all the place. Service is tremendous

The food is just excellent. From the authentic cuisines of Kerela to tastes of Northern India the restaurant has a wide range of starters and mains. Each item in the menu carries its own unique taste. All staff were very courteous and polite. Loved the place and loved the food. Will visit again.

Great food! Chatti Porotta tastes exactly like how it tastes in Kerala. Staff were really nice as well and service was quick. I'll definitely go back again for the authentic taste.

Authentic Indian food. The quality of the food is top-notch. I would any day visit Tindli over and over again. Must-visit restaurant if you are in the London or Croydon area.

We are from India. We are visiting the UK and we went to Tindli yesterday with my family. Food was excellent and especially the Chatti dishes were too good. Felt at home.

Starters and mains were great, dessert choice and quality was poor. Would highly recommend trying the biryani and any of their chaat items. Stay away from the plantain vanilla ice cream dessert!

Had amazing authentic Indian food ✨

Really great food. Great ambience. Loved it.

I had chatti Biriyani from this hotel. It was too bad and very expensive aswell.

Too expensive for chatti biriyani and no quality at all. Also I spent my whole day and night in the toilet.

Went to eat at Tindli for lunch today! I have to say every single dish we ordered was so yummmyyyy!!! I’ve been in London for a month now and haven’t found any good South Indian food until today! Thanks a lot to the lovely waiters for making me feel like I was at home. I will be back 😁

NEVER ORDER THE BIRIYANI OR LAMB SHEEK KEBAB IT IS ABSOLUTELY AWFUL AND MADE US BASICALLY ALMOST THROW UP…WISH WE COULD GET A DISCOUNT ON OUR ORDER ABSOLUTE WASTE OF MONEY 🤮🤮🤮

Been here a couple of times. The food is just so good tastes like authentic Indian menu put so well together. A must try in South London.

A superb evening in Tindlii with delicious food in a beautiful ambience ;especially the Malabar Black Tiger Prawns;a perfect place for families and friends;

We had a surprise eid special lunch.

Traditional recipes delivered with finesse. Every dish was spot on. Will definitely visit again. Chattichoru is a must try.

Great service. Food was oky. But not worth the hype.

Below comment is strictly based on Our experience at Tindli. Had our lunch at Easter Monday. Restaurant was jam packed and customers were queuing up. The so called ‘chef specials’ (chatti food) were not available at all. They were NOT ready for a full capacity and the staffs seemed clueless. We settled for other options. Some of Our starters came after the main course which had to pack for take away. After 2.5hrs waiting and 3 reminders, a poor helpless staff told us some main course we ordered weren’t even available. Parking is a struggle. Free street parking only on public holidays. Food price is marginally on the higher side. Food we had was reasonably good. Nothing so special about it. Just like any other malayali restaurant but Fish fry items were disaster for the price, taste and quantity. So overall it was a let down. We wouldn't go there on a public holiday.

We visited on Vishu and had a wonderful experience. Beautiful welcome by staff dressed in traditional attire and ambiance of pious playful environ. The Sadhya was served on baba leaf and good delicious. Wonderful experience felt transported back home 🙏 Would recommend all to visit and we will definitely be back again soon !!

Best place to have south India authentic food. Today we went there for the first time with my family and vishu special was so so good. We really enjoyed the food and customer service was so nice. Nihal treated us so good and served the food so friendly.

Very nice vishu sadhya so tasty and delicious.feels like back home.

Had a delicious Vishu Sadhya. Good service..

100% worth the visit. We had the sadhya which was immaculate . Even though it was busy, the staff took good care of us. Definitely coming back.

Vishu Sadhya was reallyy good! And staffs who served us had great hospitality. Will definitely come back!

Delicious food, quick service and helpfull staff.

I clearly don’t understand how this place has a good review. I saw all the reviews and prices and thought I would have a fine dining. It’s just the website and menu looks good. The place is just an average restaurant with absolutely poor customer service. I had to hear ‘5 minutes please’ 9 times to get served. I can’t believe I travelled 2 hours to get there to try some specials all to here they don’t serve specials today. Kerala fish curry was awesome however I don’t know why I was charged £12 when menu said £9.9. Seriously it’s worthless travelling to this place and paying a fortune for absolutely nothing.

Amazing food!!! Thanks for your welcome.

Heard much about this place, finally visited for Easter lunch! As usual need to wait around an hour because of Easter which is absolutely understandable. Finally got the table, service is amazing, food is amazing and staff will make you feel home. Only things which I miss was atmosphere and not much space but you will not notice it once you get your food. Amazing service by staff giving their best at 5pm as well and all of them were smiling which gave me a feeling that they are happy to serve us. Could not bale to taste the biryani as it was too late for lunch. But next time definitely 😁. Please visit it and enjoy authentic Indian food in London. Thanks Tindli for amazing experience! Hats off to your efforts.

Very tasty kadala curry and aappam. Very receptive service. Could do something about the overpowering cooking smell , though adds to the taste when you eat , it sticks to clothes for a long time... better extractor probably.

Amazing food. Hands down the best Kerala food in London. Although there are some fusion elements, leaves you with authentic Kerala flavours on your taste buds.

Great service, best Kerala food, friendly staffs, best chef in the city.