Chettinad Restaurant

You'll find yourself on a fairly nondescript stretch of Percy Street in Fitzrovia, but once you're through the door, this place means business. The menu reads like a masterclass in Chettinad cuisine—that's the fiery stuff from Tamil Nadu—and the kitchen knows exactly what it's doing. Order the dosas if you want to understand why people queue for them, or go all in on the biryanis and curries that actually taste like someone's grandmother is back in the kitchen. The room itself is straightforward, no Instagram nonsense, just good food and proper spicing that'll make you come back.