TANATAN

Walking into Tanatan on a Friday night, you'll notice the place has that warm, unpretentious energy that comes from people actually caring about what they're doing. It's the kind of Indian restaurant where the kitchen knows exactly what it's doing: spices are balanced, not sledgehammered, and the menu reads like someone's been thoughtful about what works rather than throwing everything at the wall. You're in the heart of Reading town centre, so it's convenient, but the cooking suggests they've got ambitions beyond being just another London Street option. The regulars clearly know what's up—the 4.7 rating isn't accidental.