Koottaan Curry Club

You head down to St James Street and walk into something that feels properly different from the usual Taunton curry house setup. Koottaan takes South Indian food seriously—the kind of place where the spice levels aren't just theatre, and the dishes have actual depth rather than being painted over with cream. It's packed most nights with people who clearly know their way around proper regional cooking, which tells you everything. The vibe is unpretentious but focused; they're not trying to be fancy, just genuinely good at what they do.