[title]
London does curry very, very well. Whether you’re on Brick Lane, with its rows of curry houses, or in one of Mayfair’s fancy joints, you certainly aren’t short of options for a tikka or korma in the Big Smoke. So it comes as little surprise that one of London’s curry spots has been named one of the best in England.
This week the folks at the 2026 English Curry Awards named Chillika the top spot to grab a curry in London. The Bexleyheath spot is inspired by the flavours of the eastern Indian state of Odisha
Now in its 15th year, the English Curry Awards celebrates the big hitters in the curry industry. The annual accolades recognise chefs, restaurants and takeaways across the country for curry-mastery, crowning the best places in each English region, as well as one overall national champion. The winners were celebrated in a ceremony at Grand Station, Wolverhampton, on August 10.
So, back to Chillika. The Bexleyheath joint, founded by Subhakanta Das and Partha Sarathi Panda, is named after Asia’s largest brackish lagoon, Chillika Lake. Combining Odisha flavours with Indian street food, menu standouts include the sizzling tandoori chicken and goat curry.
It’s a good time to be a curry-lover in Bexleyheath. In last year’s English Curry Awards, the southeast London area’s Masala Inn was crowned the city’s top curry house. Masala Inn also received the ‘Outstanding Award’ in this year’s ranking.
Also named in the accolades were Vijay Indian Restaurant in Kilburn, which was ‘recognised for excellence.’ Established in 1964, Vijay Indian was the first South Indian restaurant to open in the UK.
Chillika, 195 Broadway, DA6 7ER.
Looking for an excellent curry? Check out Time Out’s ranking of the best Indian and South Asian restaurants in London.
Get the latest and greatest from the Big Smoke – from news and reviews to events and trends. Just follow our Time Out London WhatsApp channel.
Stay in the loop: sign up to our free Time Out London newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.