Celebrated table

The Tamil Crown

Name: The Tamil Crown
Address: 16 Elia Street, Islington, N1 8DE, London, GB
Telephone: 020 7916 2920

Prince Durairaj’s two-level Islington venue serves celebrated Tamil dishes, rotis, and seasonal roasts in a relaxed gastropub setting.

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The story

The Tamil Crown: Award-Winning Tamil Dining in Islington, London

The kitchen and its founder

The Tamil Crown serves regional Indian cuisine across two levels in Islington, London. Recognized with a recent Good Food Guide award, the restaurant operates under Prince Durairaj, who previously founded the Roti King chain. The venue occupies the former Charles Lamb pub just behind Angel station. He has arranged the space with a quiet ground floor bar featuring a working fireplace and an upstairs dining room designed for longer meals.

Signature plates and flatbreads

The menu highlights authentic Tamil dishes rather than standard restaurant fare. Diners frequently order the beef masala uthappam, a thick savory pancake layered with spiced meat. The robata lamb chops and Thanjavur chicken curry arrive alongside billowing, flaky roti breads that showcase the founder’s background. Crispy okra fries provide a sharp vegetable contrast to the richer curries.

Evening service and drinks

The downstairs bar stays busy with guests ordering pints alongside carefully selected wines. Tap lines feature several local ales, and bartenders mix spiced cocktails to complement the food. Sunday service shifts the focus entirely to roasted meats, offering masala chickens and lamb shanks with Indian vegetables and gravy. Candles and soft furnishings keep the atmosphere grounded throughout the evening.

Recognition

Awards & accolades

2026

The Good Food Guide

Good

Details

At a glance

The Good Food Guide 2026 — Good

Cuisines Indian

Services Dinner, Gastropub, Lunch, Outdoor Seating, Private Parties, Vegan, Vegetarian

History

On the record

2026

The Good Food Guide — Good

Following on from the Tamil Prince in Barnsbury, Prince Durairaj (of Roti King fame) has repeated the formula in what was the old Charles Lamb pub on Elia Street, just behind Angel station. The Tamil Crown is almost a carbon copy of its predecessor, although it feels calmer and there’s more space: the venue is spread over two floors with a traditional dining room upstairs and a ground-floor space including a bar, complete with a cosy fireplace, candles and a sofa – ideal if you fancy a pint and a quick bite. Staff are keen to upsell, but we prefer to keep it cheap and simple by ordering just one dish – the beef masala uthappam (like a smaller, thick dosa spread with spicy meat) is an ‘absolute standout’. Quite a few staple dishes have made the move from the Prince to the Crown, notably regional classics from the eponymous Tamil Nadu region of the subcontinent: the crispy okra fries, robata lamb chops and Thanjavur chicken curry are all present and correct, although our prawn moilee suffered from cloying coconut overkill. The billowing, flaky roti breads are excellent (as you would expect given Prince Durairaj’s background) and drinkers have plenty of ales on tap, as well as some spiced-up cocktails and well-chosen wines. Also check out the Sunday menu, with its masala-roasted chickens and lamb shanks plus Indian veg, roast potatoes and gravy.

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Established

Location

Find us

16 Elia Street, Islington, N1 8DE
London, United Kingdom
020 7916 2920
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