Southall Halal restaurants & takeaways in London

The Shahi Nan Kabab, “Originally of Southall Bridge. Est 1969” – 88 High Street, Southall UB1 3DB

If there’s one eatery that’s quintessentially Southall, you’d be hard-pressed to look past The Shahi Nan Kabab on 88 High Street.

While there are four branches in the district, if you haven’t read our article History of The Shahi Nan Kabab in Southall & the controversy, then this particular restaurant is run by the son’s owner of the famed original that was once located atop station bridge on South Road.

Following its sad demolishment in 2017, the family, who for years have been affectionately referred to as the ‘Bridge Walleh’, eventually moved to where they currently are; and they haven’t looked back since.

Large Kabab Roll (3 bar) with Nan, £4.60

From a review face-off we conducted last year between the three main branches, we rated 88’s classic kabab rolls an impressive 4.5/5, while concluding that “both the kababs and the famed chilli sauce were as close to the original as memory serves”. These kababs were also shortlisted for our #FtLionAwards ‘Best Grill’ 2021.

Perhaps the most important news is that their famous chilli sauce has finally been bottled-up for purchase at their restaurant, albeit 50 years later.

Ambala – 156 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1NN.

Ambala is one of those brands that requires little introduction. With sites dotted across the UK, this place is renowned for its traditional Pakistani sweets. In recent times, it’s added to its profile with savoury snacks, curries, and teas. This one offers seating indoors and out.

Amigos – 10 Beaconsfield Road, Southall UB1 1DW

Specialising in burgers and shakes, Amigos have 13 restaurants dotted across the capital and one in Slough. This one is located on 10 Beaconsfield Road, with seating available indoors.

Burger Shack – 8 South Rd, Southall UB1 1RT

Burger Shack is one of the Halal McDonald’s-inspired… shacks to add to the huge list of others across the country. This one has also thrown in some Burger King whoppers too (except that here it’s innovatively called woopers).

Chaiiwala – 102 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1QF

Chaiiwala is the original and the country’s biggest Indian street food inspired desi tea house, which only last year went international. With karak chai and plenty of snacks, their Southall site is situated on The Broadway.

Chaudhry’s TKC – 161-163 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1LR

Again, one of the stalwarts of Southall’s restaurant scene. Chaudhry’s TKC has been around, believe it or not, since 1965! Formerly known as Tandoori Kebab Centre, and having started out selling fresh jelabi, TKC has truly endured. Recently, they introduced an Indo-Chinese menu while offering catering services for wedding and banquettes.

Creams – 154 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1NN

Looking to dampen the sweats after a spicy meal? Look no further than the most successful dessert brand in the UK, Creams. Again on The Broadway, these guys offer Italian gelato, milkshakes and crepes in an attractive setting that includes their customary purple and black seating booths.

Dawat Royal – 179 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1LX

In relation to old timers TKC and Gifto’s, Dawat Royal is one of the more recent Indian curry houses on The Broadway. Ambitiously starting out as a double-fronted venue called Dawat, they eventually scaled down to a single one while dropping the byline “Art of Cooking” for ‘Royal’.

Gifto’s Lahore Karahi – 162-164 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1NN

Winners of the Asian Food & Restaurant Awards ‘Best Restaurant south west London’ 2018, Gifto’s Lahore Karahi is almost as old as TKC opposite, having launched as a brand in 1968. While it boasts a branch in Dubai, this one is now one of the more higher end restaurants on The Broadway.

Grill House – 157 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1LP

Some measure of thought has actually gone into this peculiarly named Grill House ‘Desi Restaurant’. As a corner shop eatery, it offers plenty of seating, with grills and curry dishes to boot.

Jalebi Junction – 93 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1LN

Describing themselves as “The World’s original Jalebi Express”, Jalebi Junction is another landmark of the area, if you will. Just in case you don’t know, Jalebis are spiral-shaped Indian subcontinent sweets made with all-purpose flour, gram flour and sugar syrup; and these guys churn ’em out in vast quantities daily.

Kebabish Original – 158 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1NN

Not to be confused with the various similarly named Kebabish restaurants around London, this one, Kebabish Original, seems to be one of those that’s lingered for quite some time. As a Pakistani grill house, it serves up freshly made tandoori grills and Afghan dishes on The Broadway next door to the aforementioned Ambala.

Kebabish – 44 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1QB

Yup, another Kebabish further down from the “Original” (see above). A small, fast food takeaway that has a HMC-certified sign on the outside, and offers a number of curry dishes.

London Doner Kebab – 54 High St, Southall UB1 3DB

Down the road from The Shahi Nan Kabab is this relatively new addition to the food scene, London Doner Kebab. This is essentially a German Doner Kebab-style eatery with limited indoor seating.

Madhu’s – 39 South Rd, Southall UB1 1SW

The two-storey Madhu’s on South Road is another one of the few higher-end Indian restaurants that has been around for some 40 years. As a catering business, they have sites all over. This is the original, with a fully Halal food menu (though alcohol is served therein).

Meri Marzi – South Rd, Southall UB1 1SQ

This is perhaps Southall’s most unique food place – a London double-decker bus that’s been converted into a dine-in eatery. Meri Marzi, meaning ‘it’s up to me’, is located just off Quality Foods on South Road, and says its goal is to provide “an enjoyable dining experience” with its desi food.

Nagina’s – 42-44 High St, Southall UB1 3DB

Looking run-down and shabby on the outside, Nagina’s has been through a number of iterations including being a hotel, as well as a smarter restaurant called Nagina Karahi. Now it’s just your average pizza, chicken and burger shop.

Pepe’s Piri Piri – 168 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1NN

Pepe’s Piri Piri is located opposite the main mosque on The Broadway, and has been around for a while. Pepe’s of course is a massive chicken chain with almost 150 fast food sites across the country.

Roosters Piri Piri – 518 Lady Margaret Rd, Southall UB1 2NP

Roosters Piri Piri boasts plenty of fast food restaurants across the country (39 to be exact). This one on Lady Margaret Road, as the name suggests, serves piri piri chicken, burgers and some vegetarian dishes.

Selekt Chicken – 50 High St, Southall UB1 3DB

Not as big as some of the others we’ve mentioned, but Selekt Chicken have a number of branches across London. The menu is the usual that includes chicken strips, wraps, strips, nuggets and a variety of wings, alongside a selection of burgers.

Spice Village – 185-189 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1LX

Spice Village has raised its game somewhat in recent years after having gone through a renovation that includes an outdoor dining space. Otherwise, this is a spacious, alcohol-free restaurant, that offers curries and tandoori dishes to eat in or take away.

Tariq Halal – 126 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1QF

This is part of award-winning Tariq Halal butcher chain’s more modern branches. Clean, crisp, and covid-world friendly, they have a hand sanitisation station upon entry and plenty of space and produce therein.

Tariq Halal Meat – 90 High St, Southall UB1 3HF

As for Tariq Halal Meat, then this is more a grocery shop than the above mentioned modern-day butchers. It is located towards the far end of Southall on the High Street adjacent to The Shahi Nan Kabab.

Taste of Lahore – 151 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1LP

Another Pakistani brand that’s fairly well established across the capital with a number of restaurants. Established in 2004, Taste of Lahore offers the “finest punjabi cuisine”.

Watan – 183 The Broadway, Southall UB1 1LX

This is perhaps Southall’s oldest and consistently best Afghan restaurant. Watan has an open kitchen, with plenty of grilled dishes flying out. Be sure to check out our review of them.

Wok & Karahi – 13 South Rd, Southall UB1 1SU

This is the only restaurant in Southall that is dedicated to a cuisine that’s become more popular over the past few years. Wok & Karahi specialises in Indo-Chinese; although it also has Hyderabadi biryani and desi cuisine as part of its menu (catering for all tastes, of course).