This smart two-floor Southall venue is all clean lines and glossy surfaces. It’s been around for four decades — opened by the then 16- and 17-year-old siblings, Sanjeev and Sanjay Anand, whose grandfather Bishan Das Anand founded the well-regarded Brilliant Hotel in Nairobi. Madhu’s was their father Jagdish Kumar’s nickname; and in the early days, their mother Krishna Kumari was the head chef. Kenyan influences abound in dishes such as yoghurt-marinated baby poussin, and tender lamb ribs laminated with chilli and lemon. Fresh coriander-flecked pakoras in fennel-flavoured yoghurt kadhi, slender aubergines on a stem with baby potatoes, and butter chicken made to an old family recipe are among the most popular dishes. Cauliflower with fenugreek leaves is as good as what might be found in a Punjabi home kitchen; and dal makhani quietly trumps flashier versions found elsewhere. Don’t miss Punjabi samosas made with beautifully flaky ‘khasta’ pastry.

Supperclub host and in-demand caterer Pritha Mukherjee, who once ran Kolkata Kitchen from her flat in north-west London, opened this hidden gem in Harrow almost a year ago. Named after the Bengali word for poppy seeds, it’s a smart place with beautifully folded white napkins and framed photos of Kolkata city scenes. There’s nuanced home-cooking to be found here: eggs cuddled under a thick duvet of white poppy seed paste; slow-cooked mutton kosha; raw green jackfruit with raisins and spices; and delicate rohu fish curry. Also not to be missed are toasted cashew-studded beetroot chops served with a zig-zag of aam kasundi made from raw green mangoes and mustard paste; Bengali aloo dum with pillowy discs of green pea kochuri; and cholar (chana) dal with coconut pieces, as sweet and as complex in its simplicity as the sentiments evoked by a Rabindranath Tagore tale.

This simple Maharashtrian vegetarian snack bar has expanded into a chain across west and north London — but the original in Hounslow is by far the best. Yes, the vada pav is very good, cushioned into lively red chilli, coconut, and garlic chutney-smeared, correctly trashy white bread rolls — but misal pav that’s the main draw. One of the most famous Maharashtrian dishes with countless regional variations, it’s rarely found elsewhere in London. Here, the sprouted bean stew comes in a vibrant red chilli rassa (gravy) fragrant with goda masala (black spice mix), topped with farsan (thick sev) and more of those bread rolls. Other classics include ‘coriander sticks’ or kothimbir vadi made from masses of fresh coriander and chickpea flour, sabudana vada (tapioca and potato patties), sabudana khichdi (similar, but in the form of a scramble), and poha (rice flakes with potatoes). To drink, there’s ‘cutting chai’ — Mumbai’s famous ‘half cup of tea’.

Ex-Gymkhana chefs Nand Kishor and Sanjay Gour’s cosy, contemporary, colourful North Indian in Epsom is extraordinarily popular, and it’s easy to see why: the reassuringly short menu is filled with very well-executed dishes such as guinea fowl and chicken seekh kabab with apple murabba, and lamb chops enlivened by kasundi mustard relish. Streaked with green, spinach, potato, and onion pakoras don’t just look pretty, they’re freshly fried and not the hard, overcooked ‘double fried’ lumps found in inferior places. There’s more greenery in fragrant vegetable biryani, generously packed with asparagus, peas and Jerusalem artichokes — a combination that works surprisingly well, especially with the crunch of plentiful fried onions.

Most Londoners mispronounce the name of this popular London-origin mini-chain as ‘say-gaar’ — in fact, it’s ‘saa-gar’, which means ocean. It’s one of the few South Indian restaurants to showcase the simple vegetarian food of Udupi in Karnatka, centred on fresh vegetables, beans, and grains. The elegantly austere Hammersmith branch is the original and by far the best. Opt for the generous Udupi thali, which comes with various dals and lentil broths, and a regularly-changing selection of vegetables that may include crushed potatoes with a tempering of urad lentils and curry leaves, a side vegetable that might include shredded white cabbage with carrots, or ivy gourd or swede, and chayote cooked in a mellow yoghurt and coconut gravy fired up with green chillies. The flavours are gentle and nuanced, in keeping with the confidently understated look and mood of the place.

Understated in its elegance, this cosy two-room Modern Indian in Marylebone is owned by the same team as Brigadiers (and the temporarily closed Gymkhana): the renowned JKS restaurant group helmed by siblings Jyotin, Karam, and Sunaina Sethi. Here there are contemporary interpretations of coastal cuisines — including speciality dishes of the fishing communities — from India’s western coast that stretches from Maharashtra and Goa down to Karnataka and Kerala. This includes Karnataka-style aubergines and lemon rice laced with fresh coconut, mustard seeds, curry leaves, dried red chillies, raw green mangoes, tamarind, and chana dal (used as a spice). Despite not being connected to the famous fish restaurant of the same name in Mumbai, seafood is very much a speciality here — the highlight being seafood paniyaram: mini muffin-like rice and split urad lentil ‘pancake’ puffs, studded with prawns and scallops, offset by the mild sweetness of accompanying crab chutney.

Iqbal Wahhab launched this upscale Indian in 2001, but it wasn’t long before he parted company; and now it’s very much executive chef Vivek Singh’s baby. It’s located in a magnificent Grade II listed building of the former Westminster Library, a large space with two bars set over two floors. The book-lined dining room has a cinematic feel, with bright white walls, bright white tablecloths and bright lights. The former gentlemen’s club décor, beloved of the MPs who regularly dine here, has given way to lighter space that makes diners feel like they’re in a movie. ‘Bombay-style vegetables’ with truffled pao and jerusalem artichoke crisps is essentially pao bhaji with a culinary college education. The restaurant is famous for game and fish dishes, such as lobster with kokum dip and dried shrimp chutney; and tandoori venison loin with fenugreek and robust black stone flower reduction. The spicing is spirited, and the sheer variety of speciality ingredients and techniques is dazzling.

Probably the best place to eat and drink in the City’s renowned Bloomberg Arcade, this smart sports bar is inspired by Indian army mess bars popular with military regiments — but also has the good looks, shiny surfaces, and sturdy furniture of classic British gentlemen’s clubs. Like other Indian pubs and bars, the emphasis is on kababs, chops, chaats, sandwiches, and barbecue dishes that are handy to pick up and eat while eyes are focused on the screen. Glazed puff pastries filled with gorgeously spiced guinea fowl come with fragrant green chutney for dipping; and a chaat of lotus root slices and puffed lotus seeds balances the tangy with the savoury. Mashed aubergines with toasted sweetcorn on miniature Rajasthani chickpea flour flatbreads have a deep smokiness that doesn’t overpower the spicing; and lamb kababs are juicy and properly charred on all sides. This is superlative snacking.

One of the very few venues in London to showcase the exquisitely complex cuisine of Hyderabad, this small, modest-looking East Ham café attracts large family crowds, so be prepared to wait. There are many classics from the region, such as nizami gosht, kuska bagara, and haleem — but the one thing everyone comes here for is the generously portioned, excellent-value biryani. It more than lives up to expectations: cooked dum style, but served without the theatrics of a pastry lid, the golden grains of rice are generously studded with beautifully spiced lamb, chicken, seafood, whole boiled eggs, or vegetables, then topped with a tangle of crisp caramelised onions. This is also one of the few places to find khubani ka meetha, a classic pudding of stewed dried apricots and apricot kernels steeped (here very deeply) in cream; and ‘Irani chai’, a strong, slow-brewed Persian tea made with reduced milk solids ubiquitous in Hyderabad, but not widely available in London.