Standard Tandoori

East London's Unparalleled Curry Experience!

As I slipped through the doors of this curry house, whose name reverberates in murmurs of mixed praise and discontent among Hackney’s locals, I was greeted with a warm haze spiced with cumin and coriander. Inside, the dimly lit charm felt welcoming: soft laughter bounced off turmeric-yellow walls while the heady scent from biryanis gyrated under my nose, luring a chorus of approving murmurs from contented diners. It is clear that Uncle Rav — the man who is said to run this joint — has long honed his venture into a seemingly beloved establishment where dishes are crafted with care. Ducking secretive whispers of a phantom ‘Buffet Night’ lingering outside, my focus turned decidedly inward, to mounds of steamy rice plumped wishfully above eager table tops.

What excites here is not just the coziness embroidered through this local eatery's décor but its tapestry of flavors that comfortably lives up to – even earns – those impassioned endorsements of a “must-try” status. The butter chicken proved to be more than the glorified orange blob found elsewhere; it glistened with honesty, rich and unrepentantly creamy, echoing silken textures south of delirious. Amidst flagrant opinions on service and ever-present ruffled feathers over yet unmet expectations, there remained identifiable bright spots: particularly lively chatter among diners and delivery patrons alike rallying firmly about the place’s stature as East London’s favorite curry oasis. A peculiar complexity weaves through each interaction here, between seemingly disparate universes of love-struck devotees and skeptical first-timers—and therein lies the humble brilliance beneath its resolute spicy volume. — Clarissa Cuisinier