Diwana Bhel Poori House

08-01-2009
Andy Hayler  0 

Where else in London (or England) can you eat genuinely classy food for around £12? This café does not take bookings and has fairly basic decor (no tablecloths) but the service is efficient and you can buy alcohol from the shop two doors down (Diwana's is unlicensed) though the lassi here is excellent and refreshing. The south Indian vegetarian food is superb.

Personally I think Diwana is best at the starter snacks, so I normally order two or three of these per person, and then just skip to the home-made kulfi (Indian ice cream). You should try the bhel poori, samosas and aloo papri chat, which are outstanding. The bhel poori itself has a wonderful balance of flavours and textures, the spices immediately apparent as the first bite touches your tongue. The samosas here are generous in size, bursting with mixed vegetable filling and served with a spciy tomato sauce.

The de-luxe dosa (basically a large crisp pancake stuffed with a spicy potato and onion filling) is also excellent, though the main course curries are rather ordinary; they can be a little watery and dull, though chapatis and parathats are both fine.

They offer an "eat as much as you want" lunch for £6.50; this is excellent value, but does not usually include the snacks at which they are best. In addition to the excellent kulfi, they also have the rich, comforting dessert called shrikand, here quite thick in texture with a hint of saffron.

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25-03-2008
vishal

I would term the service as appauling and completely disgusting. I went there along with my husband on my birthday and it was one that i will never forget but for all the wrong reasons. After entering we stood at the door without being attended to for almost 7-8 minutes. When we were shown to a table that we dint want, we were very rudely taken to another table. After ordering the starters and mains, we were served very swiftly but with food that tasted quite bland. I am Indian and can vouch that the food is far from authentic and completely tasteless. Hardly had we finished the mains, were presented with the bill, without asking for it. Neither were we asked if we would like desserts. When questioned about why we were not informed about the closing of that section, staff rudely said we could shift if we wanted or else leave the restaurant! I have never experienced more humiliation and would never go back or allow anyone I know to visit the restaurant. Bad food and terribly arrogant, inhospitable staff.

30-04-2007
paul redfern

I discovered Diwana many years ago and fell in love with their Bhelpoori. I still think it's to die for but the last two times I've been, I have become disillusioned with the restaurant. The time before last I was horrified at how disgusting the toilets were. Also the waiters seem to be totally obsessed with getting as much money out of you. When you look at the bill, it says s/c which I understood to mean service charge, but then they insist on a tip. Last time I took a bottle of wine - already opened (from next door's off licence) and the waiter told me that as they didn't charge corkage, I should leave a tip. So even though I still adore their starters, from now on, I'm going to try and find somewhere else and give them a miss.

26-04-2007
pickles, myvillage

Before eating at diwana I don't think I'd ever been for a stroll on drummond street. Man, was i missing out. This is a hidden mecca for Indian cuisine. Not only are there a number to choose from but these aren't the usual Anglo chicken madras joints either. Diwana serves up an authentic selection of South Indian food, from the superb thali through to the delicious dosa. The food is tasty and extremely filling. I found the waiters rather rude and bossy, but also in a truly authentic manner :) Not licensed so BYO.