The Tamil Crown

‘Great food, superb beer and good hospitality… in a charming street near the canal,’ is how one reporter summed up this sibling of the Tamil Prince in Barnsbury, which is run along similar lines to its predecessor. What was the old Charles Lamb pub on Elia Street has been spruced up with a first-floor dining room specialising in South Indian food and a ground-floor bar, complete with a cosy fireplace, candles and a sofa – ideal if you fancy a pint and a quick bite. Snacks such as the okra fries and lime-leaf roasted chicken with pineapple regularly get the thumbs-up but also consider the grills and regional curries – perhaps mango sambar or Chettinad lamb. The coconut pilau rice is ‘excellent’, as are the flaky roti breads. To finish, the preferred option is refreshing mango lassi. Also check out the Sunday menu, with its masala-roasted chickens and lamb shanks plus Indian veg. Draught beers from Cornwall’s Harbour Brewing Co feature at the bar, and there’s a short list of interesting wines with several by the glass or carafe.