Glen Leeson and Prince Durairaj, owners of the acclaimed desi pubs The Tamil Prince and The Tamil Crown in Islington, have yet to reveal the location of their second Tamila restaurant, but confirmed it will be situated in London. They opened their first Tamila establishment earlier this month on Clapham’s Northcote Road, taking over the space that was previously occupied by vegan restaurant VE Kitchen. The duo aims to "redefine the curry house."
The menu reflects the South Indian heritage of co-founder and executive chef Prince Durairaj, showcasing dishes from Tamil Nadu and the surrounding region. In an interview with Restaurant, Leeson noted that the decision to quickly open two locations was unplanned. “It’s just the nature of the game,” he explained. “You bid on a lot of sites and get turned down for nearly all, but like buses, these two came at the same time.”
The second location will offer a similar menu focused on roti and South Indian curries, but will feature a unique space including a basement bar that is expected to provide an expanded drinks selection. “Our approach is letting the space define what the restaurant is,” added Leeson.
Durairaj, who previously served as executive head chef of Roti King, partnered with former Market Halls general manager Leeson a few years ago, solidifying their collaboration after the pandemic. They first launched Tamila as a street food concept at Hackney Bridge, later shifting to their first Indian food pub, The Tamil Prince, in 2022, followed by The Tamil Crown late last year.
Both pubs have garnered a reputation for revitalizing the desi pub scene, with The Tamil Prince having featured on the National Restaurant Awards Top 100 list in the past. Reflecting on the inception of Tamila as a physical restaurant, Leeson remarked, “Tamila is something we wanted to do from the beginning. The pubs were a brilliant accident. It wasn’t what we set out to do, and so now it’s about scratching that itch.”
Leeson’s full interview with Restaurant can be read here.
