Hackney Bridge was where the concept began. Prince and I needed to demonstrate its viability, but our resources were limited, making it a cost-effective way to enter the market. Given the setup, we faced space constraints, restricting the full menu we desired. The intention was always to establish a restaurant as soon as feasible.<\/p>\n
With the extra space, we have experienced a practical evolution that has enabled us to acquire new cooking equipment, allowing for a broader range of dishes. For instance, the addition of a tandoor lets us expand our menu to include classic curry house items like naan and tandoori chicken. Many curries remain the same as those we\u2019ve offered since day one.<\/p>\n
We aim to create a modern version of the traditional curry house. We appreciate the classic establishments and want to incorporate their best elements while adding our unique twist rooted in Prince\u2019s South Indian heritage. Our menu features a more extensive selection of poori and dosas, which are less common in conventional curry houses. This philosophy also influences the restaurant’s contemporary look and atmosphere.<\/p>\n
Currently, we’re based in north London, and many customers travel across the city to visit us, making it logical to explore locations south of the river. Prince has a history in Clapham, making him familiar with the area, and when we found this site, it felt like everything clicked into place.<\/p>\n
From the beginning, scaling Tamila has been a goal. Our success with the pubs was unexpected, and now we\u2019re eager to pursue this vision. We have a second site set to open next month. While these two openings are close together, it wasn\u2019t by design\u2014many rejected bids meant these opportunities appeared simultaneously. The new restaurant will feature a similar menu but have a unique space, including more bar elements due to its basement. We believe the venue defines the restaurant experience.<\/p>\n
It’s not a completely new idea; Desi pubs have been around since the 1950s. We resonate with something familiar, combining beloved British pub culture with bold Asian flavors. Diners appreciate the authenticity brought by Prince\u2019s Indian heritage, paired with my British pub background. Plus, who doesn\u2019t enjoy a curry with their pint?<\/p>\n
Pubs tend to have a bit more going on. Both Prince and I have extensive experience in hospitality, so it’s familiar territory. The biggest challenge with Tamila has been perfecting kitchen operations. We’ve had to focus on retraining staff for the new tandoor equipment, which has proven challenging. As we diversify our menu, we’re also expanding our skillset, but I wouldn’t say it’s necessarily harder than running a pub.<\/p>\n
I wouldn’t dismiss the idea entirely. We have a passion for pubs, but our current focus is on establishing the Tamila concept and launching these two new sites. While I would love to open another pub eventually, it’s not something we\u2019ll pursue in the immediate future.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
You originally trialled Tamila at Hackney Bridge food hall. Was the plan to always take it permanent? Hackney Bridge was where the concept began. Prince and I needed to demonstrate its viability, but our resources were limited, making it a cost-effective way to enter the market. Given the setup, we faced space constraints, restricting the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5476,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-5475","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-restaurant-news-uk"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5475"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=5475"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5475\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/5476"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=5475"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=5475"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/restaurantnews.co.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=5475"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}