London loves Indian food and a good pub, so it’s no surprise that Shepherd's Bush is warmly embracing The Talli Queen. It’s the brainchild of chef Avinash Shashidhara, who spent 10 years at the River Cafe before setting his sights on something more personal.
“Growing up in Bangalore, there was a big drinking culture. I always wanted to do something very casual and fun, and I think a lot of Indian food here can be a very serious affair,” Shashidhara tells Broadsheet. At The Talli Queen, Shashidhara – who, along with his business partner James McLean has lived in the neighbourhood since 2008 – wants to show London a different side of Indian food, along with regional dishes traditionally enjoyed alongside a drink in Bangalore.
The pub occupies the former Queen Adelaide, and its name is a playful nod to its predecessor. “Talli” is slang for “tipsy” in Hindi, while the Queen reflects the chef’s desire to bring feminine energy to a traditionally masculine space.
Is it a gastropub? Not quite. “It’s a pub with a dining room,” Shashidhara says. Guests can drop in for a pint without ordering food, though the menu might tempt them to stay.
Alongside familiar pours such as Guinness and Camden Hells, the drinks list champions Indian producers, including White Rhino IPA, Amrut whisky, Stranger & Sons gin and Desi Daru alphonso mango vodka. Cocktails also have a strong Indian flare: the Kachumba Margarita gets a hit of chaat masala and black salt; and the masala chai Old Fashioned combines whisky with chai-infused jaggery syrup.
The food is where Shashidhara’s roots really shine. Rather than sticking to familiar curry house staples, the menu explores regional Indian cooking. Expect Toddy Shop fried kingfish (inspired by local taverns of southern India), charred Naga-style pork rib eye and Bihari paneer tufani, a dish the chef encountered at a vegetarian dhaba (roadside restaurant) on a road trip between Jaipur and Jodhpur. Bangalore pub favourites include masala peanuts, aloo bonda (potato fritters) and chakli (a spiral-shaped savoury snack) with chilli-garlic dip.
Shashidhara’s approach is shaped by both home cooking and his years at the River Cafe. “The biggest thing was eating with the seasons, eating from the land,” he says. It’s a philosophy that fills the menu with dishes you might not have encountered on a London menu before.
One is the Bengaluru Masala Dosa, also known as benne dosa. The batter is ground in-house before being cooked into a thicker, fluffier cousin of the wafer-thin dosa familiar to many Londoners. Drenched in ghee, crisp at the edges and served with potato masala, coconut chutney and tomato chutney, it’s a Bangalore staple – and could be the start of a benne dosa boom in London.
The interiors are just as original. The listed building retains its central bar, wooden panelling, fireplaces and skylights, alongside upcycled banquettes salvaged from another pub. Some chairs are sourced from Rajasthan, while the red oxide accents around the pub are a nod to southern Indian homes. Earthy Indian touches such as terracotta dishes add a warmth to the tables.
The Talli Queen
412 Uxbridge Road, W12 0NR
Hours:
Tue to Sun midday–11pm
