David Orlando Da Costa
+4
Friendly staff and quick service . Tried literally every dish that there is to offer . From the chaat to the dosas to tandoor, every dish is commendable. The definite stand out curry is the Paneer tikka masala. Easily the best I’ve ever tasted. The Rasmalai is the perfect way to end the meal.
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have been a frequent visitor to Woodlands Restaurant ever since it opened in Marylebone Lane. I always used to enjoy their food and return totally satisfied. Sunday afternoon my wife and I along with a family member went to the restaurant around 1pm. When we started ordering we found out that certain items have been changed in portion size and some items were not available. We ended up ordering Medhu Vada and Chaat item for starters. As Appam was not available we all ordered Dosas. Order was taken by a pleasant young lady and brought to our table reasonably fast. In the past when we order idly, media vada etc. there were always two of each per portion. However under the new policy it seems only one of each will be provided per order. I find for the price charged they should revert to the old practice of providing two of each per plate to retain regular/frequent customers who are familiar with the type of food supplied. Further I found the size of Dosas were also reduced and Sambar and Chutney provided were not up to their usual standard. I am sorry to say my confidence on this establishment has taken a nosedive. It is still a clean place and pure vegetarians like me can eat with confidence that the food prepared will have no chance of getting cross contaminated with meat items, accidentally or otherwise. Fortunately for us, unlike in the past, there are more choice of such establishments available in Central and Greater London.
Stumbled onto this place by chance on a super crowded london evening. We were skeptical plus it was an all veggie place. It turned out to be so amazingly good. The chef added an extra Indian touch to our food and the dal makhani was outstanding.
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When a restaurant is full of so-called locals, you know it must be pretty good. In Piccadilly, just off Haymarket, lives a small, simply decorated Dosa House- Woodlands. With a rich heritage in India dating back to the 1930's, Woodlands first opened in Maryleborne in the '80's and have expanded to Piccadilly and Hampstead since. Recommended by a food-loving friend for the dosas, I was keen to give it a try - although if I'd walked past it on Panton St I might not have been tempted in. A slightly dated, shabby exterior leads to a simple wooden dining room with little atmosphere and no music. It was about half-full, however, of what I took to be people originally from South India, dressed in sarees and dhotis and indeed western clothing too, milling in and out as if it were a Keralan food court, ordering dosas, eating quickly and then moving on with their lives.
The staff, initially, were a little dozy (forgive the pun) but we were soon attended to by the manager, after I dubiously asked about cocktails (I was still in a post-NYC bubble). They do do them, but not usually. I settled for a beer. On the manager's reccie, we ordered a Tandoori Platter to start - mushroom tikka, cauliflower, baby corn, and paneer tikka, all marinated in the chef's special spices and tandoori grilled. We also received a complimentary Special Crispy Bhaji, because I think he liked being asked lots of questions about the food!
The starters arrived quickly and were utterly delicious. Not your typical curry house dishes, although they seemed familiar, they were lighter and more fragrant. Perhaps it was the missing meat. Oh - did I mention it's all vegetarian! Yes, I knew that when I went! But although I am a complete carnivore (my friend isn't - she eats very little meat, so it suited her perfectly), I didn't miss it at all. The variety of dishes was as good as anywhere.
For mains, we ordered the Thali. Although everyone around us was eating dosas - huge domed crepe breads with lentil dipping sauces and freshly made chutney and the filling (or not) of your choice, I have to go back as they looked so good. So so good. But still, our thali was just lovely. An age old South Indian meal, with small bowls of daal, curry, vegetables and rice, as well as a small dosa (no, not just like the other ones of which I was so envious) and even a gulab jumann for dessert. Although it looked teeny, it was more than filling, and showcased a plethora of flavours, textures, colours and tastes.
I must say it was one of the best places for authentic vegetarian indian meals. WE ordered cholle and baigan bhartha curries with plain rotis and samosa chat for desserts.
The food was very well balanced in terms of spice and the aroma was amazing
Great place - very good food and excellent team with chef Stalin leading the show - very authentic South Indian food - steep prices but what the hell great food does not come cheap - the rasam to start with it is very authentic - their dry masala potatoes and cauliflower Kannada style preparation is to die for - add to that their badam halwa and u have a great meal on the table - have never been a fan of Indian food overseas as I am lucky that I eat every cuisine and pretty my be every meat but this place is something else - cheers guys keep it going. Last but not the least can't forget the awesome manager Sanjay whose attitude to delight customers is the icing on the dosa!!!!
just near my hotel, I found this Indian restaurant which is pure vegetarian.. Great Indian taste and smiling and nice staff.. I love their playing song list.. Not too expensive nor too cheap..!!
One of the nice Indian restaurant in London.. Naman Bhansali
Shrimoyee Chakraborty
+4.5
If you want to experience REAL indian food with quintessential homemade dishes that you can only find in a grandma's kitchen in India then look no further and head straight to Woodlands Piccadilly. Located in Piccadilly circus where it is extremely difficult to find a good Indian restaurant where you can eat and not keep burping all night.
The food at Woodlands is fresh, healthy and ridiculously tasty. I recently tried their new menu which has some exceptionally uncommon yet delicious dishes like Sabudana popcorn which is an indian version of a croquette. I am a big fan of their new Dosa Zone where you can chose between four different types of dosa batters which is again extremely rare in London. They also have very contemporary indian dishes like Quinoa upma - perfect for a healthy and light lunch.
The staff are very warm and friendly and make your entire experience very warm and comfortable - no wonder they have been around for more than three decades.
I was a fan of their Marylebone branch but now I am a fan of the entire group I have to say.
Verdict : If you like a good tasty and healthy meal, Woodlands should be a must in your list of things to do.
Visited December 2015
Been here couple of times. Awesome food and great service. Paneer Tikka Masala, Dal Makhani and Masala Dosa...must try items. Pure vegetarian restaurant in the heart of central London, two mins walking distance from Piccadilly Circus tube station. Must visit place.
On the menu today:
Papri chat
Onion rava masala dosa
Mysore masala dosa
Paneer tikka masala
Garlic naan
Gulab jamun
And Kingfisher :)
All for 45 bucks.
It was 2:30 on Saturday and the place was quite empty.
Service was reasonable.
Food was good. Dosas were decent but the chutney and sambar, not as much.
Again, better than Punjab. Not as good as Manjal.
Overall good, satisfying meal.
On my Indian food trail, my ratings so far:
1. Saravanaa Bhavan
2. Kati Roll Company
3. Manjal
4. Woodlands
5. Bengal Quay
6. Punjab
Vegrtarian. If not clear. But delicious all the same.
Food is good. Service at times is slow. A bit pricey for the food offered but good.
Been there with friends. The portion size good.
Vegetarian Restaurant.
Where do you take 25 hungry colleagues for a budget Christmas party near Picadilly? Woodlands! With a well priced party menu and a very helpful manager, Woodlands turned out to be a great choice for my office's Christmas party.
Althought the room is not great, especially for large groups, and the service is a times rather slow, the food largely compensates. We had a number of starters to share, all pretty good, before tucking into delicious dosas followed by lentils, korma, chickpeas, rice and bread. A true feast for just over £20, easily pleasing everyone.
Lunch menus are also great value!
A great place for South Indian tiffins.
We went to this place to satisfy our idly-dosa cravings. The South Indian tiffins we tried were decent/great but the sambar could have been better.
Lemon Rasam, Mysore masala dosa & Medu vada are my favorites.
I would want to go back to this place for the Okra curd. This item is surprisingly delicious.
Ambiance: 3.5/ 5 A narrow rectangular hall
Food: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value for money: 3.5/5
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12,5% Service Fee included as Standard!!
Having sat down at two restaurants off Leicester Square - both of which could not cater to my Lacto-Vegetarian whims I was delighted to discover Woodlands Restaurant just off the Square (along Panton Street as you are heading towards Piccadilly Circus - it is on your right before you reach Planet Hollywood (Another venue that doesn't cater for me :( - but that is another story!!)
Woodlands Piccadilly is small and intimate and they keep it nice and clean. There were four other tables already seated when my guest and I arrived and only one waitron - so service did take a while but the menus arrived as soon as we sat down so we had plenty of time to peruse.
What a pleasure it was to see a menu that caters specifically to my eating style - no eggs and you can request your dishes Jain Style (without garlic or onion).
I have eaten at a number of South Indian restaurants in South Africa and was eager to find out if South Indian restaurants in London made their food as spicy as they do in the colonies. The answer is NO!! The waitron made sure I knew that the dish I was ordering (Veg Jalfrezi) was spicy, but it was the mildest Jalfrezi I have ever tasted and the bottle of water on the table was only used to quench our thirst!!
My guest devoured her Masala Dosa and proclaimed it equal (if not better) to the many we have eaten in the colonies.
The food was delicious, the breads (we tried the butter naan, popadoms and paratha) were divine and the ladies' bathroom was nice and clean and fresh.
How sad then that I am left with a sour taste in my mouth by the billing :(
I always tip for service - If I don't then it means the service was lousy. I never thought to look at the bill carefully when I received it and left a hefty tip on the plate. Imagine my surprise when I arrived home and realised they had included a std 12,5% service fee.
It was my fault, I should have checked - they could also have tried a little harder to warn diners - like Lo-Fu does.
The hidden service charge has reduced their score to 4!! But I shall have to return and try more of their heavenly cooking and hope to score them higher on my return visits :)
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When I need a quick fix for my craving for restaurant-style popular South Indian food the way it is widely available back home in restaurants in India, it is wise to head to Woodland’s.
It is a narrow elongated joint – mostly with seating on one side, leaving a corridor on the left for the crew members to walk on or for two-seaters. I have mostly preferred the seating at the start of the joint because I feel teeny bit claustrophobic inside – it might be just an issue with my head and you will find yourself perfectly comfortable and cosy in the interiors. We usually head there as a group of at least four so those tables at the start work well for us. There is a beautiful wood carving on one of the walls that has a elephant entourage carved into it – I love it so much and it is the trademark image of this joint in my head.
I have sampled mainly the DOSAS and amazing CHHOLE BHATUREY here – both are always generously served and satisfying. I have tried practically every dosa that it offers – the two that stand out include: MALAGA PUDI MASALA DOSA (£6.75) which contains the combination of butter & a special spice blend called Malaga that is their version of the famous gun powder chutney traditionally to be had with dosas/idlis and the ONION RAVA MASALA DOSA (£7.25) which is a personal favourite variant of dosa – the one they serve here at Woodland’s has all the goodness of a traditional rava dosa which is a dosa made from a slightly different batter (semolina-based) than the usual rice-lentil one. Their mixed uttapam (£6.75) is also great – being the standard onion-tomato version that I love.
You get the chhole bhaturey, from the selected North Indian/Punjabi vegetarian food they serve, in two separate orders – for BHATUREY (puffed up fried Indian bread like a poori but football sized, @ £ 3.25 each!!) and a plate of CHANNA MASALA (£7.25). You can easily order one plate of channa masala and as many bhaturey as two people might want to eat. That’s what my table usually does;-)
They have a wine list but what really works for me is to opt for one of their Indian non-alcoholic cold beverages especially LASSI (yogurt shake) and NIMBU PANI (lemonade), both @ £3.10. They serve South Indian-styled THALIS and have SPECIAL LUNCH offers too – all indications from what I have observed of other diners is that those would be good too although I somehow haven’t tried them too much, given that I visit Woodland’s mainly for the dosas. It is the ideal place to drop by after a movie show of whatever popular Indian cinema is running in Piccadilly – that is usually the chain of events that brings me to Woodland’s!!!
Anybody who loves Indian fast food should visit this place.
The service at this branch of Woodlands restaurant was a bit less than desired. Despite having quite a few waiters, they seemed a bit disorganized. They didn't even get our reservation straight and reported we hadn't been there despite asking our name twice when we arrived. It was a hassle for us and was not a great start. We had to ask for our bill but it took a long time to catch anyone's notice.Lack of attention in service. As the start was not great so it did reflected on the food which was not exceptional by any means and a bit disappointing at this branch. The korma sauce was very bland and the baby corn was much too spicy and overcooked, but the paneer was delicious. Would recommend the other Woodland Branch than this one...
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If you are craving for South Indian food in the city, then this place is a must go..
It's a small place located in the main area of London..Decently sized, it's rectangular shaped with no nonsense decor. All 4 people tables on the sides with a passage in between for the servers.
Went there with my cousin and her husband, as her husband is quite fond of the south Indian food. Though they have a huge selection of food items including north Indian, we wanted to satify our idli-dosa hunger.
We ordered masala idli, dahi vada, mysore masala and onion rava masala dosa. The portion quantity was quite good. As the server placed our food items, the aroma of the food just refreshed our senses.Dahi vada and the onion rava masala were amazingly delicious.
We ordered Kulfi falooda for the dessert, but that was just average, not at all comparable to the authentic taste of the kulfi. The staff was polite and friendly.
This is a must go restaurant for South Indian delicacies, particularly if you are looking for a quick bite and pocket friendly option!!
A nice restaurant serving South Indian and North Indian food.
The taste is near authentic, slightly adapted for the western audience. The Dosa is nice and crisp with generous amount of Sambhar.
The ambience is decent.
*They also have Jain options available*
Mix of South and North Indian dishes, mainly street food. Easy on the tummy and tasty. Service not bad. The toilets need some tender loving care. Credit cards accepted including American express. Close to Leicester Square.
Smiley and friendly staffs make an amazingly delicious meal even better. The best vegetarian restaurant in town. Even if you are not a vegetarian, the food still taste wonderfully satisfying. Don’t miss out.
We went in a large group, to celebrate Diwali, the food was good, and plentiful. We all ordered thalis, and I was rather shocked at the price, although the curries were very tasty. The food was fantastic and very tasty, the staff were very friendly. I would definitely go back again.
Went right at noon when it opened. I tried the masala mysore dosa. It was flavorful and I would definitely recommend it for vegetarians. The location is very convenient for those who are catching a show at the nearby theatres. The only improvement would be to renovate the men's room in the basement.
Amazing traditional south Indian food and cocktails like lassi. Worth visiting and trying paneer tikka masala, garlic butter naan, mango lassi, rasmalai.
Superb vegetarian Indian (I’m not a vegetarian). Does vegan too. Very tasty, great range of dosas. Chaat Bombs are the best ever. I will return.
Good option for Indian food. A medium spicy taste and for dosa craving 😃😋
We dint have to wait as we entered the restaurant as we had a reservation. We were attended to immediately. The food was great. Service was slow though.
But otherwise the ambience is good. Location is quite convenient.
Taking a star away since the steward was being funny. Also the portions are considerably small. Each person needs his own curry.
Found this restaurant just when we were craving for south Indian food in London. It was an amazing experience, the food was delicious and authentic. We went there on the NYE so it was a bit busy but still the service was good enough. Our waiter was very kind and helped us a lot! We ordered filter coffee and it was upto the expectations.
Would definitely recommend this place, specially for south Indian food.
Very solid Indian restaurant! Loved that they do such a strong range of vegan options (as well as Vegetarian of course). I went for the folded pancake-style dish (Sada Dosa?) with a variety of vegetables inside. Next time I'll try one of the curries for sure. Poppadom and dips were good too.
The service was pretty delightful. I love this place. me and my wife were in the mood for some good Indian home cooked meals and that's exactly what we got. if you like authentic Indian food i def recommend it. i read the review before i went there and i was a little fussy about going but i am glad we went there and tried food. I agree some guests are moody but trust me if you're not dining here at least twice a week you are missing out.
Really tasty authentic Indian cuisine. They're happy to take solo diners, and give good service as well. Had the selection of 4 mini pancakes and grilled veggies served on a sizzling dish, along with loads of mango lassi. Would definitely come back anytime!
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