diwani bhel puri house

Recalling regularly eating here back in the 70's-80's, I found myself needing to be in the area with relatives between stations. So seeing if all was as I remembered it was a must.

Not disappointed at all. Still the same small, friendly, cafe-style place of old and still serving equally good South Indian vegetarian foods at similarly affordable pricing. Everyone in the party felt the same and made a note of its location for the future.

As we were there at lunch time, the buffet was on in addition to menu items. I don't think a buffet was available in the old days. So due to train times looming, we all tried this option and everyone had a great meal. Plenty of choice, hot or cold, with curries, breads, rice and salads in volume and a small range of dessert items to follow.

I've seen some apparently critical reviews from a few people about this place, but find their issues strangely and completely out of kilter with my experiences in the past and today. My guess is they are actually fraudulent entries from rival establishments!

Don't go there expecting 5 star decor, and hotel service. This is a great place to eat at a good price, so is unlikely to be a costly disappointment, even if it turns out not to work for you. It can be very popular at rush times. So give it a go and see/taste for yourself.

Have been going to Diwani for over 20 years - still great food after all these years and has lost none of its no-frills charm. I would highly recommend the lunch-time buffet for a delicious varied selection of south Indian nosh.

Hello Friends,

Whoever is fond of Indian food never come here, You will be served wrong food in name of Gujarati thali. There is no taste in food and I had Indian food which was worst then ever.

This is my and my group's opinion.

Diwani is quite close to where I work although I don't eat there very often - each time I visit I always say I should visit more often.

The surroundings are basic and service is not the best, but the food... delicious, tasty and very affordable. I recently took a friend there, she loved it so much, she insisted we visit the following week.

The lunch time buffet is varied, I highly recommend it. 

Looking for a quick bite at night, we stood outside Diwana, weighing up the many options available in Drummond Street. But our minds were soon made up for us by some passers by who told us we'd love it. Thanks passers by, you weren't wrong! We each opted for Thali meals, which were great value for money and offering several little taster dishes in the traditional south Indian style. Each vegetarian option was packed with flavour and contrasted beautifully, using ingredients including chili, rice and chick peas. A great waiter explained to us how dishes changed daily, meaning you would always be trying something new! There is no alcohol licence, but bring your own is allowed. Diwana is a modestly decorated restaurant, where the food is the undoubted star. Clearly loved by its regulars, the atmosphere was both intimate and vibrant. And I'd cross continents to eat again the eye-rollingly wonderful mango cream dessert we were served!

This is a firm favourite with me! The old fashioned surroundings make it endearing. The food is delicious, nutritious and unusual. I'm a big fan of South Indian cuisine but there are things on this menu I've found nowhere else.
This place has been here yonks. Yes, it shows, but I like that.
Staff is friendly, food delicious and good value.

This is a really excellent vegetarian Indian restaurant: delicious food, great value. Main courses are about 5-7 quid and portions are generous, there are some great set menus too. Try one of their many Dosas, a rice pancake with paneer and spinach filling that comes with a lovely coconut chutney. They also do a fabulous all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for 6.50. In the evenings you may have to queue outside for a while, but the service is fast and efficient so you’ll never have to wait for very long. They don’t have a license, but you can buy beer or wine in the little grocery store next door.

Diwana's lunchtime buffet is the perfect way to write off a Friday afternoon, you'll be sat snoozy and contented at your desk, full of the curry goodness. Or maybe that's just the slacker in me talking...

I used to work nearby to Drummond Street, so it was only natural that I tried out a few curry restuarants. I will admit that, in my younger years, I was a little curry mad, think along the lines of the occaisional curry for breakfast and you're getting there (Malaysian style curry, I might add, I liked a little sweetness on a morning). All this previous experience was based on meat curries though, it never really occurred to me that vegetarian options could be anything other than side dishes that enhanced the main course.

Diwana's has helped to change my perception, I'm pleased to say. The lunchtime buffet is £6.50, and consists of 3-4 vegetable curries (usually a sweet potato/pumpkin/squash, a saag with paneer, a daal and then a mixed veg curry), rice, chapati, pakora, loads of fresh and nice salads and chutneys/sauces, popadoms and a few other nibbles thrown in. There's also dessert; fresh fruit, coconut cakey stuff, jelly and my favourite, the spiced rice pudding (kheer). It's a fantastic range, really tasty, with real variety. The only unfortunate thing is that I am always wanting to try a bit of it all, leading me to gobble a little too much, hence my writing off the afternoon to snooziness.

It's a great place, it does get busy though, but if you're flexible with your time then you'll be fine. Just make sure you have a hammock or something for afterwards.

Due to a confusing set of circumstances involving sickboyedd, beer, a zoo, some bees and Evil Norwich, I found myself in the Euston area on Friday evening with some time to kill. Diwana Bhel Poori House on Drummond Street turned out to be the worst possible place to do this. This was not due to the food, which was fine; or the atmosphere, which was bustling.

It was, quite simply, the speediest indian meal I think I have ever had. Within seconds of arriving I had been seated, within minutes I was eating a poppadum and in under half an hour later I was full of veggie curry, getting the bill and leaving. Congratulations to the waiters - they run a restaurant which is faster than Usain Bolt.

Judging by the average age of the clientele when I was there, it's popular with students from University College London. This is probably due to the cheap-and-cheerful pricing - Thali platters, featuring a mix of dishes, chapattis, rice and dessert, are 6 or 7 quid.

So, they can do curry-in-a-hurry. Any negatives? Well - the menu is simple, the decor's nothing special and the curries, whilst good, aren't exceptional. The restaurant also appears to be unlicensed, so either bring your own or slurp up a thick yoghurty Mango Lassi.

On the whole, though, despite Diwana totally thwarting my attempts to kill some time, I'd recommend it to anyone who prefers their fast-food Indian.

Not exactly a life changing curry, but still a bit different. The flavours in this restaurant are sweeter than they are spicy, so it makes for a nice change. Everything is vegetarian, and there are a number of vegan friendly dishes as well. They are unlicenced, but they do have a number of tasty yoghurt based drinks and milkshakes (but again, more sweet). The service is really quick, so it's a perfect lunch time spot. And they are rather nice fellows running the place. Word of caution: while they do take credit cards, they can't take anything with a chip and pin. So bring cash or something a bit more old school.

Quick, tasty Indian vegetarian food, in simple surroundings.

I had Dahi Vada as a starter (small savoury cakes with yogurt, chutneys and spices on top) followed by Paneer Dosa (large pancake made with fermented batter folded over potatoes, cubes of soft cheese, onions and spices, served with coconut chutneys and sambha - a kind of vegetable curry sauce).

The service was quick, and the food was absolutely delicious. I've eaten a lot of Indian food around London, and I rate this pretty highly.

Having discovered the delights of South Indian vegetarian food some years ago, a friend suggested this place to me.

Our first trip was to the buffet on a Saturday lunchtime, which was an eye opener. All you can eat, all veggie, all great and under a tenner! Since then I've also been there in the evenings, when the a la carte menu is available - it is a bit more expensive, but overall you'll still eat for under £15.

The decor is basic - it is more of a cafe than a restaurant - and old fashioned at that. Cutlery is also basic (cheap metal implements) and water comes in metal beakers too. Service is also a bit haphazard, and the main downer is that on one trip there it took rather long to get (and pay) the bill, which always upsets my other half.

But the big plus is the food - very authentic, very spicy, and lots of it.

As you might guess, it is not a well kept secret, and you may have to queue when they are busy, and it is usually packed inside.

Utterly superb venue that I have used for many years.
It consistantly amazes me with the lunch time buffet for
£6-95! Possibly the finest Indian food that I have enjoyed anywhere in London (30 years a veggie & veg soc member). Now open for buffet on Saturday and Sunday lunch time. I also love the South Indian Thalis, Masala Dhosas as well as the amazing Mango milk shakes! Don’t miss out on this place as its a real gem for lunch or evening meals …...and get there early for a 12 O’Clock kick off!!!!!

This is a great place where we have eaten for years and years. But it doesn’t just stay the same, every time we go there’s something different on the lunchtime buffet. This buffet is great. It’s £6.75 and you get a selection of great curry stuff and salad, all Indian style. The decor is kind of dated, 70s pine, but this is part of its charm. It’s clean. The best thing is that whoever does the cooking (all veggie) really LOVES doing it. You can just tell from the nice way it’s laid out and the good ingredients. This place is a gem. There are other places nearby copying it but they’re not as good. You don’t go there for the style but for the food and the value for money. .