If you’re a fan of Indian food and British beer, a desi pub should be on your itinerary. Desi is the Sanskrit word for “homeland,” and here it refers to the India left behind by the publicans running their iteration of a British-Indian boozer. Desi pubs were first set up in the 1960s when the Indian diaspora needed to forge their own spaces after receiving a hostile “welcome” in normal pubs.
Today, there are about 200 desi pubs — the focus of my recently published book, “Desi Pubs: A Guide to British-Indian Pubs, Food & Culture” (Camra Books). Mainly concentrated in London and Birmingham, England, these desi pubs now offer an inclusive welcome to anyone who loves a mixed grill washed down with beer. Here are five that I recommend for your next trip to London.
Desi pubs are not known for their beer lineups, with many favouring macro lagers due to costs and drinkers’ preference. Luckily, at the Glad, they do things differently. Run by brother and sister team Gaurav and Meg, they pride conversation over everything else and, in a very un-London way, will introduce newcomers to locals.
The latter are craft beer drinkers, and the pub takes advantage of its Borough location near the Bermondsey Beer Mile to pour a selection of London’s finest beers, so you’re spoiled for choice when pairing beverages with the pub’s famous food (think: British pies but with chicken tikka, paneer or keema fillings). Southall is probably the most known desi area in Britain, made .