Tayyabs has been one of those restaurants that I’ve been intending for visit for a very long time. I think I first heard about ‘one of the best Indian restaurants in London’ (despite it being Pakistani) 6 or 7 years ago, but with a combination of incompetence (I thought it was in Brick Lane for several of those years), the fact that booking wasn’t possible (although it is now, arguably) and the legendary queues, I hadn’t visited (or tried that hard, to be honest). An irregular outing with Ms A and Mrs A-S on a Monday night presented the opportunity ,which was grabbed with both hands.

The restaurant is kind of divided into two parts, due to the organic growth of such a popular establishment, the canteen type half being the remnants of the original shop and the other half the product of Tayyabs taking over the shop next door in order to extend. The extended half does look to have slightly more space per table and less of a canteen feel, but apparently there’s no difference between the two.

After an abortive attempt to find a shop selling booze to go with dinner, the three of us decided we could do without (something I was quite happy to accede to, having a wine tasting and Pierre Koffman’s popup in the next couple of days) and were ushered toward the canteen side. At 7pm on a Monday night, we seemed to pretty much be the last to grab a table, an indicator of how stupidly popular Tayyabs is.

I didn’t really need too long a look at the laminated menu to know what I wanted to try, particularly as I wanted to directly compare the dishes I’d had at Lahore Kebab House. So, the Lamb chops, Mutton Tikka, Meat Samosa’s, Dhal, Nehari (the Monday night special), along with a Karahi Chicken, Karahi Bhindi and a couple of Naan’s (peshwari & garlic) plus an obligatory pilau rice. Being bereft of booze, I opted for a Salty Lassi to keep me on the Monday night wagon.

So here goes, Tayyabs (Tybs) vs Lahore Kebab House (LKH). The Lamb chops were, as is well known, superb. Strongly spiced, but retaining some moistness and exceptionally more-ish. Slightly juicier than LKH, which starts off proceedings as 1-0 to Tybs. The dhal was thick, creamy and as comforting as a big hug from your Mum after you’ve scraped your knee, which was as it should be. A bit more flavour in the Tayyabs version edged it for me. Tybs 2-0 LKH. The Mutton tikka was good, but was no better than the LKH version and although the Meat Samosa’s had a great pastry, one of the three ordered (my one) had a paltry amount of filling, so I’m going to give that one to LKH. Comparing the Nehari’s, I’d say that the Tayyabs version had a thicker sauce, which I preferred, but both lamb shanks were beautifully cooked, the meat falling off the bone at the touch of a spoon.  Surprisingly, the Naan’s at Tybs weren’t that great and were quite a bit more doughy than the ones at LKH, although they were still way above the average curry house. The salty lassi, the first one I’ve ever had, must have been good, because I didn’t even miss having a beer during the meal.

So with 4-3 to Tayyabs and the service equally surly at both establishments, plus both having a buzzy, lively atmosphere, I guess the only left to compare was the overall experience.  I have to say that the tables were packed into Tayyabs and given how busy and limited the space to operate is, waiters inevitably bump into your tables & chairs on a frequent enough basis to notice. Being 6ft 3 in a tight, cramped environment is not hugely comfortable which did reduce my enjoyment at Tayyabs. The bill was more expensive at LKH, working out at about over £20 a head, compared to the £15 at Tayyabs.

So, with the score at something like Tayyabs 7-5 Lahore Kebab House, I can say with impunity that my scoring system is b*llocks.  The food was great, but if had to choose one of the two to go back to, I’d visit Lahore Kebab House again, first. When we left the restaurant at around 8pm, not only had a queue formed inside, but there were also about 30 people waiting outside (on a Monday night remember), so I’m sure Tayyabs are quaking in their boots at my preference. It’s worth a visit for the food and experience, but the timing is crucial. I shudder to think what it’s like on a busy night.