Diwana Bhel Poori House serves a variety of vegetarian Indian dishes at their restaurant. Their lunch time buffet proves especially popular. A takeaway menu is also provided.
Diwana Bhel Poori House
Vegetarian Restaurant in Camden
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5 / 10 from 7 reviews
Address
121-123 Drummond Street
Camden
London
NW1 2HL
121-123 Drummond Street
Camden
London
NW1 2HL
Telephone
020 7387 5556
020 7387 5556
Cuisine
Vegetarian
Vegetarian
Opening Times
| Monday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00 |
| Tuesday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00 |
| Wednesday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00 |
| Thursday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00 |
| Friday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00 |
| Saturday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 23:00 |
| Sunday |
Open 12:00 - Closes 22:00 |
All In London Review
Veggie Indian food for a quick, cheap meal
Diwana Bhel Poori House is a vegetarian restaurant which specialises in southern Indian food, though it has a little of everything. Despite being somewhat unfortunately located amongst a line of other Indian restaurants a stone’s throw from Euston station it was almost filled to capacity on the Wednesday evening I visited.
A quick glance at the menu revealed why - prices were incredibly low. Starters are around £3; main dishes are mostly around £6-7. There is no alcohol, however many diners had brought their own; there is however a variety of non-alcoholic drinks and teas available, try the delicious mango milkshake or a healthy mint tea.
To start we shared a plate of dahi puris, which are bite-sized crispy shells usually made of a type of bean flour. To eat them, a hole is cracked at the top and chutney is spooned inside. This is a typical street snack in India, but it went down just as well at the dinner table.
Having recently discovered a penchant for sag paneer -the spinach and Indian cheese combo- I chose to have a dosa, a thin pancake wrapped around this creamy mixture, which came with what I recognised as mango chutney and a bright green condiment which looked a bit like mint sauce, however it turned out to be a rather spicy variety.
My dining companion opted for a thali, a substantial meal which comprises several small dishes including rice, dal, a chapatti, several types of chutney, and a sweet dish. Incredibly good value, filling and tasty, I ended up pilfering the milky, almost mousse-like dessert.
Service was quick and efficient, with many waiters hurrying backwards and forwards bringing out food at great speed to be able to cater to the many guests that appeared to come and go. The restaurant itself is equally functional, simple wooden tables and chairs and minimal decorations; the toilets however are reminiscent of a grotty pubs’ where the bare minimum has been done in order to provide a WC.
For a quick, good value meal Diwana fits the bill. Most conveniently there is a selection of Indian sweet shops on the opposite side of the road if you still have room afterwards.
Reviewed by Leila
Published on Jun 2, 2009
Best For
Top restaurants where you can bring your own booze
Still great food but save a quid or two on the bar bill
This veggie Indian restaurant gets very busy indeed, as food is delivered quickly and prices are low. There is no licence for alcohol so you can take your own, something which also contributes to keeping the costs down.
London's best budget restaurants
Great eats, on the cheap...
Dosas are a popular Indian street food - pancakes made from rice flour and filled with potato, chillies, chutney, lentils, tomato and spices, masala dosa being the most common. Although London’s street food explosion only happened within the last three years, veggie restaurant Diwana Bhel Poori has been serving this staple food for at least a decade. Bring a bottle and eat for under a tenner.
User Reviews
Anonymous
Mar 3, 2010
Haven't not been to this restaurant for a few years I was delighted that the service was efficient & friendly. The buffet lunch looked & tasted great. There were cold & hot starters, a good variety of hot mains & desserts, all the food was fresh & delicious. This has to be the best value in town.
Anonymous
Feb 2, 2010
I am an Indian man who frequented Diwana...all throughout my University days...more outof necessity ...than a desire to go back.This is because:-
1) The seating table are so uncomfortable that I challenge anyone to sit on them for long than half an hour and not leave with a Back-Pain - which is incidentally
who I ended up with every time I went to Diwnan Bhel Poori House.There was a running joke within my friends...that these rather unconfortable table had been put there purposley by the management so that people would get fed up and leave...and not stay as long to enjoy the food.
As regards the quality of service...it varies from outright rudeness to a sense that they are doing us a favour by feeding us !
The Toilets also have a lot of improvement needed to make them in a fit state to visit.
Food wise...its O.K. (bearing in mind that I am Indian and know fair bit about Indian food.
So,although this restaurant is 'cheep and cheerful'....it is not the place one should take his/her Boyfriend/Girlfriend to impress them...
Anonymous
Nov 14, 2008
I had a bad experience in Diwana. My friends and I went to the restaurant, with seats reserved. They split us into two groups because of the table couldn't accommodate us. Fair enough but when I made reservation over the phone, I was promised they could seat us all in one table. This is not about being petty. This is about integrity and clearly Diwana didn't demonstrate that.
We too left because the staff were not only rude, they made us feel unwelcomed and as if they paid us to be there! Even if they did, a little bit of respect wouldn't hurt! We're people, not animals.
As for the food, we didn't get to eat in the end. We heard it was okay. We left for nearby Ravi Shankar Restaurant which was just two doors away. We loved the place. The food was good, staff were friendly and most importantly, they sat us in one table!
For Diwana, Not recommended!
We too left because the staff were not only rude, they made us feel unwelcomed and as if they paid us to be there! Even if they did, a little bit of respect wouldn't hurt! We're people, not animals.
As for the food, we didn't get to eat in the end. We heard it was okay. We left for nearby Ravi Shankar Restaurant which was just two doors away. We loved the place. The food was good, staff were friendly and most importantly, they sat us in one table!
For Diwana, Not recommended!
Anonymous
Nov 11, 2008
We'd eaten here for the lunch buffet and enjoyed it, so a poor dinner experience tonight was an especial disappointment. We had to pour the oil from our curries, one of the curries was far too hot and the chapatties came out uncooked and looking like dough. When we tried to bring this up with a waiter we were told we could buy another curry or a raita to make it less hot. No apology or concern at all! A second waiter offered a slightly more concerned ear but nothing was done. I wouldn't go again.
ja woolf
Oct 31, 2006
Whoever does the cooking in this vegetarian Indian restaurant really loves their job. Every time I come there are new and interesting dishes. Beautifully prepared, very clean, extremely handy for Euston station and Great Portland St. bit of Marylebone Road. I suppose you could call some aspects functional - pine decor is tidy but not very exciting but this doesn't worry me. Food's fresh & good, all vegetarian. And VERY cheap for the lunchtime buffet. All you can eat for a few pounds - that includes curries and salads, various fried snacks, rice and pakoras. It is the creative use of fresh ingredients and central location which makes this restaurant stand out.
twigletto
Sep 26, 2006
A small and functional style, pine tables and chairs: this restaurant is special! The price does not reflect the quality of the food :ergo it is very cheap.
The bhel phoori(sic?) is divine, garlic and herbs, spices so fresh and mild. I first ate in this restaurant in 1978 and can happily say that the quality and service has not changed, it has always been excellent. It serves food that meat eaters eat without missing meat and that vegetarians delight over. The service is unintrusive but responsive and I have to say that this place could easily be disregarded . Do not under any circumstances disregard it! It is lovely, divine diwana.
The bhel phoori(sic?) is divine, garlic and herbs, spices so fresh and mild. I first ate in this restaurant in 1978 and can happily say that the quality and service has not changed, it has always been excellent. It serves food that meat eaters eat without missing meat and that vegetarians delight over. The service is unintrusive but responsive and I have to say that this place could easily be disregarded . Do not under any circumstances disregard it! It is lovely, divine diwana.
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