Papaya

The best Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurant in London. I've travelled extensively across India and Sri Lanka so I know the dishes of the sub-continent very well. As a curry enthusiast for many years I'm always on the lookout for new places especially those that can recreate the taste and flavour of the food I've come to love whilst travelling. For authentic Sri Lankan fare you can't get better than Papaya in Northfields, Ealing.

My first visit to Papaya was actually by accident. My wife and I were visiting friends in Ealing and we suggested a walk down Northfields Ave to grab a bite to eat. After stopping outside each of the many cafes and eateries on the avenue we eventually came to a corner restaurant that looked very inviting with its black stylish interior and the welcoming smell of spice from the kitchen.

After a quick nod of heads we entered to be met by a friendly waiter who immediately seated us on a table for four. The restaurant was busy so we were expecting the service to be not-so quick but were pleasantly surprised when the owner came over to us to discuss and recommend some dishes and shortly after they arrived.

We ordered Chicken Curry, Beef Colombo, Dhal Spinach, Manga Kalan Curry, Paratha, Coconut rice and a round of Lion Lagers to accompany our meal.

Everything was cooked to perfection. Full of flavour and not too spicy. Even my wife, who is not a huge fan of red meat, tucked into the Beef Colombo with gusto citing the flavour-packed sauce and tender meat which went excellently with the Coconut rice.

The Dhal spinach was one of the better dhal dishes you'll taste in a South Indian restaurant whilst the Chicken curry was promptly mopped up with the parathas we ordered. It's safe to say we cleaned all our dishes!

We rounded off our dinner with a dessert of Cheesecake and coffee and left already making plans for our return.

If you're ever in West London then I'd heartily recommend making a trip to Papaya.

my first time at this restaurant , had to remove a hair from my starter.
Devilled wild boar main was tough and inedible.
Crab claws starter was poor.
Popadoms were not all that.
Mutton byriani was tasty , but the meat was tough.
The two desserts were on the small side.

Service was automatically included in the bill - over £60 with no alcohol.

I will not use again , very disappointed.

Papaya is indeed most excellent. I visited for the first time this weekend, the food was delicious, the environment stylish and relaxed, and the staff efficient and friendly. It was a delightful experience all round!

Having recently visited India I was afraid that no Indian food here in Britain would be good enough any more. Fortunately there is Papaya, with its extensive menu of delicious things from South India and Sri Lanka. Everything we ordered was amazing, and the service was excellent. I recommend it most highly!!