A Bexleyheath restaurant specialising in Indian street food has been named the best in London at one of the UK curry industry’s most prestigious awards ceremonies.
Chillika, in Bexleyheath, took home the “Best of London” title at the 2026 English Curry Awards, beating restaurants from across the capital to the coveted crown.
The independent restaurant, which champions the regional cuisine of Odisha — a state on India’s eastern coast whose traditional flavours are rarely found on British menus — was recognised for its authentic Indian street food and regional dishes.
The English Curry Awards celebrate excellence across the UK’s curry sector, honouring restaurants, chefs and businesses that have made a significant contribution to the industry.
Judges praised Chillika for its quality, innovation and customer experience — the three pillars the annual awards measure across every category.
“A very proud moment”
A spokesperson for the business said the win belonged as much to Bexleyheath as to the team behind the restaurant.
“This recognition is a very proud moment for our entire team and for the local community that has supported us since we opened,” they said.
“Chillika was created with a passion for bringing authentic Indian street food and regional flavours from across India to the UK. We also have a particular passion for promoting the rich culinary heritage of Odisha and introducing our guests to traditional Odia dishes and flavours that are not commonly available in the UK.
“Winning the 2026 English Curry Award for Best of London is a fantastic achievement for an independent restaurant in Bexleyheath.”
Odisha’s flavours find a home in south-east London
Chillika’s menu sets it apart from the familiar high-street curry house. While most British Indian restaurants draw on the cuisines of Bengal, Punjab and the Mughlai tradition, Chillika puts the spotlight on Odisha — a region whose food culture includes delicacies like pakhal bhaat (fermented rice), chhena poda (baked cheese dessert) and an array of street snacks that rarely travel beyond the state’s borders.
The win is a boost for Bexleyheath’s dining scene, which has been steadily building a reputation as one of south-east London’s more interesting food destinations. Independent restaurants in outer London often struggle for the recognition their central-London rivals enjoy, making a national award particularly meaningful.
For more on the capital’s ever-changing high streets, see our recent coverage of Oxford Street’s transformation and the Miniso takeover of the former HMV store.
The UK’s love affair with curry
Britain’s appetite for curry shows no sign of fading. The industry contributes billions to the UK economy and employs tens of thousands of people, though restaurants have faced rising costs and staffing pressures in recent years.
Awards like the English Curry Awards have become an important shop window for independents, giving small businesses the kind of national profile that would otherwise be beyond their marketing budgets.
About the English Curry Awards
The English Curry Awards are among the most watched dates in the UK’s restaurant calendar. Now in their latest edition, they span categories covering everything from best newcomer and best chef to regional champions and the coveted national titles.
The “Best of London” category is fiercely contested. The capital is home to thousands of Indian restaurants, from white-tablecloth fine dining in Mayfair to beloved neighbourhood curry houses — and in recent years, a new wave of regional specialists like Chillika that are rewriting what British diners expect from Indian food.
For an outer-London independent to take the London crown is a genuine upset against better-funded central-London competition, and a sign of how the capital’s food culture is decentralising.
Chillika’s victory adds south-east London to the map of the capital’s curry hotspots — and gives Bexleyheath diners a reason to celebrate one of their own.
