Emni Restaurant

"This place really surprises, in all the right ways. I've never had an Indian meal quite like it - light, delicate flavours and textures, but without pretension. The stuffed chicken roulade type thing is something very special - I thought I could identify any flavour going, but there's something mysterious in there! Fantastic." - AP, toptable.co.uk

"I adore everything about this restaurant. The service is friendly and relaxed, the food has clearly been thoughtfully and carefully prepared and the ambiance is very nice indeed. I've recommended this place to all my friends and business colleagues. Price is remarkably low for what you get. If you want recommendations, try Malai Scallops to start, Raan Jaiphali for mains, a Bryriani and Achar kery bidi (I think that's how you spell it) as a veg side." - Kareena, menulog.co.uk

 "This is one of the best curry houses in London! The food was absolutely delicious and the atmosphere was very intimate and romantic. The staff were very friendly and the service was impeccable. I would definitely go there again! Everything about this place shouted style and elegance. I really cannot fault this place. Treat yourself to a good Indian meal with excellent surroundings and exceptional service." - Jill A, yelp.co.uk

"We have eaten here on a number of occasions and we can never fault it! Food is fabulous, a great interesting variety, service is very nice, they do not rush you at all, the low lighting gives for great ambience, overall I definitely recommend this restaurant." - Siobhan McKenna,toptable.co.uk

"Emni is a high quality indian restaurant which serves fine indian cuisine for any pallatte. The dishes are all exceptionally prepared and from different parts of india. It is my favourite indian restaraunt. I would highly reccomend this for anyone, especially those who haven't tried indian cuisine before." - ZJ, toptable.co.uk

"Emni is now my favourite Indian restaurant in Islington!" - anon, toptable.co.uk 

"This is by far the best curry I have had in London! The food was absolutely delicious and the atmosphere was very intimate and romantic. The staff were very friendly and the service was impeccable. I would definitely go there again!" - Anthony Hamblin, tastelondon.co.uk

"Fantastic service, and the food was amazing. I can’t fault this restaurant, if you want to surprise your partner then this is the perfect place." – Newton, tastelondon.co.uk

"Had my birthday dinner here. Food is fantastic. Modern, healthy Indian, with lots of regional dishes you may not have heard of. Service is friendly. Pricier than your ordinary Indian restaurant, but food is so good that it is great value. Highly recommended." – PL, toptable.co.uk

"Hot damn, I can confidently say that Emni is my FAVORITE Indian food that I have had in London. Now I KNOW that is a BIG statement, and trust me I have tried a LOT of Indian food places. And I went to India a couple months ago, so i would like to think I could be trusted as a good judge of Indian food. I took my folks here on a whim b/c we were in the area and had heard good things (from the yelp iphone app on my housemates phone), and it TOTALLY paid off.  They have a lot of selection, and the prices aren't any worse than brick lane, even though the service and the quality of food (and presentation) are waaaaaaaay better than brick lane. The menu had fairly clear descriptions of what everything was, and they didn't just serve  the typical british indian fare (although they do offer it, I would suggest being adventurous and trying other things, it will pay off).  We also got the lemon rice with peanuts and poppy and I honestly don't know why anyone would eat any other kind of rice...  I think from now on I am going to just go to Emni when I want Indian food. It's just as close to my house as Brick lane, and if it costs the same but the quality is better, I see no reason to go to brick lane for indian food ever again (except for the occasion when I MIGHT go for a drink afterwards... )" - Suzanne H, yelp.co.uk

"It is the first time I had been to Emni and I was blown away! The service was outstanding and the high quality of food made this Indian really stands out from any other Indian I have been to. You wont find your usual greasy, oily or over spiced curries here!. It was very reasonably priced and you certainly get what you paid for. The manager personally accommodated us and also gave us a 25% which was a bonus! Would highly recommend Emni for something a bit different and def will be coming back!" – Zami Jalil, toptable.co.uk

"Upper Class food in Upper Street as far as I'm concerned! Some of the best Indian food I have ever tasted! I would certainly go back and also recommend this place to others." – HB, toptable.co.uk

"We recently dined here for the second time. We tried a completely different set of menu items on each visit and on both occasions we have been delighted by the quality of the ingredients and the skill shown in the preparation, spicing and presentation of the food. This is Indian food, but probably not as you know it. Service was very good, swift and friendly without being obsequious.
Would we go again? What do you think?" -Alan,tastelondn.co.uk

"Emni is a fresh style of Indian and the service was fast and efficient - brilliant as we had tickets for Saddlers Wells. The food was very good and the staff friendly. Great pre-theatre experience" – CW, toptable.co.uk

“One of the best Indian restaurants in London! I have eaten here 10+ times with different groups of friends all of whom agree that the food is exceptional" – Andy, tastelondon.co.uk

"This is an excellent menu, the staff are thoughtful yet unobtrusive you will have a very enjoyable evening if you select Emni as your destination." – David Wilde, toptable.co.uk

"Emni has a very impressive menu with loads of different style curries. I loved it." – GC, toptable.co.uk

"Emni on a Saturday night was busy, but quite relaxing compared to the hectic Islington crowds passing by outside. Food excellent, tasty and well presented." – NS, toptable.co.uk

"Emni - both diners are Indian fads and this place did not disappoint." – JN, toptable.co.uk

"First time in Islington, and had a great dinner at Emni. Homemade everything, most notably the paneer, which we had in a saag, as well as a delightful appetizer, which I failed to record the name of. Also enjoyed a sublime chicken korma, and a couple of other spicy yet complex dishes. Will definitely be back. Quick walk from the Angel station on the Northern line." - Carl D, yelp.co.uk

"8 months since my last visit and it was still an incredible delight. The food was incredible and the staff friendly and Polite. I just re-subscribed to Tastelondon so will definitely be going again!!!" – Anthony Hamblin, tastelondon.co.uk

"Gorgeous food, brilliant service. I would love to go back again." – Jamie, tastelondon.co.uk

"We recently dined here for the second time. We tried a completely different set of menu items on each visit and on both occasions we have been delighted by the quality of the ingredients and the skill shown in the preparation, spicing and presentation of the food. This is Indian food, but probably not as you know it. Service was very good, swift and friendly without being obsequious.
Would we go again? What do you think?" – Alan, tastelondon.co.uk

"You certainly get what you pay for, the food here is nothing short of superb. I may not be the biggest foodie in the world but I know what is proper Indian cuisine and what is not. My wife is Indian, my mother-in-law cooks probably the best Indian food I've ever tasted, and since I've known my wife I've come to realise just how much slop we are served up in the so-called 'Curry Houses' in this country. Every dish I've had in here has been excellent - the Karahi Chicken, Bangalore Chicken Chops and Pasliyan Lamb Chops in particular are all sensational. The mixed platter is a must have starter, and I'd also recommend ordering in a Dal (probably the Makhani) with the mains. All delicious and thoroughly authentic - my wife, who has sampled true Indian cuisine many more times than myself, is in complete agreement! The atmosphere is also spot on - laid back enough for a meal out with your mates, but romantic and stylish enough for a special night. I have never found fault with the service either - polite and prompt. Because of the slightly higher than average prices (although not outrageous - £9 to £13 for a main dish) it's not somewhere you'll be going for an impromptu Tuesday night out, but if you want delicious, authentic, imaginative Indian food in a stylish setting and prime location you cannot go wrong with this place. In fact, we know from chatting to the very friendly owner, the week the restaurant opened, that the chefs were flown in specially from India and in fact previously worked for the country's former Prime Minister. So a pretty decent pedigree! In short, VERY highly recommended. Do try it, you won't be disappointed." – Nick, London-eating.co.uk

"Great restaurant. Took my workmates for dinner and this was the right restaurant to do it. Very comfortable and stylish surroundings. Starters and mains were excellent. Pasliyan chops in particular were brilliant. Everyone was raving about dinner the next day at work. Would recommend it” – Phil Webster, London-eating.co.uk

"We had dinner at Emni restaurant on New Years Eve and we were so impressed that we came back for a Birthday. Atmosphere: If you want to get away from your everyday typical Indian restaurant, this is the place to be. The atmosphere in this restaurant is intimate and almost Zen-like. Its clean, modern and sophisticated. You could easily walk pass this restaurant on the busy Upper street not knowing this is an Indian restaurant. Once you're inside, you lose the busy crowds outside, despite the big glass windows. Service: Service is excellent. Staff are courteous, smiley and very approachable. Friendly yet professional. Food: The atmosphere and presentation can fool you into thinking the food will be westernised and bland compared to your typical curry house. But its not like that at all. Not only is the food beautifully presented, but its cooked to perfection and flavoured wonderfully. If you are a starter person, I recommend the platter. The monkfish tikka is delicious. The Doora Kebab and Tandoori Duck were are also very tasty. I personally liked the variety of poppadom dips. Check out their full mouth-watering menu. Bare in mind, the food here is about quality more than quantity. Value for money: If you're looking for a cheap curry after a night of heavy drinking, this is not the place. But if you want quality food, great service and atmosphere, then it's definitely good value for money. Give it a try. You won't be disappointed." – Shum, London-eating.co.uk

On urbanfoodie.net -

"On Saturday night we discovered a real gem of a restaurant, Emni a delightful modern Indian that we’ve been meaning to try for ages - and I’m very glad we did. The place is a clean black and white, with old school attentive service and really, really excellent food. Crispy Popadoms opened proceedings and were accompanied by an unusual take on the usual dips - one of which tasted like the best brown sauce in the world (I mean that in a good way), tamarind I think. Then the starters which were juicy minced lamb kebab, spicy lentil patties stuffed with dried fig and a striking potato basket that came with a side that looked like Chantilly cream (but tasted delightful). Main courses were also charming, richly spiced, with a delicate heat and wonderful flavours:- Keralan prawns with yellow lentils, beans and carrots tossed with onion and tomato gravy- Kashmiri chicken with fresh chillies, ginger and black cardamom- Slow grilled long aubergines cooked in sun dried tomato and fresh chilli sauce- Smooth delicate-yellow lentils tempered with asafoetida, garlic, chilli and coriander This restaurant is far from the huge portions and blunt flavours of your local curry house (although there is definitely a place for these in my life and heart). Plates are presented with all the style of unpretentious nouvelle cuisine and delight the palette with their thoughtful flavouring and the meal was finished with room left for coffee. All in all a refreshing and unusual joy, especially at such a reasonable price - I shall definitely be going again."

4.5 out of 5 – urbanfoodie.net

"I went to Emni on saturday. It was the first time I had dined there and I was really impressed. The food was fresh, light and full of flavour and the decor was clean and modern. In my opinion, this is the best Indian restaurant in Islington. I'll be going back." - YM, toptable.co.uk

 "Emni Islington. Always consistently good in food ,sevice and ambience. As I have been several times and always been impressed,I obviously would recommend for a visit to anyone who wants a non flock wallpaper good quality Indian meal." - RJ, toptable.co.uk

"This restaurant was a real find. The food was fantastic, and the staff were lovely, professional and friendly. Great location, I will be returning and have already recommended friends." - Ison, view-london.co.uk

"The food in Emni was excellent and would thoroughly recommend coming here. It is one of my most favourite Indian restaurants in London and its always fresh and exciting each time I come. Lovely Service and great ambience make Emni a lovely place to dine." - ZJ, toptable.co.uk

"Had a fantastic meal at Emni with a big group of friends. Very accommodating staff and the food was gorgeous. Sophisticated Indian with lots of different flavours & dishes that you don't usually see on a typical Indian menu." - EJG, toptable.co.uk

"Great food as always, and I don't generally enjoy Indian cuisine offered in the UK so that's praise indeed." - Anon, toptable.co.uk

"Fantastically flavoured food. Very efficient and friendly waiters. Beautiful surroundings and presentation, and atmosphere. Perfect for a meal with friends, could be romantic too. You can get your usual korma/tikka masala here - and it will be excellent - but implore you not to! I had a fish dish that was great, and the tandoori grills were perfectly cooked and tasty." - Helen C, yelp.co.uk

"Emni has been possibly my most interesting Indian culinary experience so far! I am not a great fan of indian food but their approach is modern and classy at the same time. Awesome food, great ambience and a big thank you to the waiters. They remembered exactly what I had ordered when I couldn't anymore! a 5 star dining experience." - RR, toptable.co.uk

"I have been to Emni on several occasions,and never been disappointed. The mixed Tandoori starter IS TO DIE FOR !" - Ron Jones, toptable.co.uk

 "This is our 2nd visit to Emni and it was nicely busy for a Fri night. Food is definitely 'posh' Indian and extremely tasty. A gorgeous starter of squid, mussels & prawns in a coconut based sauce followed by chicken saag with makhani dahl made for a delicious meal. Hope to squeeze another visit in before we take a year away from this mad city from April. Definitely recommend." - LM, toptable.co.uk

"Emni is a great new take on Indian. Every time we've eaten it's been great. Highly recommended" - RF, toptable.co.uk

"This is my third trip to Emni. It is by far the best Indian restaurant I have been to. Tonight the restaurant was very busy and we did wait for both our starters and mains. However each dish was great and the service was attentive. Small touches like ensuring all the plates are hot for food arriving adds value. Tonight the chef kindly cooked my Father the duck dish he requested without nuts which is definitely above and beyond the service one would normally expect." - Peter Orlov, toptable.co.uk

"Fantastic food, and what great service. The waiters really take their time out to explain and even cater to how you'd prefer the food to be - that's what I call customer service. A good choice of foods for all. Well located too.  Having been highly recommended by friends, EMNI is definitely a restaurant I will visit more often." - Priya, london-eating.co.uk