Chef Aktar Islam's first London restaurant, located in a listed Victorian townhouse near Borough Market, reviewed by Grace Dent. It is described as Michelin-chasing but still a blowout feast.
Aktar Islam is a Michelin-starred chef, restaurateur, and entrepreneur known for his innovative approach to Indian cuisine. He gained significant recognition at his restaurant Lasan before opening Opheem, which...
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Last updated: 6/29/2026, 6:01:16 PM
Key Information
Oudh 1722 is an Indian restaurant in Borough, London, led by two-Michelin-star chef Aktar Islam. It specializes in refined Awadhi dishes from Lucknow, known for their delicate spice profile. The restaurant is set in a beautifully restored Victorian townhouse, offering intimate dining rooms and a thoughtfully curated wine list featuring unique selections like Japanese whites, Armenian reds, and Georgian orange wines.
Customers consistently praise Oudh 1722 for its fantastic food, describing dishes as superb, excellent, and having sublime, beautifully presented flavors. The ambiance is noted as warm and grand. The staff, including servers like Niloy and Fin, and the sommelier, are frequently highlighted for being knowledgeable, passionate, attentive, and providing excellent recommendations. The cocktails are also highly rated, and the open kitchen adds to the positive experience. Many consider it an exciting new opening in London.
Additional Details
The restaurant focuses on Awadhi cuisine, which is rooted in the royal courts of Lucknow and is characterized by a delicate spice profile. Dishes like the Mutanjan Dum Biryani are prepared in the traditional dum pukht style, emphasizing slow cooking for deep, layered flavors. The cocktail menu also features unique creations like the Mango Chutney Margarita.
While specific peak times are not mentioned, reviews suggest it's a popular spot for both lunch (e.g., Sunday lunch) and dinner, indicating it's likely busy during standard meal service hours.
Awards & Recognition
Two-Michelin-Star Chef Aktar Islam (leading the restaurant)
The staff were attentive, sweet, and knowledgeable. The food was sublime. The elegant, crisp gol guppa that sings with tangy warmth, the butter soft, spreadable lamb kebab, the melt in the mouth ox cheek curry, the creamy, deep dal, the salty, garlic heavy naan, oh every mouthful was joyous. Then, unusually for us, we had dessert and honestly it blew my mind. The warm madelaines with rose and pistachio felt like my nan had cooked for me, laced with love and care. The ras malai was creamy and soft. I can't wait to go again, thank you. Oh, I almost forgot the soup, the lamb was perfect, the broth was something I will long for when I am in need of comfort.
I don’t often leave 5⭐️ reviews for Indian restaurants but oh my sweet jesus - this place was FANTASTIC. From service to ambience to food 10/10! Niloy was our server and he was so knowledgable and gave us great recommendations. He checked on us multiple times and made us feel very well looked after.
We will be back!!!!
Wonderful new Indian restaurant with a varied menu. Chaat was a very flavourful way to start. The Oxtail biryani was a standout dish, the most tender meat and very fragrant flavourful rice. The monkfish curry is a must if you want some fish, the prawn (one huge one) looked amazing as well. Boti kebab was alright. The desserts were fine, have had better elsewhere, so maybe focus on mains and starters.
It was a little bit cramped, we were very close to the table next who were a bit loud, and the constant flurry of staff around the corner absolutely detracted from the overall experience. For that the atmosphere was not as good as other places.
Overall it’s a recommended spot for South Asian cuisine and I’m glad I went
London's most exciting restaurant opening in years!
The setting is a beautifully restored Victorian townhouse that unfolds across multiple floors — intimate dining rooms, winding staircases, tucked-away bar. Warm and grand in equal measure.
This is Awadhi cuisine — rooted in the royal courts of Lucknow — done with extraordinary care and precision. The kakori kebab was one of the most delicate, nuanced things I've eaten in a long time. The mutanjan dum biryani, slow-cooked in the traditional dum pukht style, was fragrant and deeply layered — nothing like the biryanis you think you know.
The staff deserve a special mention as well. They clearly know this food inside out — knowledgeable, passionate, and genuinely eager to guide you through the menu without ever making you feel lectured. Every question was answered with enthusiasm and care. It felt like being hosted by people who truly love what they do.
And then there's the wine list — genuinely one of the most thoughtful and adventurous I've come across. Japanese whites, Armenian reds, Georgian orange wines — it's a curated journey in itself, perfectly matched to the food. The sommelier was exceptional: deeply knowledgeable, infectiously passionate, and full of inspired suggestions that elevated the whole meal — you trust him immediately and he never steers you wrong.
Oudh 1722 is special.
Fab Sunday lunch with friends! The cocktails were all quite good (I especially rated the Godfather) and the food was excellent every course. Oxtail biryani, mushroom gilawat, dhubgar e baingan, and black dal were standouts but everything was good! Oh and fun papad, absolutely worth adding before you tuck into the rest!
