Indian YMCA

It should be recognised that the INDIAN YMCA is exactly that and does not claim to be a grand restaurant.

More importantly, the food is genuine Indian food, catering for Indians and not the British palate.

I have been a visitor there for many years and always felt a warm welcome and a desire on the part of ALL staff that I should enjoy my visit and my meal.

Some may prefer to refer to the canteen, it is known as the Dining Hall where I meet Indian nationals who are more than happy with their fare.
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10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, July 22, 2011

I have frequented the restaurant at Fitzroy Square for 5 years on a daily basis till april 2009 and alternated between fish curry,dhal and rice and chicken curry dhal and rice and was dissappointed the other day when I re-visited at 13:45 only to find "it all gone".The head chef there makes a "mean" kerala style fish curry and he does this along with the other curries every day twice a day.If you want a good old fashioned ,home made curry authentically made without any fuss then come here to this amazing place where without any fuss and bother ,pomp and intelluctial snobbery you can eat a well made meal for less than a "fiver";anyone who says different has a hidden agenda .I'm working outside London these days but occassionally I brave the congestition charge to eat at this delightfull place and say hello to the cooks,servers and bearers ;but now the price has gone up to £13 (congestion charge £8).....so I'm looking to drive there on a saturday to get my weekly fix of either fish or chicken curry and yello rice....It's also good for an evening meal on the way to the thatre .
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Richard Nair
10 Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 10 | Atmosphere 10 | Value for money 10
Friday, October 22, 2010

It's very good for a nourishing meal. They serve often curries of fish, chicken, egg, and various vegetables, with bread or poppadoms. Dessert is fruit or ice cream and there is coffee as well, all included in the price.

As others have said, it's a canteen and not a date or special occasions restaurant, so it doesn't have atmosphere in that sense, but having said that the residents are often very educated, intelligent Indians who are staying there on a budget.

That some say it may not be as tasty as other Indian restaurants may partly reflect that it is less fatty, and the daal and rice of which you can have as much as you want is known to give a very healthy balance of proteins and carbohydrates,
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Matthew
7 Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 10
Sunday, May 09, 2010

The food at the Indian YMCA is first and foremost great value for money. You can eat a massive meal for as little as 5 quid and on top of it it is rather tasty. I am nonetheless loathe to give the place more than a 6 for its food as it the curries and the rest are of only average quality. This should not distract from the fact that a lot of places on Brick Lane (or wherever you fancy going to) are worse and more expensive. Viewed objectively, however, the watery dal and the quality of the meat and fish cannot justify a better rating. And the canteen style atmosphere (it is a canteen after all) is not everyone's cup of tea. But if you don't mind that and want a good lunch for little money, the Indian YMCA is the place to go.
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Tobias
7 Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 9
Monday, August 24, 2009