Charista

We visited yesterday as a group and had an absolutely delightful experience—everything from the papri chaat and masala chips to the chai and chilli paneer was wonderful, but what truly made our visit special was the service. The young waiter who attended to us—tall, with curly hair —was exceptionally warm, polite, and attentive. He greeted us with a genuine smile, checked on us with such care, and made sure we had everything we needed without ever being intrusive. His welcoming nature added a lovely personal touch to our evening, and we genuinely appreciated the comfort and positivity he brought to our table. Overall, he made our experience not just good but memorable.

Went for a quick lunch on a Thursday. It was quiet and really relaxing. The food comes in small plates. For the three of us we ordered two starters and two mains. Good size portions. Flavourful dishes. Especially the chicken byriani. Lovely staff. They don’t serve alcohol.

15/05/25 Combination review from myself and my mother;

Mum -
Food: Lamb Kati roll was absolutely delicious.
Chilli paneer had a great kick to it.
Mango milk cake just delightful.

Service: Two very polite gentlemen serving. All round a perfect experience.  5*

Me -
Food was delightful, absolutely delicious food. I would say portions are small, not a place to go to fill up

Lamb Kati rolls (£7.95) are great, I could eat two easily, but was saving space for cake. The chilli paneer (£7.95) was delicious, of the best paneer I've had - not squeaky or chewy and with a thick chilli sauce opposed to a sticky sweet chilli you'd find elsewhere.

Cakes are made on the day, we stopped for lunch and some were not available which was unfortunate as they were being made later so that is something to keep in mind. The mango milk cake, Dhooder cake, (£6.95) was perfectly balanced, but I would have preferred the coconut or pistachio - so will have to come back if we are in the area.

Very polite service, apologetic about not having cake and quick with the food. There's lovely music playing for a relaxed atmosphere totally opposite to the busy road outside.

Not wheelchair accessible, has several stairs on the way up. The chairs and tables are at a slightly odd height, with the table being a bit low for the taller person.

stumbled upon this spot because the wait at dishoom was too long, and i’m so glad I did. Came in for some chai and kati egg roll - incredible. the ambiance is really nice and calm.

This is a Cafe style restaurant which has good indian and bangla street food and teas. We tried their ginger Chai and Gurak Chai. Their papdi chat was good.

Halal Status for Charista Shoreditch