Graam Bangla

Graam Bangla is one of the most remarkable and culturally significant restaurants on Brick Lane -- an authentic Sylheti Bangladeshi restaurant serving the traditional food of northeast Bangladesh in a way that almost no other London restaurant attempts. One of only three restaurants on the street serving genuine Sylheti cuisine (as distinct from the adapted curry house dishes that dominate), Graam Bangla gained national attention in February 2024 when King Charles III and Queen Camilla visited specifically for a takeaway as part of a tour celebrating the cultural contribution of the British Bangladeshi community. Reviewed by Jonathan Nunn in Vittles magazine as one of the most historically important restaurants on the street.

The menu centres on the fish-forward, herb-rich cooking of Sylhet: keski (tiny Ganges sprat), elish (buttery hilsa fish requiring precision to eat), shutki satni (fermented fish paste of extraordinary intensity), and a range of bhortha (fresh herb and vegetable mashes). Diners are warmly encouraged to eat with their hands in the traditional way. This is not tourist curry house food -- it is the real, living cuisine of one of London's largest communities. Halal. Open daily 11:30am to 11pm.