Dawat Tooting Menu 2026: Full Dishes, Cuisine & What to Order

Dawat Tooting specialises in Pakistani and North Indian cuisine. The menu is anchored around Pakistani signature dishes such as nihari (slow-braised lamb shank), paya (lamb trotters), haleem (wheat and lamb porridge) and charsi karahi alongside tandoori grills, biryanis and a wide selection of vegetarian curries. It is widely described as one of the best Pakistani restaurants in South London.

Dawat Tooting is at 256-258 Upper Tooting Road, London SW17 0DN, close to Tooting Broadway Underground station on the Northern line. Upper Tooting Road is well known as one of London's most diverse dining streets, with a strong concentration of South Asian and Sri Lankan restaurants.

Dawat Tooting is open seven days a week. Current reported hours are Monday to Thursday 8 AM to midnight, Friday and Saturday 8 AM to 1 AM, and Sunday 8 AM to 11:30 PM. Hours may vary on bank holidays and during Ramadan. Confirm with the restaurant directly on +44 20 8682 9777 before visiting.

Based on review platform coverage and guest feedback, the most consistently praised dishes at Dawat Tooting are:

• Charsi Lamb Karahi — the Peshawar-style white karahi with butter and cream, widely cited as the standout dish.
• Lamb Nihari — rich slow-braised lamb shank, a traditional Pakistani speciality.
• Chapli Kebab — flat spiced minced beef patties, a classic Pashtun street food.
• Chicken Biryani — basmati rice dum-cooked with marinated chicken.
• Falooda — the cold dessert drink, popular as a finish to a meal.
• Mango Lassi — a house favourite for drinks.

Dawat Tooting is positioned as a mid-range restaurant. Published sources place the typical spend at around GBP 10 to GBP 30 per person depending on what you order. A full meal with starters, mains, bread, dessert and drinks will generally sit toward the top of that range. The restaurant accepts credit and debit cards. Individual menu prices are not published on a verified source accessible at time of review; contact the restaurant or check delivery platforms for current pricing.

Dawat Tooting serves Pakistani and Indian cuisine, and Pakistani restaurants in the United Kingdom overwhelmingly operate with halal-certified meat. The restaurant has not published an explicit halal certification statement on any publicly accessible page at the time of this review. If halal certification is important to you, contact the restaurant directly on +44 20 8682 9777 to confirm before visiting.

Yes. Dawat Tooting has a dedicated vegetarian section with dishes including daal makhani, channa masala, palak paneer, vegetable curry and aloo paratha. Vegan-friendly options include channa masala and vegetable curry (confirm sauces with the restaurant, as some dishes use ghee or cream). Vegetarian starters include papri chaat, pakora and vegetable samosa.

Dawat Tooting is listed on delivery platforms including Just Eat and Deliveroo (availability may vary by postcode and time of day). You can also call the restaurant directly on +44 20 8682 9777 to enquire about takeaway and delivery. The restaurant supports takeaway, delivery and dine-in.

While the menu does include familiar items like butter chicken and tikka masala, Dawat Tooting's real identity is Pakistani cuisine rather than the generalised British-Indian menu. Key differences include: a much stronger focus on karahi cooking (wok-cooked meat in minimal water); the inclusion of specialities like nihari, paya and haleem that rarely appear on standard British-Indian menus; chapli kebab (a Pashtun minced-meat patty); and breakfast dishes such as halwa puri. The Google rating of 4.6/5 from over 13,000 reviews puts it among the most appreciated South Asian restaurants in South London.