Chef Avi Shashidhara will open Talli Queen, a new neighbourhood pub in Shepherd’s Bush, this September.
The new opening will bring together the spirit of a London local with the diverse drinking and dining traditions of India.
Occupying the former Queen Adelaide on Uxbridge Road, the 120-year-old building will seat around 120 guests.
The pub will feature a wraparound central bar, open kitchen, dining room and terrace, with Indian cooking sitting alongside the traditions of a British pub.
For Shashidhara, Talli Queen is a deeply personal project.
His Fitzrovia restaurant Pahli Hill was awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand within its first year of trading, and he won the starter course on Great British Menu in 2023.
Having spent almost two decades cooking in London, including ten years at The River Café, Shashidhara continues to travel regularly across India.
These trips have shaped both his cooking and the vision for Talli Queen.
The concept takes inspiration from Kerala’s toddy shops, Bangalore’s neighbourhood pubs and bars, the military canteens of southern India, and the chai stalls and kebab joints of Lucknow.
Across these settings, eating and drinking have long gone hand in hand.
The pub’s name reflects the same idea, combining the Hindi word talli, meaning tipsy, with the Queen Adelaide, known simply as The Queen by generations of Shepherd’s Bush locals.
Together, they capture what the pub sets out to be.
Working alongside Shashidhara will be Operations Director James McLean, who brings experience from award-winning British pubs including The Oarsman in Marlow.
Centred around a custom charcoal grill and tandoor, the menu will be designed to be ordered freely rather than in courses.
Dishes will range from freshly baked breads, snacks and small plates to larger plates and sharing cuts.
Alongside Shashidhara’s Great British Menu Papadi chaat, dishes will include military canteen-style meatballs, toddy shop clams, chicken and liver pepper fry, Kerala chilli beef with fresh coconut and curry leaves, Bangalore-inspired dosa, and kulcha.
The kulcha, a traditional flatbread from Lucknow, will be served with kebabs and slow-cooked fragrant goat nihari.
On Sundays, Talli Queen will offer an Indian take on the British pub tradition.
Served family-style, the Sunday menu will include slow-cooked lamb shoulder, biryani, and meats from the charcoal grill and tandoor brought to the table to share.
Seasonal British produce and carefully sourced Indian ingredients will underpin the menu, which will evolve regularly throughout the year.
The drinks offer will also be central to Talli Queen.
Alongside 18 draught lines, including cask ales and stout, the pub will serve approachable wines from around the world, a concise cocktail list and a selection of Indian spirits.
These will include Mahua, distilled from the flower of the same name.
House-made Indian bar snacks and rotating specials will also be available at the bar.
The pub’s logo reflects this celebration of drinking culture, centred around Varuni, the Hindu goddess of alcoholic beverages and intoxication, depicted rising from water while holding a cup of wine.
The interiors will celebrate the building’s history while introducing influences from across India.
Original wood panelling, fireplaces, skylights and arched windows will be retained.
Reclaimed British pub furniture will sit alongside pieces sourced from Jodhpur, Red Levanto marble from Rajasthan and Cognac Old English Leather banquettes.
Outside, a landscaped terrace framed by jasmine will provide an all-day drinking and dining space.
Shashidhara said: “The inspiration for Talli Queen comes from the places I love spending time in across India.
“Toddy shops, military canteens and neighbourhood bars are where eating and drinking naturally go hand in hand, and where some of the country’s most memorable food is found.
“We’ve taken that spirit and brought it into a proper London pub.
“Somewhere people can drop in for a pint, stay for dinner, bring the family on a Sunday or simply spend an afternoon with friends.
“That’s exactly the sort of place I’ve always wanted to create.”
Associated Articles
Mr Fogg’s Unveils Flagship Market Tavern in Covent Garden
Provides relevant London tavern and experiential hospitality context, highlighting how operators are creating distinctive drinking and dining destinations within historic buildings and high-profile neighbourhoods.
Gymkhana to Open in Dubai This September
Adds strong Indian dining context, showing how established restaurant operators are using distinctive culinary identity, heritage and premium hospitality to create destination-led dining experiences.
The ‘Treasury’s Local’ in Westminster Reopens After Six-Figure Investment
Provides wider London pub context, highlighting the importance of historic pubs, community identity, investment and preserving traditional hospitality while refreshing guest experience.
The ‘Treasury’s Local’ in Westminster Reopens After Six-Figure Investment
