Is Urban Tandoor worth the hype on TikTok: they are the kings of parody but are they the kings of curry?

Written by Charlotte Beattie

DISCLAIMER- this article is written in the style of BBC Good Food for a university assignment but has not been officially published with the magazine.

Urban Tandoor Team, Bristol (Lucia, G, 2025)

Located in the heart of Bristol, Urban Tandoor is an Indian restaurant rapidly rising in popularity due to its comedic marketing on popular social media platform, TikTok. Here at BBC Good Food, we felt it suitable to review our upcoming competition.

In an interview with Bristol 24/7, owner Sujith D’amedia said that Bristol is “very welcoming, warm and I didn’t feel like a foreigner. As a manager I won most of the awards working there (at the Grand), so I thought it’s time for me to start my own business.” And what a business it has become!

One of the regularly asked questions in busy households is- should we just eat out tonight? Urban Tandoor has the power to steal you away from our recipes, but we believe that it is definitely worth it- as long as you come back to us most days of the week!

Urban Tandoor is in the perfect location in the centre of Bristol and has a warm, welcome atmosphere as soon as you step inside. Recently, they have expanded their restaurant due to its rapidly growing popularity. This is largely due to their online marketing as the ‘Kings of Parody’ on TikTok.

They keep up with the latest trends on social media such as curry parodies for the release of Bridgerton Season 3 on Netflix and their own rendition of Djo’s End of Beginnings. They are most known for their covers of popular songs amongst millennials but are beginning to bring in content for a more acquired gen z taste. This is smart considering they are located in the heart of a student city and right opposite a block of university accommodation buildings.

With a varied menu of all of the Indian cuisine you could image, Urban Tandoor has options for Vegetarians, Vegans and Gluten Free customers.

They are slightly on the pricey side with main meals going up to £18.95. However, this is expected due to their city location and their increasing popularity and rise in prestigious status due to the social media interaction that they have received.

My Favourite Recipe:

Paneer Makhanwala- Urban Tandoor. (Urban Tandoor, 2020)

Paneer Makhanwala- an excellent choice for vegetarian customers! As a vegetarian myself, I am always thrilled when I see a paneer curry in an Indian restaurant. Vegetable curries are delicious but there is something about the smooth texture of paneer and the subtle cheesy flavour that adds so much more. Covered in a rich tomato sauce, this meal was fresh and spicy. The kasoori methi creates an enticing scent to the dish as it is delivered to the table, and it goes down a treat!

Our conclusion at BBC Good Food is that Urban Tandoor are both the kings of parody and curry. We recommend you give their cuisine and dining experience a go if you are nearby or order a takeaway on your busy workdays!