Here's the deal with Brick Lane: it's lined with curry houses, but most are tourist traps with aggressive touts dragging you inside offering "free poppadums" and fake discounts. Real places don't need street hawkers.

Skip anywhere with guys outside hassling pedestrians. Walk past them to places like Aladin (132 Brick Lane) or Needoo Grill (87 New Road) — Established spots with actual local reputations, not street-facing operations designed to catch tourists.

For upscale Bengali, Dishoom locations justify their £19-33 mains with quality. The black daal lives up to the hype, though skip their breakfast naan Instagram nonsense. Tayyabs on Fieldgate Street (5-minute walk from Brick Lane) serves proper Pakistani karahi that'll make you sweat — Portions are massive and prices fair.

Bottom line: if someone's outside trying to convince you to eat there, keep walking. Quality speaks for itself, and the best curry in East London doesn't need street touts. Research before you go, or you'll end up paying tourist prices for mediocre food.