The Talli Queen sees Shepherd's Bush's Queen Adeleide reborn as an Indian pub by chef Avi Shashidhara

21/7/26 - updated with more details about the opening, including an opening date

The Queen Adelaide pub in Shepherd's Bush closed last summer, but the pub is now returning under a new guise, called The Talli Queen. 

It comes from chef Avi Shashidhara, who previously worked at Claude Bosi's Hibiscus and then had a long stint at The River Cafe before launching the kitchen at Pahli Hill Bandra Bhai in Fitzrovia (which won a Michelin Bib Gourmand). He also won the starter section of Great British Menu in 2023, so you might also remember him from that series.

It's the latest pub to relaunch with a strong focus on Indian food, much like The Tamil Prince (and Crown) in Islington. For this opening, the chef is taking 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". He's also teaming up with James McLean, the man who only recently relaunched The Oarsman pub in Marlow.

As far as the menu goes, dishes revealed so far include "Military canteen-style" meatballs, Toddy shop clams, Chicken and liver pepper fry and Kerala chilli beef with fresh coconut and curry leaves. There will also be Bangalore-inspired dosas and Kulcha flatbread, which will come with their kebabs. For Sunday lunch. they'll be adding a slow-cooked lamb shoulder, biryani, and meats from the
charcoal grill.

Expect lots of beer to go with that, with 18 available on draught as well as a cocktail list that uses Indian spirits. 

As for the look of the new pub, it's undergoing a light refurb which is retaining the main features of the pub, while adding Indian influences to the decor.

Of the launch, Shashidhara says "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."