It started with a picky eater
Our founder was a picky eater as a kid. Whenever he didn't like what the family was cooking, he'd go into the kitchen and make his own chicken instead, mixing spices and testing marinades until he landed on something he liked. That habit turned into a skill, and by university it was the only thing he really knew how to cook. It became his comfort food: the dish he made late at night, the dish he cooked whenever family or friends came over.
He went on to study mechanical engineering at UCL, then spent years in finance, consulting and media. Along the way he started a social media page called It's London Baby, shooting photos and videos of the city, which grew past a hundred thousand followers. But the chicken tikka never left him. People kept asking for it, and the idea of turning it into a real business never went away.
One dish, done properly
When the time finally felt right, he made a decision: no generic Indian menu trying to do everything. Just this one dish, done properly, in five flavours refined over years. Even the rice is his own recipe.
He found a small site near Oxford Circus and bootstrapped the whole thing himself: the recipes, the method, the way every portion gets cooked. When he turned It's London Baby towards the restaurant, the audience came along with him.
Tikkas opened in September 2025. One recipe, one kitchen, one dish we spent a lifetime getting right.
How we want you to feel
This is the food our founder grew up on, and it has always made him feel good. That's the whole idea behind Tikkas.
It doesn't hurt your bank: fresh HMC chicken and proper portions, priced so you can eat here every week, not just as a treat.
It doesn't hurt your health either: no food colouring, no MSG, nothing chilled and reheated. Just grilled fresh. You leave full, not heavy.
Put it together and it's simple: food that makes you feel good, without the guilt or the bill. That's what brings people back.