Darchini — Local services in Southampton

I ordered from Darchini because my usual take out was closed. I loathe searching for another take out as I have had some seriously bad foods and so i usually stick with one place once I am happy. So my experience last night surprised me. I ordered through just eat on a 'cheeky tuesday' offer. The menu was lovely and clear and well planned out. I ordered a couple of classic dishes A chicken tikka massala and a chicken korma to be on the safe side. I also ordered 1 boiled rice and 1 pilau rice, a peshwari naan and a garlic naan. Poppadoms and 2 relishes with salad. It came to just over £27 which is surprisingly cheap. I figured the portions would be smaller but that was ok because I wasn't terribly hungry. The delivery arrived well within the alloted 1hr time window and the man who delivered (not a just eat driver) was very polite and friendly and recognised we were new customers. So far so good... Now fingers crossed the food is passable... WELL! The first thing I noticed was a good size portion of rice, it was hot and smelled so fresh. Then I opened the Tikka massala and the colour was a beautiful deep red, I broke off some poppadom and dipped in the sauce for a quick taste test. The poppadom was fresh and no hint of oil or old oil smell or flavour, the tikka massala was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Creamy, sweet and well balanced flavour with mild spice, comfortable for anyone who doesn't cope at all with spicy food. The meat / sauce ratio was good too. The chicken was well cooked, it wasn't over done and dry and it didn't have that barely cooked look either. I'd easily give it a 10/10. The garlic Naan was fresh and perfect for tearing and dipping and mopping up the sauce. My partner took his korma, boiled rice and peshwari naan off to his workroom, so sadly I didn't get to try it... But he reappeared soon after to excitedly tell me it was the best korma he had EVER eaten! He even licked the plate clean. High praise from a very picky eater!

We will be ordering again and trying out some different dishes soon. I don't usually write long reviews but this business deserved a thorough explanation of my experience.

So, what are you waiting for? Get ordering, you won't...

If I could give 10 stars, I would! From the moment I placed my order to the last bite, Darchini absolutely blew me away. This isn’t just a takeaway—this is a masterclass in Indian cuisine!

I ordered the Mango Chicken, Tamarind Chicken, and Chicken Chaat, and every single dish was packed with rich, deep, and mouthwatering flavors that you can tell were crafted with love and authenticity. The spices, were perfectly balanced. The texture was silky and tender it melts-in-your-mouth good. And let’s talk about that naan—soft, fluffy, and straight-up addictive. Wow!

The portion sizes were incredible, the presentation was on point, and the staff so welcoming, warm, and friendly—they treated me like family. You can tell they genuinely care about their customers and their food.

Hands down, the best Indian takeaway I have EVER had, and trust me, I’ve tried a lot! If you’re in Southampton and haven’t had Darchini yet, you’re missing out big time.

Darchini, you’ve got a...

Ordered at 17:45 for delivery at 20:00. Called at 20:00 to ask where my order was and was told it was on its way. It’s now 21:30, still no order and I’ve called 30 times now and no call is being answered, it’s coming up as busy - so I suspect the phone has been taken off the hook. So even with 2.25 hours notice of our order, they are still 1.5 hours late. I think this takeaway is a scam and I’ll be demanding my money back...