Tamarind — Restaurant in Karnataka

Our recent experience at Tamarind, the in-house restaurant at Taj Bangalore, was, unfortunately, a far cry from the excellence we had expected. My wife and I were looking forward to a relaxing evening with good food before catching an early morning flight the next day. We checked in around 8 PM, eager for a peaceful dinner, especially since the restaurant was pretty empty with lots of vacant tables.

We found a comfortable four-seater and were initially welcomed by a kind staff member who assured us it was no problem to sit there. However, our experience quickly took a turn for the worse when another staff member, who seemed to be in charge, approached us. Without even looking at us, he rudely instructed us to move to a cramped two-seater. It was a bit jarring, but not wanting to cause a fuss, we complied.

As someone with an allergy to green chilies, I approached the same staff member to inquire about dishes that would be safe for me to eat. His response was surprisingly dismissive, telling me that there were no options without green chilies. This struck me as odd, considering that many dishes can be prepared with red chilies instead. Nevertheless, I trusted his expertise and ordered a regular tikka, hoping it would be a safe bet.

What I received, however, was a bland, mint-and-coriander-soaked tikka that was unlike anything I’ve ever had before—in the worst way possible. It was flavorless, and frankly, inedible. I was left disappointed and regretting my decision to eat there, but I decided not to escalate the issue further.

The night continued to go downhill when we were ready to leave. The staff had already taken our names and room number upon our arrival, so we assumed settling the bill would be quick. Instead, we were kept waiting for 20-30 minutes, despite the restaurant being almost empty. When I asked if we could sign the bill and leave, the same staff member who had been rude earlier insisted we wait. After what felt like an eternity, he finally checked with another staff member and told us we could go, without any apology or explanation for the delay.

This experience was incredibly disappointing, especially given the high standards I associate with the Taj brand. The lack of professionalism, poor communication, and dismissive attitude of this particular staff member left a sour taste in our mouths—literally and figuratively.

Tamarind at Taj Bangalore is a restaurant that could benefit from revisiting its customer service approach. The experience was, unfortunately, one of the worst I’ve had at a restaurant, and I hope the management takes steps to ensure that future guests are treated with the respect and care...

It was gonna be KFC at the airport until the wifey suggested the Tamarind at Taj just 5mins walk from the airport - glad to have listened to her! Best ever mind-blowing Indian meal I've ever had! You'll be served a chutney platter with what I call a "pastry-bread" (so good that I asked for just the bread to take away and they gave me a nice box!). For starters, we couldn't decide so the friendly chief waiter suggested a platter of assorted meats as an improvisation. The marination with spices was just tantalising. Then we had a lamb dish called "junglee maas" which was nice to go with naan. The finale was a laasi which was yummy and very filling - thankfully we listened to the waiter's recommendation to split the portion into two. Overall, an unforgettable experience and great service again by Anil and co. The meal put us back by just under INR8k which is no trivial amount but then again this was no trivial...

We have traveled to a fair share of hotels around the world and most of the time we try not to eat in hotels but the Tamarind was a fantastic exception... The food was fantastic, some of the best I've ever eaten (we had the sampler platter, roti breads and chicken clay pot). The chef is phenomenal with recipes hailing from his grandmother with a modern twist. The service was impeccable. All staff were outstandingly friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable especially Refresh. My only regret is that we only have one night here and won't be able to eat again before we leave. This restaurant is now on our must return to list. I work with many restaurant owners and companies and it's rare to have a place get the holy grail of all four key aspects of a great restaurant ... Great food, excellent service, clean, and great ambiance. Tamarind nailed all four. Kuddos to the Taj and...