Bhojan Indian Restaurant and Bar Royal Oak — Restaurant in Puketāpapa

I am a Local Guide Level 7 and have traveled across several countries. This is the first negative review I have ever written in my life, and unfortunately, it is well-deserved.

I had an extremely horrible experience at this restaurant.

Upon entering, I was never asked if I had a booking—something that is standard practice at most restaurants. I had a confirmed Bookme reservation for 5:00 PM for two people, and I arrived at 5:09 PM. The restaurant had just opened, and we were the first two customers to walk in. Without any inquiry about my booking, we were immediately shown to a table. I assumed that they were expecting us.

We placed our order, enjoyed our meal, and everything seemed fine—until it was time to pay.

A staff member (not the one who took our order) suddenly became extremely rude and unprofessional. He aggressively stated that because we booked via Bookme, we should have informed them beforehand. He went on to say that since we used Bookme, they would not provide rice with the gravy, would not allow takeaways, and that it was because they "don’t make profits."

I was absolutely shocked that a restaurant representative would have such a cheap conversation about profits with a customer. I had a very small takeaway box with exactly three teaspoons of rice & three teaspoons of gravy—barely anything! Does he mean to say that he would rather throw it in the bin than let me take it?

Let’s talk about profit. A 5kg bag of rice retails for $7.99, and he charged me $12 for two SMALL bowls of rice—how is that not profitable? His attitude was completely heartless & money-minded.

If the restaurant has an issue with profit margins, then why are they even partnered with Bookme/First Table? If prior booking confirmation was so important, why did they not ask me at the entrance? Why did they give me a table immediately without checking?

I have used Bookme/First Table across Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington, Queenstown, Dunedin, and more, and not once have I encountered such disrespectful treatment. Everywhere else, customers are treated fairly and equally, regardless of how they booked.

Despite the unpleasant encounter, I still tried to be polite & told the staff member that the food was good. He didn’t even acknowledge my comment and continued arguing with me. I chose not to engage further—I simply said "thank you" and walked away. However, I knew the best way to communicate my experience was through this review.

If all of this wasn’t bad enough, I later realized that I was overcharged by $12! The staff member asked me to pay first, then handed me the receipt, without even showing me a breakdown of the charges.

This level of poor customer service, unprofessionalism, and greed is unacceptable.

I will NOT change my mind or this review unless the restaurant reaches out to genuinely address and resolve this matter with me. Until then, I will never recommend this...

I must say I was very impressed with the variety in the menu..there were Gujarati dishes like Undhiyu and of course all types of Punjabi dishes, chaats and even a Vindaloo thrown in there. Dishes were mostly veg, chicken and lamb options. Foodwise..overall a thumbs up. The butter chicken was sweeter than expected, the kids loved it though, so no complaints there. We ordered butter naans and garlic naans to go with it, which were fresh and delicious. Their paneer tikka masala was a disappointment, it came semi dry, with bell peppers, onions etc in the gravy, somewhat like a kadhai paneer. But being a new restaurant, Im sure these are just teething troubles and they will sort this out. Portion sizes were on the smaller side, maybe because all curries come with a small side of steamed rice, which is not mentioned in the menu. Tried out dahi puri from the chaat corner, and the veg starter plate - 2 chutneys with mushrooms, onions, onions, samosas etc - both these were fantastic. The meetha paan was ok, not the best, but not bad. Staff were courteous and helpful. Full marks for good utilization of space - not very jammed in which was great, simple but tasteful decor. 3 parking spots available on the Hillsborough road side of the restaurant. Overall, great new...

I am a foodie Gujju loves south india food in all sense. Given that, I always turn to South Indian restaurants for comfort and variety ,So we visited Bhojan Indian restaurant and Bar this morning to satisfy our craving in chilled morning.

All the dishes we tried are amazing but some of my favourites Sambhar, Upma and Payasam.

Their sambhar was delicious.With Auckland weather this is the perfect time to indulge in a hot bowl of gorgeous Sambhar. That was made with perfect balance of all spices which satisfy my all cravings

Rava umpa was delicious not sticky or dry , just perfect. It is also healthy as well as rava upma is made with semolina and vegetables.

Heard about happy endings? That's what thier payasam is all about. A sweet end to a perfect meal. A delicious rice vermicelli and milk pudding with dry fruit with perfect sweetness.

The restaurant is very clean and hygiene is maintained. A good place to go with your family. Kids will love the food too.

Overall, I would highly recommend anyone to try South Indian food...