Tambu Phuket — Restaurant in Patong

By far, the best dining experience I have ever had in my life!!!!

My husband and I came here to celebrate his birthday! We love Indian food, and when we heard about the chef winning a major cooking competition, we had to come!

First of all, the ambiance is out of this world! If you come before sunset, seeing the sunset as you sip on your drinks and appetizers, it is the most romantic and beautiful evening!

Our servers were amazing! Khun Mari greeted us with drinks and small bites! Mind you, this is before we even reached our table! She took pictures of us as well that we plan to frame! Khun Grace was so sweet to us! She made sure to check on us periodically, clearing our table without us having to ask! Khun Aryn was also very good to us, he visited our table to say hello and check in on us from time to time, which we appreciated so much! Akhi, the restaurant manager, knows his stuff! He explained small bites to us, another amazing surprise before we even received the food we ordered, some sort of twist on Indian street food, and it was delicious! We also got a chance to talk with Anush, who also helped serve us, clearing our table and making sure we had plenty of food and drinks! The service was beyond what we could’ve asked for! We didn’t even share with the restaurant that it was my husband’s birthday! The staff must’ve overheard our conversations cause that’s the only way they would’ve known! They brought out this delicious desert on the house, which was an interactive experience as well! Breaking a chocolate mold! My husband loved it! Thank you Tambu staff!

Now the food, we couldn’t stop eating it because it was so delicious! We ordered the large paani puri, the tambu barbecue chicken, pepper fry crab (my favorite, so if you love crab, get this! Huge chunks of delicious crab!), butter chicken, Sarai da saag (mustard greens and spinach dish), tomato yellow lentil dal, vegetable biryani, and of course, garlic naan! For drinks, we ordered the Manila spritzer cocktail and the east india mocktail! Everything was delicious to say the least! Such an amazing experience!

Also, the music was FANTASTIC!!! Loved everything about this restaurant! It’s a must, especially if you love Indian food! The best Indian food I’ve ever...

Fine dining, amazing food, next level service, outstanding location and atmosphere!! Tambu restaurant is for sure in the top of our dining experiences. From welcome ceremony to the good-bye, the place is not just dining, it's an experience as a whole. More in detail of what we loved about Tambu: -Amazing design and concept. The restaurant concept of a tent is inspired by history (as we learned from the welcome), and it creates an atmosphere of exquisite, calm eastern place. -Absolutely fantastic and unique food (fine dining Indian style, open kitchen and amazing food presentation). Lamb skewers were our favorite! -Great service. We were greeted with a welcome ceremony (thanks Mari!!), the service overall was quick, professional and kind. What really made it unforgettable and special for us was how Akhi was sharing stories and historical background of the food, he gave his recommendations and insights into how the food is prepared and served traditionally, and how Tambu blends Indian with local Thai foods. -Atmosphere and attention to detail. Very nice relaxing/loungy eastern music, carefully selected decor down to wood carvings on the tent elements, actual fire lights - all creates an immersive experience! The restaurant doesn't have a large capacity so it's also a calm environment. -Location and views. The restaurant is located on a rooftop of Avista Hideaway resort (which deserves a separate great review) designed in an Asian temple style, so you'll be surrounded by a serene and luxurious lobby and courtyard. The sunset views are out of this world, as you overlook sea and hills with the tropical forest. We also noticed Tambu's sustainability approach (as the resort it's a part of), with very high quality natural materials used, digital menus, and sourcing food ingredients locally when possible. Overall, it's a 100% recommendation, you'll get a fine dining journey and exquisite service with...

Today, my wife and I decided to dine at Tambu, so called one of the best Indian restaurants in Phuket, situated within the Avista Hideaway Phuket. Despite our anticipation of a memorable dining experience, we were met with disappointingly poor service.

Upon arrival, we eagerly awaited attention to place our order, but it took a frustrating 15 minutes for a server to approach us. While the main course arrived promptly, we encountered further delays when attempting to order dessert. Despite our efforts to catch the attention of the staff, we waited for an additional 10 minutes before being able to place our dessert order. However, even after signaling for assistance, our attempts were futile, and we ultimately left without being able to order a second dessert.

What was particularly disheartening was that, despite our evident desire to continue dining and order more, we were unexpectedly presented with the bill instead of being offered further service. It seemed evident that only patrons spending substantial amounts received satisfactory attention, a practice that we found unacceptable.

It is disappointing to witness such a disparity in service based on perceived spending power, especially in today's world where inclusivity and equal treatment are paramount. Had it not been for the substantial lunch we had earlier, we would have been prepared to spend generously, possibly even more than those receiving top-tier service.

While I must commend the restaurant on the quality of the food, I cannot overlook the glaring shortcomings in service. Regrettably, I cannot in good conscience recommend this establishment based on our experience. Service-wise, it falls far below expectations, warranting not even a single...