Ali Baba's 40 Dishes — Restaurant in Bristol

I was looking for a new Indian take away after my usual place changed ownership and massively increased their prices.

I was enticed to Ali Baba's because of their offer of a free side order for collections over £15. I phoned up and made an order but I had to remind them of the offer and asked for a free side of Saag Paneer. They said this was not possible and that I can only have Bombay Aloo. I asked if I could just pay the difference (60p) instead but this was also denied. In the end I added my preferred side on top while still getting the free one as well. Informed that my order would be ready to collect in 30 minutes.

Upon arrival I realised that I had previously driven past and noted it to myself as a place to avoid because from the outside the place looks rather shabby and I soon found out that the inside isn't much better either.

I always arrive a few minutes later just in case, paid for my order then was informed that I would have to wait a further 10 minutes. The guy also tried telling me that my order was still good value despite having to pay for a side dish I hadn't expected to. To me it never feels good value when you pay more than what you're expecting.

I usually calculate my order price prior to ordering but because of the side dish issue I didn't factor in the extra one so while I waited I recalculated only to find out that they had overcharged me, albeit by 20p so I said nothing. I waited way past the additional time without anyone informing me of the extra delay (the guy on the desk had disappeared into the kitchen). It was during this time that I decided I would tell them how I felt.

I had waited a further 25 minutes before I received my order and I commented that I was disappointed with the side order issue as it clearly states 'free side order' but does not specify which. Their excuse was that it would take longer to cook my order which made no sense to me as I reminded them that I had placed the entire order on the phone an hour earlier, that what I had asked for was already provided, it's not like I added something to the order when I arrived to collect it. I also pointed out that I had in fact waited much longer than advised and they could have given my preferred dish as a good will gesture, one of the guys replied in a raised voice with 'we've got a pandemic going on here' somehow trying to blame the Coronavirus situation for everything.

With that I left and told them they'd lost a new customer, so my search for a reliable and friendly Indian take away continues.

This establishment should do themselves a favour and get some customer service training. Keep your customers informed, no one likes waiting without being told why. Stick to the services you're offering, mention it when a customer places a qualifying order. Make these offers clear so customers know exactly what to expect. Be sympathetic to your customer's requests, is providing a side dish which costs 60p more such a hardship? And last but not least, don't raise your voice at your customers and try to fob them off with...

An update to my first review a few months ago.

Still deliciously yummy, arguably more so now.

Indian cooking involves innumerable spices, all with delicate flavours that compliment each other. This culinary delight became evident as I tucked into an onion bhaji, which didn't explode with flavour, but gently unwrapped its essence, morsel by morsel. It's the

The first I heard of Ali Baba was when I had a leaflet through my door, at that time I lived in Southville. I was a single parent on a very low income, but every now and again we treated ourselves to a takeaway. Once we had tried Ali Baba's there was no turning back, nothing else came close! The food was amazing then and remains so now! This was my son's first taste of Indian food and he is addicted to it now at 31 years old! I haver since moved to Ashton, and although still quite possible, it became a bit of a track. However, we made the effort as the food is that good and now they deliver! I will never go anywhere else, they are the best! Second to none! For some reason this review is coming up in my husband's name, but he too is a...