Bandook — Restaurant in Bristol

Normally I would feel bad for writing a review like this, but lazy, shoddy service like this needs calling out. We booked a table for 8pm and arrived at 8:02pm. They told us that our table was 'just paying up and leaving'. As Bandook is tiny, we had to wait outside. They then ushered some other people who were waiting to what we heavily suspect was our table, that Bandook had decided to give away to a walk-in. The people who were 'just paying' were doing nothing of the sort, and we sat outside for half an hour. It being cold and windy February, this wasn't an ideal start. An apology would have gone a long way, but the waiter could not have cared less.

Once inside, we were sat next to the kitchen, so sadly (for the chef), we were aware that one of the dishes served to us had been sitting on the side going cold for 30 mins when (some of) the rest of our food was ready. Various items remained missing. These arrived after we noticed that these appeared to just be sat on the kitchen hotplate and requested them.

Food quality was not good. The chilli paneer wraps were just some soggy undercooked paneer in a plain wrap with some chilli sauce. Presentation was non-existent; it looked like a plain Sainsbury's wrap on a plate. Curries were fine-ish but bland, and you have to somehow eat a very runny curry off a tiny plate. Paneer and okra small plate dishes were both stone cold.

Whilst we were eating, we witnessed another unhappy customer complaining at the door for ages (guess what, she had booked a table, but Bandook had given it away to squeeze out some more ££, and she was waiting outside in the cold - imagine!). Separately, another customer called the waiter over and said that they had found a piece of metal in their meal. Fortunately we managed to extract some enjoyment from the experience by laughing at the fact that we appeared to have wandered into Fawlty Towers. We ate as quickly as we could and left hungry. Over £100 for four people eating (one glass of wine, one beer and soft drinks). We all wished we had stayed at home and got a decent takeaway for a quarter...

AVOID - VERY DISAPPOINTING. We booked & paid a deposit over a month ago yet they messed us around throughout. When we arrived they made us wait outside in the cold for over 20 minutes because they overbooked the restaurant. When they let us in they made two of our group sit on a separate table for an hour! We were squeezed in as they had accepted too many bookings. Some dishes were late and others didn’t arrive. Despite all of this, no apology or deduction was offered to our bill. One especially rude member of staff just looked at us blankly and just said ‘no’ when we politely asked for a deduction to our bill, instead insisting that we buy more drinks! He had hovered around our table for most of the evening, making us feel uncomfortable and at one point saying something to us which was extremely inappropriate and creepy. In the end, Bandook offered to ‘take off’ the optional service charge as a ‘gesture of good will’, which was a joke! They also didn’t bring out the birthday cake we had provided them earlier for our friend as a surprise. Just to top it all off, they didn’t take the deposit off our bill and refused to refund us the £45 deposit afterwards because ‘the supervisor wasn’t there’. Honestly terrible service, I will not be going back ever and recommend others avoid at all costs. So, so disappointing.

Couple of bonus points: did not give us cutlery until we’d all started eating with our fingers, and smoked out the restaurant routinely, making us cough...

Hands down the BEST Indian dining experience in Bristol!

Bandook in Bristol is a gem that truly stands out, and it’s not just the food that makes it so special. What made our evening unforgettable was the exceptional hospitality from Ali at front of house and Dilwur, the incredibly talented chef.

From the moment we walked in, Ali made us feel like royalty. Warm, welcoming, and effortlessly attentive, he truly elevates the dining experience with his charisma and care. You can tell he genuinely wants every guest to have a memorable evening, and he delivers that with heart.

Then there’s Dilwur, what an artist in the kitchen! Not only is the food outstanding (every bite packed with flavour and cooked to perfection), but Dilwur came out to personally check on our experience. That level of care, passion, and pride in his craft is something you rarely see.

The dishes were a perfect blend of tradition and creativity, and it’s clear the whole team at Bandook takes immense pride in what they do. It’s the kind of place where you don’t just enjoy a meal, you remember it.

If you’re in Bristol and you haven’t been to Bandook yet, you’re missing out. Ali and Dilwur, thank you for making the night so special, we’ll be...