India Lounge — Restaurant in Cheltenham

It was my daughter's birthday and I booked a table at The India Lounge. As we were walking to our table, I noticed how dirty the floor was, it clearly hadn't been swept before the evening service. The chair next to mine had food crumbs on it. When my daughter asked for 4 poppadoms, the waiter, said "4" and when we left one of them he mocked us! It all went downhill after that. The next thing he challenged was our drinks choice, I quit alcohol 12yrs ago, and my daughter decided to take a break from it last September '24 Well, he didn't like that we ordered to J2O's,removed the wine glasses from the table very noisily. We really should have left then,but we were hungry and we had eaten there before,so knew that the food was good. We noticed that the other diners were clearly regulars, and male, so there was a lot of banter, but we waited patiently to order our mains, and of course there is shrinkflation everywhere,so smaller portions and bigger price, compared to last year. To end this review, I did not give him a tip, why would I reward bad service! 🤔 We talked about it all on our walk home, we were disappointed with the experience and will not be returning to The India Lounge...

This place is the differentiator for Indian restaurants in Gloucestershire.

First off, our group of five received a very warm and sincere welcome. From there, the waiting staff were quick to take our drinks orders whilst reassuring us by asking us to take as long as we want when it came to ordering our food. I for one am glad that I did just this.

The menu had so many excellent choices that were above the norm for standard 'curry house'. I wouldn't even describe them as curry. More 'marinated dishes' that were more in line with actual Indian food rather than the westernised curry slop that we tend to push in this country.

For me, ordering food is always tricky as I tend to procrastinate a lot. That was circumnavigated by the extremely helpful waiter who knew the dishes well and recommended one for me off the back of my tastes and preferences.

Without a doubt, the food was excellent and left me wanting more (rather than leaving me bloated).

A great, stylish and welcoming Indian restaurant that I most certainly will visit again...

India Lounge offers a vibrant and authentic dining experience, making it a standout choice for Indian cuisine in Cheltenham. From the moment we arrived, the service was warm and attentive, with staff going above and beyond to accommodate preferences.

The food was absolutely delicious—each dish bursting with rich flavors and perfectly balanced spices. I particularly appreciated how the menu was thoughtfully curated, though I personally enjoy dishes with bones, which weren’t available. That said, the quality and taste more than made up for it!

The ambiance was inviting, and the overall experience was fantastic. Whether you’re a longtime fan of Indian cuisine or trying it for the first time, India Lounge is definitely worth a visit. Highly...