Sangams — Restaurant in Derbyshire Dales

Our first and last visit. On arrival (having booked a table for two) we were shown to a small side room comprising of four booths. There were no pictures on the walls or music playing, as there was in the main room. It was rather bleak to say the least. The booth we were sat in was cramped and uncomfortable. A larger person would have had no chance. We were asked what drinks we would like and the waiter had to go and ask if there were any draft lagers, which I would have thought was quite a fundamental question. Dinner arrived and my chicken korma looked insipid and unappetising to say the least. The chicken was overcooked and the sauce had no texture to it whatsoever and was far too sweet. Either it had been blended in a food processor, or it was from a jar. My Mother did enjoy the flavour of her lamb dish but the lamb itself was in short supply. Two gentlemen who came in afterwards complained about their meal when it was presented to them and it was agreed they could leave without paying. We wish we had done the same. There was not even a serving spoon provided for the rice and so we unceremoniously used our knives to get it onto the plate. On paying, the waiter picked up our bill, looked at it and said "there's no service charge on this" quite accusingly, to which I replied "no". I was then asked if I wanted to add a service charge, to which I replied no again. The cheek of him!! The waiters were not friendly and curt in their manner. It almost felt as if our being there was an imposition. Could not...

The best Indian food we’ve had for years! Visited Tuesday evening - didn’t book but easily accommodated in the lower small dining area (don’t know why as there were tables available on the ground level.) Menu is varied and with good descriptions. All can be cooked mild, medium or hot and there were great vegetarian options too. Then there was the fish section! If truth be known, when we searched online I already knew I wanted the Tandoori Trout - so rarely is this dish offered in restaurants, and I wasn’t disappointed, it was cooked to perfection. The bed of salad (crunchy white cabbage and cucumber / tomatoes) was just the right accompaniment. I never know what Pete will chose as his choices are so eclectic… he careers across the gamut of spicy dishes, from jalfrezi to rogan josh and back again! Literally just those two, never wavers, never wants to be disappointed. He chose chicken jalfrezi and to my surprise, mid-feast he proclaimed that he’d ‘have no trouble choosing anything else on this menu - I know I would enjoy them all.’ This is gushing praise indeed and marks a possible shift to a more adventurous Indian dining experience...

Dined here after a day hiking in the area. Based on the reviews we were really excited to have a nice curry after a long day, but have to say we were quite disappointed.

We had a wide variety of dishes that we shared between us, and we all felt the seasoning was lacking across the board. All the ingredients seemed fresh and of a high quality, but all needed a touch more salt.

The other thing for me was just how greasy everything was. I know Indian dishes are generally oily, but this was excessive even by the standards I'm used to. It's not a good look if the top of the dish comes out with a thick layer of pure oil.

If I could give any advice to the management it'd be to simply go easier on the oil, and taste the dishes a bit more for salt. The ingredients are there for a great restaurant and dining experience, but particularly the excess oil is not enjoyable to eat and does not suit me the...