Taj Indian Kitchen Eastbourne — Restaurant in Eastbourne

I dined with my husband at Taj Indian Kitchen. Initial service was stiff to the point of arrogant, although it's possible our first waiter was just inexperienced and nervous. When we ordered two medium heat dishes, I asked about their standard heat level. The waiter was preoccupied with typing our order into his tablet, and walked away without answering. The dishes we received had aromatic flavor, but absolutely NO spice/ heat level. I asked the waiter for additional spice and he brought a plate with two WHOLE hot chili peppers. When I declined in amazement and asked for something else, another waiter explained to me " that is what they do-- that some people like to bite into the pepper while they eat". I responded that most people do not. He did take the peppers and roughly chopped them up-- expecting that I would put the large chunks on my dish. A third staff ( the manager?) approached, and told me that their medium dishes have no spice and that's how their customers like it. What? Then why is it called 'medium' spice? There was no apology, acknowledgement of error or effort to satisfy our request to receive what we thought we had ordered. I've dined in fine Indian restaurants around the world-- including in North and South India. Taj Indian Kitchen is fancy in atmosphere, but the food we received was bland, and being served whole chili peppers...

We just dined at Taj Indian Kitchen tonight, and it was an extraordinary experience from start to finish. The meal we had was, without a doubt, the best Indian cuisine we've ever tasted. Every dish was a masterpiece, with flavors that were perfectly balanced and presentations that were visually stunning.

The ambiance of the restaurant was inviting and elegant, providing a perfect backdrop for the incredible culinary journey we embarked upon. Each course was meticulously crafted and served with impeccable timing, allowing us to savor every bite.

Special mention must be made of our server, Felix, whose service was exemplary. Felix was not only polite and attentive but also incredibly knowledgeable about the menu. His recommendations were spot-on, and his warm demeanor added a personal touch to our dining experience.

Overall, Taj Indian Kitchen surpassed all our expectations. The combination of delectable food, outstanding service, and exquisite presentation makes it a standout dining destination. We can't wait to return and highly recommend it to anyone looking for an exceptional Indian...

The staff were extremely kind, but unfortunately our table of 12 didn't receive our main courses until we were in the restaurant for 2hrs and 10 mins! Our starters arrived 1hr 20 mins after arrival. This was for a 8.30pm booking so by the time food came out some of our party needed to rush dinner to get the train home in time, no time for puddings either. The restaurant didn't appear to be at capacity. Just far too long sitting around.

Atmosphere was also quite dead as there wasn't really any music on and the place is quite brightly lit for an evening meal. We all commented the following week that our meals were also pretty average for the price. I had a Haryali and it was extremely bland for a curry which is meant to be rich in garlic and coriander. Starters also very small. Seems like the restaurant has an otherwise great fanbase judging by the other reviews, so perhaps we just went on a bad night. However we wont be returning as its too expensive to risk another...