Babul's — Restaurant in England

Nice meal, disappointing customer service. We arrived 25 mins early for a 6.30pm booking to have a drink (on their advice as the table was occupied). The whole front of house experience was utterly confusing. After waiting some time at the bar to be served we were given a cocktail menu for the 2 for £10 offer running until 7pm , the time now being 6.15pm. We were then told by the manager that by the time we went upstairs and had a drink our table would be ready so there would be no point in us doing so. We waited 15 mins more for the table, sat down only to be then told that the cocktail deal was only available upstairs - not once you take a seat to eat. (This is clearly a new rule as we came in 2020 and had the happy hour cocktails whilst seated with no issues). The manager was unwilling to change this bizarre rule, there was no clear rationale why this had to be the case and I felt that we were steered in to paying a higher price for our drinks than we would have done had we popped upstairs, ordered then brought them down with us. We then asked for poppodums while we decided what to eat and again were told ‘we have to take the whole order’. First time I’ve heard that in a curry house. The meal itself was very nice and the table service once underway was good. However the start spoiled the evening. Process...

We visited Barnard Castle on holiday and thought we would try the local Indian cuisine.

It took us a while to be acknowledged as we walked in, as the dining area is somewhat tucked away, and we weren't told where to go. After eventually being sat down the waiter seemed pleasant enough, so we settled in and ordered our food.

The Pappadoms and the bhaji's were decent, but the curries were poor and lacked body of flavour. My vindaloo had a nice amount of heat but it tasted a little too sour and bland. My wife ordered a Palak Paneer, which was again too bland and lacked flavour.

Atmosphere was a mixed bag. The decor was modernish with some odd plastic water-cress on the walls and ceiling, but the music was terrible. Dance music covers of pop songs do not seem to provide the atmosphere you would expect at such a restaurant, and more fitting at a nightclub.

It took us a long time to receive the bill after our food, having told the staff we had finished. After receiving the bill again we sat waiting for some time for them to take the money, unsure whether we were expected to go up to the front desk. It was only after we got up to leave that they returned to take the money.

We didn't receive any refresher towels or complimentary mints. We felt the whole experience quite odd and a little underwhelming,...

I had the pleasure of heading here with a friend a couple of nights ago. When we sat down, I was a little bit sceptical, as this isn't your usual Indian restaurant, which I've been used to over the years. It's a modern 21st-century take on the classic, wonderful Indian restaurant from years gone by. The menu (I thought) at first was a little sparse, but that was me being greedy, naive, and wanting EVERYTHING! However, there is plenty for everyone, and OMG, the food is to die for!!! I chose the Tikka Chicken Dansak, Onion Pilau Rice, and Keema Naan. I'm still dreaming about it now!!! It's the best I have EVER tasted. Service... amazing. Food.....out of this world. If you are ever in Barnard Castle, please make it a point of going here for a really world-class meal. I can say that because I work all over the world and this place is up there at the top!! Can't wait...