Soyful's Kitchen — Restaurant in England

Visited following a recommendation from a friend and have to say I struggled somewhat with the rating, the food was hit and miss and the location, lets talk about that for a while. On a warmer lighter evening it might be pleasant, but on a cold winters evening its not so welcoming made worse by it being located in a dilapidated small shopping mall. Although that may have added to the adventure, as walking up the wooden steps which gave slightly under foot, and dodging the false ceiling that was hanging down in parts you wondered what you would find at the top.

What we found was a lovely friendly welcome and a small comfortable dining restaurant. The drinks menu was OK, not great, but not terrible. Paying more attention to the drinks menu might elevate this restaurant further, don't settle for the usual, try adding some craft beers and selection of spirits that compliment the spices and tastes of the food.

The papadam were a bit soft, and the chutney tray was disappointing, the mango chutney was OK, the mint fair to middling and then a red chutney which looked like it would provide some warmth and a kick with your papadam but sadly tasted like tomato ketchup.

Now, what brought this back from the brink? Firstly, the mixed grill platter, absolutely delicious and well presented, like a piece of art on your plate and tasted even better than it looked.

Secondly, the portion of the main courses were generous both curry and portions of rice. Two out of the three we ordered hit the spot, the third, despite being made hotter than usual at our request failed to deliver. Perhaps the chef caters for the local palate.

So in short, a couple of the dishes are worthy of a 5, the mixed grill starter offered a taster for that set tasting menu which I am confident is awesome, but to be a 5 I think the whole package has to be there and right now, it needs just a...

Having been a fan of Indian food for many many years it has oddly been rare to find a restaurant that produces indian food that stands out. Bath has had two or three over the years. Jamuna was undoubtedly the best by a long way. Not just in the area but even as far as London. I'm not saying there aren't great restaurants but finding one amongst the thousands isn't easy. Jamuna produced the best food at a reasonable price with views of the Abbey that were outstanding. Gone some years ago the Mint rooms are world famous and now hold the 'best' title but you pay a premium price. In comes Soyful's kitchen. In a small town outside Bath you have ample nearby free parking. There are a few bars in the area although it's a small and relitively quiet town. The restaurant is well presented and typical of many modern Indian establishments. It's comfortable, well laid out with plenty of space between tables. The food is at the top for taste quality and portion size. Be careful what you order you are getting full sized portions. the flavour is every bit as good as the mint rooms and deserves to build its reputation. Service was efficient and friendly, again up there with the best. The owner and chef was head chef in the Mint Room for many years so it's got a good foundation. Costs when we ate there were about £30 per head. But there were a few drinks in there so expect £25 for a meal that will be the basis of a pleasant night out. So value is very high. It...

This was my fourth visit to Soyfuls, and without exception, the food has been excellent and the staff very friendly and helpful. However, if you happen to be there at a time when the restaurant is pretty full which for me is three of the four times I’ve been there, the noise levels are extremely high just from people talking. Tonight there was a group of about 28 or so young lads in there and it was virtually impossible to have a conversation. In the end, we asked for our meal to be converted into a takeaway which the staff were very happy to do and they were apologetic about the noise. So overall, I can’t fault the food but I would suggest that even having some wall hangings or curtains would help dampen down the sound and compensate for all the hard reflective surfaces. So if the owners would like to take that on board, it might help to make the experience of eating there more comfortable. Great to have a quality Indian restaurant in Midsomer...