Taj of India — Restaurant in England

I had very short notice that my Nephew from Cornwall was coming to visit us the night before he attended his RAF training. He was keen to have a chat over a beer and hopefully enjoy an Indian meal. My first thought was, are there any Indian restaurants open on a Monday in Newbury. A quick Google search of all the listed Indian restaurants and I saw the Taj of India. Now I have to admit that about 10 years or so ago, not long after this restaurant opened, I attended this restaurant with three male colleagues and I was not enthralled by it and I have never had an inclination to revisit. As with most restaurants these days I look at the reviews on Google to see what other peoples comments are. I saw a couple of negative comments, but mostly the reviews were positive and the food was generally very good.

I telephoned the Taj on the Saturday evening and enquired if they were open on a Monday evening, they were and I was asked if I wished to book a table, of which I did.

I have to say what a lovely restaurant this is. We were welcomed and shown to our table. After few minutes we were asked if we required any drinks, after these were served we were asked if we required any poppadom's of which we did. When these were almost finished we were asked about any starters, when we had almost finished our starters we were asked what our requirement were for the mains and side dishes. This is the first time I have ever had an order taken a course at a time. I was most impressed that each course was served just minutes after finishing the previous course. All the food was hot as was our main plates, pure perfection.

The quality of the food was excellent, all tasting very authentic and spicy, not blisteringly chillied. It was very well presented and the portions were just right. The prices are about in the middle compared to other Indian restaurants in Newbury, but fairly priced for the ambiance. I must say this was a VERY GOOD meal and not at all what I remember in the past. What have I been missing all these years?

I will repeat what another reviewer wrote; I am also very pleased by the precautions taken related to COVID-19. The tables were well distanced, hand sanitizer was provided at the entrance as was the book for track & trace. Well done guys!

I plan to revisit this restaurant with our friends in about six – eight weeks as they also enjoy a good Indian meal. If the above service and food quality is maintained, I am sure they will not be...

If you’re looking for real Indian food, this is not the place. I strongly urge the restaurant to be truthful about its identity rather than exploiting the popularity of Indian cuisine.

I recently dined at Taj of India, expecting authentic Indian cuisine, but what I received was far from it. This is, in reality, a Bangladeshi restaurant misrepresenting itself as Indian, deceiving unsuspecting customers who don’t know the difference.

The food was a major letdown. The naan was oddly sweet, the gravies tasted almost identical across different dishes, and the rice was poorly cooked. It lacked the distinct flavors, depth, and authenticity that define true Indian cuisine. Also adding a slice of an entire pepper which is uncooked with seeds in it isn’t decoration just a chef gone off the rails.

Beyond the food, the overall atmosphere and service were distinctly Bangladeshi, which would be fine if the restaurant were honest about its origins. However, marketing it as “Indian” while serving a completely different culinary experience is misleading and does a disservice to...

Should be 5 stars really. The menu is a bit limited but that is a good thing as many restaurants have far too much to choose from, better to limit the menu and do it well. The food was very good as a result. Now for the service, this is where they have lost a star. There were 3 members of staff in the restaurant and obviously some in the kitchen. We were the only people eating in and only 2 people came in to collect takeaway. We don't like being overly fussed over but did feel that the front of house service, drinks and ordering, was slow, and awkward. That said they are a new restaurant and I'm sure are sorting themselves out. So a quick word of advice from a customer, get the drinks a bit quicker, you will probably sell more and don't move the tables around when there is no need too. As tha table you carried across the restaurant passed by my son head by one a few inches, but all that said I will...