The Balti House — Restaurant in England

The best place we’ve ever had the pleasure to stumble across!

Having travelled from Birmingham, you would imagine that we would’ve possibly already tasted the best and so we were pleasantly surprised when we came across this gem. The actual restaurant was quite deceptive from the outside as when we visited there was scaffolding erected. Inside, it is nicely decorated and is small but very cosy. We were there quite late and so it wasn’t busy, however, we were told that it can get quite busy. The owner, who was also the waiter on the day we visited, made us feel very welcome and he was very willing to recommend places to visit once he found out we weren’t locals. The locals there also happily joined in the conversation and it made it even more of an enjoyable experience.

As for the service, this was very prompt and faultless - proper cloth napkins are used, not the paper ones. The chutneys compliment the poppadoms particularly well and are highly recommended. The food was exceptionally spiced, very well cooked and piping hot. Portion sizes were generous compared with pricing and aesthetically very pleasing. We ordered egg fried rice (perfectly seasoned we should add), naan breads (perfectly leavened and not overcooked), a meat jalfrezi, a meat bhuna and a mild chicken kasmir for the children. The meat and chicken were especially tender and we can tell you, the kasmir didn’t end up just being for the children! The other diners said that it had been their first time at the restaurant and remarked how delicious the food was and that they were glad they had found this place - if we were locals, we would have had the same sentiments.

As we aren’t locals, we had to take advantage of the absolutely delicious food before we returned and so this time took advantage of their takeaway service as the children were all asleep- it’s a good job we had decided not to dine in as they were exceptionally busy. The food was absolutely exemplary once again and despite them being very busy, they provided a very warm welcome and a very efficient service. The food was once again superbly cooked, piping hot and very well packed. We really must give a special mention to the tarka dhall which also has to be the best we’ve had.

You certainly will not be...

Two years of being unable to go to this wonderful restaurant as a result of family health problems & Covid & finally, today i was able to return. I didn't know what to expect, after all, the staff at The Balti House will have been just as affected as all of us through this difficult time. So, as i entered i was so happy to receive the characteristic warm welcome from all the staff & in particular Hassan who had done wonders in building up the restaurant to reach the heights it has before the pandemic began. Nothing had changed...business as usual. I had to order a takeaway as i hadn't tasted the mouth-watering flavours I'd missed for too long. And i was not disappointed...in fact the food was better than i ever remembered...as i was eating i even said thank you out loud, it was excellent! I am so, so glad i went & the restaurant was busy, as usual, testament to its quality. Thank you Hassan & i will be back as soon as I'm able. If you're able to, i recommend trying The Balti House. It's worth it. 🙂 Had the opportunity to visit The Balti House again yesterday, 25th March to be greeted, as usual, with the beaming, friendly faces of the front of house staff & the ever-present Hassan who has built up his restaurant to be the best in the Bournemouth & surrounding areas. The staff are all so friendly & attentive which makes going there such a lovely experience and the food is just so much better than anything I've tasted for years that i am never disappointed. The depth of flavours are so satisfying, like an orchestra playing a symphony in perfect harmony with my taste buds. Thank you again Hassan & all at The Balti House for another...

I went there last Wednesday evening (December 11th 2024) with a friend as it's a restaurant we've been to before and we like the ambience, the reasonable prices - & the fact that one can bring along their own wine.

My friend ordered a chicken main & 3 side dishes, which he was happy with (eating most of it), while I had a King Prawn Jalfrezie & a garlic nan.

It wasn't at all like the Jalfrezie dishes I've had in India (where I lived for the last 4 years) and not as tasty - but it was freshly prepared.

However, within 24 hours I began to feel stomach pains and was violently ill (from both ends) for 5 solid hours whilst travelling back to Wiltshire - which necessitated spending those hours in a succession of 3 different toilets in Salisbury until I felt safe enough to catch the last bus home.

So, I don't know whether the kitchen either didn't remove the gut thread within the prawns or they were contaminated in some other way, it has put me off ever ordering seafood there again. And it's the restaurant I always go to there as it's convenient for my friend who lives nearby and can't walk far.

I phoned to complain yesterday afternoon and was told someone would call me back - but no-one has. Thus I decided to write a review and warn others about ordering the King...