The Gate of India, Indian Restaurant, Poole — Restaurant in England

Used to be a regular from 1991and for many years, always friendly, good food and atmosphere. Have only eaten there a few times in recent years and like so many Indian restaurants the standard had dropped. Went in with my wife early Sunday evening. Staff were barely able to utter a word and showed us to a corner table by the fire exit which was bolted. No idea if it was locked as well. I had to pull the table out for my wife to be able to sit. Everything about the restaurant was bland, untidy and the carpet filthy. The waiters were also disheveled and miserable. Ordered a draught beer and sparkling water but got two beers. I noted that the owner was not about otherwise I am sure there would at least have been a smile. We ordered some pappadums and pickles followed by chicken Ceylon and Chicken Madras. My wife explained she had a fish allergy and was assured that her meal didn't contain fish. She explained it was a very bad allergy and staff needed to be aware of cross contamination etc. The waiter assured her that restaurant was good at hygiene almost telling her not to be silly. The appearance of the dining area itself did not suggest any great intetest or understanding of hygiene at all.

I enjoy mint sauce with pappadums but instead we had two jars of dried out onions. Waiter quickly appeared with a jug of mint sauce when I asked but this was like yellow water. Having noticed the few wall pictures not even straight we both came to the view there was no longer any pride or interest in this once excellent establishment.

Cold plates were placed on our table, white for me and colourfully patterned for my wife but not enough to hide to curry staining.

Not sure why in a largely empty restaurant they could not be bothered or interested in providing matching plates.

The madras came as vindaloo strength and my wife could not eat it all despite usually enjoying hot curries. My Ceylon was bland, very mild, powdery and the chicken tasteless. I chose not to finish mine either. At no stage were we asked if the food was ok. When we had finished the plates were removed. Then a basket with two sealed cleansing tissues that in my experience waiters would usually open but not here it seems. When we opened them the tissues were cold. I asked for a bill and when this was produced I was surprised it was only £28.80. still no communication from the waiter. I put £30 on the tray. I usually give a tip separately to reflect my satisfaction with service with the manager or head of floor to ensure it is shared with staff. When the waiter collected the £30 he immediately said thank you that is very kind of you presuming that he was at liberty to retain the change. We left the restaurant passing three waiters none of whom said a word and the bar man who didn't look up until i was at the door and stopped and said good night and thank you - that is what your staff used to say. He mumbled thank you.

I have never written a bad review before but many good ones. I will not be returning to the Gate of India again unless I here that the owners listen to the bad reviews and take action to return this restaurant to the standard and reputation it once enjoyed. I have spent today vomitting chicken Ceylon, which has rather ruined my short break to Poole. Owners and future...

After ordering Chicken Tikka Masala we were served up some white meat/chicken?, that seemed to have been boiled, I swear it never saw tikka spice or a tandoor before it was served to us in a sickly, sweet, vivid red sauce with flecks of coriander. (See photo.) Not to be rude, we tried to eat it but had to send it back and it was replaced with a plain chicken curry. "Can't go wrong there", or so I thought. It seemed to be the very same sort of meat, but in a brown sauce with flecks of coriander. Neither dish had those strong, pungent flavours that come with Indian food. The Garlic Naan was okay, but the ammount of garlic was enough for a side dish. The Tarka Dahl was flovourless and runny. The rice was fine. We were in there early but as we left, the place had filled up. I'm amazed why, if our dishes were typical of the cuisine there. All in all, a meal that lacked a balance of those traditional Indian spices that make Indian food so good. It's a definite 'thumbs down' from us. To end on a positive note though, surprisingly, we weren't ill...

I visited the Indian restaurant in Ashley Cross on March 4th with my daughter, my friend, and my daughter's friend. Unfortunately, the experience was not as pleasant as we had hoped.

The service was a major issue. The main server, an older gentleman, was difficult to understand and repeatedly asked awkward questions to the younger members of our group. This made us quite uncomfortable.It's important for all members of the group especially the younger ones to feel comfortable in their environment. Unfortunately this was not what we experienced

Additionally, the appetizers, which included papadums and chutneys, were brought to our table without being mentioned as chargeable items. We assumed they were complimentary, but later found them added to our bill. This lack of clear communication was frustrating.

As for the food, while it was tasty, I experienced some digestive issues afterward, and my friend had a similar experience.

Overall, while the restaurant has potential, the service and communication need significant...