Tamasha Grill | Nottingham | Asian Fusion Restaurant — Restaurant in Gedling

If you’re looking for a place that charges mid-tier London prices (£13 starters, £22 mains, £8 mocktails) but delivers the service speed and culinary ambition of a motorway service station café, then look no further...you’ve found it.

We were seated straight away, which was promising. Unfortunately, that was the only part of the evening that went smoothly. Fifteen minutes of being invisible later, two tables who arrived after us had their orders taken first. When ours was finally taken, drinks appeared, but then came the first plot twist: one of our chosen starters wasn’t available. Fine, we swapped “no extra charge!” they reassured us, which at least was nice.

Another fifteen minutes go by and surprise! one of our mains is also unavailable. At this point, it felt less like dinner and more like a hostage negotiation. By the time our starters arrived (and to be fair, they were decent, if you like your “dynamite chicken” with a sparkler rather than a fuse), we realised every table around us who came in later had been fed, watered, and departed while we were still waiting.

The main course debacle was next-level. With the kitchen in full view, we had the joy of watching the chefs leaning against the counter chatting while our food was apparently lost to time. A polite prod to our waitress revealed the truth, they’d clearly forgotten our order. Cue some hurried theatrics and a “five to eight minutes” promise.

When the food did finally arrive, it looked great but like a bad Netflix show, it went downhill the moment we pressed play. My butter chicken katsu was aggressively bland. No seasoning in the chicken, no depth in the sauce (jarred, surely), and so flavourless that even hunger couldn’t persuade me to finish. My husband’s dish was marginally better, but not worth the hour-long wait.

To her credit, our waitress was apologetic. She noticed my untouched food, confessed the chicken comes in pre-breaded (so, factory flavourless), and offered to remake it. But after an hour of déjà vu waiting, who in their right mind would want to start that process over? She kindly removed it from the bill and added a discount, but honestly the issue is none of this should have happened in the first place.

We won’t be back. The whole evening felt like a rehearsal for a restaurant that isn’t ready to open. Shame, because with those prices, you’d expect at...

This needs to be a bar which just serves Tapas. That said, we didn’t get as far as being seated! We booked last night (Saturday) at 7.45, arrived on time, informed them we arrived. Got given a drinks menu, and told we could wait outside or at the bar, the bar was knee deep at the bar so opted outside. I went back inside after 5-10 minutes and ordered drinks with a waitress, and the service of these were quick. Then we waited and waited, half an hour later I went to the toilet and on my way back asked how long our table would be to be told they were very busy and to get a drink at the bar. So we stood at the bar and waited another 15 minutes. We weren’t acknowledged at the bar at all, 2 staff members busy making drinks for seated diners. I called time & went to another member of staff asking to pay for our drinks, they brought our details up on the screen, clearly seeing we’d not eaten so no mention of ‘how was your meal’ how was your dining experience’ no engagement whatsoever. Just the amount and a card reader pushed under my nose. I understand Saturday night is busy, I understand it’s the end of the month & a bank holiday weekend, I don’t understand their booking system. Their booking times are 15 minutes apart…… We booked for 7.45 and left at 8.45 with no indication of when our table would be ready. Overall, I felt disappointed and an hour of my life and time! As a suggestion, they need to allow an hour & a half dining time when it’s busy and the booking system to reflect this. Their staff need to be more vigilant and observant on waiting diners, the suggestion on waiting at the bar is like trying to fit 50 people in a telephone box…… it’s a safety hazard for staff trying to negotiate walking round people with drinks and food 🙈 I can’t comment on the decor as there was too many people in there, I can’t comment on the food as we didn’t get chance to sample anything. The cocktails were average, the staff I felt sorry for as they were running round like headless chickens, no direction or leadership, but the toilets were clean . I won’t be returning and I won’t be recommending!

We did end up eating however, as we crossed the road to Bombay! Which was 👌 I’d suggest the staff do the same as see how hospitality and service...

Tamasha, once a vibrant and cherished dining destination for us, has sadly dimmed over the past couple of years. We've been loyal customers, returning time and again for the consistently delicious cuisine. However, our recent experiences have left us concerned about the restaurant's declining standards.

Our most recent visit was particularly disheartening. The restaurant, practically deserted with only two other tables occupied, felt strangely lifeless. This should have been an opportunity for attentive service and meticulously prepared dishes, but it was far from it.

While the food, in its essence, remained tasty, it lacked the finesse and care we'd come to expect. The dishes were slightly over cooked, the vibrant garnishes that once elevated them were noticeably absent, and there was a palpable sense of something missing – the passion and attention to detail that had previously defined Tamasha. It felt as though the love had gone.

Perhaps even more troubling was the poor service. In an almost empty restaurant, there is no excuse for being left unattended for 20 minutes, waiting for something as basic as water and an order to be taken. The staff seemed inexperienced and disinterested, failing to create the welcoming and special atmosphere that was once Tamasha's hallmark.

This isn't a one-off incident. Over the past four or five visits, we've noticed a gradual but consistent decline. Each time, we've hoped for a return to the Tamasha we knew and loved, but each time we've been met with disappointment. Tamasha holds a special place in our memories, and we sincerely hope that the management takes these concerns seriously. A thorough review of standards and a comprehensive staff training program, particularly in customer service, are required.

The potential is still there, the flavours are still present, but without a renewed commitment to excellence, Tamasha risks losing its loyal customers and its once-shining reputation. We truly hope to see Tamasha reclaim its...