The Grand Maharaja — Restaurant in Great Britain

We visited The Grand Maharajah in Leicester on Father’s Day after hearing about the hype surrounding its recent opening and its sister restaurants in places like Dubai. With such a reputation, we were excited to see what it had to offer locally.

We had booked a table in advance for eight people, but there was some confusion when we arrived. Our reservation had been made under a completely different name. Thankfully, they were able to seat us without too much delay.

The restaurant is fully vegetarian, which was one of the main reasons we chose it, and there’s a mix of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks available. However, we were quite shocked by the drink prices. A “full glass” of soft drink cost £5, but it was a small glass and not what you’d expect for that price. With a group of eight, drinks alone added up to around £30.

We started with the chilli paneer and chilli mushrooms. The paneer was good quality, but the sauce was overly tangy and very saucy. The mushrooms were okay. Overall, the starters were decent but considering the build-up and social media buzz, we expected more. The starters did arrive quickly after ordering, which was appreciated.

However, there was a 50-minute wait before the mains arrived, even though the restaurant wasn’t particularly busy at the time with only a few tables occupied. When the mains did come, they were just okay. We ordered a sabji which turned out to be quite oily and reminded us more of wedding catering than restaurant-style dishes. Ironically, the standout item was the plain chips, which says a lot about the meal overall.

We also ordered the chilli pita mogo chips, and upon looking at Google reviews afterwards, we noticed that what we received was totally different to what someone else had been served just two weeks earlier. That really highlighted an issue with consistency in the food, which is disappointing for a restaurant trying to build a strong reputation.

The décor is fairly typical of an Indian restaurant. Nothing bad, but nothing particularly unique either.

Another thing to note is the parking situation. There isn’t a proper car park, so you either have to try and find space in the small area at the front or park on the main road outside residential houses, which isn’t always convenient.

In all honesty, while the concept is great and the vegetarian menu is appealing, we left feeling underwhelmed. There’s definitely room for improvement, especially in pricing, service speed, consistency and overall quality. We’re not in a...

Went with family based on recommendation...the decor was impressive sadly the food, service and the experience was poor, really don't know what the hype is all about. The crispy bhajias were what looked like the ends / remnants of potatoes that had been fried and as for the portion, same size as a 25g bag of crisps but the price was 15 times as much.. would have preferred the latter. Set the theme all round, dishes forgotten and /or brought with tepid heat and needed re-warming. . The same for the drinks..actually saved us some money when they forgot the additional drinks ordered...would not want to waste my hard earned money here..plenty of other better choices in Leicester. The chilly paneer was soft(not fried), small portion and 1/3 was bell peppers. You know it's bad when you resort to chips to fill you up. Got so bad..decided had enough after the starters and when complained....only got frivolous apologies. For the manager to state the food is catered for the en masse, I would like to know who would want a chilly paneer dish with12 cubes and a half chopped Bell pepper. I for one, including the other 8 members will not be visiting this establishment....based on the experience..."The Sham Maharaja" seems more apt...

We visited The Grand Maharaja in Leicester today to celebrate my wife’s birthday, and it truly exceeded all expectations!

This 100% vegetarian restaurant not only delivered on taste but also catered wonderfully to my gluten-free needs. Although it’s not a coeliac-certified kitchen, the staff took great care to confirm all ingredients and reassured us about cross-contamination – very attentive and professional!

The ambience was warm and welcoming, and the place was buzzing with a full house in the evening. Service was spot on – fast, friendly, and efficient. The staff were smartly presented, well-informed, and happy to make excellent menu suggestions. Every dish we ordered was absolutely delicious and generously portioned.

A special mention to the live music they had on the evening – apparently their first time hosting it! We loved the vibe, and if we didn’t have our young baby with us, we would’ve stayed longer just to soak it all in.

For a family of six, our total bill was just over £100, which we found very reasonable given the quality of food and service.

All in all, a fantastic dining experience. Highly recommended, and we’ll definitely be...