tamatanga — Restaurant in Leeds

Overpriced, Poorly Managed, and Just Not Worth It — Think Twice Before Dining Here

We had high hopes for this place, but the experience was nothing short of disappointing — and for the £70–£80 we spent, it felt like a total waste.

Let’s start with the lamb chops: dry, overcooked, and barely edible. I took one bite of just one chop and told the staff I didn’t want the dish. The rice, lentils, and fries that came with it weren’t even touched. Still, the manager insisted on charging me for the full plate. I said fine — I’ll pay for it, but at least pack it so I can take it home. His response? “It’s in the bin.” So I paid for food I didn’t eat, and couldn’t even take home.

When I mentioned I’d leave a review based on the experience, the manager got defensive and said, “Don’t make threats to me.” A completely inappropriate reaction for someone in charge of customer service.

My girlfriend, who uses a wheelchair and rarely gets to go out, was with me — and all we wanted was a good night out and some quality food. Instead, we were served a dirty glass, ignored by staff who seemed overwhelmed and disorganized, and treated with zero respect.

The food? Overpriced and underwhelming.

The lamb curry I did eat was mostly sauce — about 75% gravy, 25% meat. For £17.45, you'd expect a generous portion of actual lamb.

The salmon was clearly not fresh — brownish in color, no real flavor, and definitely not what you'd expect at £19.45.

Chaat bombs and drinks were decent, but not enough to salvage the experience.

Even the naan bread was tiny — like something off a kids’ menu.

No mango pickle available either. At an Indian restaurant? Really?

And let’s not ignore the fact that soft drinks were £2.95 each — everything here is priced at a premium, but absolutely nothing justifies it. When you’re spending nearly £80 for two people, the food should be fresh, the service should be attentive, and the experience should feel like a treat — especially with how expensive things are these days.

Sadly, this place is all style and no substance. It may be on the high street, but don’t let that fool you — the food is average at best, the management is poor, and the customer service is worse. There are dozens of better Indian restaurants in Leeds — Mumtaz, Aagrah, and even smaller local places offer far better value, quality, and professionalism.

This place feels like a flash in the pan. I honestly don’t see it lasting long if they continue treating paying customers like this.

Would I return? Never. Would I recommend it? Absolutely not. Save your money and go somewhere that actually delivers on food, service, and...

Although I have a lot to criticise the restaurant for, I must start with the good aspects of this establishment. The staff were incredible, I had absolutely no issues whatsoever, and I would give the service five stars. The staff were incredibly helpful and kind, and every restaurant should aspire to have waiting staff like this. The second aspect I must praise is the decor, I found it to be very nicely decorated, and I could see elements of Indian style incorporated into the design, and seeing that was a sheer pleasure.

Unfortunately, not everything in this restaurant can be praised, and the food is one of those things. The Amritsari fishes fry was incredibly bland, it lacked any real flavour, and it did not fit the description in the menu at all. In a blind taste test, you would likely confuse it with regular fried fish. There was little to no seasoning, and it did not seem fresh. There is a certain quality to fresh fish, and often if it has been frozen, it breaks apart and has a crumbly texture. I cannot say for certain why it was the way it was, but it did not make for a pleasant experience. The chutney accompanying the fish was also tasteless, and inedible.

The next dish I tried was railway cabin lamb, and it was unpleasant to say the least. It was far too tangy, and the spices were very overpowering in a way that showed an unfamiliarity with cooking Indian dishes. The spices did not come together and instead it felt like someone had gone a bit too wild with the spices without any thought into making a flavourful dish. The lamb also broke apart and had a crumbly and flaky texture which makes me think it was again not fresh meat and poor handling.

The homestyle chicken was another bland dish. No flavour, and a weird smell emanating from the chicken.

The only two items I can praise are the mango lassi, and the naan. The portion sizes were decent, though I'd prefer quality over quantity.

I tend not to leave reviews if the food is mediocre, but unfortunately this was really bad to the point of making me angry. I did not enjoy the food and I would give this place one star, but because of the service and cleanliness,...

Firstly I’d like to say the staff are friendly and helpful. Secondly I’d recommend this place if you are a family or a couple or a group of friends and you want an Indian experience without the spice levels of other Indian restaurants. However I was told that you can’t get a less spicy dish which I found quite surprising because you would just use less chilli however you can get more spice but don’t worry because the dishes are quite mild anyway compared to other Indian restaurants. The more spice consisted of a dried chilli which has a low spice level on top and mild chilli flakes. All in all the food was satisfactory. It was what you would expect taste wise. Without the spice level it had some good flavours but I’d have probably preferred fresh green chilli to be used or a naga to give that deeper flavour and little bit more spice for hot dishes. The garlic naan’s were a great shout they helped the curry massively. It was a bit disappointing to have to pay £4.25 for poppadoms and a pickle tray considering most Indian restaurants give them as complimentary before the mains. The pickle tray has no spicy options which again is great for families wanting an Indian experience without experiencing the spice levels of other Indian restaurants but not really for spice lovers. The pickle tray had no yoghurt and mint but instead mint and apple which was quite interesting and a fair replacement and mango chutney and chopped onions to go with which we’re also as expected. Presentation wise the food looks really great but the portion sizes are quite small but if you like your sides it is perfect because you can order sides and not feel bloated because you’ve eaten too much and the inside is really good for Instagram and social media if you want to take pictures. They have a good range of different seating options. The tama session ale from salt brewery is really good. For a house ale I’m impressed with it and it’s easy to drink with a meal and reasonably priced for a pint in a restaurant. Also the selection of drinks...