The Bengal - Indian Restaurant and Takeaway Lichfield — Restaurant in Lichfield

Average food, poor customer service, and a shocking attitude.

We ate here last night as a group of 7 celebrating my friend's birthday. Having pre-booked, we arrived at 7:30 and were shown to our table. The restaurant was busy enough for a Saturday night, but there was also plenty of staff around and only a dozen or so tables so certainly nothing unmanageable. Our drinks order was taken a good 20 minutes after we sat down, and it was another twenty minutes before they arrived. Our food order was finally taken at about 8:15, and apart from a few poppodoms, it was gone 9pm before we saw our mains. When I asked a waiter how long our food was going to be, what I got in response was a dirty look and '5 minutes' spat in my face without any explanation or apology for the delay.

When the food did finally arrive, over an hour and a half after we sat down, the portions were definitely on the small size. I challenged the same waiter over this, and to his credit he did throw in an extra portion of rice free of charge, but did so begrudgingly.

All of this, however, could have been overlooked if it weren't for what happened next. When clearing the table next to us, we noticed the manager drop a half-full balti dish on the floor right near to where my friend was sitting - instead of apologising or checking for any damage, he hastily cleaned up the mess and simply hurried off. A couple of minutes later my friend picked up her (not cheap) brand-new handbag - which had been draped over the back of her chair near where the curry was dropped - and sat it on her lap for a moment. It was then that she noticed that her bag was covered with greasy curry all down the side, which had now been transferred to her white shirt. We mentioned this to the waiter, who handed us some wet-wipes and left us to it - all without an apology. Unfortunately, as a good ten minute or so had passed since the manager dropped the curry, the grease had set into the bag and left a very noticeable stain which the wet-wipes were not going to solve.

When it came time to settle the bill, we mentioned the damage to the bag and that they should probably make a decent contribution towards the cost of trying to get it cleaned. One of the waiters came back with an offer of £10 off a £100 bill, still no apology whatsoever, and words to the tune of 'it's a gesture of goodwill, most other places wouldn't offer you anything.'

We didn't see this as anywhere near a suitable offer, but at the same time we didn't want to cause a scene. So we countered with £20 off the final bill, which we considered to be more than fair. Rather than this ending the whole ordeal, this prompted every member of staff in the restaurant - apart from the manager - to line up near our table and shout in our direction...

'Accidents happen...' 'But your bag was on the floor so we're not responsible...' 'I don't care about your bag!' 'But I gave you free rice!'

They laughed at us, they mocked at us, they even threatened to call the police on us. The whole time the manager was walking around the restaurant, attending to every table except ours - he was specifically avoiding us. Throughout this we still had not received anything in the way of an apology! In the end we handed £80 to one of the waiters and left.

We booked our table at The Bengal based on great past experiences. We were a respectful group who weren't drinking heavily and were prepared to spend a good amount of money with that curry house. Our food was an hour and a half late, and the manager managed to spill a curry all over my friend's handbag. When we argued that the restaurant should comp part of the meal, instead of an apology we were greeted with abuse and rudeness and the threat of the police, all the while with the manager refusing to get involved. Absolutely shocking customer service, I would not recommend this...

We left our phone there one evening realised once home So activated find my I phone and was showing location at the restaurant At least we knew where it was so we called the restaurant to let them know we had lost a phone The guy said no problem when we find it we shall let you know any way they didn’t And still at 1am after all customers had gone home it was still showing in the restaurant So we went the very next day before they opened To our surprise it wasn’t found and by this time the battery was dead Later that day some one turned on the phone and again located at the restaurant Then hours later it was located in Stourbridge By this time we had the phone blocked by EE and decided it was gone Then weeks later I get a call from a guy who was in Romania calling me for the password as I was on the phone as an emergency contact I told the guy it was a stolen phone and where did he get it from low and behold Stourbridge where he worked at a car wash paid £80 for it He must have known it was dodgy but said he brought it in good faith but had no charger till he got home So we conclude someone that works in the restaurant took the phone when it was found and sold it I can’t prove one of there employees lives or has connections with Stourbridge

We had no help from the restaurant at all not interested

So in my opinion the food was great but there integrity most definitely is not Police have been informed We shall let them...

I recently had the pleasure of dining at The Bengal, and I must say, it was an exceptional experience. From the moment I walked in, the ambiance was warm and inviting, with beautiful decor that set the perfect mood.

The menu offered a wide variety of dishes, catering to both vegetarian and non-vegetarian preferences. I started with the Prawn Puri , which were perfectly cooked and beautiful flavours. For my main course, I opted for the Honey Chilli Chicken, and it was absolutely divine. The chicken was tender and succulent, and the spicy honey based sauce was rich and aromatic with not too much spice so you could still truly taste the flavours. My father ordered the Bengal 42, which was equally impressive, with tender pieces of lamb, chicken tikka, keema and king prawns. It is safe to say it had everything he wanted and more

The service was outstanding. Our server Imran was attentive, knowledgeable, and always ready to offer recommendations. The staff made sure we felt welcomed and comfortable throughout our meal. Overall, The Bengal Restaurant is a must-visit for anyone craving authentic and delicious Indian cuisine. I highly recommend it and can’t...