Dawat Restaurant Norbury — Restaurant in London

I went with my whole family yesterday and unfortunately it was a terrible experience. The food was terrible, no care was taken to make it presentable and the food tasted horrible. We had to send back the Kebab as it was cold and it wasn't sizzling in the dish. The onion and Peppers was raw on the dish. The waiter agreed it wasn't good and took it back and replaced. The poppadoms were soggy. The waiter agreed. One of the naan bread was burnt which was replaced. The lamb curry was soggy, looked lifeless... the meat looked like Mince... no whole pieces of meat. We felt awkward to send that back. The only thing that tasted right from the start was pakora, chicken jalfreezy The salad was old as the Lettice was brown. The mint sauce was nit mixed in properly... there were lumps of Yoghurt, no mint. The Tikka Biryani hardly had any chicken pieces in it. The place was busy so they failed to upload the usual quality. Other guests agreed the quality of food was very poor. When we were asked about our evening we rated it very poor. As a gesture of good will Fatima felt very sorry and offered kheer but we didn't want it. She insisted we have it, so we ate that which was very nice. Thank you Fatima for taking our feedback. I can't say we will be coming back to dawat anytime soon. Please take care of your customers no matter how busy you are. We couldn't even take any pictures as the food wasn't given together.... it came, then taken back so, some was eaten cold...

Dawat Norbury knows how to make a statement when it comes to timeless desi flavours. Until today, I had good experiences with everything I tried except Biryani. The Paya? A true showstopper — luxuriously rich, slow-cooked to perfection, and bursting with that depth only real culinary craft can deliver. Every spoonful whispered tradition.

The Nihari followed suit — bold, balanced, and bang on. The kind of dish that warms you from the inside out, leaving no doubt you’re in the hands of pros who know their roots.

Their Haleem is a game changer too, as every bite is bursting with flavor when took advantage of ginger, onion, chilli, and coriander.

But then came the Biryani — and while the presentation was inviting, the soul of it was missing. The magic, the aroma, the signature layering of flavour — none of it showed up. It leaned more towards spiced rice than true Biryani. This is where Dawat needs to pause and refocus. Because with their talent, that Biryani could easily rise to match the glory of the rest.

Ah, jalebi? They really maintained authenticity here. Crispy, warm, and dancing on the tongue!

Their serving staff specifically Mr Zeeshan is a true gem when it comes to customary values. He made me feel at home, and tried to address my issues to full of his capacity!

Unsure about their BBQ, Still, for lovers of Paya and Nihari, this place is a must. Just hoping their Biryani soon catches up with the legend...

Absolute disaster.

I Pre ordered food for christmas this year and paid half the cost in advance. I went to collect my order on christmas day at the agreed time and asked at the counter, they said the order was completely forgotten and nothing was ready.

There was no management available at the time of collection.The manager I spoke to when preordering did not show much interest as It was a only 12 people order and said it was all be ready at the agreed time.

Finally after an hour and half of waiting, the food was packed. The guy at the counter said only half the portion of veg briyani was available and then he said dont worry I will make it fresh. When I went back home and tasted the food. I was very disspointed the lamb briyani was cold and did not taste like it was freshly made, meat was hard rice tasted like it was prepared day before. The veg briyani did not tasted nice, clearly all the order was made in rush. They have ruined our chirtmas Lunch.

They offered me 2portions of free chicken curry for their mistake which also did not taste fresh.

I ordered at Dawaat Tooting branch in the past and had no problems with the food and service but norbury branch is very disappointing.

Dawaat norbury branch have ruined the brand reputation and I would never order...