Manjal Restaurant — Restaurant in London

Disappointing Dine-In Experience Despite Good Food

I’ve enjoyed ordering from this place several times via Deliveroo, so I decided to try dining in. The restaurant is in a lovely dockside location overlooking Canary Wharf, but unfortunately, the indoor setup doesn’t really take advantage of the view. The main dining area is on the first floor, above an Italian restaurant.

We ordered lamb and chicken biryanis. While the portions felt smaller than what we usually receive via delivery, the food itself was consistent and flavorful.

Unfortunately, the dine-in experience was marred by the service. The music was uncomfortably loud, which made it difficult to have a conversation. When I politely asked if it could be turned down, the waiter (Johnny – bearded, with a man bun) responded with clear disinterest and a dismissive attitude. My request was brushed off, and when I asked for a different table — given the restaurant was mostly empty — that too was ignored.

When I brought it up again, Johnny seemed visibly irritated. He sarcastically asked me to “listen to the sound” and pointed to the ceiling, seemingly unaware that the only difference was a change in the track, not the volume.

I approached the ground-floor staff in hopes of some support. While they were polite, they didn’t take any real action. When I returned, Johnny appeared even more agitated, questioning why I had spoken to the downstairs team. His tone and behavior were inappropriate and unprofessional.

What left a lasting impression — beyond just poor service — was the feeling that my presence and polite requests were unwelcome. I can’t help but feel that my ethnicity may have played a role in how I was treated. At one point, while I was trying to explain the situation to a female staff member, Johnny seemed intent on interrupting and dismissing the conversation entirely, as if he had a problem with both my request and the fact that a woman was engaging in the conversation.

All in all, I spent £60 for a meal that left me more frustrated than satisfied. I love good food and vibrant music, but I also value being treated with respect when dining out. It’s a shame — this place had potential to become a regular spot for me, but after this experience, I won’t be returning.

Looking at other reviews, I see I’m not alone in this type of experience. While they may be the minority, they’re consistent enough to suggest that customer service here needs serious...

Now, let me start by prefacing with that I have been to all the halal indian restaurants with/had a michelin star (Gymkhana, Tamarind, Trishna, Jamavar, Amaya, Benares) and some of the food I had there blew them out of the water.

I'll start with 3 items that were amazing, like unreal. I had a Tandoori mix grill that featured 2 types of chicken tikka. In my life, I've never had chicken so tender, soft, juicy and tasty. It was like wagyu beef. Unreal. Pardon the videos, I forgot my blogger light, but it tasted amazing. I believe it was a coriander chicken and a malali tikka.

What's the 3rd amazing item. The naan. Yes people. I had the best naan I've ever had. It was soo soft like a cloud, it was a butter naan but when me and my mum took a bite we both looked at each other with a look of pure astonishment.

Another almost near perfect dish where the Adaraki Tandoori Lamb Chops (not to be confused with the devil chops on the menu) these premium quality chops from New Zealand where cooked perfectly in the Tandoor oven and the marinate was also rich in flavours and spice. Up there with my favourite single chops from Hankies.

The fact that the food wa a hit with my parents brought me great joy. The food combined with the unique view of the docks made it a experience for them they loved.

I have a character limit so I'll keep it short. Scored out of 🔟 for each dish I ate below

Starters

Medu Vada Chat £ 6.25 7 Gobi 65 £ 6.50 8 Tilapia fish fry £ 11.95 6 Adaraki Tandoori Lamb Chops £ 12.95 9 Garlic King Prawn £ 12.95 9 Non veg assortment £ 18.50 (Chicken lollipop 7️⃣, devil lamb chops 7️⃣, prawn 657️⃣, chicken 65 7️⃣, masala fried Tilapia fish 6️⃣) Mixed Meat Festive Grill £ 17.99 (Lamb chops 9️⃣, lamb sheek kebab6️⃣, Coriander chicken, 🔟tikka, malali tikka🔟, salmon tikka 5️⃣, king prawns 9️⃣)

Mains

Lamb Shank Rogan £ 15.50 7️⃣ Chicken Curry on the bone £ 10.95 6️⃣ Lamb Biryani £ 14.95 6️⃣ Paneer Dosa £ 8.95 9️⃣ Prawn fried rice £ 11.95 7️⃣ Keema naan £ 3.50 9️⃣ 1xButter naan £ 2.95 🔟 1xplain...

~𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁

𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙮 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙛 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙫𝙞𝙚𝙬𝙨.

This was our third visit here, as they very kindly invited us again. I’ve said it before, we’ve eaten in various Michelin star restaurants and their food is better than some of the ones we have dined in. It truly is a hidden gem. There is a plethora of good Indian restaurants to dine in but if you want some sensational food, I’d recommend you visit Manjal & try some of their dishes (They even have a great lunch menu for £7.99).

We ordered the following items: 𝗚𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗻𝘀 𝗔𝗱𝗸𝗮𝗿𝗶 𝗧𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗼𝗿𝗶 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗯 𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗟𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗽𝗼𝗽𝘀 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗠𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗞𝗼𝘁𝗵𝘂 𝗥𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗕𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗠𝘂𝘁𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗲𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗺𝗯 𝗕𝗶𝗿𝘆𝗮𝗻𝗶 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗜𝗰𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗮𝘀𝗮𝗹𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘄𝗯𝗲𝗿𝗿𝘆 𝗺𝗼𝗰𝗸𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗹

This is one of my favourite Indian restaurants & it is one I always recommend to people (along with a couple of others). Their interior is simple yet classy. Their food is of high quality & some dishes are spectacular - their Garlic king prawns, adkari lamb chops and devils lamb chops are well worth opting for. The Butter chicken was thick, creamy and mild in flavour. In contrast, the Special Mutton kothu roll was spicy & very flavoursome. Everything we ate was amazing! The chocolate tart was incredible. Matching the exiquiste food was the service, both outstanding. The staff are some of the most hospitable people, The menu is extensive & everything is cooked to a very high standard. The food is absolutely DIVINE.

Perfect for a special occasion, celebratory meal, date night and they’re very family friend. They also have a small private dining area for those who would like some privacy with friends/family/small functions.

Overall, a HIGHLY satisfying meal with some great views! Do check out my previous posts for a review on my...