PANAS By Sujan Katuwal MBE — Restaurant in London

We decided to deviate away from our regular in Blackheath and give Pana’s a try going by all the great reviews. We arrived on time at 6.30pm and were seated promptly. We noticed that there are cards on the table stating that during busy periods you only had 90 minutes which I had no issue with.

The server came within just a minute of being given the menus to ask for our order, we hadn’t even had time to look through the menu or decided what to drink. Once we had ordered, the food came out relatively quick. The trio of chicken tikka was small and very dry with not much sauce. The chicken momo’s whilst a good portion the dumpling was very thick. Our mains were Mums Chicken Curry and Chicken Dopiaza. Mums Chicken curry was nice and had good flavours, the dopiaza was ok but lacked onions which is a core part of the dish and wasn’t very saucy. The chicken was dry. The quality of the ingredients was lacking.

Within 2 minutes of finishing the bill arrived with the server hovering over with the card machine. We still had wine to drink. We paid then a couple of minutes later we were asked to leave as the table was needed. It was only 7.50pm and still had drinks to finish. We said we would be leaving in 5 minutes just finishing our drinks and mentioned that we weren’t quite up to the 90 minute mark yet. Their response was that the people for the next booking arrived early. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing, I’ve never been asked to leave a restaurant before.

It all started to make sense, from the moment we arrived everything felt rushed and there was no personal service. To summarise I would say the food is average, the service is non existent, everything was very transactional. It is clear that the primary focus is to get you in, get you out and is all about the money.

One of the reasons why I prefer going for an Indian meal rather than a takeaway is for the traditional dining experience that comes with it. Sadly this wasn’t the case. Out of all the Indian restaurants in Blackheath this is the worst by far. I’ll stick to what I know in future and would advise anyone thinking of going here to think twice as with the other establishments in the area you get quality food (better ingredients ) and service and a...

WORST EXPERIENCE!! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND YOU READ!

We were there for dinner tonight and the service and how they treated us was atrocious!! Firstly, the booking does not say it is for just an hour. Our booking was for 6pm was the booking, due to being with small kids some were late. I reached there exactly at 6pm and my sister with her kids at 6:20pm. Since 6:15, even though i told them because of kids and traffic they will be a bit late, the lady in the restaurant curtly asked how far are they cuz they have a booking at 7pm. Any restaurant will give a buffer of 15 mins after the booking to reach, as you all know. AND even on a weekend busiest of the restaurants put in their booking page if they have a time limit, usually its 1 hour 30mins to eat. After 40mins of sitting the lady came to us and said in nepali “please eat faster cuz they want to give the table to the next customer”. AFTER 40mins!!!

We got annoyed as we were just eating and the kids were eating, it is not our fault if they cannot manage their booking well. I remember it was 7.07pm then. Also our chicken dish had a hair and when my sister showed it to them they said its impossible that kind of hair is none of theirs, what kind of an answer is that? They got us the new dish and while putting the new plate down the waiter mentioned again oh by the way that was not hair.

We are paying customers and frankly speaking no matter how good the food is, nobody will go back again when the service is so bad and rude. The owner or someone kept walking up and down watching our plates to check if we finished eating. Literally we were there for an hour and 20. They did not even offer the dessert menu as they wanted to rush.

Worst service i have ever encountered!!!

Cherry on top of the cake, after all this was, the lady met us at the door, apologised for rushing us and the best bit was when she said they have to do so cuz they will lose money like they did tonight as they couldn't seat another group.

When you cant host your customers, people should stick...

From the moment I stepped into Panas Gurkha Blackheath, I knew I was in for a treat. The ambiance is warm and inviting, perfectly blending traditional Indian charm with a contemporary touch. But what truly stole the show was the incredible food. The menu offers a delightful variety of authentic Indian dishes, each crafted with exceptional care and precision. I started with the samosas and was blown away by the crisp, golden exterior and the flavorful, spiced filling. For the main course, I ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and the Lamb Rogan Josh — both were absolutely divine. The sauces were rich, aromatic, and perfectly balanced in spice, showcasing the chef’s mastery over traditional Indian cuisine. What sets Panas Gurkha apart is the freshness of ingredients and the depth of flavors. The rice and naan bread were soft, warm, and freshly baked, complementing the main dishes perfectly. The staff was friendly, attentive, and eager to recommend their specialties, making the whole dining experience even more enjoyable. Overall, Panas Gurkha Blackheath offers the best Indian food I’ve tasted in a long time — vibrant, flavorful, and cooked to perfection. I highly recommend it to anyone craving authentic Indian cuisine with a touch of excellence. I can’t wait to return and explore more of their...