Dabbawal Jesmond — Restaurant in Newcastle upon Tyne

As an avid explorer of South Asian cuisine, I recently visited Jesmond Dabbawal with high hopes and hungry anticipation. Nestled in a quaint corner of the city, the restaurant exuded an inviting aura from the moment I stepped in. The ambiance was undoubtedly its strongest suit, with vibrant decor and cozy lighting that promised a memorable dining experience.

Upon being seated, I was promptly greeted by attentive staff who guided me through the menu with enthusiasm. However, as I eagerly awaited the arrival of my chosen dishes, it became apparent that the culinary journey I had envisioned was about to hit a bump in the road.

The food, unfortunately, failed to live up to its enticing descriptions and the flavors fell disappointingly flat. Despite being labeled as authentic and aromatic, the dishes lacked the depth and complexity that I've come to expect from Indian and South Asian cuisine. The spices seemed muted, the sauces lacked richness, and overall, each bite left me longing for the vibrant burst of flavours I had anticipated.

Moreover, what added insult to injury was the glaring disparity between the menu's promises and the reality of what was served. The cola drink that was served was very sweet and was not the typical flavour and taste of a cola.

Despite these culinary missteps, I must commend the restaurant for its impeccable service and inviting ambiance. The staff was gracious and accommodating throughout my meal, and the ambiance provided a warm and welcoming backdrop for what could have been a delightful dining experience.

In conclusion, while Dabbawal may excel in creating a visually appealing and hospitable atmosphere, its culinary offerings leave much to be desired. For those seeking an authentic and flavourful taste of Indian cuisine, I would recommend looking elsewhere for a more satisfying...

I attended with a group of three friends and found the food to be okay but nothing great.

We frequently eat out at alot of Indian restaurants around Newcastle and found this restaurant vastly overpriced for the quality of the meals.

The starters were quite small but tasted okay.

The mains were okay although they were lacking in meat and made up of mostly sauce. One of our group ordered a biriyani which came out in a pot with rice and two small side sauces. The dish was almost made up of 90% rice and 10% meat. For the price of this item over £12 we expected alot more than rice which costs pennies.

The desserts are apparently home made and again are very small for almost £5 each. They were okay but again nothing outstanding.

The table service is a little odd, it seems to be a free for all between the waiting staff who can attend to each table first. We got asked four times in the space of a few minutes if we were ready for dessert when one of our group was using the bathroom. Staff were constantly checking bottles by shaking them to see if they were empty to the point it became annoying and interrupted conversations.

One of the waitresses spilled a full drink over one of our party. She could not apologise enough and we understand accidents do happen. However no offer of apology was given by the restaurant at all. This resulted in one of our party sitting in wet clothes for the remainder of the evening.

Overall our visit wasn't a relaxing experience and we left thinking the food was vastly overpriced. We will be unlikely to ever return as we have eaten alot better elsewhere at half the cost.

First Indian restaurant I have left still...

If you want to spoil your evening, eat in a very crowded , noisy and unethical place, be charged for stuff you have not eaten and then have to prove/ explain you have been charged wrong.. Dabbawal is the place i highly recommend. If you aant to eat popadam, and order 1 chutney tray.. U WILL BE CHARGED for the number of people on table.. but mind you they will bring only one small tray.. the suprise is left for the end when you see the bill..manager GIRI is the most unprofessional man i have ever met.. We were charged for the breads we were not served/ ordered.. when pointed out, he was unwilling to accept and check, but rather kept arguing.. food- quality has definetely gone down the drain. We orderd Kuchumber salad ( diced onion, cucumber, tomato)and were served sliced onion. And the most amazing part its they aparently did get the proper one when questioned ( though minus the cucumber ). And defintely no suprise charged for 2 salads.. When we go out, willing to spend a hundred pound, TBH few pounds more dont matter, but its the attitude and ethics that spoil the evening and mood... Dabbawal will no longer be a place i would like to dine in nor i will...