Rawsha West Bridgford | Asian Bar & Grill | Nottingham — Restaurant in Rushcliffe

I had some expectations for this restaurant from the reviews I’d read, the instagram photos I’d seen and the prices of the menu items. Unfortunately I was very disappointed with the food when I went this past Saturday.

I will say that I knew on some level that this is not authentic Indian food and that’s fine as a concept - I’ve had some great Indian-adjacent food in the past. The food here I found very confusing and seemed only Indian by aesthetic, not by flavour. The food was consistently underseasoned and the salad on the plates are completely undressed which I personally don’t think is acceptable at this price point. The most disappointing dish was the cheese and onion bhaji which listed mozzarella as the cheese but what came out was yellow single sliced cheese you would find in a burger, the texture matched the bhaji itself: claggy. I also noticed that the same (or a very similar) sauce was used across different dishes. The £18 curry lacked seasoning and complexity for that price tag, the garlic naan similarly lacked punch.

We ordered some cocktails before our meal which only arrived 15 minutes after our dishes began to arrive. The waitress did apologise but the cocktails were unbalanced and did not live up to their £13 price tag.

The atmosphere feels like they’re going for a glamorous vibe and this does seem to match their clientele (and menu prices). However when we came in at 5pm, we did hear the blender going very loudly which brought down the atmosphere quite a bit. The later you stay, the louder it becomes but it seems to be popular so maybe I’m just not their demographic. I did skip even looking at their dessert menu which is unheard of for me.

I only took one picture, I do wish I did take one of the cheese and onion bhaji because it is touted as a signature and it was baffling.. I’d say this is London prices, without the London flavour. Sadly, I would not go back and we are still missing a good Indian restaurant in...

This is a cute spot located in West Bridgeford. I would say it's like a nicer Indian dining experience.

When we came in, we were seated on the front table by the window, we asked to move further back to somewhere more private and warm but were told everything was booked. I saw other couples being seated on 2 seaters further back and also noted that the back tables remained empty. I even heard other parties being told we are full but will make space and were seated further back. It was only a rainy Wednesday evening so the place wasnt at capacity. I know owners like giving the impression of a busy place and want to fill from the the front first, but I feel if the customer requests to be seated elsewhere it would be nice to be heard especially if they are feeling cold sitting by the door and one of the guests is pregnant!

Prior to visiting, I had done a little research. I was aware there was a Rawsha Express menu which is 2 courses for £25. On seating we were not offered this and had to specifically request it to the staff. I'm not sure if this is an overselling strategy 🤔 I feel more cautious of hidden costs at restaurants when they fail to present such things instead of offering the choice.

All of that aside, the restaurant itself is nice. The decor is like forest themed. Good ambiance. The express menu differs slightly to the main menu but some of the items are duplicated.

For starters I ordered the avocado chaat and my friend the fried onion bhaji. Came beautifully presented. Avocado chat was ok, not sure I would order again. For mains we both got chicken tikka, I paired with tandoori roti. I thought the chicken was lovely and loved the green sauce. The sides and drinks are additional as well as service charge. Overall good food but not sure about the experience as a whole due to issues listed above. There is some parking at the front of the restaurant otherwise pay and displays are...

Looking at the Website and menu I had high hope for this place, but it fell short of my expectation. Upon arrival your greeted by an odd and peculiar rain forest deco. It's not something one would expect when visiting a fine dining restaurant.

That being said, the placed was cosy and welcoming but considerably small and tight. Having placed my order, the food fell far short from what one would expect. What I mean is, if your paying fine dining prices for such small portions you expect to be blown away by the food. The taste, texture, flavours etc. Sadly this lacked all the elements. One of the starter which was named a trio was presented well but had no actually flavour. The lamb meat was slight chewy. The lamb chops which I ordered wouldn't grilled, the seasoning was bland and they were slight hard in some cases to remove from the bone.

One thing you can not get wrong is a cocktail drink. I ordered a virgin mojito and I was served a glass of what tasted like lime juice. I was unable to taste nothing but lime, the only mint provided was a deco piece sitting on top of the glass. Having taken a sip, I was forced to leave the drink and turn to water instead. The lamb curry was incredibly bland, the lamb shank was served as a curry. It's was very clear the gravy was premade and used as a base across all the curry's giving the distinctive taste. Someone who cooks, eats and knows Indian food, this place was a total let down. The food was very basic and decorated and displayed in a eye pleasant why distracts your from the actual taste. It's clear Rawsha in targeting a particular audience, which is totally fine. But if you enjoy your Indian food and are looking for a great place to dine and enjoy your meal, this is not the...