Chennai Lounge - Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in Southampton

Having read good reviews and having had friends who had enjoyed the food we were excited to eat here. Met by a very nice guy who showed us to our table and took out drinks and food order. We were still excited. But excitement slowly turned to disappointment. From ordering food to our starter arriving took an hour. It only arrived after I'd spoken to our waiter saying if it didn't arrive in 5 minutes we were leaving. It didn't arrive all at once. First persons arrived, onion bahji, these were slices of onion in a batter, similar to a pakora. They were ok. The batter was under seasoned. 7 mins late the other starters arrived. The squid was good and the chilli prawns were ok but nothing special. Lots of people were unhappy as they had also been waiting a long time for food to arrive at their table. The starters were cleared away and about 30 mins later (again after prompting) the main course started to arrive. Butter chicken. Terrible. The sauce tasted like it was made using Heinz tomatoe soup. A veggitable curry. Shocking. They used frozen veg (Cauliflower, carrots, peas) and a spinach sauce. The veg were awful and the sauce was very under seasoned, to the point of it being bland. A mutton curry was ok but lacked punch. Nan bread was ok, but we were disappointed to only receive one of the two we'd ordered. I'd like to say the rice was good but I can't because it never arrived. This was the point where I left. I paid for my drinks but not the food. It was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had. I shall...

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Authentic Flavours & Warm Hospitality at Chennai Lounge – A Must-Visit in Southampton

We had a wonderful dining experience at Chennai Lounge in Southampton. The food, service, and ambiance all came together beautifully to give us a true taste of South India.

We started with the masala dosa, which was crisp on the outside and generously filled with perfectly spiced potato masala. It came with a trio of chutneys and a hearty sambar that brought everything together.

The kothu porota was another standout – packed with flavour, slightly spicy, and incredibly satisfying. You can tell it’s made fresh, with the right balance of spices and texture. We also tried the vegetable fried rice, which was light, aromatic, and a great complement to the richer dishes.

For drinks, the mango punch was fruity and refreshing, and the soda sarbath was a pleasant surprise – cool, sweet, and with that nostalgic kick of rose and lemon.

The staff were friendly, welcoming, and happy to explain dishes when asked. The atmosphere was relaxed and inviting, with clean décor and subtle South Indian touches that added to the experience.

The owners were kind enough to come over and have a chat. Their passion for South Indian cuisine really shines through in every detail – from the food to the service to the warm, homely setting.

If you’re craving authentic South Indian food with bold flavours and generous portions, Chennai Lounge is a fantastic choice. We’re already looking forward to...

Really disappointed, booked for my 40th as I have a ritual of a beer and curry every year, read some amazing reviews on Google,trip advisor and in the local paper, they even had an award for best new restaurant, when arriving I tried to order 3 different beers from the menu which they had none of so had so settle with the one they did have, the food started off ok, we ordered everything at the start as we had taken a look at the menu online, so the starter came out and was fine but you can't really go wrong with poppadom and dips, after the waiter took the plates he came back with one of our sides which was a kind of sweet and sour cauliflower, we waited as we thought the rest of the meal would quickly follow, after sitting there for 5 mins and this side dish starting to go cold we started eating it as we were pretty hungry at this point, the main, rice and naan turned up after another 20 mins, so in all a 25 minute wait from finishing starter to the main coming out, the garlic naan was fantastic and coconut rice was also pretty good but the 2 main dishes were flavourless, we went for 2 vegetarian mains but they both tasted the same and veg in one was over cooked, if the restaurant was busy then i might be able tonunderstand why things didn't go as planned but this was a monday evening and there was 6 tables max, super disapointing for such a highly rated place the waiter did take one main off the bill but we still ended up paying £45 for a below...