Raj Pavillion

20 Grove Hill Road, Royal Tunbridge Wells
Kent TN1 1RZ 01892 533435

After meeting up with some friends at a local pub we thought it customary to have a quick Indian meal before retiring home. A reader and regular commenter, John Hayes-Fisher, had recommended the Raj Pavillion to us a few days before so with him popping into in our minds we wandered up Grove Hill Road.
Being warmly welcomed into the tardis-like interior of the Raj we were sat down, covered with a napkin, and presented with a bowl of poppadums and a really great arrangement of dips. Delicious.
Choosing from the vast menu was a tough affair but we thought it best to select from the house specials. The food is remarkably good. I can definitely recommend the sticky Adroki Lamb Cutlets as a starter, just slightly beating my wife's Aloo Chops. For mains, we had Dum Ka Murugh and Murugh Shahjahani, both as tender as anything, utterly delicious and highly recommended if you are a bit of a wuss when it comes to hot food. We even got an interesting background story behind my wife's meal, which was apparently named after the builder of the Taj Mahal. But the star of the show was undoubtedly the naan – very, very nearly as good as they used to be in the Himalayan Gurkha. I wonder if they nicked their chef? It was a delight to dip into the remaining tasty sauces.
Unfortunately my wife realised halfway through her pudding that she was eating a “fantastico” rather than the “romantico” she ordered, but was more distracted by the fact that my ice cream came in the guise of an hilarious plastic penguin.
The waiters were attentive and polite, but a little too attentive when it came to refilling our wine glasses. These guys were seriously trying to get us plastered! Three courses and wine for £60, not bad at all.
Highly recommended, thanks John, and definitely a new favourite place to eat.

Experience
Service
Value
Food
Overall

Comments

[John Hayes Fisher]

And the dreadful thing is that we have yet to try it ..... its just that many of our friends have, and say its good.

Good reports too about the Tunbridge Wells Bar and Grill in the High St from friends this weekend.

[James]

Ahh the Raj... have to admit it that we're regulars there - if not to pop in for a meal then to get their takeaway!

[Penny]

Don't ever go to the Raj Pavillion, we normally go to the Indian on The Pantiles, but we thought we would have a change so Raj it was. Food terrible service is slow and messy.

Next time Masala on The Pantiles it is no mater how near we are to Raj Pavillion.

[Anke]

Thanks Penny, but is there any reason why under a completely different name, but the same computer, you are leaving a comment on the Masala review telling people how fabulous it is? I have a sneaking suspicion that you are the owners of/working at Masala.

[John Hayes Fisher]

Gastronomic subterfuge in Tunbridge Wells...how exciting!

For the record we tried the Indian just up from the Ragged Trousers in the Pantilles (oposite the bandstand)and it was pretty good, as was the bill.

John (a genuine poster!)

[Peter]

The Raj Pavilion Saturday 10th January 2009
Voted one of the top 100 best Indian restaurants 2008 is its claim, surely worthy of a try and a change from our usual Indian restaurant.

We had not booked a table and on our arrival were surprised to find a busy restaurant. We were found a table downstairs, our drink order taken, menus provided and popadoms served. We then waited an age for our drinks (a shared bottle of still water) which when confirmed we had ordered, found that our order had been misplaced. The drinks were eventually delivered and our food order taken: one starter of meat samosa, a pilau rice, a keema nan, a sag aloo, a garlic chilli chicken and a lamb naga; both of the main dishes ordered extra hot.

The food:
The popadoms were crisp and salad/chutneys as expected.
The meat samosas (2) were small, with a tiny salad garnish. The mince was coarse, unseasoned and consequently, of very little taste.
The garlic chilli chicken was swimming in oil and an unappetising grey colour and mushy texture. We did our best to drain a small portion from the offending oil; the chicken was white, dry and tasteless. The sauce decidedly bland, a great disappointment considering the extra hot request.
The lamb naga was floating in ghee. Again, we did our best to drain a small portion to taste. The lamb was tough and the sauce bland, in fact virtually tasteless. Again the extra hot request was totally ignored.
The sag aloo was of reasonable consistency but completely devoid of flavour.
The pilau rice was served in a bowl rather than a flat dish. The Pilau rice was not the usual light and fluffy, this had the consistency of Thai sticky rice, not because it had been cooked as sticky rice, but because it had been microwaved carelessly. Again, not what we were expecting.
The Nan bread. Probably the best part of the meal, the bread was soft, tasty and the lamb mince succulent with a pleasant flavour.

ALL THE PORTIONS WERE SMALL!

When we complained about our meal the waiter went to the kitchen to speak to the chef. On his return he explained that the chef had misunderstood the extra hot and made the dishes less hot. The garlic chilli chicken was swimming in oil because the garlic had been fried in oil. There was no explanation for the ghee in the lamb naga, or the toughness of the lamb. All of these dishes we have enjoyed elsewhere, without any of the oiliness, toughness or blandness; the reasons given did not stack-up, the chef is clearly incapable and the food inadequately prepped. However, the waiter did offer to remake one of the dishes at no extra cost. Not over generous as the majority of the food was still on the table and declared inedible. We declined their offer and asked for the bill. After another long wait the bill was delivered, a 30% discount was given resulting in a £32.80 bill. A full price of £46.86 is pricey in the extreme for one starter, two mains, a side, rice and nan.

This experience was like the bad old days of atrocious Indian takeaways in the 1980’s, we can only assume that the “One of the top 100 Indian Restaurants” is by self assessment, it was certainly not awarded for good food, ambience, good service or general merit. The restaurant was cold and uninviting, so cold the food followed suit in minutes and there were no hot trays provided. We will also mention the lighting downstairs which is atrocious, so poor we had difficulty reading the menus; we assume this is to avoid you seeing too much of what is served!

We were not the only table that was disappointed with their food. Treat yourselves, walk passed the Raj Pavilion and enjoy a meal at the Spice, Camden Road. We deviated from our norm and paid the price.

[Peter]

The Raj Pavilion Saturday 10th January 2009
Voted one of the top 100 best Indian restaurants 2008 is its claim, surely worthy of a try and a change from our usual Indian restaurant.

We had not booked a table and on our arrival were surprised to find a busy restaurant. We were found a table downstairs, our drink order taken, menus provided and popadoms served. We then waited an age for our drinks (a shared bottle of still water) which when confirmed we had ordered, found that our order had been misplaced. The drinks were eventually delivered and our food order taken: one starter of meat samosa, a pilau rice, a keema nan, a sag aloo, a garlic chilli chicken and a lamb naga; both of the main dishes ordered extra hot.

The food:
The popadoms were crisp and salad/chutneys as expected.
The meat samosas (2) were small, with a tiny salad garnish. The mince was coarse, unseasoned and consequently, of very little taste.
The garlic chilli chicken was swimming in oil and an unappetising grey colour and mushy texture. We did our best to drain a small portion from the offending oil; the chicken was white, dry and tasteless. The sauce decidedly bland, a great disappointment considering the extra hot request.
The lamb naga was floating in ghee. Again, we did our best to drain a small portion to taste. The lamb was tough and the sauce bland, in fact virtually tasteless. Again the extra hot request was totally ignored.
The sag aloo was of reasonable consistency but completely devoid of flavour.
The pilau rice was served in a bowl rather than a flat dish. The Pilau rice was not the usual light and fluffy, this had the consistency of Thai sticky rice, not because it had been cooked as sticky rice, but because it had been microwaved carelessly. Again, not what we were expecting.
The Nan bread. Probably the best part of the meal, the bread was soft, tasty and the lamb mince succulent with a pleasant flavour.

ALL THE PORTIONS WERE SMALL!

When we complained about our meal the waiter went to the kitchen to speak to the chef. On his return he explained that the chef had misunderstood the extra hot and made the dishes less hot. The garlic chilli chicken was swimming in oil because the garlic had been fried in oil. There was no explanation for the ghee in the lamb naga, or the toughness of the lamb. All of these dishes we have enjoyed elsewhere, without any of the oiliness, toughness or blandness; the reasons given did not stack-up, the chef is clearly incapable and the food inadequately prepped. However, the waiter did offer to remake one of the dishes at no extra cost. Not over generous as the majority of the food was still on the table and declared inedible. We declined their offer and asked for the bill. After another long wait the bill was delivered, a 30% discount was given resulting in a £32.80 bill. A full price of £46.86 is pricey in the extreme for one starter, two mains, a side, rice and nan.

This experience was like the bad old days of atrocious Indian takeaways in the 1980’s, we can only assume that the “One of the top 100 Indian Restaurants” is by self assessment, it was certainly not awarded for good food, ambience, good service or general merit. The restaurant was cold and uninviting, so cold the food followed suit in minutes and there were no hot trays provided. We will also mention the lighting downstairs which is atrocious, so poor we had difficulty reading the menus; we assume this is to avoid you seeing too much of what is served!

We were not the only table that was disappointed with their food. Treat yourselves, walk passed the Raj Pavilion and enjoy a meal at the Spice, Camden Road. We deviated from our norm and paid the price.