A few months back I asked people for local curry house recommendations. Most said Dil Raj. You recommended Royal Spice at Darton. Since Dil Raj was close we went there. I commented on it a couple of days later. I won't repeat what I said at the time but in summary it was OK but nothing special. A few days ago we finally got around to trying Royal Spice at Darton. Here is my 'review' for what it is worth. First impressions as we walked into the main restaurant are is that the ceiling was err.... interesting with a pleated fabric giving the impression of being in a tent. The lighting was provided by a chandelier in the centre of the room with a few (very few) domestic looking uplights distributed around the wall which, when combined with the colour scheme, gave a very 'flat' almost dingy feel to the area. I am not one for bright lights in a restaurant but it made for a 'gloomy' look rather than providing some cosy atmosphere. Not too promising alhough the place was pretty full even though it was quite early with a brisk take-away trade (always a good sign). And so it turned out. In spite of the unpromising start it just got better and better. A friendly welcome as we were shown to a table (we had friendly prompt service throughout our meal). My wife always complains about cold restaurants /drafts etc .etc .(alright she just complains OK?!) but the place was "toasty warm" as she puts it without being stuffy. A plate with Pappadums (non greasy) arrived whilst we studied the menu. I ordered a pint of Cobra and the pickle tray (far less watery than Dil Raj) to help with our studies of the menu and a couple more Pappadums all of which arrived very quickly via the friendly waiter. I ordered the Lamb Nawabi with some chappatis whilst my wife chose the Tandoori Mosaka with the Veg Biryani. RESULT! MY curry was rich and the meat tender. The chappatis were excellent (so they should be but I have not always found them to be so). My wife (not normally an avid curry fan) said it was the best 'curry' she had had (lots of different things Prawn, meat and chicken and the Biryani was "tasty") and in fact enjoyed it more than a meal we had recently costing 3 times the price. Talking of which...... The prices are exceptional and better still they dont seem to mark up the beer prices as some restaurants do to make up for 'cheaper' food on the menu. My Cobra was £2.40 a pint. In summary - EXELLENT FOOD, GOOD SERVICE, GREAT VALUE. I may have had a better curry but not at that price. We both look forward to our next visit (although someone could do with being a bit creative with the lighting even if it is just a few tealights on the tables). BIG THUMBS UP FROM ME!
RE: BUT I HATE CURRY nt I used to but I am a fairly recent 'convert' having realised after many years that there is more to currys than incinerating your taste buds on Vindaloo( A bad experience in Scotland with a particularly potent one when I was 18)
it's the best indian in barnsley, everything in there like you say is bang on! miles better and cheaper than its competitors!
So? If looks were everything then nouvelle cuisine would be the only type of food eaten. I know which I prefer.
so, i didnt think it looked appetising. lookee very dry and unappealing. I know looks arnt everything but its a start.
Crystal usually has that attitude, too But she loved it. I would definitely recommend it for anyone who doesn't really like spicey food.