written by deedeebee on 27/09/2012
Loved the food,not bad for the price. Sadly the down fall with this place the manager should have prices for there drinks...As when getting the bill( a pint of soda and lime) got change a bad price of 4.00 (should have had a proper drink )Manager wasnt available to complain to!!
written by mikebennett on 17/05/2012
Thinking I had already sampled the delicate and unique fusion of traditional and innovative fare served at Stevenage's excellent Taj Mahal, I was delighted to have discovered yet another culinary gem. Served on a bed of keema rice the Naga Chill Rogan is simply the most flavoursome curry I have had for a very long time. Unlike many high street 'Curry houses' the chef resists using the pre-prepared 'Mr Naga' chilli oil in this amazing dish. Instead he uses fresh Naga chillies, which when blended into the tomato based sauce, is incredible. Although the dish has been created for those who love their Curry with a kick, you can have this superb dish customised to your liking. For my side dishes I went for a keema mushroom curry and and a niramish bhaji which had so many subtle herbs binding the vegetables together, including cumin, fenugreek and garlic. In order to counteract the wonderful but slightly explosive effect of the Naga chilli, Rogan the waiter brought me some homemade mint sauce which was delicious and certainly provided the 'calm after the storm'! My partner, who likes her curry a little milder, ordered a chicken and keema pasanda, which I simply could not resist sampling. It was superb! The chicken was so tender and the minced lamb that formed the basis of the sauce was just to die for. I also cheekily sampled her side dish, which was one of the best aloo peas I have ever tasted. Her stuffed paratha was also excellent. In fact due to the fact that I devoured most of it, she was compelled to order another. Then we received a special surprise from the kitchen when the chef presented us with his masterpiece. Egg and keema bhuna. Although not on the menu, the Taj Mahal cater for the individual palette, and on overhearing how my partner had sampled this dish in Nepal, it was customised with immediate effect! I have to say the textures were amazing. Although it contained a myriad of aromatic spices the taste retained subtlety, and had an air of traditional home cooking. Another dish we could not resist sharing was the beef tikka bhuna. The sirloin beef, (which is an unusual meat to find in an Indian restaurant), was so tender, and the perfect companion to the thick spice infused bhuna sauce. Despite all we had eaten, we still managed to devour the entire dish, along with 3 freshly baked rotis, which again had the flavour of traditional home cooking. As the Taj has a fabulous reputation for seafood, we (at the risk of sounding greedy) ordered a prawn pasanda and a pair of delicious crab cakes, which were just fabulous. During the course of the evening we had two bottles of Blue Cove wine (one white/one red), and a pint of ice cold Kingfisher beer each. I must say the wine list looked as extensive as the eclectic menu, which has to be the most diverse I have ever seen. Having sampled the food at the Taj Mahal on two occasions, I am now set to become a regular. It is certainly the best Indian food I have tasted for decades.
written by on 10/03/2011
I have always enjoyed the food at this restaurant and have tried the lunchtime buffet a few times (cost has increased from £5 to £6.50). However, I must agree with several other reviewers re the buffet. Firstly, whenever I visit the Taj Mahal the staff always appear surly - there are no "please / thank you" or welcoming smiles. Indeed I have a feeling of trespass. As one reviewer commented, none of the lunchtime buffet items were labelled, the rice was cold and many of the dishes very runny particularly the tarka dhal. Two waiters spent the entire time guarding the door as if they believed any of the diners were "going to make a run for it". Sadly, I was disappointed by the experience.
written by on 29/10/2010
The food was horrifically terrible, very expensive and we both got food poisoning from it. Curries were incredibly bland, oily and flavourless. Had Chicken makamwallah which tasted so sweet it was like a dessert. We both decided that the Asda £7 curry deal beat this curry house into the shade! Ordered and it took 1.5hr to arrive. It gets 1 star because ZERO starts is not provided as an option
written by on 10/10/2010
I don't know if the food is good - because after an hour and a half of waiting for it (with no apologies from the staff and no sign of its arrival being imminent) - we left.
Next time we'll go somewhere else. Somewhere we can actually get food.
written by on 22/09/2010
Don't be tempted by the £5 lunch offer as you will be disappointed. The buffet is not plentiful and when I visted there was no meat and just some runny curry sauce. The food is not labelled so you don't know what you are eating. The onion bharjis are soggy and the rice cold. There was half a poppodum going begging though but as I didn't know who had the other half I decided to leave it alone.
written by DavidJK on 10/04/2010
Have known this restaurant for years having tried all such establishments in Old Town, Stevenage and I have always considered this to be the best quality food. However, why do they always seem to have such surly, unfriendly, almost intimidating staff? My most recent visit was during a weekday lunchtime. The food was excellent but the atmosphere terrible - two of the waiters were evidently having a heated argument and after I finished my meal they claimed the PDQ machine (which processes debit / credit cards) was not working and that they required the exact value of the meal in cash as they did not have access to the cashbox! Very offputting re a future visit.
written by on 20/03/2010
Awful food and terrible service.
written by on 25/01/2010
After my last review, I take it all back as it was just a very unfortunate experience. After my review I was contacted by Murad (the owner of Taj) he was very polite and could not have been anymore helpful.
He personally delivered our food and i must say the food and the customer care was absolutly amazing.
I would definatly recommend that you either go to the restuarant or get a takeaway you will not regret it!
written by on 10/01/2010
First time using this indian as a take away received 1 meal 20 mins after the rest as they made a mistake a medium curry was far to hot. WOULD NOT EVEN RECOMMEND THIS PLACE TO AN ENEMY . im going back to my usual curry provider
written by simon2439 on 05/07/2009
The Taj Mahul truely has to be the most tasteful and amazing Indian restaurants I have ever had the pleasure of eating in (and ordering a takeaway). The tastes are soooo authentic and different to anything I have ever tasted. No other indian restaurant compares to this and that is why I keep going back (almost once a week) the downside to that is it does not help with the pocket! The staff also make for a great dining experience. 10 out of 10
written by gurulover on 01/06/2009
The Taj Mahal, Stevenage is over priced and has terrible service. Worst dining experience of my life. I am a fan of Indian food, but this can't be classed as Indian, as it is an insult. Don't come to see what the fuss is because there is none apart from how quickly the customer can get out of there. The food was so salty and cold, like it had been cooked properly.
written by eljay64 on 15/03/2009
My friend and I have been coming to the Taj Mahal, Stevenage on average once every couple of months for the last 2 years. The newly updated menu is fantastic and offers an excellent range of food . It is tasty and top quality. I would recommend the Taj to anyone who wants a tasty indian meal in a comfortable environment with a friendly welcoming team of staff.
written by mickday on 15/04/2008
Been using the Taj Mahal in Stevenage on and off since 1973 and I have always found it to be excellent everytime. What more can I say?
written by jackie newbury on 31/01/2007
I visited the Taj Mahal for the first time in December with a company of young people. The food was lovely, with very generous helpings, and the service was outstanding and first class!!! So much so, that I have booked the restaurant for a group of 35, family and friends for an evening in February, and I can't wait!!! Thank you Taj. See you soon!!
written by lleegilmer on 10/08/2006
Indian food is one of our favorites and the Taj Mahal had some of the best we've ever had. The menu had the largest choice of dishes from all areas of India we've seen. We walked in around 2:30 and had great service. We were the only diners in the restaurant but didn't think anything of it since it was late for lunch. Since the door was open, we didn't think to check if they were open and no one mentioned they normally close between lunch and dinner. The only disappointment was the nan oven wasn't up to heat but they made up another type of bread out of chick pea flour for us. The prices at restaurants in the UK were quite a shock (about double what they are in the US) and the Taj Mahal wasn't an exception. Plan to spend 30 - 40 pounds for 2 if you want 2 entrees, nan, rice, and drinks. However, the portions were large and prices were less than some of the restaurants we ate in. My husband likes VERY HOT food so had the Lamb Vindaloo which lived up to its description. I had the Lamb Madras which is a little milder but still very spicy. Try one of the Curries if you don't like hot food. With 3 other Indian restaurants on the main street, there's a lot of competition; however we had no interest in trying another one and went back for dinner the next night. Since we eat early, we didn't ask if they take reservations but by 7 all the tables were full. The chocolate square that comes with the check was just right for dessert.
written by mortuzac on 12/06/2005
The Taj Mahal has the best food in town. Established over 40 years now and the food just keeps getting better.
My favourite is Garlic Chilli Chicken Massalla.
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Guest's Comment
Written on: 20/05/2012
I own this restaurant and your review is false as we dont do a chicken makamwallah.
Obviously as a guest you dont want to show yr credentials.