Review of Downham Tandoori in Downham Market: Popular Indian restaurant has food full of flavour and delightful staff

You can never have too much Indian cuisine – it has definitely got to be one of my go-to foods.

After seeing Downham Tandoori described as the biggest Indian restaurant in West Norfolk and being told good things about it, I took the opportunity to go along.

My parents and I booked a table for 7.30pm last Tuesday for its banquet night.

Upon entering the venue, it was quieter than I expected - with only a few tables taken. We were greeted straight away by a polite waiter who showed us to our table.

It was nicely set out, with the inside of the restaurant modestly decorated throughout and in a very clean condition.

There was a good range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages to choose from, and all three of us opted for a pint of Coke each (£3.95).

Once our drinks arrived, we were asked if we wanted poppadoms to start –how could we say no?

We had one each (£2.85 for three) served with a tray of three different chutneys and dips (£3).

These were delicious, and one was definitely enough for each of us.

Banquet night meant we could have a two or three-course meal which included a starter, main, and rice or naan bread for £15.95 each - or for £18.95 we could have an ice cream dessert as well.

All three of us decided to go for the two courses.

For her starter, my mum chose the onion bhaji before a chicken tikka masala for her main, accompanied with special rice. She then added a garlic naan for an extra £3.75.

Dad decided to start with tandoori chicken followed by a madras curry served with mushroom rice, and then added on a plain naan for £2.95.

I opted for chicken tikka for my starter, then a chicken korma alongside boiled rice. I added a Peshwari naan for £3.75.

The presentation of each dish was great, and was served on separate trays so that if we wanted to try a little bit of each other’s we could.

The dishes were placed on top of a heat tray in the middle of the table to ensure they did not go cold - a big plus.

Our meals were full of flavour and the rice tasted very fresh. It was sensational and did not disappoint.

I really enjoyed the Peshwari naan – it was very sweet, but tasted even better dunked in my korma sauce.

My dad loves hot and spicy foods, so he enjoyed the madras a lot - although was a little milder than he was expecting.

He never usually has mushroom rice but wanted to try something different, and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Meanwhile, my mum enjoyed every mouthful of her meal a- describing it as “very yummy”.

She particularly enjoyed the onion bhaji as well, saying they did not taste greasy like at some places she has been to before.

After demolishing our two-course meals, we had very full bellies and were glad we did not choose a dessert.

Our bill came to a total of £74.55, which worked out at £24.85 each for a starter, main, rice, naan bread and poppadoms - not bad at all.

Overall, the Downham Tandoori did not disappoint and we had a great time. We would definitely recommend it to others, and will no doubt visit again ourselves.

Without the banquet deal, it would have been a bit pricier, but considering the quality of the food and the portion size, it is probably worth it.

Downham Tandoori offers a takeaway service as well as a restaurant. It uses fresh, traditional herbs and spices.

It opens Sunday-Friday from 5pm-11pm and Saturdays from 12noon-11pm, and can be found at 52-56 High Street.

Food: There were good choices on the menu and we all very much enjoyed our meals. ****

Drink: We opted for a pint of coke each but there was a wide range to choose from.*****

Decor: The inside of the restaurant was modestly decorated throughout but was very clean. ***

Staff: They were so attentive and polite from the moment we stepped in the door. We could not fault them. *****

Price: It would be a bit on the pricier side without the banquet night, but at £24.85 per person, and considering the quality and portion size, we could not complain. ****