After a raft of closures this year
(Image: Bristol Live)
It’s been a rough year for the curry houses of Bristol. Old India, in the former stock exchange building, closed down in May after over two decades in business.
Earlier in August, Raj Pavillions on Filton Road followed suit. The family-run business had been serving customers in North Bristol for 44 years.
Walking past Raj on a recent Monday evening, I was greeted by the sad sight of a deserted restaurant. Years of laughter and enjoyment had been replaced by an empty floor space save for a few tables and chairs still to be removed.
Luckily, a nearby flyer directed me to Maharaj, a curry house about five minutes further north of Raj.
On arrival at the recently renovated restaurant I was warmly greeted by the attentive service team and directed to my seat.
Pleasingly for a Monday, the restaurant was reasonably busy, with a large family gathering on the table immediately beside mine and a group of four mates on a table opposite.
The friends alternated between making jokes and talking about religion, while the parents to my left walked the tightrope between giving their younger children enough sugary drinks to avoid a strop, but not enough to make sleeping that evening a pipe dream.
In short, it was exactly the sort of scene you would hope to be greeted with upon entering a neighbourhood curry house, and why it is such a shame when places which serve as bedrocks for the community close down.
My delicious mango lassi(Image: Bristol Live)
It also served as further reminder that, if you are able to, dining in is infinitely more enjoyable than paying some American tech nightmare to exploit a vulnerable worker to deliver food to your house, at a premium, so you can eat it in your pants long after it has left the kitchen.
Sadly, many places I passed on Gloucester Road on my way to Maharaj were takeaway or delivery only.
When my food arrived, it was uniformly good. My poppadoms and chutney hit exactly the right spot after a long evening walk. When my lamb chops arrived they were juicy and delicious. I almost had to apologise to the parents on the table next door for the sheer horror of my table manners as I dunked the chops in their accompanying sauce and devoured them with my hands.
My main course of a chicken dhansak, rice and a garlic naan was tasty, if slightly unremarkable. The curry was probably not something I will think too much about when it comes to mentally scrolling through the meals of my life on my death bed, but it was perfectly tasty and had exactly the amount of heat I was after.
Basically, exactly what you want from a local curry house.
Juicy lamb ribs were probably the highlight of my meal(Image: Bristol Live)
I’d over ordered, and when my (delicious) mango lassi was thrown into the mix my final bill came to just under £30. However, my curry was £9.95 with a healthy serving of pilau rice on the side for £3.75. My garlic naan, delicious if slightly burnt on one corner, came in at £3.35.
Combined with the fact Maharaj allows you to bring in your own booze from the convenience shop next door, a temptation I resisted on a Monday night, the prices mean you could have a highly filling and enjoyable meal for about £15. On some nights is also the option of a five course menu for £17.95 per person.
After receiving a complimentary mint tea, I waddled out of Maharaj, highly content.
On my way back down Gloucester Road, I scrolled through some of the restaurant’s Google Reviews. At the time of writing, it averages 4.5 stars from 239 reviews. I was unsurprised to learn the vast majority of negative feedback came from people who had got deliveries, which are often affected by many factors outside of a restaurant’s control, rather than eaten in.
Go to Maharaj, eat in, and enjoy. It’s the kind of place you’ll miss when it’s gone.
Maharaj, 7-11 Gloucester Road N, Bristol, BS7 0SG. Open 5pm-11pm, seven days a week.