Amaani in County Durham

VERY disappointing, went for a quick lunch, ordered a hot beef sandwich and cheesy chips, the beef sandwich was dreadful, quite rubbery processed beef slices, very little gravy and greasy chips, wasn't hot. We all had similar and all agreed we would not return, felt it was expensive for what it was, dry bun, processed beef, small drop of gravy ...... almost £10.

Lovely place and it's dog friendly.

Lovely interior, good quality cutlery, food really tasty. Bone in my chicken, although appreciate this sometimes can’t be helped.

Read the reviews it was 60 / 40 split some said service was poor overpriced poor food slow service was thinking cancel don't go so I decided no were going so it was quiet when we got there and within half hour quite busy anyway ordered drinks pretty quick ordered food pretty quick again and the quality was good absolutely enjoyed it empty plates more drinks ordered no dessert had plenty got the bill very reasonable left a decent tip will I go back yes for sure read all the reviews you want I find it's make your own mind up do try a place and by the way I'm probably one of the most hard to please and critical people on the planet and for me to go back to any restaurant indian Italians tapas Thai it's got to be good so yes amanita as arni says ill be back enjoy

Restaurant was beautiful. Very clean, nicely decorated. Food was tastey but quite expensive (£60 for 2 diners) Service left a lot to be desired. One drink was forgotten in the initial order. The wait time between our popadoms/pickles and mains was about 40 minutes. We were never approached throughout the whole meal by a member of staff to ask if we wanted any more drinks, even though they passed our table several times and could see that our drinks were empty. We were asked once (near the end of our meal) if the food was okay. Overall, wouldn't rush back. I have definitely had better food and better service elsewhere.

Restaurant was beautiful. Very clean, nicely decorated. Food was tastey but quite expensive (£60 for 2 diners) Service left a lot to be desired. One drink was forgotten in the initial order. The wait time between our popadoms/pickles and mains was about 40 minutes. We were never approached throughout the whole meal by a member of staff to ask if we wanted any more drinks, even though they passed our table several times and could see that our drinks were empty. We were asked once (near the end of our meal) if the food was okay. Overall, wouldn't rush back. I have definitely had better food and better service elsewhere.

We have been here several times but will not be back! Booked in for Father’s Day and they claim no record of our booking. We weren’t the only ones. No apology, just stood there waiting until we asked what they could do. Nothing. No offer of coming back another time, no attempt to make things right. Disgusting customer service and Father’s Day ruined.

Best curry in Durham, best in the north east, best in England... Best in the world

Not sure if this restaurant cant cope with groups of 8 people but they struggled with us on Saturday 8th June. Our table was booked for 6:45 we didn't get our starters till after 8pm. We always buy a selection of starters and mains to share between us all but for some reason they did not like it when we asked for extra plates, so much so that they threw the plates down quite aggressively. The food was ok but not what we ordered. No duck dish as ordered, no prawn dish as ordered and no balti on a sizzler plate. Again the mains were just thrown at us not served so altogether a shocking service. We have been to a lot of restaurants on a monthly basis over the past 3 years as a big group and this has to be one of the worse yet for service and hospitality!

One of the best places for your favourite Indian food ... definitely going back to try more delicious food

It was a pleasant visit. Very popular as busy and noisy. Food was good. Staff were polite and helpful. The menu is varied with some complex dishes.

Starter portions are very small. Very disappointed with the quality and quantity of food for the money.

First visit was on the spur of the moment and early evening. Quiet but couldn't fault it. A month later we returned and had to wait while a table was made ready as we hadn't booked which wasn't a problem. Everything was once again perfect!

Very tasty Indian food. They made food more spicy especially for us. Thanks.

Highly recommend, friendly staff, and even better service.

Went for lunch Saturday very friendly and helpful stall. Lovely atmosphere and even better food. Will definitely be back

Only reason 5 star because it is expensive for students. Vegetarian options a bit unclear. Can you have a Vegetarian masala for example? It just has a few options that are mostly side dishes and 'Vegetable curry'. However, the food is absolutely delicious. The sag paneer was the nicest I've had yet. The garlic naan was less stodgy than usual. I really enjoyed it. Service impeccable. My partner greatly enjoyed his chicken korma and keema naan. Thank you so much. We will be back!

Both me and girl got food poisoning. Not nice

Very polite service. I had Leek Soup which was really tasty. The coffee was nice too. (In the Cafe) The room itself was getting rather stuffy though. Will definitely visit again though and sample something else from the menu

Went with a friend for an evening catch up. The food was so delicious and the pace of service suited us fine, we were there to chill, chat and enjoy our evening. Nothing was rushed, and they were attentive. All the staff were pleasant and friendly. Great menu as a vegetarian. Onion bhajis were so good. They did accidentally serve us meaty samosa instead of veggie but was quickly sorted and extra portions served, plus it meant my non veggie friend got to try the meaty version! Saag paneer for main was amazing, so tasty. I was over the moon with getting an After Eight at the end! £70 for poppadoms, two starters, two mains, rice, naan, white wine spritzers and a cuppa. The only negative thing I’d have to say was the toilets - they were a bit disappointing as the rest of the restaurant is so lovely. They just need a spruce up - I’m a stickler for nice toilets!! Will be returning. They do good value for money lunch deals too.

I read the reviews for this restaurant and did the usual: "okay, its got 9 bad reviews but its got 90 plus good ones. Maybe those 9 caught it on a bad day". I'm not convinced that's the case. This restaurant pulls in the punters because of its fantastic location in the Pump House and the fact that the set up inside is fairly nice (though too dimly lit). However, someone in management here has made some clear business decisions indicating that profit has been put over quality and customers. Examples include chicken that is extremely low quality and, when not shrouded in a veritable lake of food coloring-saturated sauce (it arrives looking like soup), tastes anemic, as well as salmon that is clearly not fresh (strong fishy smell and taste making it just plain unpleasant). Staff looked generally unhappy. We did not complain at the time because it was supposed to be a celebration meal that was being subbed by two members of the party and we didn't want to put a downer on it. When we left however there appeared to be a general consensus on the poor quality. In short, we left with a clear recommendation to avoid. By the way, having worked in the restaurant business I know the signs when a manager is trying to pull in the pennies for minimal value. After eights to keep the punters happy at the end is nice but this is really just a gimmick if the food isn't up to scratch. Given its location, Amaani could actually charge more and serve something of value.

asked for a coffie to take away paid waited about 15 mins left as they hadn’t started making it, disappointed with slow service

Lovely friendly atmosphere, waiter great shame we didn’t get his name. Had a relaxing time food was excellent. Will be back.

Another disappointing meal from Amaani. It’s our local takeaway so we give them our business despite some dodgy meals in the past, but never again. Starters tasteless and cold, mains bland and cold, and they forgot part of the order YET AGAIN. We won’t be back.

It is a nice Indian restaurant in Durham (outskirts but close )

Fantastic little coffee/tea room with some excellent cakes on offer. They also offer dogs puppuccinos too! Great and friendly staff will definitely be coming back!

Great selection of Indian food. Very attentive staff and good service. Very interesting inside but didn't really have a buzz about the place.

As I’m gathering my thoughts about writing this review I would say Amaani is really hard to find a fault with , all the usual benchmarks are covered it’s situated in a very picturesque charming old stone built building with a modern bright decor , pleasant Staff , personally the quality of food is the biggest attraction with a wide range of options - enough for us to travel 30 miles round trip for , well Recommended 👍

Took a long time for order to come ,ordered chicken tandoori not much chicken but a lot of potato. Having said that it was nice and clean

Lovely meal , hubby had roman josh, I had tikka masala really enjoyed our meal. Good place to eat.

Review for the cafe part only . Always friendly and quick service, Vegetarian offerings are meagre, just cheese as is the norm, so nothing special there, but they do have milk alternatives for coffee, lovely food tho and nice outside seating area. Lovely place to sit in the sun, and have a walk by the river afterwards.

Had a takeaway this evening and I am absolutely appalled by the food we received. The Goan lamb was basically like dog food - no flavour, no spice and chewy meat. The paneer was so bland I’m speechless. I’m afraid that I will never frequent this dreadful restaurant ever again. Why are there so many awful ‘Indian’ restaurants in Durham ☹️

This place ticks boxes with ease. The staff are like old friends bringing poppadoms and pickle trays. The lime pickle hit the spot. When my chefs special kebab starter came, it was just the right amount to awaken my hunger. juicey chicken tikka and tastey sheekh and morish lamb tikka. When the main of lamb rogan josh bhuna came to the table with a garlic naan and saag aloo all of witch was more than enough to be shared with my partner. It wasn't the first time I've eaten there, and it will not be the last. Well worth it

Booked for 7 people, meals were perfect, friendly staff, immaculately clean, will be back

Lovely setting tucked away from the main road. Food was very nice & service was good.

Everything about this restaurant was lovely! The interior decor, the staff, even the tablecloths, value for money and especially the food. Can’t wait to return.

Just had lamb madras and can say best I had lamb was just cooked perfect my friend had lamb vindaloo and said same food always great here and staff so polite

Wow what a find. The most amazing Indian food I have ever tasted. A fantastic choice to suit any palette. The service and ambience all helped to make it the most wonderful evening. We live down on the Kent coast but will be sure to visit again when next in the area.

What a lovely location, not far from central Durham, food and service are excellent, wish I had taken photos of the food but I was too excited in eating it and completely forgot, I had scallops starter, beautifully cooked, Prawn Sagwala? and bread stuffed with vegetables, coconut icecream, delicious!" totally recommend.

Warm welcome and excellent food. Lovely people and we didn’t feel rushed which is very important

Food was average, had to wait a long time for our mains considering we were the only table in the restaurant. Got quite a shock when we got the bill. if the food was unbelievable and service was excellent then I don’t mind paying more than a usual Indian but unfortunately it wasn’t , I won’t be rushing back in the hurry

ordered food took 1.30 hrs to bring food out and the resturant was very quiet. also when we asked why is our food taking so long in a very nice manner the chef and owner were very rude back to us. as the food came out it was very dry and bland. if i could rate less than 1 star i would. absoulutley terrible will never eat here again

Lovely cheesecake ❤️ (I don't usually like cheesecake but a friend went in and ordered us some hot drinks and cakes while I waited outside with a canine friend). I was pleasantly surprised to find a place where I'd eat cheesecake. I never ever like cheesecake from anywhere!!

Little hidden gem, we sat in the courtyard after a walk around houghall woods and enjoyed scones and even a puppachino for our dog! They were lovely and was a gorgeous place to sit and enjoy the sunshine! It's very small indoors though but still nice! Food was lovely and staff really friendly, prices are reasonable aswell!

Probably the best Indian food in Durham City.

I’m not normally a fan of Indians but this place has changed my view on the food, there is sooo much to choose from it was hard to pick a main course, the staff were lovely and friendly, the owner was very generous, gave my dad and his girlfriends kids more than £12 worth of ice cream in those penguin figures for free! For anyone reading this, I definitely recommend going, the whole experience was amazing, everything from the design to the food.

Lovely meal, the chicken bhuna was delicious, and the service was excellent.

Please can I bring to your attention the very disappointing visit we made to Amaani restaurant Saturday night 15th March. Normally birthdays and any time we want an Indian restaurant, Amaani is our first choice. After this appalling night this will not be the case in future. We were led to our table downstairs at 19.10 a little later than the booking time. We ordered wine, 2 abysmal wine glasses that did not match were brought to table . They had to be changed. We ordered 8poppadoms and only 1half filled pickles tray was brought with them. We ordered a second pickles tray which we subsequently paid for. After our starters we were told we had to move upstairs with no explanation. (Over 50 years I have eaten in restaurants this has never happened before). Not only were we moved to 1table upstairs but then we had to move again as the second table we sat at was too near to toilets. We settled at 3rd table. We sat once again for well over 1hr then my daughter had to go to bar to order more drinks and request our main meal be served. Due to all of this carry on we did not have time for dessert. A very disappointed Marie Therese Brady

Really like this restaurant. Food and service impeccable.

I love coming here. The staff are always very welcoming and friendly. The ambience is perfect. The food is always perfect in every way. The presentation of the staff, the restaurant and the food is high. The quality of the meals is always consistent. The lamb and chicken melt in your mouth. I can't fault this restaurant at all.

We had a really great evening with friends who go here regularly. Outstanding food and service.

Really tasty food I had lamb rogan josh. Really tasty.

First time. Food was so flavoursome and fresh tasting. Will be back.

Nightmare service. Online booking doesn't work, when you phone they promise to call back and don't. Changed times without changing the information online or infact anywhere other than a small note on the door. Promised we could order the same at the cafe clearly not the case. Very disappointed!

Booked a table for two, but when we arrived, along with a number of other parties, they seemed completely overwhelmed and did not seem to have a record of any bookings. Sat for half an hour, then taken into the neighbouring tea room (through their kitchen!) to a table in there. We protested and they suddenly found us a table upstairs. Sat again for half an hour until order taken, then 45 m for food. Overbooked and understaffed, will not be returning.

Visited for the first time this week and will definitely be returning. Myself and my partner thoroughly enjoyed all our food and drinks, service was great and all the staff were very friendly. Couldn't fault anything and look forward to our next visit! Thank you :)

Very busy, lovely place, unfortunately couldn't say the same for the food. Starters came really quick after ordering, which I felt they were already cooked. Had mixed grill starter which was nice, onion bhaji could have been crisper. Main course chicken shashlik was basically chicken tikka, onions, peppers. Chicken tikka masala was pretty tasteless, naan bread undercooked. £70 Plus with 2 drinks. Unfortunately wont be visiting again.

Very friendly staff nice coffee

Very disappointing first visit. The restaurant wasn't very warm at all. The food was average and way overpriced. We don't mind paying for good food Lamb Tikka Marsala had little Lamb, mostly sauce. Portions small. Only good thing....plates were hot. We won't go back.

Beautiful food, great atmosphere but was very cold inside so had to keep coats on

Lovely family meal.. nicest I've had in a while

Lovely meal, quality of food excellent, friendly staff.

I expected a lot from this restaurant, a was disappointed to say the least. We ordered 4 different Currys to share and fishburn takeaway beat every one on flavour and value for money. Wouldn't go back.

Amazing night to celebrate my mam’s 70th birthday, the staff are so good. Food amazing too! Give it a try…

Nice coffee but a bit unfriendly

Great tasty food, very attentive service and lovely setting.

Exceptional experience on the outskirts of Durham. Went at Sunday lunchtime, but opted out of the great lunchtime (albeit limited) deal as it was our first visit and wanted to sample more of the menu. Both went for the Thali trays (tandoori and vegetable, respectively) along with a fish momo starter and additional vegetable side (mushroom bhaji). The Thali choice was a perfect introduction to what Amaani have to offer. Both the meat and vegetable trays offered 4 different tikka or curry dishes each as good and flavourful as the last. My partner informs me that the tikka masala was a true standout compared to other restaurants we've tried. Thali portion for money is also exceptional, considering you get to sample four curries, small starter portion, rice and bread - you can't really go wrong. Our only reservation is that the dishes lacked heat spice wise, which albeit we probably could have asked for spicier of we'd thought about it! Will recommend, and will go again!

Fantastic food in lovely surroundings. Will definitely be back. Went back not as good as first visit - 5 star first visit - 3half star Sept 2022

Great food and service, staff are very friendly. 👌

Really lovely place to visit and the breakfast was so good. The car park can be a little busy on a nice day.

I had the biryani and the vegetable curry looked like an Irish stew. No flavour or spice. Very plain.

Indian restaurant in a beautiful setting with ample car parking. It’s also within walking distance of Durham city. Great food and excellent atmosphere. Goan lamb is superb.

In a large party - 3 of us had to ask 4 times for some water. Finally arrived as we were finishing our mains. One of the party members asked for water and was handed a glass of wine instead! Never asked how the food was or if we needed more drinks. Staff also took a long time to take the food orders. This venue does not appear to cope well with large bookings.

Went lastnight, food was amazing, didn't have to wait long for it, great price also. Staff were extremely polite and couldn't do enough for you. Definitely going back there soon

Very nice food staff was very good

Lovely restaurant and great staff but most pleasant of all very reasonable prices...we will definitely be back

We were disappointed 😞 food looked outstanding but the taste was just poor, it was boring and tasteless. Hoped for better tbh.

Total disaster, table booked for 7pm and sat at table on time, table was half made up. Order eventually taken for drinks and poppadoms only. (Along with other tables arriving at same time) The place was chaotic, waiters arguing amongst themselves, people being asked to move tables, so bigger tables could be set up, others being sat at tables that weren't laid up. We left after 45 minutes still waiting to place an order, ended up with pizza from the co-op 😂

Always good meals and service but please take chips off the menu they are horrible, better not to offer them than have bad ones. Either that or pop over to the Rose Tree and ask them to show you how to make them

We visited this restaurant as a family of 6. We had arrived at 6 o’clock. The staff were already flustered with a handful of diners. It didn’t get any better. Our starters were not to long in arriving and were all good but nothing special. We ordered 3 drinks from a waiter who then sent another waiter to order the drinks again and then when finally arriving 2 of them were wrong. Our mains arrived 1 hour and half after our starters, but only some of them arrived. The food was not very good and service even worse. Why do restaurants take bookings when they haven’t got the staff to cater for the diners. It is both frustrating and annoying that you pay hard earned money for a bad experience. I would advise people to think twice before going to this restaurant it didn’t help that all the other diners were having similar or worse experiences.

Good choice on the menu and very attentive staff. Good quality and well presented food. Nice surroundings with outside seating for drinks. Good car parking.

Excellent tasty takeaway. Friendly staff, ready at promised time. 2 each of mains, rice and naan was enough for us 4.

Coffee and Toasted Tea Cakes First the good points.....the coffee was nice, but.... It was a 15 minute wait for the coffee, despite only 3 other tables occupied. Once it arrived, I expected the teacakes to arrive at the same time, or shortly after....not so !!! I had to ask after a further 10 minutes if they had forgotten. They arrived shortly afterwards, but the coffee that we held back by this time was almost cold. The teacakes were miniscule...at £2.50 each !!!! I asked the waitress if it was too much to ask to expect the coffee & food at the same time. I got the standard explanation of" the kitchen is busy" ???????? Sorry Amaani, I've used you once before, and the service was equally as slow, but I gave you the benefit of the doubt ! It would appear that extended wait times, and poor service is the norm and only surpassed by your poor value of teacake. We will not be returning.

Lovely surroundings and an enjoyable lunch for 3 persons. Very reasonable with a friendly service. Would certainly go again.

My husband said it was the best prawn korma he’s ever had!! The food was spot on! Service very efficient and staff friendly 😃

Great staff, very helpful and friendly and very accommodating.

Beautiful River, great views nearby

We've been wanting to go here for sometime so I booked for my birthday and was very disappointed. There are many things I was not happy with but if I concentrate on the food. I ordered the lamb bhuna which is my favourite dish,which I have ordered at numerous restaurants.Although the lamb was tender the meal was lacking in the spices and the taste iwould expect from a Bhuna and was very peppery tasting.This was by far the worst Bhuna I have ever had,and the other food ordered wasn't upto scratch either.Needless to say we will not be returning based on the food alone and not taking into account the other issues.

We were very disappointed with with the meal ..spices lacking in our dishes and the atmosphere was not authentic..food served in what looked to be dessert bowls.. instead of authentic Indian dishes..would not recommend and will not be returning.

Let me start by saying , my husband and I have eaten in many an Indian restaurant over the years , all over the world. And Amaani is second to none . The food in the Amaani is Excellent ! The staff are exceptional. polite, friendly , attentive, and are great with our children. If you have any dietary requirements have a word and they are happy to oblige ( I’m pescatarian) so can highly recommend on that basis. My family enjoy an Array of food and always enjoy there meal . And They have a lovely Desert menu .Best to book in advance at weekends as can get busy. But they will, if possible fit you in if they can. They also have an out side Area which we really enjoy in the summer evenings having our coffee or a glass of wine after our meal. Ample parking space . Which is amazing, as nothing worse then driving round for trying to find a park ! Never had this problem at Amaani even at weekends as such a big parking Area. They also have a Businessman’s lunch menu on certain days. And they have a takeaway service. There is a tea room during the day also, which I haven’t tried yet but can’t wait to try, as I’ve been told it’s Excellent. It’s a hidden gem of a restaurant. A family run business ( not a fan so much of chain restaurants) The fact that it’s a family run business shows , in the food ,the service etc .. They seem to really genuinely want to make your experience there a great one. They have a bar Area were you can enjoy a drink while ( if need be ) you wait for your table . They serve a good selection of drinks , cocktails, coffees ,beers , wines etc. Would give more then 5* if I could .

Love going here Gourgous food and excellent prices 👌

We’ve always had good quality takeaways from here and it was reasonably priced. Dropped a star from original reviews after recent visit to the restaurant, the service was slow and chaotic, every time we asked for a drink or to place our order we were told someone would come over which they didn’t for over an hour. Staff couldn’t seem to understand a basic request for a couple of drinks. Quick to bring the bill over though and the prices are quite high now. Don’t visit on a Saturday night seems to be the best advice.

We were a group of 5 booked for Saturday night. We were shown to our table and served drinks. We waited 25 minutes for papadums, they arrived one short! We were then asked to move tables so they could squeeze in a party of six next to us! We had to move ourselves! Waited another 20 minutes for some to even take our order. Ordered 4 starters, 5 arrived! We asked three times for more drinks, eventually we went to the bar ourselves. The food was nice but not up to their usual standard. The prices have risen considerably too. All in all, the service was very poor. We have been there numerous times but it will be a long time before we go back. Such a shame, we thought we’d found a little gem.

Bacon bap was just OK. Big bun but lacking much bacon. Also pot of tea just did one cup.

Beautiful setting for top notch indian food

Had never been before so took a punt. Very very glad we did! The hariyali chicken was absolutely fantastic and all the accompanying rices and side dishes were delicious. Service was excellent. Friendly staff with a sense of humour. We shall definitely return and highly recommend this resturant.

Great place to dine.Lovely food great service

This was quite possibly the best meal I have ever had . The place is fantastic and the staff were wonderful especially the young lady . Would recommend 100%

This place is absolutely amazing. The food is delicious and the service is fantastic. The owner was very kind and helpful, if you want authentic Indian food then this is definitely the place!

I visited the tea room Yesterday Saturday 26th of March. I visited a few times when you opened and the customer service was absolutely amazing, but on my visit yesterday I was very ashamed. There wasn’t enough staff and The woman serving with dark hair had a few orders to take, fair enough it was busy but she was stood talking to the previous customer she was serving before us, resulting in us waiting for our order to be taken for short off 10 minutes. I ordered a coffee and a scone and my scone arrived before my drink. When my coffee arrived I had asked for a latte and I received a cappuccino so I ended leaving half my coffee as it was too strong. The scone was beautiful and absolutely massive. I couldn’t fault it! but the wait altogether was 20minutes for 2 coffees and 2 scones. I could see a few other unhappy customers while I was there, it’s fair to say I won’t be back again