Babul's Barnard Castle in County Durham - Phone Number, Reservations, Reviews

Go for the prawns, they're the size of chicken thighs!

Great food, excellent attentive service, reasonable price

We visited Barnard Castle on holiday and thought we would try the local Indian cuisine. It took us a while to be acknowledged as we walked in, as the dining area is somewhat tucked away, and we weren't told where to go. After eventually being sat down the waiter seemed pleasant enough, so we settled in and ordered our food. The Pappadoms and the bhaji's were decent, but the curries were poor and lacked body of flavour. My vindaloo had a nice amount of heat but it tasted a little too sour and bland. My wife ordered a Palak Paneer, which was again too bland and lacked flavour. Atmosphere was a mixed bag. The decor was modernish with some odd plastic water-cress on the walls and ceiling, but the music was terrible. Dance music covers of pop songs do not seem to provide the atmosphere you would expect at such a restaurant, and more fitting at a nightclub. It took us a long time to receive the bill after our food, having told the staff we had finished. After receiving the bill again we sat waiting for some time for them to take the money, unsure whether we were expected to go up to the front desk. It was only after we got up to leave that they returned to take the money. We didn't receive any refresher towels or complimentary mints. We felt the whole experience quite odd and a little underwhelming, unfortunately.

Food was lovely and varied unusual menu. Service was quick and efficient. Was quite quiet when we visited. Recommended. Will be back

Chicken pakoras that's what's missing

Food as great as ever, but there has been a step change in the quality of the hospitality. Thanks everyone.

Dropped on for a casual dinner on Sunday evening to find a clean and stylish restaurant in the heart of Barnard Castle. We really enjoyed the ambiance and the quality of food and drinks. The vegetarian options were plentiful and tasty. Portion sizes were good and two starters and one main plus a garlic naan bread was just right for a couple.

Excellent evening food was top notch

A different experience for us going for a curry. Food was excellent and service was quick. For a Thursday evening it's was busy

Food is excellent, atmosphere is good and visit the restaurant every time I am in Barnard. The staff are really friendly to and it’s defo a place to try.

The food here is incredible! Accompanied by really wonderful drinks and cocktails (the mango lassi is to die for!), and really sweet waiting staff - all in all, we had such a lovely meal here! A cracking find, a gem!!!

great place to eat at decent prices too!!

First time to Babul and liked the order from a tablet for drinks and get the bill. The cocktails looked amazing and the food was lovely. Although I had jalfrezi and it wasn't spicy as I expected so might need something hotter next time.

From beginning to end, our dining experience was superb. The staff were very friendly and helpful, from entering the restaurant to leaving. The food was so tasty, and the perfect portion sizes, and was priced very fairly. Overall, a brilliant meal and experience, and a place I would not hesitate to recommend

Fabulous meal and excellent service. Great variety of vegan options. Deliciously tasty perfectly cooked dishes

Birthday treat and the first time trying Babuls. Bit of a wait for the takeaway but we were early. Had a great laugh with the young chap behind the bar though. Nice place, friendly staff. Food was terrific. Chicken Tikka Vindaloo hit the spot with coconut rice, Loaded fries with chicken Tikka and other bits and Mushroom Bhaji were also very good. I would give it 9.5 out of 10. Only dropping a half mark as they dont do Chicken Tikka Ceylon but the coconut rice with the Vindaloo kind of made up for it and tasted similar. Good stuff, will return.

This is a great place to get some authentic indian cuisine. Good food, well priced and good to eat in or take away.

Food was delicious. It was our first time and the staff helped us choose from the menu and spent time explaining the dishes to us.

Lovely evening for my friend’s birthday, the staff went above and beyond. The cocktails were amazing and the staff sang happy birthday with a firework and a drink for Anna.

Gorgeous setting and unbelievable food and cocktails

I say it every time I go to a new Indian restaurant, but this might have been some of the best Indian food I've ever had. I would definitely recommend selecting a few small plates and eating in a more tapas style and get a curry to share. Staff are happy to talk about the food and give recommendations. And the Drinks selection was great, with some very unique cocktails. Would definitely go back.

very nice as always, great food.

One of the best meals we’ve had on our trip and it was a pure fluke (only thing open!) The staff were attentive, friendly and helped us get in and out as we were on a deadline. Food was great!!

Friends birthday meal, fantastic place, highly recommend! Cocktails are great too, they do 2 for 1 in the upstairs cocktail bar on certain nights:)

One of the best Indian restaurants in the region. Can't fault it superb.

We visited to order a takeout The menu was a bit confusing and we waited for too long food was ok but expensive

Enjoyable tasty food. Good service Good portion sizes . Good price. An enjoyable evening .

Onion bhajis cost £6 and there were 3 the size of golfballs. Chicken tikka masala had no flavour and very small portion. The aubergines were tough and inedible. Very expensive too, £46 for a takeaway consisting of two main meals, one onion bhaji, one bread, one rice and 2 side dishes. Very disappointed, most of it went in the bin.

Never been in an Indian restaurant with so much atmosphere. Music and cocktails were as good as the food and staff. Will definitely be a regular for us now.

Superb takeaway from Babuls very very tasty one of the best I've had, thanks

If you want the best Curry and service this is the place to be. We have never been disappointed- visited many times with family, friends and large group of folks, the service and food have always been are outstanding. The added extra of a great cocktail menu is an added bonus.

Perfect, delicious food and amazing cocktails. Great for date night!

Visited this restaurant while on holiday just wanted to say what a thoroughly enjoyable experience. The booking on line was very easy to use great location free parking outside. You order your drinks on a table app very easy to use and was very useful when paying for the bill. The food was absolutely gorgeous best lamb rojan josh I've ever tasted my partner had the pannier sagg which was outstanding aswell very good portions. The staff were all very nice and helpful which is a credit to the restaurant. I will definitely be visiting again when I return back to the area

Best tandoori mixed grill I've had, cooked fresh not just reheated like other Indians around. Will definitely be back.

Possibly the BEST Indian food I’ve ever had. Great staff, friendly and helpful. All the dishes we tried were fresh tasting and beautifully fragrant. The only negative is that ALL the menu looks amazing and you can only eat so much!

Excellent, food nice,staff really friendly...

Unreal. Curries were thick and creamy and full of flavour, best Indian we’ve had Cocktails also went down a treat

Outstanding food at a very reasonable price Service was excellent, lovely friendly welcoming staff. Well done 👏

We are on holiday and this establishment was recommended in the guide book and it did not disappoint orders on line simple time was 30minutes to pick up on arrival the food was ready piping hot and so tasty

Excellent food, well presented and with great service. Thank you!

Takeaway service and food was was good. Prices higher than expected.

Really nice food, the experience is spoilt by a system of ordering your drinks by an electronic tablet, but food by staff coming to table, so did not bother with the drink and just ordered food.

Have eaten regularly at Babul's over the past three years but was really disappointed with the new menu and style of service meaning staters and main course dishes all arrived at the same time resulting in a horrendously overwcrowded table - when we got to the main dishes they were cold. Overall it was a feeling that they wanted us donw and out as quickly as possible.

Amazing as always, staff are so helpful and friendly.

A little bit pricey but the food was very nice & it was ready to collect on time

Ordered a takeaway on line it was ready on time as arranged, it was one of the best takeaways I've ever had. I fully recommend this place unable to find fault.

We had a great night out. Thank you

Wow, what a delicious plates! Take the small dishes to share. We took 6 for 4 people and some naan bread, but 1 or 2 more would be better.

Confusing Menu. Loud intrusive clubbing music. Not being able to finish one course before the next one arrived in dribs and drabs. Hassled to vacate table. Waiters not interested. Positives, the food was good and not unduly expensive, but sadly outweighed by negatives Won't be back!

Always brilliant, good food good service 👌

Cosy, stylish, great service, excellent food and an outstanding array of drink options. I enjoyed a cocktail with my meal and hubby had a beer. I thought the price for the whole meal was very reasonable considering how much we had!

Great food, great value and really good service, will definitely be going again.

So we arrived a little earlier this evening, unfortunately all tables was booked from the girl inside which slightly put us off after being told it was a 30 min wait however after sitting for 15 mins we decided to call and got told we could come instantly, so myself & my colleague decided to pop in and order ( tikka masala & he ordered a curry from mains menu) I ordered paswari nan, a beet & a strawberry Daiquiri, the curry was outstanding, as for my chicken tikka probably in the top 3 best I've ever tasted, outstanding food, got the spicy chips aswell also outstanding compliments to the chef, also Sam our waiter done a cracking job making sure we had everything required and asked for and showed us all the different things with the tablet, meal cost £63 worth every penny. I'll most definitely be back again! Compliments to the chef!!!

Excellent food and service. Top marks to the Pani puri bombs.

Well, what can I say. Ordered our food and when I brought it home, one of the main dishes was missing. Well should I say my partner thought it was missing. Anyway I called them and they said they were sure they had put the meal in with the rest of our order. They said to come and pick a replacement up. It was only when I arrived back outside the restaurant that my partner called me up to say it was there and there was a bit of a mistake. …Not on their part, but obviously next time we will look twice. 🫣…. Just want to say amazing food and sorry to the guys and girls at the restaurant for making a bit of a boo-boo !! Thankyou to all at babul’s 😵🫢😁😌

Ordered a takeaway after a recommendation. Food was still hot after a 30 minute drive home. Chicken tikka starter was really tasty as was the chicken karahi and korma. Would definitely use again.

Having a couple of days camping nearby, I decided to cheat with a takeaway. Wasn't expecting to find so much vegan food to be available so totally surprised and impressed with the options. If you could open in Newcastle I'd appreciate it. ♥️

I have eaten here quite often and normally really enjoy the food and service but my takeaway this time was inedible. The chicken tikka was chopped into neat squares and was like eating rubber with no taste whatsoever. Anyone else experienced this? I rang to complain and they offered a discount on my next order which is okay. Just want to know what sort of chicken is in use as I have researched 'plastic chicken' which comes from Thailand, pumped full of chemicals in Holland or Belgium and used in catering over here?

Wonderful and friendly staff. Great value for money and probably the best curry we've had in years 5*

Very enjoyable place to eat , good quality food and excellent service.

Honestly anyone who complains about this place is not being honest.. amazing delicious fresh produce .. little Gem in Barnard Castle .5 ⭐️

OUTSTANDING - best food in Barney. Great value but the quality is amazing. Lovely place. We sat outside for a drink then took food as a take away - it was fabulous 👌 10 out of 10 for everything - keep up the good work guys.

Darlington branch. Atmosphere and deco good, friendliness, tasty generous meals. Great coffee. Value for money. Will def. be back. Suggest putting a menu in the window please. Sure it will attract more passing trade for you.

Sam and Tegan are super - nothing is too much trouble and both prioritse customer satisfaction.

Possibly the nicest curry I've had! Please open one in SW London! If I'm ever back in the area I'll visit again.

It's not Indian Food, I don't know what it is but not Indian Food.

This has been the worst dining out experience I have had in UK. Do not waste your time or money on this place. Apparently, you are NOT ALLOWED to order anything additional once you placed your order. Apparently being here for 30+ years has meant they feel they have the right to treat customers so badly!!

Absolutely fantastic food ,service, everything about the place was top notch , would highly recommend

chi tim’s more like a korma horiible

Lovely food, good service, lovely atmosphere, love the place

Spur of the moment phone call to Babul's as we had just arrived in Barnard Castle and were all hungry, wow food was excellent service also excellent, well worth it, it won't be the last time I visit Babul's

Food was delicious, didn't really like having to order and ask for your bil on the tablet tho. But I'd definitely go back

Sadly the food didn't match the excellent service. Both our curries were odd tasting and the minimal quantity of lamb, in the lamb curry was laughable.

It was a lovely experience dining as a couplea Coffee shop with Dining area and a Cocktail Bar upstairs We ordered our own drinks via a Table Tablet then summoned a server when we were ready to order food. We were not rushed and the food was high quality,with an explanatory and educational menu that highlighted any allergy concerns. Staff would answer anything that was unclear I tried various dishes new to me

Nice place for a curry, nice food,staff and service, always call in on a weekend away in the town

Excellent service and food, not too badly priced either

Great food, good service and nice moody decor.

Brilliant as always! Lovely cosy and friendly atmosphere. Started in cocktail lounge, then moved downstairs to restaurant. Amazing cocktails and food.

Interesting restaurant and menu. Good service but maybe ipad ordering system does not suit all. We were located downstairs and found it noisy. However, we enjoyed our meals.

We love Babuls, to eat in or take away. Fantastic range of creative vegan options along with jackfruit as an option to make many of the classics vegan too. We've been about 7 times this year and I've still not got through them all! Everything has been delicious and the service is always great. Best place to eat in County Durham!

Good food. Nice welcoming atmosphere.

The best curry I have ever had. Amazing food and fantastic customer service.

Just ordered take out of 2 chicken tikka masalas unfortunately it looked and tasted more like a korma that had been spiced up to disguise the fact it was a korma. Was nice enough just not really what we had ordered

Excellent, great food and staff

The food was top notch and the staff were very helpful and pleasant a real gem in barny.

After hearing such raving reviews from friends, I finally checked out Babul’s and they did not disappoint. The food was some of the best I’ve tasted and paired with their cocktails, honestly the best place to eat and drink for any occasion.

Loved it ! A new dining experience for us Yorkshire folk 😀 absolutely delicious

Excellent tasty fresh food. Great service.

Food and service excellent, been a few times and will be back, next time we're in Barnard Castle.

Lovely food . Service very quick and efficient

Asian lad (waiter )was Great.Good Food great Experience.

Great service, food fantastic 👌

Went on a very hot sunny Thursday lunchtime as a birthday treat. Delicious twist on a traditional Asian meal. Compact attractive menu so you know the food is cooked to order. The staff were excellent and the use of tablets to order drinks and the bill easy to use. The loaded nan was fab and very filling. Discount available on lunchtime so the final bill was very reasonable. Will definitely go again

Great food, could have got a 5 star rating if there was a little more interaction from the staff..

Very nice food, quick & friendly service.

Excellent food very tasty and good service would highly recommend

Beautiful food and fantastic cocktails

Beautiful setting with delicious food. Staff were very friendly, welcoming and attentive to our needs. Looking forward to our next visit.

First time we have been to this place but food and service was first class. Will definitely return

Fantastic tasty fresh food.. was absolutely gorgeous, and staff lovely friendly helpful and polite, will recommend in the visitors book