Cafe Le Raj in West Oxfordshire

I ordered a takeaway, including a starter, main meal and sides. It came promptly and hot. It was the most delicious takeout I have had in a very long time!

We have been enjoying takeaways from here for years and they have generally been good. However, the last few have been average and the one we've just eaten was terrible. Watery sauces with raw tasting spices. Very small amount of chicken. Old stale poppadoms. Will find another takeaway from now on!

Excellent food and good service. Have sat in and also had a takeaway. Both occasions positive. Being able to bring in own drinks also a plus point.

We stumbled upon this restaurant only because other local restaurants were fully booked. We were greeted at the door and were soon ready to make our order and were told that they did not supply alcohol but we could purchase it at a petrol station 1 minute up the road and they would supply glasses etc. The food came and it was exceptional the meat was so tender and covered in a delicious source. The bill was quite reasonable as well, but it should be noted that you are charged £3.75 for a bottle of water that is on the table when you arrive. The staff were very attentive and we consider our visit to be a very luck discovery. Would definitely be a regular if we lived locally.

Amazing curry house in the Costwolds. Me and my partner go there every week and food is always impeccable. Think we’ve tried all the dishes and they’re all very tasty. Big highlight for their naan bread, I’ve never had a better one! Staffs are very friendly and service is super good.

It was our first time in Chipping Norton and immediately felt at home in very welcome atmosphere.Food was outstanding and 2 weeks later we re are still thinking about that place.We must return!!!

Ordered a collection last night. Lovely atmosphere, amazing food and a great, quick service! Butter chicken was heavenly, as was the veg balti and pilau rice. Looking forward for the next one already!

Simply the best takeaway in chippy

Food was below average. My suggestion to you. Go somewhere else. Pre packaged curry from m&s far much better. My pic looks good but tasted not good at all. Curry is sweet and bland. Take a train and Go to Dishoom in London! Also this restaurant got an abysmal food hygiene rating… https://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/news/24208404.oxfordshires-cafe-le-raj-gets-abysmal-food-hygiene-rating/

The food was delicious, quality ingredients & very flavorful. I had the chicken raj & it was excellent. We also tried the creamed spinach, garlic naan bread, chicken passanda & chicken tikka masala. Everything was presented well, hot & fresh, & immaculately clean. I highly recommend & we will be back.

Tasty food, great selection to choose from. Great value for money

Visited 15-6-24 for anniversary meal. Good selection on menu. Food delicious and plentiful, served by pleasant staff. Would highly recommend this establishment, well worth a visit.

I was very surprised when I see this place had stopped serving alcohol, and a meal out here showed exactly why. We walked in at a premium time and the restaurant was like a ghost town. The owner was away and his clueless staff brought his once great place down to its knees. Food was bland and cold, portion size nowhere near what it was before. Waited ages between dishes for food to be brought and plates to be taken away. I was then horrified to find out when I got home that the place had been given a 1 star trip advisor rating! Funnily enough, the owner never posted any of this to his social media page. A quick walk past and this place is now deserted, and a quick walk to the other down the road by the town hall and its rammed, this tells you everything you need to know! I did give them another chance when their socials had said they got a 5, but the service was still terrible, rude and clueless staff. Food nothing special again. It really appears that the owner no longer wants to be here and just does not care.

Great food and friendly service. Really tasty spicy curry and freshly cooked breads. A fabulous traditional curry house and a welcome relief in a town where most things are overpriced or stuffy. Met with a smile at the door, well fed, and you can even bring your own alcohol too.

Never had a bad experience here! Walked in and ordered a takeaway, and was out with my food within 15 minutes! While I waited, they offered me a complimentary drink, and they also included some poppadoms on the house with my meal. Great service, great people!

First visit in months. Reasonable tikka and shashlik but tikka lacked garlic and ginger flavour and was missing the smokey tandoor taste. Sundries fine. Will give it another go.

Did hear about Cafe Le Raj having some issues with the food hygiene ratings, but they did make a come back to a 5 star! Amazing food and people, definitely coming back!

Good quality food. Great service & highly recommended. By far the best established indian restaurant in Chipping Norton.

While lodging across the street, we stumbled upon Cafe Le Raj by chance. The staff greeted us warmly and offered helpful suggestions. Upon their recommendation, we tried the Papadum set for an appetizer, which turned out to be a delightful surprise—refreshing and delicious; even our three-year-old enjoyed it. For our main course, we opted for the lamb balti, which was cooked to perfection in a flavorful curry sauce. The portion sizes were generous, almost too much to finish; we could have easily shared. The final bill was pleasantly affordable, though I mistakenly assumed the service charge was included. Upon leaving, I realized my oversight regarding tipping culture, and I regretted not inquiring about it earlier. Despite this, I wholeheartedly endorse this restaurant for its exceptional service and delicious food.

Poor environmental health score of only one , massive improvement needed would not eat here again or order a takeaway !!

Having been eating at, and enjoyed, Cafe le Raj for over 20 years we went last night (Friday) to find the restaurant empty. This is extremely strange. We sat down and ordered our normal beers but were told that they no longer serve alcohol. We enquired as to whether this was something to do with approaching Ramadan. The response was that it was but that they would not be resuming the sale of alcohol after Ramadan. We left and politely advised them that we would not be returning.

Stumbled across this place whilst staying at Premier Inn around corner. What a find! Great menu, excellent food. Good recommendations from waiter when unsure what to order. Food fresh and tasty, plentiful, lots of fresh herbs too. Was a bit quiet, but was a Sunday eve. Choice of beers. Great value too. Highly recommend. Will definitely return if in the area.

Food always so lovely here and lovely service too!

Takeaway customers seemed to have priority over diners

One of our our favourite places to eat when visiting chipping norton, the Indian food is amazing in fact we frequent brick lane quite a bit but here surpasses in terms of quality and taste. V friendly staff too!

Really good food, this is my local for curry living in hook norton

Good environment, friendly staff and great food. Highly recommended.

Great food and brilliant staff 👍

Recently we ordered £100 of takeaway food from here to collect, on getting the food home we realised we were missing a curry that we had paid for. I called the restaurant and explained and what I was hoping to hear was something along the lines of 'My apologies for this mistake, of course you can have a refund' Instead I just got "YOU DID NOT ORDER GARLIC CHICKEN, NO" after giving him some time to cool off he realised we had actually ordered it and it was clearly not 'ticked off' as checked. He eventually agree to refund the money back onto my card. Still no apology. 4 days later I still had no refund so emailed the restaurant asking to chase. I received no reply. Eventually I had to make a special trip to the restaurant and spoke to the same Manager guy. After trying to explain he went off on one again 'I CALLED THE INTERNET AND TOLD THEM TO REFUND - NOT MY FAULT'. I couldn't quite make out the rest of the heated response - but again there was no apology. He reluctantly in the end just thrust £10 in cash into my hands and I left. Mistakes happen and the odd missed curry isn't a problem. But customer service appears to have long left this place.

Good staff, excellent food and very easy on the pocket a must try.

I booked dinner for 6.15 pm before the cinema at 7.30 pm. Traditionally, in Indian restaurants you receive a warm welcome. We were met by the manager without a smile and told rather hurriedly to sit where we liked. By 6.55 our dinner had not arrived and then we realised why. Many large take away dishes and boxes, obviously for a big party were taken out of the restaurant and had clearly delayed our dinner. When our dinner eventually arrived after 7.00 pm it was quite good but we had to eat fast and there was little time to enjoy it. Our waiter was polite throughout.

Didn't take any pictures but had a great meal here the decor was a bit tired but the food was superb and great service too thank you 👍🏼

Woo, what a find, we visited "Chippy" this week, and fancied some Indian food, it's was terrific, not just my view, but locals .. Any restaurant in a smaller town with twenty covers by 7pm on a Tuesday night has to be doing something right! I had the tandoori chicken, and some channel masala both perfect, my wife had the lamb biryani again really good. Going back to sample the special Chippy menu soon!! August 23, six months after the above review back again!! Tuesday nights highly recommend

If you don't live local to Chipping Norton, avoid like the plague. My partner and I booked to stay in Chipping Norton for 2 nights mini break. This is the first break we have had in 4 years due, to myself caring for my disabled Son and Dad. I booked a table in advance and was so looking forward to a relaxing meal and a few drinks. All was going well until we walked through the door. The owner was very abrupt the second we walked in. After being seated we waited and waited and waited a bit more. None of the staff acknowledged us. After two more parties come in (clearly regulars and greeted like royalty) they we're served before us. Still we sat, no drink and clutching menus. (I was actually fanning myself with mine, as I'd already looked at it for 20 minutes and it was very hot in there) eventually I managed to catch one of the staff and asked if we could have some drinks. Again, I felt like we we're an inconvenience. When the drinks did turn up, I asked if we could order some poppadoms. I was grunted at. They arrived, we ate them (they we're tasty but by then I'd of eaten anything) and then back to the waiting while the other customers we're spoken to, joked with, asked if they needed anything extra and tucked into their food while we still hadn't had our orders taken. By now I was get hangry and was turning out to be an absolute joke. It wasn't like my partner and i we're having a lovely relaxing time over a drink, our glasses sat empty for 40 minutes, so I placed them on the edge of the table, hoping that some miracle we would get refills. I had to ask twice for another drink. My partner got his, they didn't give me mine. A member of staff took out order (thank the lord) but an hour and a half later it finally was plonked on the table. By then I was past it. I'm diabetic (I did tell a staff member this) so 2 diet cokes and a poppadom, I was starting to feel unwell. We both had enough, we ate half of the food and asked for the bill. Funnily enough that's the only thing that came to the table in lighting speed. To top of the insult to injury, I had a mint chocolate thrusted at me, even though I had told the same staff member, I have diabetes. £62 bill of disappointment. If I'm even in the area again, I'll be trying the other Indian restaurant, but I won't be gracing Cafe Le Raj with my presence again. I'm sure they will be pleased.

Good to eat in or for a takeaway

We had a take away from here when staying locally. The food was excellent and reasonably priced

Don’t order Chicken tikka , its the worst tikka i have ever eaten.. Madras chicken is just a normal chilli curry, nothing special. Naan is overly thick.. not fresh ..

Great food, not expensive and really helpful staff. Menu is very good 👍we couldn't get a taxi back to the hotel, so the manager took us back, how's that for service 😀

Had 2 previous deliveries - very nice. Ordered tonight waited nearly 2 hours for delivery. Food lukewarm, incorrect order delivered and overcharged. The lid on the biryani was not on properly and spilled in the bag. Called asking to speak to the manager. He doesn't work Monday.

FANTASTIC place to eat. The staff are lovely. I even forgot my shirt and they made sure it got back to me. RECOMMENDED.

We were staying at a nearby campsite and drove into town to look for a pub, but saw this restaurant. We decided to try it and this was a good decision. The menu was interesting and reasonably priced. The staff were very friendly and polite. We had a delicious meal. A good first night of our holiday.

Very disappointed not very welcoming, ordered a prawn vindalo however served a chichen although mentioned no discount even presenting a bill for the prawn which was more expensive , disappointing

Outstanding food and customer service! We’ve traveled the world and had many Indian meals. Nothing comes close to this! If you love an authentic cuisine you must taste the wonders of this restaurant!

Stopped in there late last night & had Lamb Mango & Prawn Rogon Josh. Absolutely first class flavours. Loved it. Yum! Even the poppadom relishes tray was great :)

The food was good but the service was an absolute shambles. We had a booking in the restaurant but had to wait for an hour and half for our main course while about 30 takeaways were provided. Need to prioritise in house customers over takeaways. Not going back.

Fab restaurant. Enough choices for vegetarians.

Superb food, my Dansak was as good as it gets...yum yum 😋

I went for a takeaway and I made a mistake on my order but they went out of their way to get me what I wanted in super quick time. Really impressed. The food was delicious as always. Thank you Cafe Le Raj!

We had the best experience here, lovely food, great atmosphere, wonderful team. Thanks for this, we will be back.

As a family of four we went to the Cafe Le Raj on March 1st. We all had lovely meals and great service from all the staff there. We would highly recommend.

Food was nice but the tikka massala had 4 chicken pieces in it, the lamb had just as much and the saag aloo was all potatoes, hardly any spinach. Probably a better experience if you eat in. Had better.

Hi really sorry but we have been waiting over two hours we get you are busy but this is the second chance again you left los of food off last time

Food never showed up. Called after 1 hour to ask where it was, they said the driver was 7 minutes away. Called again 25 mins after that call, and they said they don’t know where the driver and would find out. Didn’t get a call back so called again, they said they don’t know if the driver had a problem with the car maybe. Won’t be returning here. This was over 2 hours after ordering. Terrible customer service and still trying to get money back.

Ordered takeaway food was hot on delivery and delivery was on time, all the food we had was lovely full of Indian tastes and the chicken in the curry was good quality and nice size pieces. I ate the whole lot and now I'm full thank you. Reccomend and will be back.

Had this takeaway many times whilst working in the area. They even gave me extra for the inconvenience of waiting 5 minutes longer Always great food, with quality ingredients 👍

Never deliver at the estimated time and are consistently anything from 30 minutes to over an hour late. No use calling the restaurant to find out where your order is because it's always either "Coming now" or "I'll call the driver to find out where he is" and then they hang up and make no effort to call back. When it arrives, the food is pretty much always cold. I've tried to give them a chance because we've used them for a long time but I've ran out of patience with them now and won't be going back.

Honestly the best Indian i’ve had in a long time. Great food great service only down for a visit but would consider travelling back for just this place

The Threvuje is a sublime dish a very close 2nd to ra ra gosh, which unfortunately they don't do here. That said Threvjue is a very close 2nd

Was visiting the area for Christmas. Loved this little restaurant. Would certainly visit again if I lived in the area. My sister and brother-in-law Who were with me said that they would definitely visit again and also recommend.

Excellent food and fantastic service. Always friendly and welcoming staff...with a smile 😃. Lovely warm and clean environment. We just love this place!! Thanks

Chicken makani should not be coconut and sugar soup. Fish bhuna was ok. Kulcha naan was just a naan with 5 seeds on it Popadoms were ok. Very underwhelming

Our favourite restaurant always great service and excellent food

Oake the waiter was great, the food was great, the price was great.

Small portions, chicken very tough & tasteless curry would not recommend. Paid £12 for a flavour less curry & spent £48 for our whole family meal which none of us enjoyed.

A hidden gem !! Food is really tasty I would recommend their mixed grill special 👌 Friendly staff, nice atmosphere, excellent food.

Great meal, great service, not my 1st visit and won't be my last. Be sure to book!

Poppadoms with a choice of five chutneys, and the food was spot on... no complaints.

Great food, well-presented and good service. Comfortable and modern inside. Clean, well looked after toilets. Would recommend.

We were looking forward to a good curry, however the food wasn't anything to shout about. It was okay, but nothing stood out as amazing. Also, as we were sat underneath an air con unit, I found balls of dust/fluff in my drink and food which put me off a little bit. All in all, i wouldn't go back.

Very friendly bunch of people great food parking is a pain but They do deliver

Excellent food!! The chicken lemongrass curry was the best I have had. My partner had the murgh jalfrezi which he said was delicious. The flavour and spice level of each dish was fresh and very tasty. The poppadom and chutney starter was excellent value and we loved the coconut and mango dip. We highly recommend.

What a great find this was! Staff were v kind, fab food!

I ordered a take away. I went to collect it and the men were so nice to me. One even gave me a complimentary beer. They even walked me to the door on leaving. One helped me cross the busy street. When we dug into the food it was lush. I would eat here again for sure!

Dined in - food was average,, not so flavoursome. My wife had a dirty plate and cutlery which was quickly swapped out. It wasnt great but wasn't terrible hence the 3 stars. Would probably visit again at some point but won't be rushing back.

Wish I could put 0 thought I’d try something new on holiday and was served pink chicken asked for new food which they did only for it to be pink again went back to get a refund and they basically argued with me about it until they finally caved and gave me a refund will not be going here again will be reporting to EHO

Few weeks ago I ordered from them to be delivered to Great Rollright. I did not get the deliver after one hour and so I had to call them few times until they finally answered. The person on the phone said “its on its way”. One hour later, I call them again to check on the status of the food I ordered. It took them more than 2 hours to deliver something that should have taken maximum 10min. We were so hungry and when we opened the package, we were so disappointed to find out we did not receive the favorite butter chicken we ordered and instead we received chicken korma. The food was mediocre at the max. This is way overpriced for what it is. I will never order from here again.

Below average food. Expensive for what you get. I and some friends ate here in June 2022 after being persuaded by the good reviews. We all had the chicken jalfrezi. The sauce was bland and pale and pretty tasteless and totally drowned by the hot green chillies, unlike any jalfrezi I've had before. I didn't enjoy the meal. The peshwari nan was unusual too - pale and filled with a thin paste. No sultanas or raisins. My diet coke was flat/lacking fizz - I noticed on a visit to the loo that they pour it from 2 litre bottles. Double check your bill - ours was hand written in partly indecipherable code. I won't be going back.

Sadly, I went off the 4+ star rating, but I’m not sure what the hype is. No allergy information on the menu and staff that don’t seem to understand allergies or allergens. Replying with ‘I don’t know’ left me baffled. It’s the law to provide allergen information. On top of this, slow service and average food. Went to pick up a take away and had to wait at least half an hour on top of the time specified. How this place has such a good rating is beyond me. Safe to say that I won’t be back.

Our favourite curry place in its area it has never let us down.

Ordered a takeaway delivery at 8pm...had to ring at 9pm to find out where it was...maybe it was coming from 100 miles away bearing in mind we live in chipping norton. Anyway received it by 9.30pm...disgusting meal..cold lamb was like chewing my trainer soles...horrid.. I've order many times before.. never again.. Got no apology for time either... Threw meal in the bin...what a waste of money and time...disgraceful service... So don't bother ordering a takeaway from these...

Really good service with a great selection of food available. But then the food arrives... Oh my good what incredible flavours and textures. Such impressive mastery of the food. One of the best indians I've had in the UK.

Excellent Indian, highly recommended 👌

Stayed one night in chipping Norton and decided to try this restaurant , I’m so glad we did ! Delicious food , friendly staff , restaurant was lovely and bright - really nice place Can highly recommend

Couldn't fault the meal tonight. Enjoyed the evening.

Good food, service a little slow when we visited.

Staff were accommodateing and generous. Vegetable dishes are reasonably priced. Decent quality food, home cooked style. The menu could do with a considered and inclusive dietary key i.e vegan, vegetarian, gluten, fish etc...

Zero stars as they just lied about being able to provide a meal that was dairy free. They should be reported.

Really lovely food & service was 5stars also nothing was too much trouble

The staff were very friendly and literally as soon as you enter are ready to offer poppadoms and drinks. The food was delicious and there was plenty of choice. Also the prices were reasonable. Would definitely eat here again.

Been going here 20yrs still very tasty food. Newly decorated not been for 2 yrs.....some old faces still there.

Excellent service, and the food was phenomenal! Definitely give this place a try if you're after a top quality curry 👍🏻

An excellent place to eat! The food was fresh and full of flavour. Staff were friendly and accommodating. It's the extras that make it, the warm towels at the end and etiquette from the service. We will be back. Many thanks.

Just had a meal with the wife. Absolutely delicious. By turning down the heat a notch the flavours are allowed to the fore and everything was so tasty. Plus cold cold Kingfisher on tap. Recommended.

I was charged for food that never arrived and staff was not willing or able to help me find a solution

We visited on 4th December for a Xmas party, not very impressed at all, food came out warm not hot, all other tables had heat warmers on table, we didn't, when we asked why it was because we had a large table, should this make a difference i think not. Service not particularly good either. When I said to the waiter I would write a review, he basically begged me not to, but offered a free meal, I don't think so, needless to say I won't be revisiting .

Went on a Tuesday night for their special offer. Food was excellent and staff polite and attentive.

Beautiful food and attentive staff. Very well mannered and polite. You must come and eat here. Fab!

Ordered when on holiday. Absolutely lovely food, best Indian takeaway I've ever had. Thank you.

Lovley food, such smooth tasting creamy korma and the meat/rice cooked to perfection. Delivery to the near by Bluewood Lodges fast and simple. Would definitely order again. 😁

The best takeaway - recently moved slightly further away to Tysoe but we cant find anywhere else as good so we still drive back to Chippy for takeaway! <3