Castle Balti in Warwick

Blood good Indian good food nice staff

I visited Castle Balti on 7 November 2024 and, unfortunately, had one of the worst customer service experiences I've ever encountered. Throughout the evening, our service was cold and dismissive, particularly from one grey-bearded, bald-headed waiter. When it came time to settle our £53 bill, he slyly added a £7 'service charge' without any mention, inputting £60 on the card machine in what I can only describe as an attempt to deceive us, clearly hoping we wouldn’t catch the extra charge. Service charges are, of course, entirely discretionary, and especially since it wasn’t itemised on our bill, the decision to tip is entirely ours alone. Given the rude and dismissive service, a tip was entirely undeserved. When we questioned the charge, the waiter insisted it was justified, claiming that his providing takeaway containers (worth approximately 2p per unit!) warranted a tip. After we declined, an argument broke out, and things escalated when a nearby diner - who hadn’t understood the full context - confronted us, pointing his finger in my face and even threatening to fight and glass me. While his small stature meant I didn’t feel genuinely intimidated, it was an unpleasant and entirely unnecessary end to our evening. Overall, it was a disappointing experience that could have been easily avoided with better service from the start. For a proper curry in the area, I’d recommend The Bombay in Leamington Spa, where the staff treat you with respect and kindness - making it a place I’m always happy to tip generously.

Lovely meal brilliant service 5 star all the way

First visit to this place, the starter was cold and not fully cooked. The mains were ok but not very tasty. Service was good.

Definitely recommend what a gem hidden before the town we had been in competition all day and in need of a much needed lovely meal ,googled for somewhere that had vegan choice also and found the castle balti . We did not book. They were very accommodating, and you can pop two doors down buy you're own wine or beer and drink at the table ,the food is well served and enormous portions .Best mixed fish ginger curry I've ever had ,staff great. I'd love this to be my local ,everything you can not finish boxed to go .price is very good 10/10. Thank you so much, castle balti, for the beautiful meal for three !!

Huge portions at decent prices. Staff are excellent and the food is tasty. Take your own drinks as well. That helps to keep the cost down.

Fantastic restaurant! My Indian of choice. We come here regularly. BYOB and the staff are always brilliant! Value is excellent, highly recommend you try a table naan, something different to your experience and incredible value. Recently won an award and the quality is fantastic

Our "go to" balti house in Warwick. You won't be disappointed by the food quality and portion size.

Absolutely spot on, had the mixed grill and it was great, tonnes of food - enough for two people, other Indians in that area are tight with their portions (Warwick spice) but this was superb. Great value

Visited from the South of England and oh my goodness the size of those portions . The Nans are huge. The willingness to put what I couldn't manage into a box for lunch for next day really appreciated. Will definitely be back

The worst Indian food I have ever had. Curries were sweet and the Biryani no flavour nothing there.

Tastiest curry in Warwick. Extensive menu and BYOB. Very friendly staff.

Very nice place if you want to have some Indian style food.. starters, main dishes.. all excellent

I lived in the Warwick area for Decades and used to visit Castle Balti regularly. It was one of the first Indian restaurants that I was aware of. Always liked it ,so many years later I thought let’s go back to the past. Glad to say the Past ,was in this case ,as good as I remembered it! Great service , friendly staff. , reasonably priced too. The food was great on quality and quantity too. Lovely Onion Bhaji’s , and great Chicken dishes. Really enjoyed the evening Thank you

We had a lovely night staff very welcoming & large size portions. We will return.

Have dined in house and was faultless. However we ordered take away and the vegetable korma was tasteless and the chicken naga was not hot at all. No onion or tomatoes. Such a poor delivery. Would not order again .

Always busy, which tells you quite a lot. Excellent vfm

Food is of a poor quality and standard. Was not very enjoyable.

First visit, small dining area a bit cramped, outdated furnishings, no bar, can take own drinks, but to counter that one of the best places to eat if you like your curries, large menu, friendly staff Excellent Chefs be hard to beat in my opinion, Can have a feast for £15 considering take away Cod n chips nearby is £17 no competition.

Our friend took us here and it was excellent. Firstly alcohol is not served so you can take your own drinks if you wish. We went early on a Thursday evening and it was very busy. Very good service and a bottle of cold tap water was provided. There is also a comfy seating area if waiting for a table or collecting a takeaway. The food was very good and the garlic naan bread was huge. The service very good and friendly.

Taken here by a local friend, we loved it. Delicious food, great service and a nice atmosphere. We hope to be back.

Asked for 2 popadoms as we aren’t able to eat a lot - brought 4 and when we explained we only wanted 2, guy picked up 2 and said, “there, now you have 2!” Pathia was more like a pasta sauce with a bit of curry powder and partner’s shashlick was burnt bits of lamb with a tonne of onion/green pepper. Ok at best.

So when we usually order a curry.. this is our go to! However tonight was absolutely disgusting! We received our food and started tucking in.. only to find our chicken was raw! We rang the restaurant to let them know only to have i believe the manager basically call us liars. He said he’s going to send a driver out to bring the food back to the restaurant to “investigate” and said he’d ring us back. We waited and waited and eventually rang them ourselves to then be told there was nothing wrong with our food (please see picture below and see what you think) it was pink and slimey to touch! We were told that they were not going to refund us for our meal as we had already started to eat it and pulled the chicken apart to check the rest of it before discovering that it was raw 🙄

Came this evening with my husband and our two young boys 6&9, from the moment we entered the restaurant the staff were so lovely and kind and joked around with our boys which made us feel so relaxed as it's hard enough going for food with hyper children. But they went above and beyond for us as a family. Food was amazing too. HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Thank you again 😁

Great restaurant even better food. Best Indian in town

Delicious choice of food. Much larger than looks outside as upstairs area too. Bring your own booze (no charge), a couple of convenience stores within a few minutes walk. Parking nearby too free in evening. Definitely worth a visit!

Worst Indian food I've had in the UK. I get the need to dumb down spices, but my butter chicken was nowhere near what I had expected. I was questioning if they had used maple syrup in order to make it so sweet such that the curry was sticky.

Another amazing meal. Thank you 🤩

Best place for a curry in warwick and leamington .portion sizes are the best and the table naan is something else . Byob too which is a plus

Absolute amazing service from the bossman and an brilliant tiki masala and just an amazing atmosphere must go there

Delivery never turned up. Restaurant wouldn't take an responsibility. Said it was nothing to do with them that it was uber

Best homemade curries in The Midlands

First time came from birmingham, really nice food ordered the saag and lamb tawa, best naan i had till date and roti was massive, the owner and staff ware very nice and polite and welcoming. Definitely recommend.

We were the first table of the evening. One server was curt with myself, but the others were neutral. The server asked if we wanted poppadom, but not how many. He asked the next 2 tables who came in how many they wanted. The poppadom and accompanying sauces were good. When I ordered the chicken malaya, I asked about the spicy level, and he said they would make it not spicy. The other 2 people like spicy food, so they didn't say anything. Mine was the hottest of the 3 dishes. It was an oily hot exclusively in my mouth, and I couldn't finish it. The music cracked, popped, and hissed unpleadantly the entire time we were there, and we were directly under the speaker.

I come here regularly and have been doing so for 20 years plus.

The food wasn’t to its usual high standards. We ordered the same dishes as before but were not satisfied of the same quality. Plus they got our order wrong and was cash only, which was disappointing.

If I could put no stars I would. Ordered from uber when it arrived the curry was missing. I phoned up to be told they are too busy deliver it to me even though it was their error Also ordered 1 x veg samosas 1 x meat samosas they arrived and the containers had been labelled wrong as the meat were in the vege container. Good job we wasn't vege! Attitude of member of staff on the phone was disgusting so rude like it was my fault and out the phone down on me Shocking service what a let down from you as you used to be so good If your busy in the Resturant turn off food for uber if you can't be asked to give the same service

Been ordering takeaway from here for years. Quality has always been top notch

Very friendly. Food is excellent and the portions are enormous! Beautiful clean restaurant. Busy with good atmosphere. Highly recommended😁

Came today asked for table in corner and down stairs as on crutches which they did , food was lovely really big portions , friendly staff will definitely Come again

Great location if you are looking for a BYOB Indian restaurant. Every time I have been here the food has been consistently good, service is always fast and professional. The spice levels of the dishes are definitely on the higher end, but they are well balanced and not overpowering. The portions are also large, so you will definitely not go hungry. The pricing is also very reasonable. What’s not to like?

This has to be my favourite Indian restaurant. The food is always tasty. It's unique when comparing it to other restaurants. The portions are plentiful and the service was good and friendly

The food was really really great!! Had a beer and curry night with the guys.... Everybody had a lovely meal 👍👌

Very nice place. We was on the second of January en the evening for dinner. Very nice food and friendly service. I can just recommend it.

Visited tonight, was made aware it’s under new ownership. Fantastic food and very friendly staff. Definitely worth a visit.

Really good food. If you order a takeaway check it. Last night I paid for poppadoms and when I got home I realised there were none in the bag

I am not sure if there is much more I can add to previous reviews but it's enough to say that the wife and I had a very enjoyable meal here. We are not locals, and were visiting a relative in Warwick Hospital. Being a Friday night we fancied our usual, and curtesy of Maps, chose here simply based on the photos. Yes parking is problematic and the restaurant is a little rough around the edges but all else that matters made for a very pleasant evening. No problems with the food or service, although the wife prefers a different flavour profile to her baltis. Portions are huge and we could have easily shared what we had between 4. Service was very friendly and the atmosphere was pleasant. What was apparent that it has a very well and long loyal customer base which tells you something.

New owners and some old faces too. Food was lovely :-)

The restaurant is amazing. The food is so fresh and delicious. All the staffs are friendly. I will recommend everyone for try the food.

I have eaten here regularly over 25 years. Last night we all commented that food was better than ever. My Madra was the best curry for a long time.

This restaurant is not suitable for small family, we ordered , 3 masala papad 1 veg starter 1 non veg starter 1 full egg fried rice 1 soft drink Still the manager who was serving us said this is too small order to serve on the table , he suggested to take away , somehow we requested him so he said will allow this time thought to write this review so that no one can get imbarrass like this.

Booked our table arrived didn't have to wait to long for a table. Staff was friendly Food was amazing Will be visiting again.

Tonight's meals were excellent!! Fresh flavours, beautifully presented and absolutely scrumptious. Service with a smile and a joke! Good value!!

First visit last night based on total guesswork and I honestly think that I've just had the best curry from any curry house I've ever visited. Super impressed; will be visiting again

Excellent Indian food. Service has improved. Don't order the large naan as it covers the whole table

Had a great evening here and the food was great and very inexpensive. Would highly recommend

Since moving to Birmingham we’ve missed this amazing place but on a trip back to Warwick we had to stop by. The server recognised us straight away and it’s always nice to have that happy interaction. Food was even better than I remember it!! Can’t fault anything with this place! Flavours were on point I highly recommend the chicken madras especially if you love your heat and spices, portion sizes have somehow got even bigger and the service is exceptional!! Defo worth the travel from Birmingham

For those who like Indian food and curry, it is a good option.

Not very happy at all I stayed with castle balti when there terrible hygiene was zero I still bought off them because I never had a bad curry but now all of a sudden I am being treated shocking is this because u have now been given 4 star rating and now fook me I have now been waiting 2 hours for my food disgrace

The food is simply wonderful. Full of real spices and flavours with plenty of choices. The service is spot on and friendly. But be warned, pre-booking is essential as it is very popular and with good reason.

Place has gone downhill, found long hair in my delivery and when I telephoned they said it must be mine!!! Won't be going back

Amazing little restaurant in Warwick. Staff is really nice and goes a step further than normal to ensure your visit is memorable. Food quality is really good. Food portions are good, especially for a foodie like me 😁..prices are decent and don't make you think twice when ordering food. Will definitely go back when i am in Warwick next.

Best curry ever efficient staff all good

Perfect ! Fantastic food Lovely staff

Perfect big portions I had a chicken tikka vindaloo And was not disappointed

Excellent time and meal. Was there as part of a work get together. Staff really good and food was top notch. Naan bread was massive Parking is easy at the nearby st nic church.

Great authentic Indian food but big portions, vegetable dishes excellent three sides with rice/nan adequate for 2 people

Fantastic service, and some of the best curry I've had in a long while. If I could give more stars I would. Highly recommend.

I have known this restaurant for as long as I can remember. The guys are so friendly and accommodating and the naan breads are phenomenal; however, the curries are full of oil. My second curry in a month has been floating in oil and my husband’s was the same. It’s been a long time since I sat in an Asian restaurant skimming off the fat. I’m not sure if the chef has changed but PLEASE dial back on the oil as it’s ruining the food. I’ll give it a while before I go back but won’t write them off completely. If it continues then I’ll sadly have to look elsewhere for my chicken dhansak/madras fix.

Great food, naan bread were enormous, on need 1 for 3 people.

A long time since my friend and I had met up So a great catch up. Fine food Had Chicken Naga which is always Very Very hot Their hottest dish but full of flavour

Great food, decent portions, reasonable prices and friendly staff. Not sure patting the shoulders and backs of female patrons was appropriate. Decor was okay but could do with a repaint to hide various grease marks. Sorry, toilets not visited.

Edit: recent poor food rating should also be considered. Popular but I've no idea why. I've tried takeaways from here many years ago and found them to be swimming in oil and fairly bland so never understood the popularity of the place. Fast forward +20 years and went for a meal here with friends. Place was busy as usual and the service great but the food was as before with way too much oil and bland base that seemed to be used in the three different dishes we had. I chose a spicy garlic chicken which meant the bland base has a clove of chopped garlic added to the top with some extra chillies. I can do better at home.

Simply the best Indian I’ve ever had. Food tasted amazing, portions were generous and service was excellent. You are missing out if you don’t visit here whilst in Warwick. Highly recommend!

Very good tasty curry definitely recommend this place if you love a good curry 🍛 😋 had to wait a long time for the food but it was worth it and big portions

Full dislosure: I Do Not Like Indian Food AND This Restaurant is Amazing! I would eat here again without hesitation. However, this variation, called "Balti" is a fusion of influences from Northern India and Birmingham, England. We found it by parking nearby & following our noses. The server got us seated right away & brought out papadams, three different sauces, and an onion & cucumber salad for starters. It was astonishingly difficult to stop eating so we could save room for dinner. Our party of five ate butter chicken (amazing depth of flavor, mango malai (sweet, creamy dish with chicken), chef's nutty special with tandoori chicken, biryainyi tandoori chicken (a lovely rice dish), and lamb meatballs. On the side, we enjoyed garlic nan and peshwari (sweet) nan. The price point was entirely reasonable. You should know that they do not serve tea or alchohol, but you can bring in your own alcohol for them to serve for a corkage fee.

We shared 5 dishes, and all were delightful. The buttered chicken had layers of complexity, seamlessly blending savory and sweet with a marvelous kiss of cardamon. The mango malai was luscious, a lovely sweet cream sauce and chicken dish so delicious I sopped up every drop. Of special note was the peshwari nan, a sweet treat I highly recommend.

Can I ask castle balti I have u every time and to be honest never ever had a bad curry but when u see u have zero for hygiene I wonder what is going on please tell me u have improved

I’m not gonna lie, I’ve been to every single restaurant in the whole of Birmingham and they do the best omelette the best biryani. It’s amazing and the best poppadoms and Tandoori selection but I didn’t quite taste that today so I wanna go back for that. You really have to understand that this restaurant is not like your typical idiot please what you look for, it’s proper coming from a food lover

Traditional old school Indian with friendly staff. Very big portions and great value.

We ordered 2 dishes, horrified to find a really long hair in one dish. When we told the staff, we were told they would just re-make the dish and told us no one there has long hair, despite actually filming myself pulling out the hair from the curry.. I was instantly put off my food and did not even want another dish. I was not offered a refund and didn’t even get much of a sincere apology. Disgusted.

Incredible meal at the castle balti tonight. Best butter chicken iv ever tasted, balance of spices and depth of flavour off the chart. Very reasonably priced as we brought our own drinks. Service was impeccable, very friendly and attentive. Would reccomend to anyone

Have been a regular visitor to Castle Balti for many years, visited on Father’s Day with my family only to be extremely disappointed with the quality of the food. Waited over 1 hr for the meal to be served whilst takeaway customers received their orders within 15 minutes. Definitely won’t be visiting this Balti again.

We went in just after they had opened on a Saturday afternoon without booking and were given a warm welcome and seated straight away. We had some poppadoms to start, these came out promptly with our drinks, we both had diet coke but you are encouraged to bring your own beer or wine if that's your tipple this is great as it keeps the cost of your meal down. We had a mushroom balti and a chicken tikka balti with chips a garlic naan and a plain naan, The naan bread is the size of a blanket so you may want to share one between 2 people. We would recommend this place in all respects, parking can be an issue so give yourself time to park.

Zero hygiene rating!!! The place must be absolutely filthy to get that - even some of the hovels I can think off locally get a better score. We used to eat from here frequently but never again.

The table nan was unique and amazing! Make sure you're hungry when you go!

Always enjoy our visits to Castle Balti, great food impeccable service great company 😀 👍

They seem to go for quantity over quality and ‘slops’ best describes my meal. They also can’t be bothered to cut the onions properly so we all had these large chunks which were off-putting. The Nan bread was huge so only order one for 3 people. I tend to think the only reason people eat here is because they can take their own booze so it’s cheap.

Great service, nice guys who work there, popular restaurant, always busy. Not quite a 5 star as I've tasted better curry but decent, and you can take your own alcohol!!

I really wouldn’t recommend eating here! It’s got a 0/5 food hygiene rating, and I got some of the worse food poisoning of my life after eating here. I don’t usually leave reviews like this but it’s really REALLY not a good place

Fantastic meal with friendly service. Great value, the food was excellent. They even provided containers to take our leftover food away. One of the best curry’s around.

After refusing to ever go back to this place, I see now that WDC have give them a ZERO hygiene rating!!!!!!! btw it’s not possible to leave a review with less than 1 star on google, unlike WDC!!!!

Recently rated a 0 hygiene rating stay away!

0 food hygene rating be warned Absolutely terrible service, poor quality curry full of oil. To top it off saw a mouse/rat in bathroom area. Checked food hygiene rating and its 0. Unfortunately both of us have been quite sick after eating here.

Regular customer, highly recommended, Tandoori mixed grill fab and includes huge naan. Had lamb madras tonight, lamb jordi, lamb tikka, special Rogan, very nice

Great food and reasonable prices. Friendly service. Alway a great experience.

Awful experience, awful food, awful service. Horrible tasteless Indian food ever had, from 4 different starters to 4 different main meals. Went with family ,total waste of a special evening. Arrogant staff & totally unhelpful staff could care less. Got wrong orders & when corrected blend food. Good size portions but totally tasteless and all four us left starters & mains, we don’t like wasting food but this wasn’t palatable. To top it bad nights sleep & bad tummy. Never again 😛😏 quality poor , service poor, place poor. Been here several times before, food was ok , but now terrible. Staff & manager when complained, not helpful or response & just laughed it off

Unless you really want them, I'd skip the poppadoms and just get a starter instead. They charge for a tray of onions and accompanying sauces, then each poppadom is ninety pence on top of that. I'd also not go for a any lamb dish, as the lamb is very tough. The dish which seemed authentic was the Chicken Tikka balti, but unfortunately they have started to put less chicken and bulk it up with chunky onion and tomato pieces. Service needs to be improved for people dining in as they give priority to online delivery orders, so wait times when dining in get disrupted. Also, check the bill and always keep a tab on what was ordered to avoid being overcharged.

Mediocre food, not too tasty and just lots of heat. Pakora batter and chicken could have done with an extra minute cookig time. Had lamb tikka patia and meat was a bit tough and sauce far too hot for what is supposed to be a sweet and sour dish

Very variable for both service and food quality. Has been excellent but also very mediocre and unfriendly.