Chowka Indian Restaurant in Richmond upon Thames

Picked up takeout from 'rebel rito' .....Which is actually chowka restaurant. Very strange. Unsure what is going on with this place? It looks dirty inside, a bed in the middle of the place, overwhelming smells. First impressions walking in...dark...damp...stinks of oil and stale food... not the best impression for getting your food. We collected our takeout.... it was dry, tasteless, not well seasoned. Fries tasted like they had been reheated about 10 times. Didn't even eat the rest. Branded as a nice takeout but actually a rundown dirty restaurant. Very misleading.

food was nice but the place itself has an overwhelming smell, doesn’t seem well ventilated / extracted and smelt of grease / like fried burgers the whole visit. very off putting for dining in. would be a nice space if they aired the place out and the smell was not an issue.

We ordered a meal from here tonight through Deliveroo - under the name of Fiesta Mexico . If only we’d researched before we ordered and found it was actually an Indian trying to do Mexican. We spent £68 between 4 of us and most of it went in the bin. burritos filled with bland rice, wrong sauces and barely any meat, quesadillas- a scraping of filling and no sauce. Dry , tasteless tacos. We had Tesco tortilla chips and dip after chucking most of it and they tasted far better . There was no phone number on Deliveroo , now I know why. Will be asking for a full refund !

Three of us visited this restaurant on Christmas Eve and we were utterly disgusted. The food is simply appalling. Needless to say we will never return. Choose any restaurant but Chowka Indian Kitchen. The previous 5 Star Reviews on this site must be fake. The waiter was charming but the kitchen needs to close or improve dramatically before we can recommend this restaurant to anyone.

The best Indian food I’ve had in the UK. Even bears the excellent Thali cafes in Bristol

The food quality here is exceptional, fresh spice flavours, lovely dry, crisp poppadoms and unusual chutneys for example. The menu isn't huge, but all the better for concentrating on a smaller range. Thoroughly recommended.

Food is very much a matter of personal taste but we were very disappointed with our takeaway. The dishes were poorly spiced and over-salty. Our conclusion was that we would have done better to buy some Indian from the local supermarket.

Good service. The food was very salty which made it difficult to eat.

Awful. Cold food, undercooked chicken. Dirty restaurant

This was our second time to this Indian restaurant on Hampton Hill. We came once during semi-lockdown times. It was empty then. But sadly it was empty last night too. I am completely confused as to why, albeit it was a tad warm in the restaurant. However the quality of the food is absurdly good for such an humble looking place. Everything from the pilau rice to the keema naan, to the actual dishes are a tastebud sensation! This is the only takeaway you should every use if you want an Indian, but more than that, definitely go to this place. And enjoy that food! My boys fell silent whilst enjoying their explosions of flavours. If this restaurant was more central to London it would be packed!

Beautiful authentic Indian food! Had a gorgeous takeaway the other night with my two sons. All three of our main courses were different and had their own unique taste and flavours. They loved the lamb bhuna and the lamb shank. They are converted to Chowka! Pork Vindaloo was unlike anything you get served up in your typical takeaway. Well spiced and tasting as a proper vindaloo should. And they aubergine are to die for!!!! Never disappoints.

Some of the best, most flavourful food I’ve ever had. We had 3 starters, 3 and a half pints of beer, main and rice/roti each plus dessert and a complimentary starter for £64 which I think is really reasonable. Will definitely be coming back! Thank you!

A local restaurant taking Indian food up a notch. Nice food and experience - owned by someone who seems really passionate about food and authenticity. Really impressed with the quality of the dishes especially the Goan fish fry and chilli Squid starters. Not a massive menu, but a few dishes cooked really well. Very friendly and enthusiastic owner. Will be coming back very soon: overall very good, worth visiting before others discover it and it gets busy. Tip: even though they’re not on the menu, ask for the popadums they come with a selection of sauces that are delicious. There are also some very reasonably priced wines.

Opted to collect and should have seen the warning signs. Not clean, very untidy and really run down. More like a back street takeaway and def not somewhere to sit and eat. The Peshwari Naan was raw and mostly uncooked, pilau rice was watery and clearly old.. and the tikka massala was so salty it was inedible. All went in the bin, and it was toast for sat night dinner. Sad though. We've had food from there before covid, which was great, but last night was a shocker.

We have been a fan of Chowka since they opened. Just had yet another fantastic freshly cooked meal. Our friends are vegans and they were so impressed. We have used their takeaway service throughout lockdowns - highly recommend!!

Had a great meal tonight. A group of us, a vegan, a vegetarian and two meat eaters. We all had fantastic meals. Food was fresh tasting and beautifully presented. Waitress was attentive and friendly. I Recommend a visit

The food was really bad. The rice was off, the curry was awful and the popadoms and bread were stale. I had to throw it away. Avoid. Not one person in the restaurant on a Saturday night.

Delicious food served with a smile. The chutneys with the poppadoms are fresh and very tasty, and my favourite dish is the South Indian prawn curry, yum. The homemade ice cream is pretty good too!

We went for a meal at Chowka and thoroughly enjoyed the food. All our choices had great flavours and were good portion sizes. The red chicken tikka was the most delicious! Service was very friendly and gave good advice on the menu.

One of the best restaurants in Hampton Excellent food 🤤🤩and lovely customer service Highly recommended 👌👍

Looking at the other reviews on here I almost wonder if I ordered from the same place..but I did! Can only speak from our own experience but the food we received was bloody awful. Jalfrezi cold (sure you can warm it up) sauce watery no substance meat looked old nothing like a traditional jalfrezi meal. My wifes chicken korma looked a strange shade of green and tasted disgusting. Rice sloppy and naan bread rock hard. All food went in the bin and thats £28 down the pan. Very poor will not return!

Highly recommended. Wonderful food, lovely staff. The mint and coriander dip is sublime. I wish I lived closer!

Awful food cold watery and probably the worst Indian I have ever experienced so disappointing but management quite disinterested when rang to complain. Never again. Avoid!!

Ordered for collection whilst at the Star Pub. Food was good and probably prepared in about 20 minutes.

A really fantastic Indian restaurant, with friendly service and excellent food. If you haven't been, you really are missing out.

Great to get back to eating in at Chowka. Food as delicious as ever and accompanied by friendly service. V lucky to have this on our high street, thank you

Such a great asset to the area, their food is so delicious and the balance of flavour is so good, great value for money considering just how tasty it all is. Loveliest proprietors too.

Just had our first takeaway meal here and it was unbelievably delicious! Can’t recommend enough! Owners were so helpful + kind - even called to tell us we could collect our food earlier. Authentic food, reasonably priced and we are so glad this is our new local restaurant for a warm, spicy curry!

Wow !We have just moved into the area and are trying out all the local restaurants . The menu looked great and we have not been disappointed . We ordered a range of dishes which were delivered piping hot and full of taste . Being Indian I am quite fussy about Indian food but this really hot the spot - my kids loved the butter chicken and naan and we enjoyed a range of spicier dishes . All well flavoured and I thought the chilli level was spot on and portions are well sized ! Can’t wait to try again .

Another great takeaway from Chowka. The food is so fresh and a lot less oily than other places I've tried. Some unusual dishes on the menu and a fantastic selection of vegetarian food, as well as vegan options. The ingredients are always really fresh. Best Indian food in the area in my opinion. It's also a family run restaurant and the owners are really friendly and helpful. Prices are a little higher than other places, but once you taste the food, you can see why! Try the ice cream, it's divine....

Didn't expect such an authentic and pleasurable (home delivery)taste experience.If this has been in Hampton long I have been missing out.The pork vindaloo was great and tasted like the real thing with the vinegar at the forefront and quite unlike the usual offer of simply the hotter version of Madras seen at many restaurants ..it was hot enough to preempt asking if a Phaal was available.I also appreciated the foh phoning me back after I had asked about the size of the prawns in the South Indian coconut dish which was delish anyway and the number of slightly less size than king prawn adequate.All in all will go again but not as often as I wish as it's quite pricey.But the quality!

Fantastic authentic food! Everything tasted fresh and well spiced. If you want a bog standard British style curry this isn’t the place for you, as its excellent home style cooked food! This is gem on the high street!

The food here was a real surprise, both the quantity and quality are excellent. A special mention to the sheekh kebab, and the paneer masala. Will definitely be back again soon!

Ordered a home delivery for the first time and the food was amazing! Exciting flavours and fresh too. Our delivery driver was friendly and reassured that our allergies had been taken into account on our order. Will definitely re-order again.

Excellent local Indian restaurant. Good choice of dishes and the food is simply wonderful. Would recommend for either a visit or for take away.

The food was really nice and a very friendly service.

We visited Chowka at Hampton hill on a recommendation and were not let down at all. Chicken Chettinad, Lamb Rogan josh were perfectly spiced. We must say preparations are quite authentic and tasty. Place is beautifully decorated, Staff is friendly. We would definitely visit again!

This is the second time we visited Chowka and food is fabulous as always. They have new dishes added to their Menu so we tried lamb Rogan josh and Chicken Chettinad this time. Quite authentic preparation and perfect blend of spices! Place has a new look now which adds to the experience. Highly recommended!

This is the second time we visited Chowka and food is fabulous as always. They have new dishes added to their Menu so we tried lamb Rogan josh and Chicken Chettinad this time. Quite authentic preparation and perfect blend of spices! Place has a new look now which adds to the experience. Highly recommended!

Staff aren’t complying to COVID rules, and food is not good either. The waiter had no mask, and the place didn’t feel clean with flies all around. The food wasn’t much better. It’s empty for a reason and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone.

A very very good take away meal. Lovely fresh ingredients, and freshly cooked. Thanks and see you again soon!

Due to the lockdown my favourite Indian restaurant was closed so we thought we would try Chowka for the first time....it was awesome. The best coastal Indian restaurant outside India! Even my wife who is Czech and very picky about food loved it! Fabulous.. will 100% order again. I am an Indian from Teddington... so I know my Indian food baby!

Our regular takeaway (Cochin in Twickenham) is closed thanks to the crisis and my wife and I have been trying various alternatives around the area over the last month. We haven't been too impressed but I'm not going to give them bad reviews as I feel we should try and support those who are trying to keep their businesses running.I have to give a big thumbs up to this one though. Food was delivered pretty quickly, through one of the delivery apps and it was really good Goan food. OK, so the bhuna was very coconutty and South Indian which may not appeal to everyone but I liked it. Flavourful dishes, not full of oil, decent portions and the rice was nicely cooked too. The for actually tasted of the spices rather than just being hot, which is my main criticism of some of the other local restaurants. We will be ordering from here again, probably even after things settle down again.

Menu has a great selection of veggie dishes and all the recommendations from the waiter were spot on. Best Indian cuisine in the area.

We love going to chowka as the owner cooks authentic village Indian food that is so tasty, using methods that the old villages use it definately is a different experience, The Vindaloo dishes are so nice and fragrant in spices, your normal Indian vindaloo just does not compare

I love this place. The food is (I would say) Goan Indian with a few Anglicised dishes. The flavours of the dishes are exceptional, and you can taste the different spices that have been used in each case - no premixed sauces here. The Vindaloo is my favourite , it is not the fiery hot nonsense that you get in a standard "Indian" restaurant, but a beautifully balanced dish that allows the individual flavours to shine through. The staff are friendly and will take the time to explain the menu and why this is different. I can't wait to go again, and try the lamb next.

I love Chowka. Great Indian food and really nice people.

A slightly limited menu but none the worse for it. Gorgeous naan bread. My Goan fish curry was not the cod I had been expecting but the sauce was utterly delicious.

An Indian Restaurant with a difference. The freshly prepared dishes were nicely presented and very flavoursome with a good balance of spices. The staff evidently wish to please their clients without being over intrusive and interuptting conversation or wanting to rush them on. The restaurant was quite quiet which made for easy conversation in a relaxed environment.

Excellent food - we tried the broccoli and paneer starters and the vegetable biryani, naan and two side dishes. It was all fresh, delicious and good value for money! We will certainly be back to explore more of the menu.

Very nice food, more flavour and finesse than other Indian restaurants. Recommended

Called in mid week looking for a good curry - we were not disappointed. Had a selection of starters and mains, all were delicious. We asked for some to be ‘spiced up’ which Chef obliged. Prices are very reasonable and portions just the right size.Staff were lovely and didn’t seem to mind being kept up late!Definitely recommend a visit to Chowka.

Lovely restaurant with limited menu which is a good idea as the food is cooked fresh. Staff very pleasant and friendly. Deserves to have more customers as the standard of cooking was very good and service excellent. Fully recommend.

Quality food, fresh and homemade. Why is the restaurant mostly empty, try, you will not be disappointed.

Great restaurant. Friendly staff. Fantastic food. One of the best Indian restaurants I have been to locally

My daughter lives in Whitton, l went thete with my daughter and her family, we had good time good food, excellent service, l loved it would go again if I had chance

Small menu with delicious flavours. Love it!

A really excellent Indian restaurant, with superb food. It is nearly always surprisingly quiet, but don't let that put you off as the food is superb.

My husband and I had the pleasure of dining at Chowka Indian Kitchen yesterday. A family-run business, their food is authentic, delicious and freshly prepared. The service is friendly and attentive. If you haven’t tried them already, I urge you to do so! We will definitely be back again soon.

We had the pleasure of dining at Chowka again. It was quiet but it’s mid-week and we are in the middle of a heatwave! However, once again we were blown away by the quality of the food. The depth of flavour is a testament to their ‘home cooking’ style and subtle use of spices. The starter mixed grill was delicious and more than enough to share. The South Indian Prawn curry is sublime and in my opinion the best dish on the menu! The naan bread is also the best we have ever tasted! Chowka also deliver now so if you haven’t tried them already, I urge you to do so! We will definitely be back again.

We were the only folk in here early on Sunday eve, but enjoyed a lovely meal served by friendly owner and (probably) his wife. A limited menu, but this means that things are freshly cooked to order, rather than huge pots of sauce somewhere in the back kitchen - as used at some other establishments!The Saag Prawn that I had was lovely and nicely spicy, without being too chilli hot. The black dal side was very tasty too. Friends had Goan fish curry and really enjoyed this too,.

Tried out 'Chowka' after reading the good reviews on here and most impressed.The staff are attentive and welcoming and it appears it's a family run place which ia good.The food was fresh and tasty and gave the Pork Vindaloo a go which was very tasty opposed to just being hot! It's quite a simple place overall and not too comercialised which is quite refreshing, so good luck to them.

We had a delicious meal at Chowka with excellent service and delicious flavours in the food dishes. A different take on a typical Indian curry house. Would definitely visit again!

As soon as I saw "pork vindaloo" on the menu I knew that this place was going to be special; I wasn't disappointed. It wasn't too spicy and the way that the flavours separated on the tongue made each mouthful a delight.

I'll echo previous reviews, freshly prepared Indian food! How unusual, from the preserves served with home made poppadoms, to the beautifully seasoned mains. Just fantastic, black dal full of flavour and the goan king prawns were fabulous! The chef was also more than happy to help accommodate our need for milk free food also. Only one criticism, the goan fish curry was salty but lacked flavour I felt. Everything else was superb though, and considering the excellence everywhere else, still deserves 5 stars.

This is the second time we have visited Chowka in Hampton Hill. The food tastes so fresh and is a true delight for the taste buds! I highly recommend this South Indian cuisine restaurant!

We came by coincide and would come again on purpose! Great friendly service. Very children oriented (which is really important if you want to enjoy spicy food but need some creativity to get some non spicy delights for the kids. Most delightful was the Ocra dish. Pakoras were great, Mango Lassi was creamy and aromatic. Nan and other dishes all up to high standards. Bill wasn't too high and we really appreciate that we didn't have to pay twice for the drink our son spilled. 😰 So, if you find yourself in a traffic jam around this place, just take a break!

Last came here when it first opened and it is still delicious food. Paneer masala is the best I’ve had - watery rather than creamy and brown coloured as no colourings are added - as it should be!! All the veggie options are just delicious and some are unusual for an Indian restaurant. They have all the usual dishes of an Indian restaurant too, so this place would appease everyone. Poppadoms are fresh and not as greasy as some places.

Authentic Indian food. Great tasting. Healthier than standard Indian food.

The food at Chowka is extraordinary. The menu is based on Goa region so different from your bog-standard curryhouse (great as they are.) The meals are freshly prepared, the flavours really melded together wonderfully and the prawns incredibly tender and delicious. Thank you, Chowka. It’s my pleasure to highly recommend you.

The food served in this restaurant is far superior and more authentic then anything else you will find for miles. Do not be put off by the appearance and décor of this place, it delivers substance over style. We booked a group party and while the service was a little slow, the food was well worth wait and we happily sipped on beer whilst the outstanding chef worked his magic in the kitchen. Hampton Hill has been crying out for good food for many years, and little restaurants like this need the support of the locals to survive in an environment of corporate run chains offering manufactured food and poor value for money. If you are a fan of indian food do yourself a favour and try this place out.

Lovely food and caring service. Far from your normal 'curry house' with delicately prepared tasty food cooked to order. A hidden gem.

Took my partner to this great restaurant. Fantastic authentic indian food. A great bottle of red and fantastice service. My partner thoroughly enjoyed. Cant wait for our next visit.

The Squid is a must. Along with everything else. Every mouthful was appreciated. The main course was as good. perfectly presented. Trupti was an amazing lady. Very helpful and very friendly. We would highly recommend this lovely restaurant.

Best takeaway meal we've had in years. Seriously tasty dishes. We'd never had a vindaloo before but had read great reviews on here. Incredible. Not too spicy at all but incredibly flavourful.

I had a very good experience. The owner is very friendly and the food is awesome. Have eaten Indian food across Europe this place is one of the best ones for good food. A wide range of vegetarian dishes.

The owner cooks all the food to order, using far less fat than is normally found in Indian food. Each dish is carefully spiced and distinctive - and really delicious!

We've been to Chowka several times and love it. Trouble is it's been shut for weeks with no notice anywhere of when it might re-open and no method of contact. Reading the reviews it seems this has happened before !! ? Does anyone know the situation ?

We visited this restaurant for a quiet midweek dinner. It was in fact a slow night so the owner had time to chat with us and make recommendations based on our preferences. The menu is not like the average Indian restaurant, with some unusual dishes and unexpected spices. It all adds to the authenticity, and all in all our evening was elevated from simply a fantastic meal to a fantastic experience.

Have been to Chowka many times and the food and staff are always amazing. Cannot recommend enough- best Indian around the area by far.

Really friendly staff and some of the best Indian food I have had. We had a superb fish curry and coastal lamb curry. The quality and care showed to the food really shone through. Good value too.

We visited Chowka last night. We are both of Indian descent and just fancied a quick bite near our house. We weren’t sure as the restaurant was empty but thought let’s give it a go. Im also in the hotel business so I know the game.

Great food, cooked to our liking. The manager was available, to help us with our choices. Well worth the wait!

What the decor may lack, the cooking makes up for in spades. Chowka food is a revelation!

it was the second time we visited this place and unlike the last time very empty, strangely we were sat by the door probably the second worst table.

Another fabulous meal on Saturday. Really pleased that there were other people eating this time - last time we visited we were, sadly the only ones. This beautiful little Indian kitchen is well patron and by the locals, it just needs a few more people in the to understand just how special it really is

Delicious good and very good service. What more can you ask for? Very reasonably priced as well. Will eat there again, without a shadow of doubt.

Tasty food, Much better than your average take away. The starters were brilliant. It's a shame that the restaurant does not get to be full, though service is slow. But food is fresh and very tasty.

We ordered a take away, and all agreed that it was the best Indian food we have eaten in the UK. I have visited South India before and found the dishes on Chowka menu to be authentic. A small menu which is a nice change from usual Indian takeaways.

I have been to Chowka on a number of occasions and always found the food and staff to be excellent. I notice a lot of people commenting on the slow service, this is due to the food being freshly cooked while you there and not being heated up in the microwave!! Why is everyone in such a rush, just relax and enjoying your evening!! The food is definitely worth the wait!!

Met up with some old friends for a pre-Christmas get together and chose Chowka based on the TripAdvisor reviews. The menu is minimal (not a bad thing in a curry restaurant) and the food was fresh, well cooked and very tasty. What reduced the rating score in my opinion was the service was very slow, the restaurant was incredibly cold - to the extent where you didn't really want to take your coat off - and the tables, chairs and bathrooms all needed updating/replacing. Fix that then you would get 5 stars from me.

The food is amazing in Chowka , my self and my wife has a lovely dinner yesterday and really value for money , the food is really fresh and each dish has its own flavour , rather than one pot curry which reflect on short menu and cooked very nicely , I will definitely visit again ..

Very poor value for money Small portions and food kind of bland With such a wide choice of Indian restaurants in the area, I will not be going back.

The food in this little gem is excellent. Everything is really fresh. It’s not the standard Indian curry house menu although they do have some of the usual favourites. Even the poppadoms are done with an interesting fresh twist. Highly recommend this place. Will definitely be back. Really good value as well.

If you really appreciate what you are eating, rather than just the bland curry house slop that we have all unfortunately endured, then Chowka is a must-visit restaurant. If you are local to Hampton, Twickenham, Kingston; then it should immediately become your default choice. Simply, the food is that good. They have expanded their menu to accommodate a few of the more familiar high street branded meals, and so now offer their own take on a Tikka Masala, Korma or Vindaloo for instance, but not at the expense of originality or quality; but purely because footfall is required to keep any business open, and that's what walk-in trade demands . This restaurant would be booked out 7 days a week if there was any justice, but one expects their originality and lack of hackneyed Indian chintz might actually put some customers off. Give them some local support, even if it's just your next take away order, and I'm very confident you won't be disappointed. Oh, and don't forget to try the chocolate samosas !

The excellent home cooked dishes are a great change from the standard curry house fare. My personal favourite is the Coastal Lamb Curry and for a unique dessert try the Chocolate Samosa. There are a lot of restaurants to choose from in Hampton Hill but both locals and visitors should check Chowka out - you're taste buds will thank you!

Our first visit was excellent... and this time it was a take away (as we wanted to watch a programme on TV) and the food was even better. Fresh, tasty and not a 'ready made sauce' in sight.. I just want more people to visit the restaurant and get it flourishing because the food really is good.

Decided upon this restaurant after seeing the great reviews, and wasn’t disappointed! The Goan fish and House curries were real highlights, but the entire meal was delightful from start to finish. Be sure to search this gem out on Hampton-Hill High St!

We went to Chowka based on reviews of trip advisor. To say we were blown away is an understatement. All the food was flavoursome. The only disappointment was how empty the restaurant was. With such fine food it was a shame to see so many empty seats on a Saturday. It meant we had more personal service but I personally would like this place to stay open for my takeaways. Give it a try.

Went to Chowka on Saturday night with another couple. Reasonably quiet for a Saturday but hopefully will pick up as food was excellent. Not your typical menu. No more than eight to ten starters and same with main courses. Menu presented on clip board. We tried most things including pork vindaloo, spinach and dill, black lentils (daal) and the house curry (chicken) as well as some old favourites with a Goan twist. All were delicately spiced with fantastic taste. With lots of Cobra beers the bill was £ 30 per head that we though very reasonable. Only negative comment was that popadoms came as broken up slivers in small basket. Whilst they looked good, it was an innovation too far for us! Service excellent. We will return.