Dabbawal in Newcastle upon Tyne

Absolutely fabulous well worth a try food delicious best naan bread lovely size portions and lovely dessert service was excellent and lovely atmosphere not to be missed 👍

Busy Friday in Newcastle, all tables packed out. The delivery of service and food was exemplary, from the host who greeted us when we walked in to the chef that cooked my INSANE Madras, all members of staff were a credit to the business. Being able to deliver that level of food and service is outstanding. Credit to the owner and managers who are doing an excellent job. Well done, I’ll be back!!! 🤤🫶🏽

Great food with excellent service. Railway lamb was outstanding We had a great night. Thanks to the team Thank you. bbbbb

Went with a group of friends. We were ripped off with “chef’s surprise” it was a big surprise of ratio what they sell and portion size versus price. They also couldn't facilitate my friend’s dietary request, waiter was very pushy& rude and served him spicy food anyway. They are trying to stuff as many people as possible on benches and sell as many as possible of “chef's surprises”, saying it there was not enough space per adult. If you are visiting with a group of friends - don't fall for that trap. Ah and don't forget about those 10% tip on top after bad service :)

First time visit last night with a friend. Opted for Indian as both our partners aren’t keen. Had heard good things about Dabbawal. Booked a table for 6pm and pleased we did as the restaurant was very full. I had of course scoured the menus prior to attending and noted they did a special £16 limited menu up until 6.15pm. On the main menu there was a chef’s surprise menu at £26 so we chose that instead. Poppadoms came with tiny dip bowls. Could have done with a lot more dips for the ratio to poppadoms. Then followed some sweet potato chaat which was ok. We then were presented with a plate housing a piece of salmon, chicken and a lamb chop all cooked in various spices. Was very tasty. However my friend doesn’t eat seafood so I think at the outset when we ordered this should be asked as when the main courses arrived one of them had king prawns in. This dish was very nice although very mild and creamy and not what I would order usually. The other dish was butter chicken. It tasted like chicken in tomato soup! A dish of pilau rice, black beans and garlic naan accompanied the main. Certainly value for money but was a bit disappointed with the two main curries as they were very similar and mild in nature. The bill arrived and we noted the wine was charged at £24 despite it being on their website offered at £16. Queried with the waiter and he said you had to order the pre theatre menu to get the wine at that price. That’s not stipulated on the website or at the time of ordering. £94 included a service charge which we were happy to pay as service was good. Would I go back? I doubt it. Visited Dakawala on Grainger Street a couple of months ago and that was much nicer.

Absolutely 10/10, was so close to cleaning the plate with my tongue. The food and the staff were so amazing, we had the pan fried sea bass and the coconut pepper lamb and oh my god. The sea bass was gorgeously cooked, sat in a plate of butter sauce seasoned to perfection. I was a bit worried about the lamb as it's notoriously easy to cheap out or cook wrong, but no. It was unreal, slow cooked and melting in the mouth. The pepper and coconut seasoning was honestly indescribable and you just had to be there. The restaurant is fully booked a lot so I'd recommend checking the bookings online.

I arrived on spec without a reservation and was fitted in immediately. I was in a hurry before going to the theatre and my food and beer arrived very quickly. I have eaten butter chicken in the Moti Mahal in Old Delhi where it is said to have been invented and Dabbawal’s version is every bit as good. Highly recommended.

Stunning starters 👌 Mouth-watering main courses👍 Delicious desserts 👅 Superb service 🙏

Absolute gem of a place. I'd had a late lunch and wasn't that hungry so ordered just a chicken korma and rice but trust me this was next level in the taste department. So expertly spiced and absolutely tasty, wish I'd ordered loads more things. Probably the best curry I've ever had hands down. Damn I wish they were in London too. Proper amazing, cheers to the Dabbawal curry gurus. X

We went here for lunch to celebrate my friends party as a group of 10 here and we had a blast! The staff were very kind, attentive, and accommodating when I was speaking on the phone with them to make reservations and in person. The food was amazing as well; their lunch offer is very filling and worth it. The atmostphere and decor were also pretty and enjoyable. I will definitely be back again. Thank you to our waiter, the manager and Federico!

Biryani is at its possible best

I came here with a pal for an early evening curry - try the dupiaza, it’s delicious! My pal had the mixed tandoori which included salmon - she loved it! We also had a sag paneer side dish and that - with a Nan between us - was more than enough for 2! The waiters were polite and helpful, and the decor is lovely - great little restaurant!

3 of us ,all the food was lovely,lamb chops,bhuna,really good keema nan salads,a really good dining experience, just 3 on atmosphere 3 covers in it was 12pm on a Sunday,more came as we wer leaving.myfriend is indian and he loved his food to.my samosa was a bit mushy and my chai was tepid.apart that that loved the place.defo 1 of the best in North east cheers

First time trying and would definitely come back. Really reasonably priced, fantastic atmosphere and friendly staff. My friend and I started with the poppadoms which were lovely then decided to get a mixture of small plates to share for our main. The salmon was gorgeous, absolutely delicious I would come back just for that! The black lentils again I loved. We got 5 small plates, rice and naan and that was perfect for two very hungry girls! And our entire meal came to around £60 with drinks which we thought was fantastic value. We definitely want to come again and try the chef's special menu!

Food absolutely superb. Not a traditional curry house, but an Indian take on tapas/street food. It was incredibly busy when we were there, but the service was excellent throughout. Really enjoyable meal and will be back.

Delicious food and comfortable seating ,great service , very pricey especially considering the location but was for special occasion

Took forever to take order, even basic water was not provided for long time. Food was ok nothing amazing.

Went for dinner on a wednesday, no reservation, we got a table right away, restaurant was almost full. The food is surprising, the flavour and textures are great. We were with a friend ftom mumbai an he says most things taste the same. Doesnt get better than this. Congrats! Its a great place with friendly people.

We were a.party of 4 for lunch on a Saturday. 3 of us had the lunchtime thalli which we all really enjoyed, 1 just wanted some chips which went down well too. The staff were really friendly and attentive and the prices were really good.

Best Indian food in Newcastle, The butter chicken was good. One of the staff recommended us railway mutton curry; the curry was the bomb!!! Me and my friends love it so much! The staff were so friendly and nice to us too! Please drop by this restaurant if you're in Newcastle.

While visiting Newcastle, I came across this establishment at lunchtime. I was greeted at the door and then taken to my table. The food arrived, and I wasn't disappointed. It was fantastic. When I'm back in Newcastle, I will definitely be back in. Great food, great service. Loved it.

Food is good, tasty, but portions are very small, and prices are a bit high

Vegetarian food is great here, some of the best in area. Would recommend.

I come upto Newcastle on occasion for work and without doubt, Dabbawal High Bridge is always a real treat. Tandoori done as it should be, absolutely divine and fresh tasting food, well spiced, great service and wonderful atmosphere. 10/10

Only had a takeaway this time but yet again food is delicious and authentic… no added colours… no water injected rubbery meat… had all the chicken tikkas and citrus prawns. Overall brilliant and wish they had one in Manchester.

Butter chicken literally tasted like Heinz tomato soup with 3 bits of chicken breast dropped into it. Very disappointing

Tried this restaurant for lunch. It was absolutely beautiful. Great service, lovely food, and a very nice place to eat.

Sensational, spicy, seriously recommend. Went early lunch time on a Saturday. Very friendly and accommodating staff. Attentive throughout the meal without being intrusive. Food was amazing. Yes, it's pricier than some but I have never had food this good at any other establishment. Never again will I look at broccoli the same way, as their smoked broccoli was so tasty. Same with the okra fries. Totally worth ordering. Their recommendation of 3 small plates and 1 side was spot on. I ordered more and it was too much food for me, although absolutely delicious. The food had some spiciness but in a way that it was designed to enhance the flavour, and not just for the sake of heat. Everything I ate was delicious, including every sauce, and lovely fresh side salads. If I was local enough to go back, I would love to try other menu items. I will not forget this place in a hurry, and have even made some word-of-mouth recommendations to friends in the area.

Called in for lunch at the High Bridge Street branch. Food was delicious - I had the vegetable based Thalis which was a fabulous way of sampling lots of small dishes. Staff were really helpful and attentive but without being intrusive. I’d absolutely recommend this restaurant and I’ll definitely be back!

Liked the starters. The drink was too sweet for me. Service and staff were amazing. Found the curry lil too sweet. Overall it was a nice experience.

The atmosphere is who you bring with you. Food was not tasty very small portions, left feeling hungrier than arrived VERY overpriced, first and last visit would not recommend go elsewhere

Love this place, staff are amazing and food is excellent, I never seem to find the time to sit in and eat but like popping in for a takeout and enjoying a beer and chat with staff while I wait.

The best vegetable samosa chat so far in the UK! And the South Indian pepper lamb was also so yummy. Highly recommended.

An amazing Indian gourmet experience. The lamb Lahori was just yummy.

Went for lunch with my wife. Starters excellent, shish kebab and chicken panoramic Mains sea bass and methi chicken, cooked well but no outstanding taste to either dish. However lunch menu not expensive. Beer however is at £4.75 for small Cobra.

HIGHLY RECOMMEND! Great food. Great staff. Never known a dinner to be so smooth and well ran.

Delicious food and attentive service. They were very accommodating with allergies.

This was a fantastic meal. Truly brilliant. I didn't quite know what to expect when I booked it but it really excelled. I had 3 dishes, the Chicken Pakora, the Tandoori Chicken and the Fish. All were sublime, the tastes were all unique and extremely evocative. Already looking forward to going back.

Excellent food. Vegetable samosa chast was the best starter I've ever had

Food - great!! Service - friendly Restaurant - a little bit noisy, not optimal for conversation Overall, I definitely recommend. We had a great night.

I had been thrice before. Tonight was a works do. The taste is great. The decor is attractive and the staff were fully clued in and sound with it. For my naturally greedy inclination I'd score this a two star because I felt the portions were skimpy to say the least, and I wasn't alone in my viewpoint. However I know that size ain't everything! If you need a tonne of cheap grub after a session, then go elsewhere. If curry is to be the highlight of the night and you want to shell out somewhat, then this is a great joint to hit make no mistake.

Best Indian food I've had outside of Croydon. Recommend the small plates and do it like a Turkish Mezze

We selected the chef’s mystery special meal and it was a great idea. We quickly got some delicious starters and snacks and then a selection of wonderful curries to share. Excellent food

Great food with a nice relaxed atmosphere. The service was very quick and the staff very friendly. Will definitely go again.

Not suitable for family as they are not serving as first come first serve and provide priority to bachelors

Update May 2024 Passing through Newcastle again so a table booked online for the Dabbawal. Still as wonderful as ever. Superb food, excellent service and great cold Cobra. It really couldn't be any better than this. Liked the paint job on the front of the restaurant, very smart. Update June 2023 In Newcastle once more on our way home. HAD to book a table for dinner. Not as busy this evening but still fantastic staff providing the best in service and of course, the very best in food. How I wish we had a restaurant of this quality where we live. Five stars seems quite mean, I would be more than happy to give double that. Update Dec. 2022 Back in Newcastle on our way back home to the north of Scotland, so booked a table for dinner. Very busy but still superb service from the hard working staff. 5* food, 5* service. A truly fantastic restaurant. Original comment. Was recommended to try this restaurant. What a find!!!! Went early before attending a concert at the Sage. The Chicken and mixed pepper jhalfrezi was absolutely superb and beautifully washed down with a large bottle of ice cold cobra. Will definitely visit again when I am next in Newcastle.

We have been here in the past and always enjoy going back. The atmosphere was lively but not rowdy. We wanted to try something different and our waiter Nanda was very knowledgeable and made some excellent suggestions. The food was amazing as always and we enjoyed the choices Nanda made. Definitely will go back again.

Out for a few drinks with a friend and we get sick of the usual pizza so we went to Dabbawal for a change. We had been before and decided to treat ourselves. Food was fabulous and the service excellent. Food is piping hot and very tasty. We ordered the 3 small plate menu to try different dishes. We will definitely be back on our next trip into town.

Try the chef’s surprise menu. Let the chef decide for you! You won’t be disappointed.

Amazing staff, stunning food, lovely atmosphere.

A nice shop on a side street. Great ambience and very nice service. Enough choice so that you can stop here more often. We loved it nice atmosphere an nice service, with patience for tourists. We will definitely come back at our next stay.

Firstly the staff were so friendly and helpful could not fault the service one bit. The restaurant although quite small has a really nice feel with all the decor and a great atmosphere. Now the food WOW! Nothing like a conventional Indian my partner had the korma and I had a lamb passanda with peswari naan and rice. Both meats were melt in the mouth tender and the flavour of both curries was something I've never experienced before, absolutely nothing like what you'd get at a bog standard indian. Naan was exceptional as well. Honestly could not fault the place at all will 10000% be revisiting. Thanks

Exceptional meal. Dining solo, had 3 starters/small plates. Kind, helpful staff with great recommendations, exceptional quality cooking (samosa chat was divine and house mango salad was an incredible flavour). Would travel to eat here.

Fabulous food. Staff were so friendly and professional. The atmosphere was great. Lovely place nice decor. Will definitely be back.

We couldn't rate Dabbawal highly enough for there ordering process and top notch food! We placed our lunchtime order with Leonardo in the events team, for 29 Dabbabox's for our team in Newcastle. Nothing was too much trouble, and the food was delivered piping hot and on time by Leonardo himself! We will definitely be ordering again soon!

Garlic Naan was the highlight of the food. The place is beautiful inside. The service was great.

Lovely food and wonderful staff who helped make mine and my friends’ evening special :)

First time going today. Amazing food. Relaxing atmosphere. Great service. Highly recommend. Will defo go again.

Great service from friendly staff. Good Indian food and more interesting than most. Recommend for family and friends.

First time going today with my wife. Amazing food. Relaxing atmosphere. Great service. Highly recommend. Will absolutely go again.

It's amazing experience. Delicious food 😋

A wonderful restaurant with a great ambience, amazing food, and warm, friendly, attentive service. I went for my birthday which the staff picked up on immediately, they went above and beyond to make sure my friends and I had a great time. The food was well portioned and every dish tasted amazing. It was tough to pick from the menu, because everything looked and sounded fantastic! Thanks to Baba in particular who looked after us, and made our visit extra special. Will definitely be going back soon, and recommending to others!

What can I say, superb food, definitely worth a visit.👍😋😋

We had dinner at Dabbawal with friends and had a great time there. Both the food and drinks were excellent. We started off with Indian inspired cocktails which were delicious. We decided to have the Chef’s Surprise menu and it was definitely a good choice. We received appetisers, grilled lamb, salmon and chicken starters and a variety of curries with chicken, lamb and seafood, sides of plain and saffron pilau rice and plain and peshwari naan, the latter of which fantastic. Everything was excellent and I would definitely recommend a visit for Indian food lovers

An excellent meal at Dabbawal last night. We were a table of 22 celebrating a 21st birthday. The attention to detail, staff, food, ambiance was outstanding. An extra big thank you to Nitin and Rahul whose service was exceptional. You must pay a visit!

An excellent meal at Dabbawal last night. We were a table of 22 celebrating a 21st birthday. The attention to detail, staff, food, ambiance was outstanding. An extra big thank you to Nitin and Rahul whose service was exceptional. You must pay a visit!

If you loke Indian food you have to go here. Food .taste. atmosphere. Service 10 out of 10. Can't wait to go back. Lol

We were just visiting Newcastle for the day and this restaurant was recommended to us. We called in at 5pm without making a prior booking. We were happy to be given a table (slot until 6.30pm). It seemed a nice place with plenty of staff. From the moment we sat down, it was rush, rush! To order, to eat and to go. The food was OK, nothing special. They cleaned the table whilst we were sat there and one waiter stood there with his machine for payment whilst we had not finished eating. Pretty poor service in my view. All they wanted was our money. We should have opted for the pub lunch earlier.

Very disappointing ‘service’. Good food, as always but so so so rushed. Tables far too close together. No soft furnishings to absorb the high level noise. I don’t want to hear others’ conversations. Main course arrived seconds after the poppadoms. £65 in an hour and you’re out - it felt like a ‘fast food’ outlet and all about bums on seats not about quality ambiance. It was our 1st time we’ve been to the city centre restaurant. We much prefer Jesmond.

I stopped in at 4:45 pm mid week and I was. asked if I had a reservation I said no. The guy at reception said I could have a table for an hour Place is small but has a nice Indian feel to it. I was ushered to a table. Nobody offered me a drink while I perused the menu. While I was sat there other people came in and sat down and orders taken Waiters went past me and didn't speak to me. Seeing as I only had an hour I would have thought that they would have given me speedy service After 10minutes or so I got fed up with waiting and told the guy at reception that I was fed up of waiting. He didn't seem to have any response so I left. Disappointed

I arrived at 4:45pm on a Saturday and the place was already busy.Decor was period and Indian music permeated the airI was told I could have a table until 5:45. I was shown a table where I perused the menu.The food looked good and I waited a good 10 minutes or so without being attended to. Other patrons were shown tables and orders taken but I was ignored. Waiters walked past me and even the manager so I got fed up and left and told the guy on reception why No excuse for treating people like that

We came here as a party of ten. The restaurant is beautiful, the service was absolutely excellent and the food was truly delicious. Everyone really enjoyed heir meals and the Mumbai mule cocktails are a must recommend. Looking forward to returning. My only improvement suggestion is that we had someone with significant allergies in our party; double checking things as they’re placed on the table / informing the team about allergens would be perfect (we triple checked when everything came out) Thank you!

Great restauant with Indian food. Staff is very friendly and the atmosphere is perfect. Make sure you reserve in advance.

We came for dinner tonight and ordered from the early evening menu. Food and service was fantastic, especially the butter chicken which was so tender. Also the chilli chicken fry was great with the perfect spicy level.

Lovely setting and ambience but unfortunately that was the best thing. £8 for a bottle of Cobra and very small portions of main meals let the place down. Nice tasting food but I left the place still hungry. The 10% extra for service was a kick in the nuts too. Won't be back unfortunately.

As usual the food was fantastic.

Located on quiet street off Grey st. Helpful pleasant staff. Good range of small and larger plates . Everything we had was very good.

We went here for dinner and the staff were really nice. Food was also very nice , no faults - Apart from a wait for the drinks however this issue was resolved by the staff and they made up for it. Thank you

An excellent lunch for a family gathering of nine people. The food, the service and value for money were all outstanding. Comments such as "the best onion bhajis ever" from seasoned Indian food eaters were typical. Thank you, Dabbawal.

Couldn't fault the place the food was great, the service was on point. Will be back for more soon !

Great food, helpful friendly staff, lively atmosphere.

Very unhygenic Bad attitude of the staff

Great lunch menu. Food extremely tasty, staff very friendly and made my dad feel special for his birthday. Would highly recommend.

After my office I visited this place with my colleagues in search of some quick bites. I had ordered vada pav, the most famous Maharashtrian dish from India, though it was not even close to it but overall taste was ok, I didn't like it much. The masala Chai was nice but too sweet. My colleagues had ordered samosa chat & mango Lassi where samosa chat was pretty good but Lassi was too sweet. So it's OK to visit this place to try some other options but reservations well in advance will make your life simple.

You cant go wrong with Dabbawal, the food is always amazing and a great selection of drinks. The cobra 0% is perfect with a spicy meal.

It was good We went early doors mid week, by the time we left it was full Food was good, service was good, environment and atmosphere was good It was good.,..

The table was set for my birthday and one of the members made sure all our guests were accommodated and food was served in time. And as an added bonus one of the members of staff named Baba, arranged a small cake that I didn't ask for but was a very nice gesture from the restaurant. Overall a memorable experience and would do it again.

Excellent food and service at Dabbawal, the service was quick and the staff was very friendly. Special thanks their staff member Baba who provided amazing service to our table and made the dining experience top notch.

The food is quite nice. I've been to restaurants where the dishes come out when they're ready but the problem I had is they brought out the bland pilau rice 5 mins after everything else. Maybe they were having an off night but I've had much better Indian street food with much better service.

I had high hopes for this experience but felt it wasn't up to the hype. I'd heard and read a lot of good reviews about this restaurant. We all had the pre show menu which is a starter and main. The food was at best ok. Good mix of spices but presentation and quality... it was mediocre. The portion sizes were small and I left feeling that the food quality and amount didn't reflect the prices that they are charging. I get that cost of living puts pressure on the restaurant but if you come away feeling short changed its counter productive The service was great and our service team were attentive and genuinely cheerful and welcoming. Great service We were a small group (4) and are as soon as it opened for the evening on a Wednesday. For that time of day midweek it was busy with not many tables free. That begs the question... Did we just feel short-changed as a result of a one off or were we missing something bigger. It's the first time there for me but I can't see me going back... There are other Indian restaurants in the city that I'd like to give an opportunity to impress. This is a competitive market and this for me was a disappointing experience compared to other similar restaurants. At the end of the day you to a restaurant primarily for the food with service and atmosphere as a bonus. For me this experience was the wrong way around

Always fantastic food and service! We book everytime we are heading to the threatre and it never disappoints! We order from the pre theatre menu which is great value for money and offers a great varied selection of dishes.

Very upset after visiting here. We haven’t had a food, but before that the manager (the one was wearing specs) was not yet all welcoming. We haven’t reserved, we just walked in, but when we entered he was soo rude and behaved like we came to have a free food which really made us upset. We know here we always do reservations and go but today since we were just passing by the restaurant we thought will check, and we were ready to wait but the way he behaved us dint feel to stand there for a second. Immediately we came out walked to My Delhi, it was crowded there and we waited 40 min to get a table but the staff in My Delhi treated us in such a way that we felt so welcoming and finally they made our day. I request dabbawala management to take action against this behaviour, we felt like that specs manager is doing racism, we will never suggest to anyone to visit here.

Very nice Indian restaurant in the heart of Newcastle. Food was great, staff friendly and helpfull. Would surely recommend if you are looking for some high quality indian food in a nice ambiance

Our first night in Newcastle, having had a great day and night, was spoilt after our interaction here. It’s understood the place was busy but we were given a 9 oclock reservation to be told to wait for 15 minutes and told we should have assumed we would have to wait. Eventually after asking why other tables were being welcomed to despite coming in after us, no proper answer was given but worst was a member of the team explaining to us he won’t apologise for the inconvenience. I’m sure this place could be better on other days, however our experience was nothing but disappointing. fyi: Drink prices are London prices!

Went for bottomless brunch (now withdrawn). Food very good excellent service my wife had prosecco I had wine both were very nice. Will go back

Warmly welcomed as soon as you walk in the door. Both the service and the food are excellent. Reasonably priced for city centre dining.

Excellent service and food. Friendly staff. Less room to dine comfortably. Usually crowded always and often queue for the toilet.

Food was delicious and staff were friendly. One member of staff was a little bit unwelcoming (believe his name was Ranna and supposed to be the manager..?) as he did appear randomly throughout the service to ask if we were going to order with some haste/negativity, while we did have a waiter who was tending to our table already and doing a fabulous job! Besides that can't knock the restaurant, will visit again!

Visited here for my husbands birthday and we will definitely be visiting again amazing service with amazing food.

Superb spot for really nice Indian food, enjoyed the Madras Chicken Curry with Black Creamy Lentils and the obligatory Peshwari Nan. All cooked to perfection and very delicious. The Madras Chicken was spicy but not overpowering.