Dil Raj in Vale of White Horse

If you are someone who appreciates authentic Indian cuisine, not just “curry dishes,” Dil Raj in Abingdon is likely to leave you disappointed. This review is for those who understand and expect true Indian flavours and quality, not generic offerings. The experience here was underwhelming across the board. The butter chicken, for example, lacked the richness and balance that defines this dish, tasting more like sour curd than a carefully prepared recipe. The chicken itself was of poor quality, seemingly reheated and lacking any freshness. The breads were another major letdown. A staple of any Indian meal, they should be soft, flavourful, and cooked to perfection. Instead, they arrived half-baked with a texture that suggested low-quality ingredients. Even the chef’s special dishes, supposedly the highlights of the menu, were unimpressive. They lacked the depth, complexity, and attention to detail that one would expect from a restaurant advertising itself as an Indian culinary experience. Finally, the rice dishes tasted microwaved rather than freshly prepared, further detracting from the overall meal. Freshly cooked rice is an essential element of Indian cuisine, and its absence here was glaring. If you’re looking for good-quality, authentic Indian food in the area, Dil Raj is unlikely to satisfy. The food lacks the authenticity and care that define Indian cuisine, leaving little reason to return. I hope this review helps those in search of truly great Indian dining options to avoid disappointment.

A good local Indian restaurant that is friendly, well run and serves tasty food

Took 3 hours to deliver, order arrived cold and the curry was incorrect (ordered a lamb Rogan Josh and received a chicken vegetable curry).

Not sure if there’s been a change of chef but ordered a meal for 2 tonight take away. £55 (including 2 beers). Ordered on line as they requested. Mushroom rice didn’t taste of much and had big quartered mushrooms in which were undercooked plus undercooked / pretty much raw big chunks of onion and green pepper. Chicken Murgh was much more spicy than normal and didn’t look or taste as it has previous and was a very watery consistency sauce. Chicken was ok. Lamb masala sauce was ok but lamb chunks were very chewy and tough. Bombay potato was probably the best part but still lots of big chunks of green pepper and onion in. Naan was good. Maybe due to it being a Sunday and ordering slightly later than normal (8pm)…? Came within half an hour of ordering though pretty much. Not sure if we will try a take away here again…

I went for dinner with my family, atmosphere’s were nice ,calm and Pleasant. Service was good however food was not upto expectation ,I found the flies on my drink which was changed after I showed them and all my family members got bloated after that meal 😔.Definitely not worth it.

The best Indian restaurant in Oxfordshire & UK. A very friendly place for dining with friends & family.

The best place in Abingdon for a curry!

Took over 2 hours to get our food and it was cold. We were a table of 10, so a delay was expected but the length of this wait and food quality we got was disappointing.

Really enjoyed the atmosphere and service. Food seemed a step above an average curry house. Tasted fresh and good quality. Staff attentive and food delicious. Will be coming back as soon as I can think of an excuse.

Very good food and excellent staff. Whisked up some samosas especially for us. Polite and attentive waiters. Always a pleasure.

A lovely restaurant, with nice quirky Indian decor and intimate dining spaces. The food was quickly served, the ingredients were patently fresh. The meal was delicious and perfectly spiced, quite literally one of the best Indian meals I have ever had! I can't waIt to go there again!

Amazing food, fantastic service and a wonderful atmosphere.

We are here last night for first time in a couple of years - we usually favour the other Indian restaurant in town. Food was tasty at Dil Raj and good value for money. Plenty of dips with popadoms. We had veg samosas and onion bhaji starter, plus prawn bhoona and chicken one, one portion of rice between two of us was plenty. We couldn’t finish the nann bread so took it home with us. All that, plus pint of beer and large coke was £75 (including 10% tip).

We walked the 7 miles from home in Oxford,to Abingdon. The prize was always a dinner at the Dil Raj. Lamb Korai for myself,and chicken tikka massala for my wife. Service brilliant. Food exceptional. We have used a few Indian restaurants,but we both said that was the best. Many thanks

Such a fabulous venue, the food is excellent, the service is beyond expectation. A fabulous atmosphere and always 100% received back. Thank you for a incredible evening 💯

Suspect it was pre-prepped food. Sugar in curry. Would not revisit

One of the best Indians I've ever been to. Great service, great food and really make you feel welcomed.

Not too busy good food medium service (took a while for food) everyone was nice

Lousy picture of menu instead of proper menu, insipid food and lousy attitude plus atmosphere. In all, a massive dump.

I visited today with a group of friends for a get-together. The food was shockingly bad. The chicken tikka starter was raw in the middle, all starters were cold, and we had a 12.30 midday sitting. Cold plates and just bad food. Go to Tiffins as far superior food.

Always get really great service here. Alot of quite sweet dishes but I always just ask for a plate of chillies.

I read reviews all the time on Tripadvisor and find that there are more people who complain rather than praise. I guess that is the very nature of us Brits. No restaurant is perfect and they all have issues from time to time, yet Tripadvisor is the place that the moans appear on. Again, some may be justified but this review is for the praise. I have been going to the Dil Raj since it first opened in Broad Street (late 80s?) and Angur (the owner) and I have known each other since those times. He continues to be such a welcoming and obliging host and of all the meals I have had over the years I can honestly say I have never had a bad experience. Is that just luck? Some might say it is, but I cannot fault the place otherwise why would I keep returning endless times year after year? I go wirth family, friends; sometimes just two and sometimes up to 6 or 7 of us. They too all love it. I went again last night with an old friend and once again I have absolutely no complaints. Everything was superb.

I can’t fault the food, the restaurant, the drinks, all perfect and that’s why it’s a 4 star review, And for that reason we will probably eat here again. BUT, service is a big issue. Not because the staff aren’t working hard, it’s because there aren’t enough of them. The restaurant is large and staff literally run from one side to the next, continuously. That’s a bit off-putting for wanting a relaxed environment for your meal. And because they’re always in such a hurry, you can’t get their attention. They didn’t check everything was ok with our food, they didn’t ask if we needed more drinks, we left our seats more than 4 times to try and find someone and when we did ask for something we had to chase it up. Service is usually very good in Indian restaurants and unfortunately, due to too few staff, Dil Raj has missed the mark there. We hope it was a one off and next time service will be better. Just to add, we did pay the service charge as we didn’t feel it was fair to penalise the staff for there being too few of them and they were working very hard.

Booked £20pp buffet on a Sunday which was confirmed, but upon paying was told that it was £30pp due to being mother's day, which we were not told beforehand and when we queried this, were told that its what happens when there are 'event days'. However, they offer a buffet every Sunday for £20pp and it seems they simply increase the price to take advantage of such events. On top of this, there was a 10% service charge for a self service buffet. Total came to £83 for 2 people which is expensive for what it was.

Disappointing. This is a branch of Vine and Spice in Long Wittenham so I was expecting better. Curry was not rich nor spicy enough. Lunch deal advertised outside was only available by asking for a separate menu which I was begrudgingly given. Deal was main plus starter for 14.99 but it turned out that rice wasn't included. Who orders a curry without rice? In the end, it was a disappointing experience where the seal saved virtual nothing over the standard menu.

Excellent, food and service here are brilliant. A jewel in the crown and always brilliant. A gem of a restaurant.

Fabulous food, fantastic hosts and a great atmosphere

A really good Indian with a great dil passand 👍

Fantastic food. Lively place. Great service.

A great taste. Garlic naan is recommended very much. You will feel authentic Indian flavour. Great atmosphere and decoration. Very friendly staff. Nice service. A little bit overpriced.

Very friendly staff. Food was delicous. Highly recommended.

I was recommended this restaurant by a friend when I found myself in Abingdon one evening and I wasn't disappointed. The ambience, service and food were all excellent. I am already looking forward to a future visit. Update Back for another extremely pleasant evening with friends who we don't see often enough and some super tasty food. A fairly busy restaurant this evening, but everything was just how we like it.

We went for a fantastic family meal tonight at the best curry restaurant in Abingdon. The meal was up-to its usual excellent standard, delivered promptly and at a good price. I was even able to obtain a Blue Light Card discount. An older than middle-aged couple sitting opposite and behind our group did their best to spoil the evening, trying to make an unnecessary and unjustified complaint about the length of time they had to wait for their food, at the end of our stay, seeking ‘recompense’. I approached the manager by the bar at the end of our visit, letting him know that he had our support. The couple actually ended up waiting less time for their food than we did, and we didn’t have to wait that long. Some people are just serial complainers, trying to exploit situations, in order to fraudulently obtain free food. We will definitely be returning to the Dil Raj to support our superb local curry restaurant again in the near future. Thank you for your service, hospitality and tasty food this evening!

The food is excellent and there is a wide range of vegetarian options to choose from. The interior and atmosphere are perfect and the service is attentive without being intrusive.

What a great evening we had, a warm welcome, attentive service and just amazing food. We are avid curry lovers and would rate this restaurant amongst the best. Thank you

I ordered a take away on 29th September and i have to say it was terrible, i have always had very good meals from here. i arrived to collect my order and was waiting 10 minutes for my order to be bought out, i live 5 mins away in the car, i got home and the rice was stone cold, my Korma was Luke warm, the naan bread was cold and the poppadom's were soggy around the edges. I had a very upset stomach for the following 2 days. i am so disappointed and it has really put me off returning

Met up with friends for drinks and food, had a great meal but it wasn't cheap - £50/head (Inc drinks) but quality was excellent

Wow , amazing food absolutely smashing night

What can I say? Dil Raj is the most authentic and best Indian food in Oxfordshire. We regularly dine here and the food is always fresh and incredibly tasty. The staff are extremely kind and respectful. Sometimes the place is busy but it’s a testament to how good they are at their craft. Don’t miss out on Dil raj if you are anywhere near Abingdon! - Nadim

Fab meal.... easily the best indian we've had, possibly ever!! Service was great, nice and busy so a lovely atmosphere. Good value too.... thanks and we'll be back

Not the first time I’ve been to the Dil Raj, it’s always very good and would highly recommend.

I would like to give you a suggestion that please put a board on your restaurant that kids,Indians and Asians are not allowed cuz you don’t treat us in a good way so It will be helpful for us to choose a correct restaurant. At the end, treat everyone equally cuz you will get nothing being a racist.

Bad service and talking behavior is not good With child . Food also not good . Think before to go there because they don’t allowed kids .

Worst experience of all time. Not a place for family as they don't allow kids to be with you so you have to come alone. As far as I know no one will give priority to a few restaurant more than their kids and when you ask about their behaviour then they clearly mention racism in their words by not treating you equally. Moreover, I think the goal of a restaurant should not be just earning but be educated enough to treat everyone equally. Furthermore, when we ordered food they didn't say a word like children not allowed but at the time of serving they mention this thing so be careful and give importance to your kids more than these type of restaurants.

We are a group of 25 people participating in Abingdon twinning with Argentan in France, who came on a Friday evening. The courses offered were varied, the food delicious. The setting was very pleasant, the decoration of the rooms immersed us in the Indian universe. The servers were very cheerful, attentive and warm despite the pressure to which they were subjected because of the large number of customers present that evening. The atmosphere was therefore very friendly. We highly recommend this restaurant.

We are a group of 25 people participating in Abingdon twinning with Argentan in France, who came on a Friday evening. The courses offered were varied, the food delicious. The setting was very pleasant, the decoration of the rooms immersed us in the Indian universe. The servers were very cheerful, attentive and warm despite the pressure to which they were subjected because of the large number of customers present that evening. The atmosphere was therefore very friendly. We highly recommend this restaurant.

I went for lunch with my 91 year old mother who likes Indian food. Excellent empathetic service, good food, very nice ambiance, classy loos... We've been before and will do so again.

Always great food. Best Indian in Abingdon.

Always love the food from here. Best curry in town.

One of the best Asian food places to go in Abingdon. Weekends are busy therefore reservation recommended.

Missing food from our delivery order and no response to email sent to request a refund for the missing item.

We were given a friendly greeting when we arrived, our order for drinks and poppadoms were taken at the bar. I explained that we didn't want to leave our dog in our motorhome too long and our delicious meal arrived promptly. The prices are on the high side but actually good value for money as each dish was faultless. The restaurant was very clean with spotless table linen and great loos. There was a nice atmosphere and we will definitely return next time we are in the area.

Our 12.00 booking for four ladies was confirmed but we arrived to a restaurant closed and in darkness. We waited...and waited...we phoned but no answer. So we went across the road and had a very nice meal at Ask. Not a good way to run a business in these challenging times.

Had a lovely time, great interior, very comfortable. Food was very good, nan bread superb. Lovely menu and quite different. Staff friendly, prices reasonable. Would recommend and hopefully will return.

Great place with great food and service. It was our first time visiting and the food here is fantastic, particularly the duck starter. I left my bag behind and did not notice until the next morning, but all good as when I called in they had it for me. Would highly recommend.

Great food, service and drinks. Can’t complain. Everythingis great, no complaints

Excellent service. Really nice starter,quite hot though. The shashlick is amazing,strongly recommended. The other two main dishes were well cooked,but not of our taste. Lovely atmosphere. If you really like Indian food The place is for you.

Came up to Abingdon for the weekend and fancied an Indian. This was amazing. The food was second to none, full of taste and spice. The staff were friendly and helpful with the menu. The house specials were so tasty. I’d even consider driving the 4hrs round trip over here just to eat here again and probably will…..

First time we have chosen a “Saturday lunchtime”meal as a celebration. Definitely the place to celebrate with family and friends. Great food, brilliant service and plenty of time to enjoy all the courses. Great variety of dishes superbly cooked and served. Well done to a great team.

One of the best Indian restaurants I’ve been to the food was amazing and the staff were amazing

Some of the food was disappointing...we had the aubergine with cheese , I was expecting paneer given that its an Indian restaurant, but it was smothered in cheddar . Not very nice .

Love this restaurant, always friendly , the food is always cooked to a high standard , really nice and clean restaurant very comfortable the menu choice is very good ,but I do recommend the curry choice as they are really good , try the lamb so tender

If you want a good curry , then go here I had a vegetable Dansak, Veg used are fresh , different levels of flavour , starter Prawn Butterfly, salad fresh and crisp , well balanced with no cheap leaves , well run , you enjoy the experience without any rush to leave ! 7:30 booking and the place was busy , walked past the next door Indian restaurant not one table was occupied ! Many Thanks I come up from wales 2 times a year for work with my wife And always go to the Raj . Many Thanks Again ,Dai.

A place for tasteful deshi food at reasonable price.

Great food. Loved all the dishes that we ate. People were very friendly.

Large group with set menu. Excellent service, way too much food. Relaxed atmosphere perfect for an evening with friends.

Really enjoyed my meal although a couple of others in our party felt their dishes were hotter than they would normally expect when ordering at other places. Service was a little slow, so would normally have considered reducing the tip but with 10% service charge added automatically that's a little tricky.

Food, service and atmosphere, excellent, this would have been a five star review and I'm upset that I have to write this one. It's going to be a 1 star because the business is unfortunately making an extremely poor choice. They are widely advertising they accept American express as a payment method, even going as far as making a custom sign in their entrance to say they accept it, along with a second branded sign in premises, and using Amex merchandise. But when I come to pay, "sorry we don't accept American Express"... Sorry what? It takes 5-10 mins tops to remove signage but it has apparently purposely been left for customers like myself to be tricked into thinking my payment method will be welcomed. I'm really sorry to say this as the food was good but my advice to those wishing to pay via this payment method, do not come here and encourage anyone you know who uses Amex to avoid this place as they are falsely advertising. The business will lose customers because of this choice. Either accept the card or don't, but don't lie about which you do as it damages your reputation. Thumbs down.

Love this place never had a bad meal ever

Always such great quality food and attentive service. Really good menu with plenty of variety. Some of the house specials are really worth trying. They also give great advice if you are unsure of what to order.

May I thank all the staff on behalf of my family and me for an excellent evening. The standard of cuisine was excellent

Great food and reasonably priced. Surprised to see the restaurant so busy mid week but they managed to fit us in. Popular Indian and well worth a visit.

A bit disappointed to be honest. It's a toss up between two stars or three, so decided to remember kindly. However, we didn't get a proper table, and were sat in their bar 'holding area' to eat, perched on glorified bar stools. Our reservation was 19:45. We arrived on time. Gone 20:10 they took our order and after 21:00 we finally got the main courses. We had no starters. Beers and poppadoms came quickly but got the distinct sense they just kept forgetting about us. They apologised about this, to be fair, citing a very busy night. Fair enough. Aren't top restaurants meant to be busy though? My chicken was also a touch dry, which was a shame for a £14 dish. Dil Raj is the dearest curry house in Abingdon. We didn't get any benefit to that. That all said, any restaurant can have an off night and would try the place again.

I have been there with a large group of coworkers, but they managed to easily accommodate us all. We got flatbread with a set of sauces as starter, which were all great (especially the yellow one, korma maybe?). My choice of main was one of...

Expensive for what it is really, which is just basic food. However when your meal is spoiled by the non delivery of your bread that was ordered and the curry is going cold while you wait for the kitchen to make a bread, that is...

Good service,and the food was delicious can't wait to eat there again.

Always top class food and service at the Dil Raj

Great food. Amazing service yesterday as we were able to order in advance on New Year's Eve and the food turned up at the correct time and was wonderful. Thanks again.

Went to the Dil Raj on the 13th for a meal & Michel Jackson tribute night. The food, service & entertainment was excellent. Have been to other tribute nights , they have never disappointed. Even if just going for a meal it’s always good.

The Dil Raj is a wonderful restaurant for all occasions, always a friendly welcome & the food is always lovely. I really recommend visiting the Dij Raj and supporting Abingdon's best local restaurant

My husband and I have always loved the Dil Raj (or the Brilly Dilly as we have renamed it!!) this is why it seemed like the perfect place to go for his birthday celebrations. We could not have asked for more, Miah and the team...

Beautiful place Sunday buffet is awesome!

We have just had a collect order from Dil Raj! OUTSTANDING! I had the chicken biriani & my husband had the chicken madras plus a plain naan. Fantastic flavours, fresh & beautifully cooked! Thank you so much!

Came here for a Xmas works do and I couldn't fault anything. Food was brilliant and the service was spot on. Already talking about going here again for the next works do.

Best curry house in Abingdon. Whether you’re picking up a takeaway, or eating in the restaurant, you’re welcomed like a family friend and guaranteed a delicious meal. We occasionally try different restaurants to make sure we’re not missing anything better elsewhere, but no other Indian...

Our first time at the Dil Raj, we were having a lovely evening out with another couple of friends and arrived at 7:30. From the start, the pappadums and accompaniments were delicious, the drinks were good too. The main orders took a while to come,...

Our first time at the Dil Raj, we were having a lovely evening out with another couple of friends and arrived at 7:30. From the start, the pappadums and accompaniments were delicious, the drinks were good too. The main orders took a while to come, but they were very busy that Friday evening, always a good sign! It was worth the wait though, the food was amazing! We all enjoyed our meals, wife really enjoyed her tasty Chicken Korma as well, lovely. We had a couple of drinks each, and the bill, complete with tip was £150. We thoroughly enjoyed our first visit to the Dil Raj, the service was excellent too. We were even given a complimentary Baileys each by the friendly manager/owner. We will be back, thank you very much!

Excellent curries, plenty of vegan options. Terrific service.

Best Indian restaurant I've ever been too. Lovely decor inside (dont be fooled by smaller entrance, the place is a tardis inside). Food was outstanding as was the wine and our server was first class.

My first time at a proper Indian restaurant! (I'm 46.... what a wally!). It was so lovely. The staff were friendly and welcoming, the food was gorgeous and the atmosphere was lovely. I will definitely be back

Just had a fantastic meal with a couple of friends. All food was beautifully presented, generous portions and wonderful flavours. This is definitely the best Indian dining experience in Abingdon. Friendly, welcoming staff and awesome food.

First class experience as always right through from welcome to departure

First visit, excellent food and service! Recommended

The food started off well, but rapidly descended to new depths. I had assumed the Lamb Rogan may contain some lamb; search as we might, the lamb seemed to have had a better offer that evening. The Sag Aloo was pretty good, but was also...

The food was fantastic the service was brilliant and the staff were very friendly. They would've scored 5 on the service, but they did give us the bill for another table which was considerably more expensive than our own. They were very quick to rectify and apologise, but that did lose them 5 stars on service. The place was fairly empty when we went, so there wasn't much atmosphere. I would highly recommend trying it for the food alone, as it was stunning and everyone had a very pleasant time

Horrible, we were given 1 hour as a time for delivery, it has been 1,5 hours and no food and even an hour is bad enough. Horrible service will not order again.

As always food was stunning, service excellent. 😃👍

Having had takeaways from here we thought we'd eat in. Super service, fantastic food, lovely atmosphere - would highly recommend!

Me and my partner decided to have a last minute meal and we decided to go for a Friday night curry and it was spot on, the food was delicious and the stuff was very friendly too. Overall very nice 👍.

We’ve been having takeaways from the dil raj for 20 years and they are consistently top notch. The food is excellent and never any problems with our order.