Elai in Basingstoke and Deane

Nice ambiance and friendly staff. The food came quick and was very tasty. The menu has a lot to choose from. Will definitely come back.

Amazing dosa and biriyani. Great family dinner. Deserts were great too. Black coconut ice cream and gulab jambu. Staff friendly and helpful. Will definitely come again. Thank you.

We came here for a goodbye meal for a friend at work and had heard great reviews. Locally it seems a lot of people are planning to eat here. The restaurant itself is beautiful, marble floors, lovely decor and paintings. Staff were very friendly and attentive. The menu choices were vast and there were lots of usual options with a twist, Meals you just wouldn’t find in other restaurants. So whether you fancy a biryani with a twist or trying something completely different this is the place for you. And if spice isn’t your thing they are more than happy to adjust to your taste. We had a wonderful evening. Prices were great, even with a lot of drinks, and we left a tip as service wasn’t on the bill. This restaurant is at the end of the high street but not a long walk and you should absolutely visit. The garlic naan was the best I’ve ever had and I’ve tried a lot.

Fantastic food! Fantastic service. Ajin looked after us like we were a part of his family. Will definitely be back soon!

I had a fantastic dining experience at this restaurant. The food was outstanding – delicious, well-presented, and made with fresh ingredients. The service was equally excellent, with friendly and knowledgeable staff Hari and his mate who were attentive without being overbearing. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming, making for a thoroughly enjoyable meal. I highly recommend this restaurant and will definitely be returning 🤙🏼

Food was rubbish. I mentioned that the food should be spicy, but the food was really sweet. Too much onions and also the fish is a defrozened one. By the time food reached my hand it already become cold. Very pathetic food.Not gonna order again and not gonna suggest to anyone.

We didn’t get the order and it’s showing delivered. Food was order at 7:41pm and now the time is 10:10pm . What should we do. Where is the delivered food

Packing was not good . Curry was spilled out. Ordered for 3 . Unfortunately only one can eat.

Ajin and Hari who tended to our table provided excellent service and they always had a smile on their face, which made the experience even more pleasant . The food was flavourful. The Idli's were soft, the biriyani and the Paal Konju are a must try.

Amazing food on a rainy Monday evening in Basingstoke

Amazing food and ambiance. Elai had numerous choices in their dinner items for appetizers, entrees, and desserts. Also, their drink selection was complete with good choice of wine and cocktails. I was thoroughly satisfied. Need to visit them during lunch and try their tiffin box.

What a gem! So friendly and the best south Indian food outside London.

We had a lovely meal, the food was full of flavour and was reasonably priced. The staff were very friendly and attentive.

I had a lovely vegan Green vegetable curry. The service was superb.

The food is delicious and the service very attentive , we had the sea bass, the chicken biryani’, the prawn and mango curry - try it!

Excellent food and really good service. Definitely want to go back as there were loads of things on the menu that we wanted to try!

It was a really lovely dinner and staff were so nice! Incredibly tasty food. Would recommend to anyone who fancies a n authentic Indian.

This is one of the best Kerala restaurants in and around Basingstoke. The food is really yummy and offer great service. The ambience is so lovely and not to mention the music.

Fantastic restaurant, and a nice change from your regular curry house. Masala dosa was great (really enjoyed the sauces that came with it), and the non-veg thali was also fantastic. Service was very attentive, will be back!

The decoration is splendid. They served biriyani in brass utensils .That is classical.The resturant holds some Indian culture . Quantity and taste was good .

Its one of the best places to have authentic Kerala food in the UK. Just love the place, food, ambience and music🥰

Basingstoke yet again provides on the food front and Elai is absolutely great Indian Cuisine. We had the Chicken Lollipops and Chicken Pattas to start very very nice followed by the Lamb Shank and Lamb on the bone curries ..again the same. I'm going back when I can. Don't think twice about booking a meal here. 5/5

Thank you for another amazing lunch and lovely conversation. Its always a pleasure to come here, eat the amazing food and have chats with the lovely staff! We are looking forward to seeing you at the next event! Kind regards, Shane & Mandi. x

One of my favourite restaurants in Basingstoke! Truly authentic Indian food, the food is incredible and so flavoursome. The team are super friendly and attentive, always so kind and helpful. The atmosphere inside the restaurant is lovely, with beautiful decor and music. chicken biryani and chicken fried rice is delicious A real gem, highly recommend

A very nice and authentic Kerala restaurant in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The chef they have flew from Kerela to Basingstoke to serve the customers with the authentic South Indian dishes. A must visit if you’re in Basingstoke. It’s right next to red line hotel.

Very friendly and professional staff, great service, yummy food. We all loved it. Thank you!

Quantity should have been a little extra.

Very nice and authentic Indian style restaurant with some charming staffs who ensures great hospitality.

Thank you so much for the delicious delicate food, the kindness and love we can feel in your lovely restaurant and on the plates. Unfortunately, I live far from you in France ... I would be so happy to come back and taste more meals with my friend.

Great expirience. Lovle food and very high standard of professional service.

The service has been very friendly and helpful with explaining some of the dishes. The food was lovely! I'd recommend the Kerala beef curry and chicken lollipops. They both had a nice warmth to the spice without being overpowering. We didn't order desert but the staff were kind enough to bring out a brownie with a candle to celebrate my mum's birthday, we didn't ask them too so it was a lovely surprise at the end of our meal

Awesome experience with Elai, would like to visit again and again. Nice environment and sumptuous meal and smooth touch of hospitality.

We had a great evening celebrating my mums birthday. The food was amazing and the service excellent. Will definately be coming again.

Top meal out with friends. Food was excellent, much better than the company I keep ;) Lots of dishes that I’ve not previously tried. Can thoroughly recommend.

First time here, excellent service and food. Will definitely be back. A must for others to pop in and sample to menu. Great atmosphere.

First time to Elai Lovely environment Great service Delicious food Helpful with recommendations and ever so polite We will be back

Very polite and professional lovely food

Awesome food and very good staff behaviour specially Nivin and Ajin . A must for Indian food. Excellent!

Wonderful Indian dinner with lots of great options and great recommendations from our friendly waiter

Great meal, five star service, excellent food!

Restaurant was quiet but the service and food was excellent. Would definitely come back if I am in the area.

Our first visit and fantastic service and delicious food. Tried new dishes and would highly recommend the chili paneer!

Ajin is such a friendly person. Loved the service

We had an amazing experience here at lunch time. Good food, great service.

Very pleasent atmosphere and yummy food

"Delicious Kerala cuisine in a cozy and vibrant setting! This place exceeded my expectations with its flavorful dishes, attentive service, and warm ambiance. The Kerala Porotta was absolutely delicious! Flaky, crispy, and cooked to perfection. A must-visit for anyone craving authentic Kerala food!"

Very nice serving very recommend best Indian restaurant

Wonderful restaurant, food, service and staff.

Very delicious and unusual food, with very friendly staff, I recommend you come prepared because everything is very spicy 🥵

: Good services, food are all delicious and lots of choices. The venue is spacious and clean. Its my second time visit and will keep coming back for more. :)

Such a gorgeous, authentic restaurant. I’ve been here a few times now and it never fails to disappoint. This time, I went for a curry recommended by our waiter and it was delicious. The service provided here is exceptional, all staff are attentive, from taking your coats to asking if everything is ok with your meal, nothing ever feels like too much trouble. Can’t wait to return!

Excellent taste of authentic South Indian cuisine with beautiful ambience.

Hi all We had vegetarian thaali which had a selection of poriyal, chetney, daal, saambar, rasam and sweets with papas and curd It was fulfilling and delicious

The thaali was very flavourful, a lot of varieties and they were kind enough to offer refill of the curries. Very interactive and friendly staff

Food is very tasty and good atmosphere

The food was amazing and the atmosphere is very calm and chill .

We enjoyed spending time with friends. The food was delicious and very authentic. Very friendly staff.

Brilliant food. Super Authentic kerala dishes. Great service. Overall Awesome experience. Lovely Hospitality. Recommended Chicken Pattas, Erachi Meen polish adhu and Kerala layer parotta

This is a best place for who’s foodie , all food and drink awesome.. Especially South Indian dishes too good .. I will definitely come again…

Excellent food and service. I will most definitely be back

Went there to day for lunch with my son his wife and my granddaughter thank you from the moment we got there until we left fantastic service food and restaurants well dune

An amazing meal at Elai, food was excellent and service was also top notch - Ajin was the perfect host. Will be returning very soon!

Excellent service and phenomenal food. The lamp chops and beef curry were to die for. I will definitely come back.

We hosted a function in Elai for 40 people and it all went exceptionally well. The food and service was first class and we were looked after really well by the whole team. Highly recommended.

Had food from their stall at the World party at Eastrope park recently. The food was stone cold and they didn’t give any raita or sallan with the cold biryani and pulao. Taste was good but disappointed that they served food with this kind of disregard.

A hidden gem in Basingstoke serving such authentic and lipsmacking kerala/tamil nadu food is an absolute must try!.. With a great team of chefs and servers, Unni and Rajni along with their biz partner work their magic on your palette!. the food here is consistently awesome, and you will feel you are having an authentic meal in South India. Their Aapam stew/Puttu Kadala curry/Biriyanis/chatti choru are simply melt worthy and their parottas are to die for. Quality of food, the service they provide leaves one with so much postive vibes and makes you come again! We also had our anniversary party at this venue with a specially curated menu and boy every one of the guests loved it to bits. Elai is a Must-see Must eat for anyone wanting to savour the authentic cuisine of Kerala/Tamil nadu in the UK! Go for it!

Food leaked into bag, empty containers

Favourite restaurant by far, the team are extremely friendly and helpful. The food is incredible! I keep returning even though I do not live here anymore. Will continue to visit Elai :)

Absolutely beautiful family meal at Elai last night. They were so friendly, warm and welcoming, more than happy to make accommodations for us when we asked. The food was delicious, lots of flavour and the meat was so soft and tender. Portions were very generous, time in between ordering and different courses arriving felt just right, we weren't rushed nor were we waiting too long. The restaurant was clean and it's so pretty inside with fresh flowers and a stunning mural on the wall, and information about the history of the beautiful building. Generally nice environment to spend time in. Loads of choice on the menu so there really is something for everyone, whether they like spicy food or not! The desserts sounded lovely but we were too full to try, however they did kindly bring out the tastiest warm chocolate brownies for two members of our party whose birthdays we were celebrating. I'm not sure what more you could ask for, we couldn't have faulted it if we wanted to and will definitely be back.

Absolutely authentic South Indian and most tastiest thali I have had in UK. Must try place. You wouldn’t mind trying extra dish here.

Amazing South Indian Food. Love the vegetarian Thali, Dosas and the appetizers.

Great athmosphere, excellent service & really good food. Thanks for hosting our party so well.

Authentic Kerala cuisine, felt like being back home. Had a lovely dinner and the service was exceptional. Loved the ambience as well.

Beef biryani was really good. Beef fry was good but I didn’t quite like the texture of the meat. But I guess that can’t be helped. I would have expected the quantity of dishes to be a bit more, save the biryani which was a lot.

“Basket of popadoms” probably not basket worthy. Only x2. Can not fault the quality. Food arrived hot, We will be visiting the restaurant soon.

THE MOST DISGUSTING MEAL IVE EATEN IT IS HORRIFYING.THERE WERE STONES IN MY FOOD AND WHEN I COMPLAINED THEY DENIED HAVING ANYTHING LIKE THAT IN THE FOOD . WHEN I TRIED TO TAKE PICTURES OF THE BIRYANI WITH A DEAD BUG IN IT THEY KICKED ME OUT USING SECURITY.ON TOP OF THIS THEY CHARGED ME £20 FOR ONE PLATE OF CHICKEN BIRYANI.ABSOLUTELY HORRENDOUS AND STAFF WERE RUDE

Had lunch today in Ellai.Amazing restaurant with extraordinary food.Star of our menu today was the authentic "CHATTICHORU", a real treat to the taste buds.Biryani was as usual fentanstic.Staff were so friendly and great ambience.A must try restaurant in Basingstoke.

Absolutely amazing food! It has a very authentic atmosphere that definitely reminds me of home in India. The food is very homely and everything is cooked perfectly. I had the chicken pattas, which was unique and lamb biryani which I would strongly recommend. On the whole, would highly recommend to everyone who wants to have real Indian food with great service.

Kerala porotta was really good, beef fry and chicken biriyani had good flavour,Spice level was a bit low for people from kerala.Staff where very friendly and the restaurant was very spacious and clean.Overall good experience

Very tasty food. An interesting menu and we tried some dishes we had not had anywhere else. The lighting could do with being a little dimmer to create some atmosphere. They do have a more atmospheric section where a table of 12 were sat. That looked good. The staff were very pleasant. Will definitely recommend and will go again.

Excellent atmosphere and amazing South Indian food. A nice change from the usual north Indian British blend we usually have.

I've been to Elai on two occasions and both have been great. The food is fantastic and the staff are friendly and welcoming. If you like curry, i'd highly recommend trying out Elai.

Wonderful restaurant with extremely authentic and good quality food. It was very tasty and healthy as well. It isn’t often that health and taste go together but in their restaurant it did. Very friendly staff and beautiful ambience and decor. Even if I think hard enough I can’t pin point anything negative. We had South Indian vegetarian thaali and it was the best I have had in many many years in any restaurant and this is coming from a South Indian. Dine at Elai and encourage businesses like them who serve with so much passion and love that it reflects in their food. I normally don’t write reviews but in this case I have gone all Out to write a review just for good experience I had with their service.

Wonderful atmosphere...service was delightful ..... Friendly staff.... Food was incredible, delicious and authentic.

Amazing experience! The food was great and the staff were really friendly and helpful. They went out of their way to make our dinner perfect. Our group ordered a lot of food and enjoyed every dish. We even met one of the owners and had a chat about Kerala. I would definitely recommend and will be going again with family. Loved the Chicken biryani, Mushroom fry, Idlis and Vada, Porotta was super flaky and delicious with the Beef fry. Thank you so much Nidhin and your wonderful staff ❤️

Lovely food, great presentation and coeliac gluten free awareness. Loved the ambience.

Very very good karaikudi mutton curry. Great paratha. Dosa was OK.

Just had an amazing lunch at Elai. The staff were very helpful and gave us recommendations for sides to have with our mains. Recommend the chilli chicken. The whole meal was delicious 😋

This is my best place for Indian food since my first review and I got info that they are waiting for a new north Indian and a south Indian chef to join their team , which means this will increase the number of menu items 😊😊😊.. love the food here.. you just have to tell them what's your spice level and how u want your food to be .. your wish will be fulfilled, nothing can beat the taste of the food here it's simply awesome . 😊👍👍👍

Prawn curry, chicken biriyani and Kerala porota are superb

Good food and service, staffs are very friendly.

Food, service and team are amazing from start to finish. Very grateful to the team they made our special occasion in the private area amazing. The food was at a very high standard. The place looks and feels amazing. Looking forward to going back very soon. Thank you.

Very tasty food and good service

The Dine in experience always the best at Elai. There is a lot of variety to offer in their menu from the regulars to the very traditional cuisine. I recently tried Chatti Choru and it was great !!

The staff is amazing and the atmosphere is just too good. I recommend this place if anyone want good food and peace. The staff are so friendly and homely.I will visit this place again for sure.The is also the only place that had most authentic food ever and not something made up. Love this place!

Absolutely authentic and made an effort to maintain the standard for both food and service. Really must-try chicken biriyani. Alleppy Fish Curry was adored. Additionally, we tried the natholi fishfry and masala dosa. The restaurant had a lovely atmosphere. Thank you.

I visited Elai recently with a few friends. Immediately, I could tell that the service was impeccable, everyone was so welcoming and polite. I ordered the duck curry and it was phenomenal. It was the most authentic curry I've ever had. I will definitely be coming back again.

Food here doesn't taste like it's a Kerala restaurant. It's not at all spicy and doesn't have any salt in it. It's not worth the price you pay. But the customer service is awesome 👍.

This is the most authentic experience you can have with top quality ingredients and very friendly service. Spoil yourself and book a table is my advice

So far the most delicious Kerala food I have had in the UK. I can guarantee this being from Kerala :). I had the special Chattichhoru last week that had all the beautiful flavors I was looking for in my meal with cabbage thoran, fried chicken, fish fry, onakka mulaku, moru curry, spicy chutney and a crispy pappadam to top it up. I am extremely satisfied with the service that the staff gave us(me and my friend). I loved the ambience of the restaurant. It actually felt like home listening to the malayalam songs while sipping my spicy buttermilk. Absolutely loved it. My friend had a crispy dosa with sambar and chutneys. She isn't from a Kerala but she loved it as much. Can't really wait to visit 'Elai' again to try every other dish in the menu. Thanks to all Elai staff members who make it happen for all its customers every single day. :)))