Essence of India in Rugby

Amazing food! Mush took time to explain some dishes… whilst all the time making us laugh with his non stop humour. Felt very welcome, will definitely return. Thanks all for an excellent meal and such a laugh…..

Fabulous overall no complaints at all!! Delicious food. Hot & tasty. Brilliant service. Overall wonderful experience will be back!!

We’ve had a couple of deliveries now which have been on time and the food piping hot. Lovely menu and can highly recommend the chicken rezallah.

Amazing food and a fabulous host! Ate Go to bed at this restaurant as a party of 6 tonight (3 couples). The food was absolutely gorgeous and the host, Muj was a total legend. He made us feel so welcome and we laughed so much. Highly recommend and will definitely return!

A fabulous restaurant with the most friendly and professional staff you could wish to meet. The food was excellent and came very quickly…and was eaten just as fast as it was delicious. Will definitely visit again.

I am so impressed with the level of service and outstanding food here. We went for an alternative Christmas Day dinner and it was the best decision, the staff who run and own this restaurant/pub are friendly welcoming and make your visit truly personal and special, even down to the Christmas music. A hidden gem in a small village. The food ignited the taste buds, and every dish was so tasty, thanks to the chef ! We will definitely be going back. Thank you for making our small family Christmas dinner so enjoyable and tasty !

We ordered a takeaway for delivery to Southam. It arrived on time and hot enough to eat straight away. I ordered the Sheek kebabs as a starter, they were very tasty. I then had the Chicken Chilli Massala, garlic rice and a garlic & cheese naan, it was delicious. First time we have used the Essence of India in a while but we will be using this regularly from now on. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The food was nice, limited on the chutney tray for two popadoms! Menu stated minimum order£15 which we ordered over but still got charged £4 delivery even though our area was not listed due to being so close. Feel like they took advantage!

Excellent atmosphere and service by the brothers. Both are very friendly and welcoming, and will keep you entertained while you are there

Best curry ever food is amazing staff fantastic and helpful good quality food just needs a lick of pain looking abit dated and shabby

Val & Paul What a little Gem The Essence of India on the Marton road is , the exterior is not too inviting the inside dated , however the service Exceptional, the food Exquisite,friendly staff a bit of fun now we have discovered it we will definitely be going back , we would definitely recommend it you will not be disappointed.

On arriving initially we saw there was a dip in the floor and I thought it may be a little run down however once we walked in we were treated like royalty by all the staff and nothing was too much trouble. They took my shellfish allergy really seriously and I had complete trust in them. The food was not only tasty but really authentic and one of the best Indian meals we ever tasted. We will be back for sure!!! The price was excellent too, real value for money

Great food , great service easy parking and open 7 days a week. Excellent Indian restaurant that deserves success. Take away is exceptional too. Could do with better web presence and on line booking BUT never that hard to get a table as its quite large. Could do with more English beers!!

Came here for dinner with my wife,brother in law lee & his partner dave,food was fantastic & friendly staff who couldn't do enough for you

Always a special place friendly and food top notch. Not posh but just honest and pleasant. Take away is good too!!

A welcome curry after a long drive. Same friendly welcome as usual - and an excellent meal. The madras is just hot enough and the mushroom and special rice were excellent. This is a great place to eat.

Beautiful food, friendly and accommodating staff. Home delivery is a huge bonus. Plenty of dishes that you'll not find elsewhere, as well as all the usual favourites.

Visited here with my sister and our children a few times I can only describe this as a warm and welcoming restaurant with amazing food.The staff are very friendly chatty and make everyone including the children feel right at home.The food is full of flavours and very reasonably priced,can’t wait to visit again soon.

A visitor in the area this restaurant was a 20 minute walk from where I was staying. Set in the Warwickshire countryside, it was a mild night with a big moon and I quickly worked up an appetite. I had arranged to meet an old friend from my CB radio days (M7APO) and now with both of us being nerdy ham radio operators, we coordinated the rendezvous via radio. Meeting in the large carpark, I was spotted on my handheld radio and confused for a UFO spotter by one of the staff. When I asked for the loo, he pointed to a bush. Then when I headed to it, he made sure I found the actual toilets. This wind-up merchant of a waiter was genuinely funny and welcomed us in with a massive smile. He made us feel like locals and in no time, two ales arrived with the menus. There was no escaping the pastel green walls with gloss brown beams, but thankfully I was not there for the decor. I was there for the food. Unable to decide from the extensive menu I asked the waiter to bring me what he liked. Both myself and a friend were treated to two separate dishes big enough to share. The aromas on arrival were amazing and the dishes, one lamb and one chicken did not disappoint. Different flavours, different heat, both amazing. We enjoyed them with chapati and rice and a couple more ales. All in all, a lovely night with great conversation and excellent food. Cheers from G5DOC

I write this review after 3 attempts at contacting the management team. After 7 weeks I have not received a response. We ordered a takeaway from EOI as we had guests for evening. One of our guests has an allergy to two ingredients. After enquiring, we were told that our guest's dish didn't contain either of the ingredients, this turned out not to be true. Thank goodness she noticed before eating her dish. They admitted fault and replaced the meal. I do not trust this place to deal with allergies or cross contamination seriously. I tried to address this with management, who as I explained have yet to contact me.

Never disappoints , it had a while since our last visit but the food was excellent and the staff are so friendly and warming on arrival and throughout your visit. Well worth a drive out , excellent value for money

Found this lovely restaurant 4 year's ago. We vist a least once a month. The food is very good, lm slowly working my way, though the menu. The atmosphere is allways good. The staff are very friendly. Give the place ago, you won't be disappointed.

Exquisite Indian restaurant…fresh delicious authentic food and fabulous staff… owner is especially friendly & welcoming and kind… my husband and I enjoyed our dining experience immensely

Went with the family late afternoon on a Saturday - as hoped we were the only ones in the restaurant. Met with bags of energy by the head waiter who was overly familiar right away - calling my wife 'The Missus' and me 'Big Daddy'....

We have been to The Essence of India several times and each time the food and service has been brilliant. The staff are friendly and extremely welcoming which helps to make it a great experience. The menu has plenty of choice and the naan breads...

We have passed a number of times and decided to go in this time. Will definitely go again when in the area. A great atmosphere and good food with speedy service. Everything you would expect on an Indian restaurant menu.

Excellent service EVERYTIME we order a takeaway. Always spot on with delivery time… staff very helpful and accommodating… food is extremely tasty and big portion. Best Indian take away! We order once every 2 weeks without fail … just excellent

We now make this our Friday night take away curry. Th quality and portion sizes are great, has made it out weekly go to curry. 5 s Tar recommendation

Little gem, due to road works and having to divert from my normal route to work I found the Essence of India en route. Visited this evening with the intention of a takeaway. However speaking with the owner about meal choice he convinced me and...

Visiting from the South East - Essenes oIndia made such a great impression that we dined there two days out of 4 that we have stayed. Charismatic owner Moj made us feel like VIPs. The food was amazing. I loved every second of our visit.

I had the best night. Great food, good company and an excellent service. The staff are very welcoming and great cooks. Highly recommended.

absolutly superb food large portions and tasted superb, the staff are so friendly and cant do enough for you, they were happy for us to stay over in our motorhome in the large car park,will defo come back again when we are in the area.

I cannot belive this place. The food is absolutely spot on. Had delivery from here 3 times now and it's never failed. Always been big orders and each dish is so tasteful. From the prawns to the chicken and even the vegetarian dishes. Every single...

I was very pleased to see the restaurant’s vegan options prominently advertised on the menu, however it would be nice if those items could be designated with a Ve or similar symbol on the menu. We ordered 3 vegetable dishes and coconut rice which were...

We have ordered take-away food from 'Essence of India' a few times now and have always found the service and food very good.

My partner and I now choose this as our treat meal once a month! The food is fantastic and the service is excellent. Staff are very friendly and helpful. They deliver to us and we're in a small village which is hard to find! Would...

We ordered 6 poppadoms with chutneys, three main dishes, two rice dishes and one plain NaN bread. Total price delivered £42! And 5 miles from restaurant so should be free delivery and when it eventually arrived after over an hour the delivery lady didn’t have any change so total cost £45! Could and should have rounded down to £40. When did take outs become more expensive than dining out! I would recommend you check the prices from their website as in our calculation it should have been £37.65.

This restaurant was really very good- meal was excellent and great value. The staff attentive and polite making us feel very relaxed. It is clearly a popular place so advise booking. We went on a Saturday evening at 6.30 pm and it was quite full. Social distancing didn’t make it feel odd but we did feel safe and as it was our first meal out since lockdown it made it really special. It was spotlessly clean and authentic food. We hope to go again but live in Yorkshire.

Enjoyed a great service from start to finish. Courteous man who took the order, prompt and polite delivery. The food was outstanding. Well prepared, tasty and simply a great meal. Thank you.

The virus didn't prevent us supporting our favourite restaurant by collecting weekly takeaways and since the very generous Eat Out to Help Out scheme we've thoroughly enjoyed weekly spaced out delicious dine-ins.Now - joy of joys - Muj has extended the scheme (without the government's help) so every week on a Monday or Tuesday we shall continue to eat in at the Essence of India. We particularly enjoy tandoori chicken baltis, garlic roshni bhunas and on one occasion tried a zeera dish which was delighfully smoky.Head Chef Noor provides consistently fabulous tasty meals - preceded by consistently warm welcomes from Muj and his colleagues - long may this continue!

stopped off here after a day out nearby. greeted very warmly and shown to a vacant table in what seemed to be a busy restaurant already - it was only 6pm. Very attentive staff who were on hand to offer menus, drinks, and take our orders. Ordered a starter each of king prawn butterfly and chilli chicken pakora. Both delicious and arrived in good time. Mains were the sea bass Kerala and chicken korai. Again both very delicious and served on beautiful square plates. Again our mains arrived in a very good time from finishing our starters. The restaurant was incredibly busy for a Wednesday evening but found that this did not stop the staff being attentive to us and making us feel welcome. A well recommended Indian restaurant and would visit again if in the area.

Ordered several times form these guys and it just seems to get better. Food arrived early, hot and absolutely top notch!

The service for food was a little slow, but only because they were so busy. Otherwise more than excellent. Staff kept everyone entertained. Nothing was too much trouble. Atmosphere was so chilled. All the waiters were fun and interactive. It made for a great night.Food was absolutely delicious.Can't wait to go again.

Unfortunately the restaurant manager took too many covers for this evening. I appreciate it has been difficult during lockdown for businesses. The restaurant was also understaffed. A wait of over 2 hours for the starter and 3 hours for the mains was disgraceful. Fortunately I was in very good company. Everything else this evening was atrocious and I won't ever visit this restaurant again. If I could give less than one mark, I would.

First night of our stay in the area and we found this little gem of a restaurant. A very relaxed atmosphere which was great for us, the staff are fantastic extremely welcoming a true family run business. Lovely food - wife described her masala as the best she's ever tasted ! If you are in the area I would recommend a visit.

Just had the most glorious take away delivered bang on time to Stretton on Dunsmore. Ordering previous day is a darned good idea and 4 of us each had different things all excellent. Not the usual slop some Indians serve that all looks similar. Fab keep up the standards and stay safe

... well, on our own plates at home, via foil takeaway containers. THANK YOU Muj and the rest of the Essence of India team for making our lockdown bearable with your weekly delicious tandoori chicken baltis and chicken madrases. You have been BRILLIANT!!

Just had a delicious meal from the essence of India. Food was delivered within the agreed time and was still nice and hot. I would recommend this restaurant to any lovers of Indian food.

This is the best Indian food I have had for a long time we are in our motorhome and staying overnight in their car park. The food is amazing and proper Indian food freshly cooked. The staff are so friendly and can’t do enough for you and are so genuine we highly recommend this place this is the first time we have been here and it won’t be the last even though we live over a 100 miles away , would like to say thank you for a superb meal Keith and Christine

We stopped without planning to, so had no preconceptions. The outside was a little daunting admittedly and the way in through an empty bar area strange. Then it was all change! Friendly welcome, relaxed atmosphere and an excellent meal later (Butter chicken and Chicken Biriyani). The waiter was quick to check that there were no allergy issues. We got the impression most diners were regulars. We are not local but will go back next time we are passing.

The food was nice.The nann breads amazing. The restaurant was freezing and we had to keep our coats on as did other people on other tables. The waiting staff didn't speak to us and we had to go to the bar everytime we wanted something. No one bothered to ask if we enjoyed our meal. There is no atmosphere in the place. Unlikley to go back.

Great food, great service, great team working there, and always made to feel extremely welcome! Food is always excellent and if you want a bit more spice, or you fancy trying something a little different, but along the lines of what you like - ask! These guys know their stuff - they’re not just a bunch of people serving food - they know their stuff. Shaun and Mudge are a dream team, backed by the kitchen, who deliver exactly what you ordered, exactly the way you like it.Eat in or take away, I thoroughly recommend it. Give it a try, you’ll be pleasantly surprised.

Was just going to have a take away, but decided to eat in. Very nice food and good friendly staff. Don't be put off by the exterior of the building.

Friendly service with very good food. Staff are very welcoming from the minute you get there till the minute you leave and are very tentative. The menu is averagely priced with all the typical dishes you would normally expect but also has more than the average specialty dishes with makes a nice addition if you like a change from the norm. The restaurant is set in a typical old pub and is a fairly decent size. The only thing I can take away from it from it is that it's a little dated inside but that aside it is clean. If your not too worried about having a modern restaurant to create the prefect ambiance then this is definitely worth a visit. Also to mention there is a decent amount of parking and it's in a very convenient location.

Have been dining here for a few years now and have never been disappointed. The food is always spot on, and of course the service is second to none.

Great food... Friendly atmosphere... Very welcoming.. Great price... All the staff are friendly... What more can you ask for... Cheers lad's... Tony the local roofer

My husband and I are very high maintenance when it comes to eating out and takeaway food.

We visited the restaurant twice in 4 days and were extremely impressed with the staff, customer service and more importantly the food. When in the area again, we will visit the restaurant and enjoy the quiet atmosphere, great food, service and value for money.

As a solo traveller I decided that I needed to go out for a meal and the nearest place to me was this restaurant.

Four of us went last Saturday night. It was very quiet with only two or three tables taken. The service was painfully slow. We had to search out a waiter to get drinks, I ordered a bottle of wine which was plonked in front of me un-opened with sort yourself attitude. When the starters arrived the waiter dropped the lot on the floor covering our shoes and my trousers in curry sauce and broken plates. They seemed quite happy for us to sit there despite the floor being covered. on my volition I moved us to another table, the waiting staff watched as we carried all our drinks and other items across to the table. Accident happen and I accept this. What should of happened is that the staff then go the extra mile to make the rest of our visit a nice experience. Sadly the exact opposite happened. When we wanted extra drinks we had to go and order at the bar. The same when we asked for the bill. They were still making the bill up with us standing ready to go. They Knocked £3.15 off the final bill with the explanation that they had had a few issues! The service was abysmal, but in fairness the food was really good and up to the mark. I will never re visit, but if you want a takeaway that involves little customer skills then this may be the place. Very disappointed.

Out with friends on 23rd February. The service and food was perfect as it always is when we visit this place. We can't recommend them to anyone enough. The staff are friendly and Muj is such a gent.

Recommended to us by a friend a long time ago and this has now become our regular special treat over the past few years. We drive 30 minutes to get here but it’s more than worth it. The owners make every individual feel like a VIP. They take the time to get to know you and always remember a face. Incredible people, incredible food. Cannot fault them.

We enjoyed an excellent meal which was very freshly cooked, with delicious spicy flavours, plenty of choice and firendly staff. This must be the best indian restaurant for miles around.

Yes please, Muj - cold Cobra on tap would be absolutely FABULOUS!!!!! (but there's nothing wrong with the bottled Cobra) The perfect aperitif followed by a perfect Indian meal, accompanied by great ambience and friendly unassuming service.

A lovely meal marred by a lack of ambience. It didnt seem busy which was a shame due to how nice the food was. The drinks choice seemed limited. No bitter? Decor is tired. The food was excellent and I didn't think that it was expensive as per previous reviews. The staff were friendly and attentive. If you read this, Essence of India management, what about a bit of background music?

….. make me another one - soon?

Nothing special food quite pricey, service was slow , and long wait for food . I was very disappointed. Sorry

The food was cold, the chicken had no flavor, I didn’t get what I ordered, I really surprised becouse all my visits before was really good .

This is an unassuming place on the way to Warwick but it’s everything you want in an Indian... amazing customer service... recommended meals for your taste and loads of food... the way they bring out some of the dishes is so good in big pans like they have been brought straight from the kitchen hob! Fantastic solo trip whilst killing some time in an evening and i will be coming back. All this and coffee on the house... brilliant!... just one ask... get cobra on tap and nice and cold!

Visited on a Thursday evening and although few people there at the time went, there was still a very pleasant atmosphere. Friendly staff. A super menu too. Much improved from the last time I visited (over a year ago) The food when it came was hot, delicious and plentiful. Cannot fault a thing. Thank you.

Absolutely incredible, food and service was brilliant myself and my boyfriend could not fault anything. When we visit the area again we will 100% be coming here!

Stayed at whitefields golf club for the weekend and came to this restaurant on the Sunday evening excellent service and food was fantastic we were a group of 6 and all had different meals all very happy

The restaurant was quiet on the cold Monday we decided to call in on our drive past but that didn't affect the mood of the friendly and welcoming team who ensured a great atmosphere.

I was staying in the area for business on Tuesday 2nd October and the essence of india was recommended to me. I was not disappointed the food was amazing the staff excellent. I’ve eaten in many curry houses over the years and this is in my top five.......ok top three. I will be back thanks guys

It was my husbands 50th birthday and although we had just finished a 10 day cruise we docked on his birthday and wanted to celebrate. We all love Indian food and decided to give this restaurant a chance.

This is the tastiest Indian food I have had for a very long time. I look forward to coming again. Great poppadoms lovely starters and large tastey main meals.

Visited twice in 4 weeks with colleagues. We all stay in the Rugby area every week and we've done every curry house in and around Rugby.

We arrived (booked) at 7 and our starter did not arrive until 8. The place was not over busy. Our drinks and poppadums were brought straight away but the menu did not arrive for ages and the food took even longer. People who ordered after us got their food first. We have experienced slow service here before. The starters tend to be rather average but the main courses, especially the signature dishes and specials are superb. I had chicken pistachio, it was aromatic and creamy, very slightly spicy. My husband had chicken patela which was also delicious, not hot at all. It's just a shame that it was spoilt by such a long wait. Good value.

I visited the Essence of India at the end of July one evening with a bunch of work colleagues with whom I'd been on a training course.

We've been here a few times, and you're always worried that all of a sudden it's going to be a disaster with ghastly food and terrible service!

First visit to the restaurant for out daughters birthday everybody was brilliant made a big fuss of our daughter the boss was really entertaing the food was very good service fantastic prices good definetly recommend essence of India .

Great place, first time here and won't be the last. As soon as we walked in was asked where we wanted to sit and then he moved the fan by us to keep us cool. Friendly and helpful staff, food was gorgeous and reasonable prices. On leaving he explained what else they did, (free taxi collect and drop off service, take away deliveries etc.) Think this is one of the best Indian restaurants we have been to in Warwickshire area.

Fast becoming regulars here, food is absolutely faultless, awesome staff, such a variety on the menu you're spoilt for choice. Always clean and beautifully set out. We're working our way through the menu!

Booked a table here for my Silver Wedding Anniversary. The experience was nothing but amazing from start to finish. They had decorated the table with a banner for us and were very helpful and polite.

I would like to start of by saying the atmosphere of the restaurant is quote dull which is bexasue of the poor interior and decoration, the waiter muj seemed to be a bit desprate and has an eye on younger girls. The food was fine although quite pricy and not worth the amount I paid. Overall I think muj gives the restaurant a creepy vibe I did not like I won't be returning there i had nightmares

Well worth a visit, great atmosphere and the pick up/drop off service is a nice touch. There were birthday celebrations on the eve of my visit and the whole place had a party feel going on.

OMG this was really a surprise, love visiting new places to eat in Warwickshire. Great service food was spot on! Very friendly staff especially the big! Boss lovely chap! Will be back!! Will spread the word boys! Or maybe not keep it to myself don’t want to crowd the place out!! :-)

First time visit however a lovely meal. Originally a pub so we found the initial entrance strange as we walked in and felt we were in a pub not a restaurant so initially concerned. However went through to the restaurant and got taken to our table and everything was ok. Food was excellent and we really enjoyed it, service friendly and attentive. Food came promptly. Great parking given this was an old pub. Will come back, thank you.

Treated to an India meal by the family, first time at the old Black Smith Arms, pleasantly surprised service was very good we were all made to feel very welcome, the meal was ok, has the chicken dhansak, not much chicken!!, a bit disappointed.

I’m not sure if the other people writing reviews are being that honest, I visit this establishment regularly and I’m sorry but the other reviews are certainly nothing liked I’ve experienced. The staff are lovely and friendly and the food is great, the large naan that someone else stated is no bigger than a normal one is complete rubbish, they are massive. Don’t be put off, I’ve been visiting for years, the food and service is top notch and the waiting time between courses is timed perfectly. I don’t understand some of the other reviews, are you sure you have the right establishment.

Very friendly and helpful staff - couldn't do enough for us. As I said at the time it wasn't the best Indian I have had but was probably equal to it. Only downside was that they couldn't provide a time machine for me to go back 20 or 30 years to an era when I was able to eat much more - it wasn't really a problem as I finished off what I took in a doggie bag last night and it was still wonderful (surprisingly more spicy that when fresh).

We visited as we were passing and were looking for a place to eat. Welcome was cheery enough by the barman but signage to the restaurant wasn’t too clear from the car park and the first thing to greet you is a huge snooker table as you enter. Anyway, we found the restaurant which has an ‘unusual’ colour scheme and is also quite dark. We ordered poppadoms but they tasted past their sell by date so we mentioned this to the waiter who sent another batch to our table (this time they tasted fresh). The Cobra beer needed to be much colder and the food needed to be hotter (it was a bit above lukewarm) but we let this go as we were hungry. Food tasted fine however. Atmosphere was a bit strange and as a previous post mentioned the staff whilst pleasant enough need to smile a bit more. Not sure we’ll be rushing back anytime soon unfortunately.

We recently visited again but on a Saturday night for the first time. Drinks and popadoms arrived promptly but then we waited 75 - 90 minutes for the main courses. When they arrived all the food was lukewarm but we were hungry having waited so long. When we were asked if we wanted the bill by the manager we mentioned the poor quality and low temperature of the meal and the response was a shrug of the shoulders and the comment "we were busy and short staffed" and no apology. Not the customers problem and no excuse for a poor meal. There was an atmosphere between staff and management that you could cut with a knife. No offer of compensation or reduction. A disappointment as we have always been satisfied with the excellent food and service. Be a while before we go again so hope the situation improves dramatically in the future.

Visited the restaurant on Saturday 24th March.

Went as a family for my daughters 11th birthday dinner and it was simply fabulous. Great service and absolutely delicious food, we couldn't fault anything. The candle in my daughters dessert was a lovely touch and much appreciated. We will definitely be back!

We had never been on a Saturday night before and won't again, service was poor, our meal took 90 minutes to arrive and was barely warm but we were too hungry to send it back. All the food looked past its best and was poor compared to previous visits. Service was patchy and staff seemed to be in bad moods. We said it wasn't a good evening but no real apology came and certainly nothing taken off the bill. A real shame

We have been to this restaurant before and so my fiance wanted to go back this year for his birthday meal.

This place has revived my faith in eating good Indian food, So many restaurants serve something that resembles meat in a spiced gravy, this restaurant with its experienced staff serve an array of dishes that all have there own recipes and distinguished look when served, In addition to this they also advise, recommended and even tweak dishes,

We have been several times to the essence of India and never been disappointed. The food is excellent, the staff are friendly and will discuss any dishes and will prepare them to your particular liking or preference. The Naan's are the best we have ever...

This is a gem of a place, with outstanding service, food and excellent value for money. We've been many times and the restaurant never fails to delight. Friends, family and visitors all agree and always want to return.