Indian Essence in Bromley

Quiet night in new year but food & service were excellent

Food was nice...service was terribly slow. Drinks are really exspensive and I was shocked to be charged £4.95 for water. How can you charge £5.49p for water (including service). Overall a very exspensive experience and to be honest I do not think I would visit agsin as it too exspensive for what you get.

We were denied a booking as were told that children are not allowed on fridays and saturdays. Very discrimate and loathsome policy.

Overpriced food and very average flavours. If you want good indian food you’re better off going to a local Indian restaurant. We were charged £25 for a prawn main dish which came with 3 large prawns and a few mini shrimps around - and the flavour was bland. With dishes like this on the menu you’re paying ridiculous prices for distinctly average food. This price tag demands top quality beverages, flavoursome food And the most caring service. Unfortunately staff were fairly rude, didn’t understand English particularly well and actually were argumentative. Would not reccomend.

Very expensive for lower than average Indian food. 6 adults plus 1 kid cost more than 370 pounds and a few expensive charges I can’t figure out what it is. A pint of beer is 7.50, a small basket of poor quality nan bread cost 11.45. The price tag is for upper market restaurant but the quality of food is below average of the many normal Indian restaurants I have been, and the food bill I can’t trust. Not recommended

Fantastic food selection with a different slant on the more usual Indian restaurant themes. Great quality and fantastic service. Nice buzzing atmosphere.

Great quality restaurant and overall experience. So lucky to have this restaurant on our 'door step'. Set lunch is very good value and portion sizes more than ample.

Usually good food but rather disappointing this time. Saltless, almost sweet.

They have kept the high quality that I've been loving for 5 years which is admirable. It's simply the most delicious Indian foods I've ever had

Had a fantastic 3 course meal for £30 and was superb. The service and ambience was great. Will definitely be going back.

Lovely meal once again. Staff were lovely, food was even better. This was my second time and I can’t wait to go again.

Had an incredible dinner at Indian Essence last night. The special tasting menu was fantastic, as was the service and live music. Will definitely be returning back soon!!

Outstanding, the place was recommended by some locals it did not disappoint. We had the tasting menu with wines and it was sensational. The cocktails were great and well presented.

Fabulous evening at Indian Essence. Food was outstanding as always.

Good tasty food. Slightly expensive. Cramped space. The waiter picked up our plates even when we were eating. Had to refuse 2 times that we are still eating. V rude. They had loads of people waiting, but still this is not expected.

Excellent food and very efficient service - a perfect night out

Pretty good, subtle flavours, very different to Dishoom if you want a different approach to this cuisine. Meats were better than veg options - good value given that it’s sophisticated cooking. Surefire five stars all round if you select the right dishes. Great attitude from staff.

Booked on website yet price was increased on the day! Pushed empty water bottle to edge of table but no more water offered for two more courses until I asked then just one glass full given. When querying the price I was told they had forgot to update the website which was still showing the earlier price but no adjustment offered!

Excellent service and the food was gorgeous. The lamb chops were cooked to perfection

We were very pleased with the food. Everything had a great flavour, taste and portions were just right. We would love to visit all the other restaurants of Atul Kochhar.

Food is truly delicious and mouth watering. Also, the services are commendable, very humble staff. Loved the vibe.

Superb food, superb staff with attention to detail and a caring demeanour; a great overall experience.

We had a very good experience. It was not a busy time. The food was excellent. Service was brilliant and timely. Thoroughly recommend. Not too pricey. Good value for money.

Indian Essence never fails to impress and is a firm family favourite. The quality of the food, service and value is excellent. It’s easily on a par with some of the top Indian restaurants in London, but is much better value and local. Sadly a niggle on this occasion, which I should say was not in any way Indian Essence’s fault, were the extremely loud and obnoxious people on the table next to us spoiling the ambience.

As always,another first class experience. The food is excellent as is the service

Came here on Friday lunch time with some friends to kick start our Diwali celebrations but found that the service was just super slow, we literally had to ask for everything. We had been seated for a while when we had to ask for the menus, we had to ask for some water for the table, we had to ask if we could order. We were left with no service unless we called for it - not what I was expecting from a place like this and I thought they would have been better given we were with 3 toddlers.

We would have had wine but it was exceptionally expensive for the most basic wines.

Just back from this restaurant for the first time. Had a seven course tasting menu and it was absolutely fantastic. Every course full of flavour and I loved the wine pairings (optional) which were great value in my opinion. Very full for a midweek evening. Definitely somewhere we will be going again.

My bestfriend cited this as their favourite indian restaurant so I was excited to try out the food here which did not disappoint. If it wasn't for the quality of food my overall rating would be lower. Not sure I'd recommend this restaurant to have a birthday celebration meal. The table we were given for 10 was in the corner of the restaurant will little room to maneuver around. We were celebrating a 70th birthday, and I was hoping a better job was done to clear the table when bringing out the birthday cake. Wasn't the greatest room to take any photos around the table because of where we were given our seats. I did feedback on the service to the restaurant manager. Staff were very friendly. Despite all of my negative feedback above, I thought the food was brilliant. Was happy with the quality and flavours. The only one dish I found underwhelming was the aubergine curry which could have been better. I wouldn't really recommend this place for trying to celebrate a birthday or if the numbers are too many as I don't think this is something they can service well to, however as a nice sit down meal for a few individuals, I reckon it's definitely worth a visit.

Excellent welcome and service. Food is always amazing which is why we go back. Lovely family lunch with great choice of food.

Fabulous food once again & lovely staff, thank you!

Went here for my wife's birthday with our 5 year old son. We were the first ones in the restaurant but the level of service did not change even when it got busy. They made a fuss over our son and made us feel so welcome. The food was excellent and it was a really difficult choice as the menu is amazing. They also went the extra mile for my wife birthday as well. Such a lovely night out and the food was on another level.

Lovely food and fantastic service. Tasting menu was great! Would highly recommend.

Brilliant in every way! Great food and service. Definitely recommend.

Great Indian food 5 star, slow service due to the restaurant being so busy and a queue of people waiting for takeaways. The restaurant needs some acoustic bafflers add to help keep the noise at a reasonable level.

We have dined here several times before and our family lunch yesterday did not disappoint. The set menu of 2/3 courses were all good portions, well presented and tasted heavenly. My fabulous dessert of Pistachio Milk Cake, Cardamom Sponge and Mango Gel rounded off a very satisfying lunch. The manager and staff as always provided impeccable service. We are looking forward to visiting again soon.

We booked this for our anniversary. From start to finish the staff made a very special evening for us. We both went for the taster menu, and the food was amazing. The shine was tarnished a little by a loud group nearby, but I think every member of staff apologised and they did offer to move us.

Enjoyed my 2nd visit. Some paps for starters & then an excellent goat curry, off menu korma, bhindi and pillau rice. Nice non alcoholic cocktail as was driving and great service too Excellent 1st visit really enjoyed the lunch menu... Nice attentive service... Will be back

My new favorite local restaurant. I had such an exquisite experience overall. A 5 star service throughout all stay. I felt like a queen. The food from a set menu was above and beyond. It all tasted wonderfully and each food was a peace of art on a plate. On Monday we also had live music playing for a romantic atmosphere. They play it on Thursdays as well apparently. Highly recommending this place for an exclusive experience with a set menu and live music. For a romantic date experience or simply meeting woth family or friends for some really delicious, great quality food. I have already booked my second visit for my birthday dinner with family. Looking forward to try more of variety from the regular menu as well.

Amazing food and very good service.

Amazing food - recommend chilli prawn starter and lamb main. Bread basket was good selection. Would recommend for special occasions

Great food, great vibe, excellent service, even at 6.30pm!

As usual the food was excellent service 2nd to none Will be back as soon as possible

We visit this restaurant for all special occasions for a treat. We have had the taster menu 3 or 4 times previously, which is always gorgeous, but this menu was our favourite so far. The perfect mix of flavours!

Lovely meal as always. Great food and great service. But quieter than normal which was surprising.

Very tasty food great presentation and amazing customer service! Expected from a chef who earned 2 Michelin star. Well done 😃

Rather noisy but otherwise we love Indian essence

Catered wonderfully to my wife (gluten-free) and I celebrating our 3-year anniversary. Had absolutely great mocktails outside what you might usually find, and even though we were full after our mains (perfectly cooked lamb, chicken, salmon and king prawn kebab for me, along with sides, very tender slow roast lamb curry for my wife), we ended up having the desserts and chai tea.

Amazing food, friendly and efficient service.

Really great - thank you. Nothing more to add………….

Deliciously spiced food with friendly and attentive service. Set lunch is unbelievable value for money.

It was a memorable experience and loved the food and quality but because we have been there for a taster menu before it didn’t include some of the elements compared to the first time we been there so was a bit disappointed but overall good

Food and service were great. A little downside as the restsurant is very noisy

Excellent food and good service. A west end experience without having to travel.

We were very excited about going to this restaurant (my husband loves Atul) and were not disappointed! I had the pescatarian taster and my husband the vegetarian. Wow. Every course was divine and my only complaint is that once we got to the main course (monkfish) I had eaten so much before that I was not able to enjoy the piece de a resistance as I was too full! Staff were amazing and the food could not have been better. Absolute hit!

Great food, lovely touches with pre-starter’s & handmade chocolates at the end. The goat curry was delicious & the sides, cabbage & potato & the two different dals were great too! Would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Great food and experience again... as usual 🙂

This was an outstanding experience thoroughly enjoyed by all 4 of us. Our guests booked another evening for a special occasion while we were there. Food was amazing and the service attentive without being overly so. Staff were friendly and helpful. Lots of touches that really made it a meal to remember . Thank you to everyone involved!

Our second time here. Our 15th anniversary and were as blown away by the food as previous visit in March. Busy but relaxed. Even the chutneys with the poppadoms to start had us fighting over them. The sort of food that makes you roll your eyes and at £50 a head an absolute snip for this quality. I had the Railway Curry, which is nowhere near as basic as it sounds. Wife had Tandoori Prawns.

Fabulous, classy restaurant. Went to celebrate a birthday. The food was delicious and rich in flavour/spices. Highly recommend the biriyani main and mini aubergine side. Service was prompt and friendly. Yes, the prices may be higher than other curry restaurants, but you are eating dishes devised by Atul himself. The Petts Wood restaurant is his 'taster' - where he cooks up new ideas. Well worth a visit - we will be back.

Having tried Sindhu on holiday we thought we would give Indian Essence a go as only half an hour drive away. We booked for lunch and had the weekday menu where there was a choice of four starters, mains and desserts, three courses for £22. This is excellent value and the food was bursting with flavour, tender lamb, delicate fish, succulent chicken, light and fluffy naan bread. Desserts were a delicious fusion of Indian spice and sweetness and the staff even surprised us with a sweet treat and a decorated plate wishing us a happy anniversary. Definitely recommend this restaurant if you want something far superior to the average high street Indian restaurant. As said in the previous review best Indian restaurant by far. We will definitely be going back.

Latest visit was on a Tuesday evening and as usual, it didn’t disappoint. The food was superb, service excellent and very good ambiance, even though it was midweek. This really is the best restaurant for miles. WELL DONE INDIAN ESSENCE!

An overall enjoyable meal, food was very tasty if a little expensive. Reason for only four stars overall, we waited over 20 minutes for four drinks which all came in dribs and drabs. The first two were almost finished before the fourth one arrived and we had to remind them. If you sit outside for a pre dinner drink, be prepared to wait a while. The couple on the next table had the same problem.

Excellent food but experience spoiled at the end. We went for a meal Saturday evening, to celebrate my wife's birthday, the first meal out just us two in over a year since becoming parents. We thought we'd go back to Indian essence as had lovely meals there before. Food was exceptional as expected although having just finished our meals we were asked to leave as they said there was a table waiting. We both had nearly a full glass of wine left each which we had to finish quickly. What made it difficult to understand was there were two empty tables of two either side of us and multiple other tables empty in the restaurant. If we had been asked to move to the bar to finish our drinks that would have been different but to be asked to leave wasn't acceptable. Such a shame.

Visited the restaurant based on word of mouth. Ordered a few different dishes. Lamb Rogan Josh, Pilau rice, Chicken Makhani, Khali (black) Daal, bread basket (different naans and parathas), Raita. The food was quick and each dish tasted different. The spices in each were very intense, no real chilli but just way too much of one masala or powder. The lamb in particular. The daal had ginger and that was very overpowering. Too much ginger. The variety of naan was good, rice was good. The chicken was the best of a bad bunch - it was tangy but again quite overpowering with the powders they used. Got to say that I was left disappointed with the overall meal. The amount we paid and the hype surrounding Atul Kochhar is unjustified. I'm sure he knows what he's doing but the chefs here are probably going off book and not following the recipes as they should. Didn't stay for dessert/coffee as we couldn't finish it all. I asked for all the food to be packed up and they forgot to include the raita. Realised this when I got home. I wasn't happy. My advise - don't bother. Make your own, cheaper and it'll taste a lot nicer.

As ever an absolute enjoyable visit. The staff are friendly and attentive, good selection of dishes and an extensive wine list. The Railway lamb curry is to die for. tender lamb in rich curry sauce. looking forward to another visit soon.

Always a lovely time and well looked after! Thank you!

We tried the new tasting menu available on Monday and Thursday nights and it was delicious. Next time we’ll try with the wine flight!

Second time coming - serving one of the best butter chicken I have ever had. Other dishes were well executed, just a bit too salty.

Another fantastic evening , celebrating my Wife’s 60th birthday. Food great, Service even better !

Very disappointed with the quality of the food and how tasteless the food is. The lamb biryani with egg and potato was Very bland and had no taste, the lamb was dry and horrible. Seems like it not a Atul Kochhar anymore, but a basic Indian restaurant. I would recommend you don’t go here unless you’re drunk and you won’t notice how bad the food really is. It is also expensive and really not a great value for money. No spices or anything. Disappointment service on a plate.

Excellent sevice and food. A very positive experience.

Very disappointed with the quality of the food and how tasteless the food is. The lamb biryani with egg and potato was Very bland and had no taste, the lamb was dry and horrible. Seems like it not a Atul Kochhar anymore, but a basic Indian restaurant. I would recommend you don’t go here unless you’re drunk and you won’t notice how bad the food really is. It is also expensive and really not a great value for money. No spices or anything. Disappointment service on a plate.

Fantastic food and service, very friendly and helpful staff. The monkfish was to die for , food was exceptional standard (ohhh and thank you for helping mending my wife’s wheelchair )

Super, authentic Indian cuisine, beautifully cooked and presented. Excellent service with attentive staff, who were knowledgeable and committed. Good value for money, especially with the lunch set meal offer. Wine however was a little overpriced at £15 per 250 CL.

This was my first visit to an AK restaurant outside London. Couldn't have expected it to be like the others, but loved the food. Good selection of Indian liquors. Would be nicer to have more veggie options with a taster menu.

By far the best Indian restaurant I've ever visited 👌

This place is special because their offering is not like most Indian restaurants. The food is good. Couldn't see any non alcoholic lagers on their offering. For me that is a serious omission.

We had lunch for my husband’s birthday. Food was exceptional so this made our visit even better as it was for a special occasion. The staff were attentive without being overbearing. We will definitely visit again.

Great Monday Night! It was my partners birthday and they were really kind, great service and great music. For a Monday night busy which is nice to see.

Fabulous food and great staff. Splashed out on 2 lovely bottles of wine , reccomended by the main man. Complemented the food perfectly .

Indian Essence is a fabulous restaurant offering authentic and delicious Indian food . The staff are exceptionally friendly and enjoy engaging with their customers. This restaurant is understandably hugely popular due to the outstanding quality of their food and overall experience.

We had the taster menu today, and it was just amazing. The quality of the food and the flavours were the best. There wasn't one thing we didn't enjoy. Great service, friendly staff. Will certainly visit again.

Thank you Indian Essence for this evening .. Amazing staff and superb food .. I highly recommend you and we will definitely be back soon ..

Fantastic staff, they will look after you. Food is great!

Although the food was delicious and well-prepared, the service was quite slow, and I found that some of the portion sizes were smaller in comparison to the price paid.

Good quality food. Exceptional service from Mohit and the rest of the staff. I would definitely return. I also appreciate the special requests to adjust the dishes for our own pallet. Justin

Great food and service. Drinks reasonably priced.

Delicious food - just that bit more special than our favourite Indian restaurant. Great service from all involved. Subtle live music - great singer. Overall a wonderful evening celebrating my husband’s birthday

Excellent food and excellent service. Light music would have been welcome. For afternoon business lunch a better pricing would have me brining my clients few times every month.

Birthday lunch. Had the set menu with three friends. Lovely food as always and a nice bottle of Pinot Noir after some bubbles. Their lamb curry (roast lamb) is my favourite, with the dosa on top. All served with rice and vegetable curry as part of the set menu. Fantastic value, especially with the cost of living hikes. They served me a lovely chocolate square and four spoons as it was my birthday.

Absolutely loved our lunch at the weekend, the food was delicious and I'd like a jar of the pineapple chutney. Also a shout out to the sommelier. The sparkling wine I ordered on arrival was dry and really excellent. We went with a bottle of Atul's recommended Sauvignon blanc to follow, I wasn't keen on my first sip, as I found the after taste a bit odd, but as soon as I tried it with food, it was a perfect complement. My only regret was not ordering the lamb sukka, as it was better than my biriyani. Next time!! Only things that could have improved our visit (aside from not going home and staying for dinner) would be for the floors to be less slippy, we both skidded on them, and maybe for less staff to come and ask if we were enjoying our food. It got a bit much.

We have ordered take away on weekend.the food was delicious . The best authentic Indian in south east .highly recommended.

I always make a point of dining here everytime I visit family nearby. We are never disappointed and will definitely come again

Interesting and varied menu including some unusual starters ( chicken tikka pie) and delicious main courses. All served with yummy cocktails and desserts. We didn’t have wine but believe they have a varied selection. The service is excellent, all of the staff are professional but also incredibly warm welcoming and friendly. All in all this restaurant is a real treat and highly recommended!

Food is fantastic, a different twist to Indian cuisine 😋 highly recommend!

Really wasn’t great . The railway lamb curry was so dry and fatty. Really not worth the money

We usually have a good time at Indian Essence but last night was pretty poor service. We waited 25 mins for our table to be ready (8.30 reservation and sat down at 8.55). We had to chase for our food on multiple occasions through the evening and didn’t end up leaving until nearly midnight. We didn’t eat the first course until 10pm. That was a lot longer than we anticipated and tarnished the evening as we were worried about getting back for our babysitters.

Very very Disappointed to say the quality has degraded to cheap local pub food with overload of oil. Update: Jun 12, 2022 Ordered 2 Biryanis (Lucknowi & Kolkata) through Deliveroo for £41.48 (quantity is same 400 ml takeaway box. Food was Too oily that we felt guilty to eat. Both tasted the same. Looked like riced mixed with same base gravy and sprinkled with garnish. Only difference was Kolkata biryani had potato and an egg. The side gravy is sunken under 1 cm layer of oil. On May 29th, we ordered aloo Gobi and dal makhani. Both were good except for the issue that found a small piece of chicken in the Dal makhani. Would have been an embarrassment had we served it to our vegetarian guests. On May 18th, ordered lamb and aloo Gobi, both turned out to be more on redder shade and super spicy even for our Indian taste buds. Didn’t want to complain as we love the food but thought of giving feedback. Seemed to have lost the balance of spices. Not sure if chef / kitchen staff has changed.. Hope someone will look into these and ensure the quality is not compromised. Thanks

Amazing food. The last one buster was off the chart. Best Indian food I have ever eaten. Top draw