Jolpai Indian Cuisine in Bromley

delicious as always Merru christmas Jolpai!

Thursday is often a busy time in the restaurant business, but fortunately for us, last night was extremely quiet at Jolpai. This meant that we had the full attention of the owner and his helpful younger brother. (This is very much a family restaurant.) I am a chef (now retired) and so I view restaurants through a slightly different prism from most people. Normally it’s a world where the customer is king — the cooks do what they are told. From time to time I turn that model upside down. And so, when they brought us the menus I said, “No, no. We don’t need those. We are not giving the orders tonight. We are your guests. You decide. You know your restaurant, you know your favourite dishes, you know what’s fresh and what is getting a little tired. So here is our order. We are two fairly hungry men, both of whom like meat, both of whom like our Indian food “medium spicy”. Now bring it on — surprise us*. Give it your best shot.” They clearly weren’t ready for this. They lacked a bit of confidence. They were too used to tugging the forelock. It took them a few moments to accept and appreciate what I’d said. While the brothers conferred, I nipped over to Lidl (2 minutes away) and bought some wine. Jolpai does not sell alcohol, but they tolerate it. BTW, unsure of my guest’s preferences, I bought two wines, a German Riesling and an Australian Viognier. My friend wanted Viognier, and so it was — a good choice. I recommend it. Jolpai is basically a very conventional London Indian (actually Bangladeshi) restaurant. The menu, which I only looked at much later, is a compendium of dishes from the entire subcontinent. It is impossible to be all things to all people, but that doesn’t prevent people (like politicians) from trying and inevitably not doing anything as well as they would if they’d really focused attention on what mattered to them. Next time I go to Jolpai, I will continue the challenge. I will say, “I don’t want “Indian” food tonight; I want Bangladeshi food. I want your food. I want the dishes you would make for your grandparents if they came to your restaurant. Surprise me.” And perhaps then the brothers will trust me (and themselves) enough to serve me not what they think I want, but what is in their hearts. That is where good food — really good food — comes from. It comes from the heart. So how did Jolpai do last night? Not at all badly , considering I had clearly taken them well outside their comfort zone. “7/10 — shows promise. Clearly talented, but lacks confidence. With encouragement is sure to improve. I can see great things ahead.” If I write 7/10 why do I also give them 5 stars? The 5 stars are for what they are doing now, ticking all the boxes; the 7/10 is for what I know they are capable of doing. *”Surprise me” is an allusion to my favourite restaurant movie: the Pixar/Disney masterpiece Ratatouille. If you’ve never seen it — and if you really care about food — you should correct that error as soon as you can. Oh, and why only 4 stars for atmosphere? Because the place could be anything anywhere — it’s fine, it’s “nice,” but it has about as much personality as an airport lounge. I am not in favour of putting up posters of Krishna and his flute, or statuettes of Ganesh. For one thing, the brothers are Muslims, and why should they pander about anything so important? I am not in favour of anything bogus. What I hope for is a more authentic reflection of who they really are. They will get there in time. I feel sure they will. I hope I am there when they do.

thank you so much for our complimentary side! our Fridays are not the same without our delicious meal from you guys ❤️

To celebrate their Anniversary, my wife and I ate in this restaurant recently. The entire experience was very positive. The new decor is brilliant, the staff are very welcoming and efficient…but the jewel in the crown was the food. Everything was beautifully cooked and tasted amazing. We will definitely be returning to eat here again soon.

Excellent food, prices and service. The best Indian restaurant in South London for sure.

Too much coconut in the rice and too big of a portion of sauce just for a small portion of rice

Have used takeaway service for three years now. Have never been disappointed. The portion sizes are huge, we can never eat it all in one go so lasts us for two meals. That makes it excellent value. Have only eaten in once or twice, both times very good. On those occasions they didn't serve alcohol but were happy to serve you your own so best to check if you like a drink with your meal.

very tasty 😋 delivered with a smile

Delicious food, friendly and attentive service, all at reasonable price. We’re repeat customers and would definitely recommend!

Very tasty, good flavour and arrived hot and on time 😋

Highly recommend! The food is delicious and has good portion sizes! Service is great and we are always made to feel so welcome!

Outstanding service. The staff was attentive and helpful. An amazing dining experience. Food was amazing ,highly recommended 👌

never disappoints always delicious

Deeelicious food!! big change with the new owners 👌🏾 excellent service!!!

Absolutely love the lamb chops and chicken tikka biryani. Onion bhaaji's are amazing

Absolutely delicious food, lamb chops and chicken very delicious. Fish begun is also very tasty and service is great.

I recently dined at Jolpai Indian Cuisine, and I must say it was an exceptional experience from start to finish. The food is absolutely amazing, showcasing top-quality ingredients and fresh, vibrant flavors that truly stand out. Each dish is crafted with care, offering a delightful blend of traditional and modern Indian cuisine. The customer service is fantastic, with staff members who are friendly, attentive, and eager to ensure you have the best dining experience possible. The extensive menu provides a plethora of options to choose from, catering to various tastes and dietary preferences, so there’s something for everyone. I highly recommend Jolpai Indian Cuisine to an everyone great for families outings too. It's a perfect spot for a memorable meal. Plus, they offer convenient delivery services, allowing you to enjoy their delicious food from the comfort of your home. Don't miss out on this culinary gem!

The food is the best iv had in a long time the price is right and the food is the nuts

Food was full of flavour, the staff were very nice and really took care of their customers. Would definitely recommend it.

delicious as always would not order from anywhere else 😋

10/10 delicious food and excellent owner and restaurant, would most definitely recommend.

Seriously everyone you all need to try the new chicken or lamb chilli fry, it’s amazing. It has a nice rich flavour, just the right amount of sauce thickness and super tasty.

The best I’ve had on just eat tbh, excellent customer service by a polite gentleman. Food tasted amazing, my family are regulars for their biriyani’s.

one of the best Biriyanis, vegetables sauces we have had in quite awhile!!! so tasty!!! please do NOT change whatever you're doing, the best walahi! Roble, whom delivered our food was so kind and I appreciate his customer service and delivering our food early than expected! 10 out of 10! please dnt change your food... love love it ♥️

disappointingly the chicken in my Dansak was quite dry, but the butter chicken was perfect

Cold food, inedible onion bhajis were rock solid

Watery. The curry tasted like the chef had tried to make the sauce go further by watering it down. Awful. Not ordering from Jolpai again.

Yeah they never fail to deliver. Lamb Naha comes highly recommended for those who have a strong heat tolerance. Good value for money

Food was amazing, well cooked, extremely flavoursome.

our regular Friday night takeaway. always delicious wouldn't go anywhere else!

Unfortunately not a good place for Indian food. Naan was so hard and felt it was from a supermarket place. Food was stale and old.

the food was nice but only got 1 lamb samosa

Visited last evening with freinds. Easy parking. Good service. Good food. Highly recommended. They don't sell alcohol, but take your own

Jolpai is only a small restaurant with half a dozen tables, but it is clean and very pleasant inside. The onion bhaji are not greasy and the meat used seems tender and good quality. The added bonus is that they are not licenced so that you can take your own Cobra beer and they don't charge any corkage. All in all, a very nice curry at a reasonable price.

Poppadoms we’re stale, food was not very warm

Every dish was superb. Externally flavoursome, meat and fish cooked beautifully. This is now our go to restaurant.

Use every week for a couple of years now. Great food, always perfect.

Staff was really friendly, food was amazing, had a nice meal with friends.Would definitely recommend for family or outing with friends.

Lovely food and nice and quick

Was recommended this lovely restaurant by friends of ours & was not disappointed. The food is one of the best I have ever tasted. It was quiet when we went on a Thursday but the staff were brilliant & we were given coffee on the house which was a nice touch. The restaurant is not licensed so have to take your own drinks which were happy to do.

Wonderful food, well cooked and very hot even after a 10 minute trip to get here. Very pleasant and polite delivery guy. Will buy from again.

Always really great food, high quality. And lovely people providing great service

One of the best tikka I’ve had in London

although food was tasty i have received dish that i did not expect. Jolpai haleem dish was like no haleem i had ever before - it was daal gosht dish and not haleem... although both are made of same basic ingredients the end dishes could not be more different. I would not put my money on anyone trying to convince me that it was lamb meat and not mutton used in the dish either

Great food friendly efficient vservicev,will definitely be back

Always a good take away from Jolpai!

Very nice.. would definitely order again, good portion sizes. however no option to order extra mint sauce, We like it a lot and never enough. Would be perfect if we could order another mint sauce we like two. Many thanks.

Korma was the best we have had in a while bhuna was nice but needs more heat

It was cold and burnt part of the order was missing, this has happened before with an order from them. I will not be ordering from them again

This is a must try restaurant, usually have a takeaway, food is the best I've tasted in years. Try it, you won't be disappointed.

I have normally ordered delivery food from here in the past which has always arrived on time. Decided to try the restaurant recently and was not disappointed. Rubal really looks after his customers and the place has a great atmostphere. The Food was fabulous and service first class. Really a great find and very reasonable priced. Gets very busy at weekends to make sure to book a table in advance.

Food was delicious and costomer service, impressive

Really disappointed as we previously had some nice food from here. Chicken curry - the chicken was dry, seemed reheated and the sauce had no flavour and was very watery. Also it took 1 hour 20 to arrive. Will not use again

Excellent as always! Cannot recommend enough - by far the best Indian takeaway in the area!

The food is always the highest quality.

What should of been a nice meal in jolpai last night was the complete opposite, firstly we walked in not a single person in the restaurant yet the man didnt even show us to a table or welcome us, took at least 20 minutes for him to come over and take our order and when he did he wasn’t friendly. He chucked our coats on the floor instead of hanging and it took 40 minutes for our food to come out as he was continuously sorting takeaways yet still no other customers in the restaurant. He tutted and huffed and puffed at anything asked, we was a table of 4 we asked for water for the table he brought 2 glasses. The food was dry, horrible and no flavour at all, we asked for the bill and left wouldn’t even let my dog eat food from there!

App showed delivery time to be 18.15 and at 18.30 the food had been delivered. App then said restaurant needed more time to prepare food. 18.35 given as new time to expect delivery. Contacted restaurant after 18.35 who told me the food should be with me shortly. Collected food from delivery driver who was outside the wrong address at about 18.50. First class food which was let down by the delivery service and miss information on the app.

Food is always spot on. Very nice

Nearly an hour wait for food, too busy doing takeaway and delivery orders. Rudest FOH ever so sorry us paying customers expected service, maybe this is not the job for you, so rude it was funny! Food awful - full of sugar and food colouring. Tandoori platter inedible.

always a very good standard and well priced

Had a takeaway, great food and service

The food arrived extremely early! The driver was lovely :). Will be ordering again the food was delicious to :) !!

Order was late and food arrived cold

Fantastic as always. Best Indian takeaway in the area and we wouldn’t try anywhere else, thanks Jolpai!

The butter chicken was horrible, it was coconut chicken not butter chicken. Its not related to the authentic taste at all. Not recommended and will not order again. On top of this l called the restaurant and said they will get back to me and no one called. Horrible experience. Wasted 26£

I do enjoy this restaurants dishes! I ordered lamb chops, salmon tikka, lamb biryani and a plain paratha. The lamb chops are absolutely delicious! Very succulent and tender, literally falls off the bone with ease. Packed with flavour and spiced to perfection. The onions were also the perfect complement! My only pit is you only get two and I wish I got at least one more for the starter. The salmon tikka was quite delicious, the pieces were quite meaty and didn’t have that fresh fish taste, you could taste the flavours of the combination of spices. I thought the portion was good for a starter, and again the sautéed onions were a great compliment. Their lamb biryani has to be the best I have ever had. The star of the show is obviously the lamb - perfectly marinated and cooked down because the pieces were literally pulling apart as I cut into them. The rice was perfectly fragranced with spices and everything was perfectly combined! The vegetable curry had these beautifully cooked down slices of vegetables, including broccoli - which complimented the rice dish superbly! The only downfall is this wasn’t properly packaged and leaked in the bag a little. This was my first time trying their plain paratha. It was honestly just quite simple but it did go down well with the vegetable curry - I probably won’t order it again as it was a little oily and I prefer naan bread. I would definitely order from here again!

The new chef/owner Rubel is a wonderful human being and his cooking is exquisite. On two occasions he has left the kirchen to discuss our preferences and cooked to order. This is currently our favourite restaurant in south east london. Banquet night on Tuesday and Wednesday is a must, but prices are always reasonable. If you are after a culinary experience, this is the restaurant for you.

Lovely place for either take away or dine in as we have fine both, staff friendly and helpful. Premises clean and tidy. Been going here for many years, good value for money x

Lovely as always but sent the wrong rice. Not worth complaining as a brilliant meal.

Lovely food but would never have ordered if I knew it was going to be and hour and a quarter

top quality best in a long time

The lamb naga was only half full. It’s normally filled to the top of container

Great local restaurant. Food is always good. If fancy a beer with your curry, take a few with you, they don’t sell booze.

Just recovered from the food posioning from this order. Not going to order again.

Fab food, and great service, even though I gave the wrong address, they honored my order, great customer service, I will defo order from here again ! 😀😍🤩

Food was delicious. Good flavours. Arrived on time and the delivery man was polite and friendly. No complaints. Would definitely order again.

Awful! The only edible food was the tandoori king prawns, which my partner and I had one and a half each of. Hardly a meal! The chicken tandoori was a greyish colour and covered in slimy boiled onions, which all went straight in the bin! The onion bhajis were cold, soggy and smothered in clarified butter, to the point you could wring them out! The green coloured dip was leaking, and had gone all over the bhajis, as well as down my new jumper and on the floor. The chips were cold, hard and as dry as a bone. The salad was minute, although looked fresh. So, all in all, a disaster! I would never order food from this restaurant again. A complete waste of £24

Hello , unfortunately I’m not happy with my order. Order was late over 1h and 30 min . I ended up with cold food with is not right as I pay for it. Please contact with me z Regards and thank you.

Food was nice and tasty. Delivery was good too. Would recommend

Very nice food and quick delivery

The food was nice and hot, no leaking containers. I can't fault anything the food is very tasty and will definitely order again. Yummy.

Excellent food, arrived quickly.

What a fantastic service and food for a birthday celebration for 11. I recommend this restaurant. We are regular customers and the food is very good every evening we visit.

Good food reasonably priced. Take your own bottle. Great service.

I love this restaurants food but delivery time is always very bad. Hire more drivers for weekend deliveries

One of the better keema rice that I've had All in, the food and service has been good

Very consistent. Always know what you’re getting. High standards

The portions are getting smaller and smaller. 6 or 7 small pieces of chicken in a sauce. Rice is small. Not as good as it used to be. Go here if you like hunting for any meat or vegetables in your sauce.

Amazing selection and always so tasty highly recommend, great service 👍

As alway a very fine curry .and as am 71 years old I have had alot of curries

Good was decent but not a fan of the butter chicken.

Beautiful food served in absolute cleanliness. Decor is outstanding and service very efficient. Lovely atmosphere. Doesn’t serve alcohol but that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment. Indeed taking your own makes it less expensive and drinks you take are to your own choice - especially as far as wine is concerned. Lovely.

The food was cold and the potatoes were hard a complete waste of money

We have been a Jolpai fan for years. Great food. I love their fish beguni, a unique dish with delicious fish and aubergine that no other restaurant do.

Apart from forgetting my salad and poppadoms the meal was fantastic , small criticism is your naan bread is a little gritty not sure why this is but apart from that cant complain thank you :)

New favourite love this food amazing

Brilliant quality fresh hot food - we ordered the naga which was hot, fragrant, fresh and above all authentic! Will order again!

Food was nice when it arrived, and it arrived hot, just 45 mins or so late (despite being a timed delivery rather than asap. Also advertised 4 onion bhajis per portion, 3 arrived, and there was no salad with it as advertised. I'm sure just a busy night, but with so much choice around, it's the little things!

Popadoms stale naan bread burnt lentils hard meat dry and no sauce chana masala and pilau rice nice

When food arrived it it was very watery couldn’t eat it and it was cold