Lal Qila in Northumberland

Excellent Thursday night special offer -excellent curry the chicken saag was really good Good service and decent starter Well run and pleasant people who run it Been several times when I visit the NE and I will come back

Very tempted to give a 5. Will see if it's the same standard next week. Service was good, staff very friendly. Restaurant clean with a good atmosphere.

We went here as was recommends by a friend, the food was beautiful service amazing and the shots after the food was better

The food is well and truly flavourless, to underscore this fact the establishment has made sure they only have one condiment for the main course, a strange turmeric dip which again is free from all flavour. The main course was an hour in the making and the portion size was disappointing. Chicken tikka tandoori dish was £15. Had 6 cubes of chicken along with salad, no nan bread or rice. Lastly, the experienced gentleman looking after our bill told me the soft drinks are not included only wine is included in the Thursday night special. When I asked him why the wine was free but soft drinks were not, he changed his mind and removed the soft drinks from the bill.

Dined here for a second accasion recently, each time we were delighted with the food and service sufficiently to write a review. the tandoori dishes were fabulous, especially the king prawn main dish. With other curry dishes the meats were not dry but moist and tender- there was nothing that we were remotely unhappy with. Another good sign- the restaurant was busy. Well done, Lal Qila.

The food here is always excellent. Big menu. The staff are friendly and efficient. The premises are immaculate - maybe a bit cold in winter, but who can afford heating these days? Put a coat on! The toilets were spotless - always a good sign of overall hygiene standards.

Dined here twice this month and each occasion was fantastic. The food was perfect and the staff very friendly and helpful. Will certainly be back again

23rd wedding anniversary meal. Service was great, food was delicious. Would definitely recommend and we’ll most definitely be back.

Most recent visit here was with some work colleagues for the Thursday night special, but I’ve been coming here with my family since I was a boy (now 32). Always greeted and served with a smile, all of the staff make the place what it is and it’s no surprise Lal Qila has stood the test of time. Food is always great, be it sit in or takeaway and if dining in, the restaurant is pleasantly furnished and very clean, a great choice for a family occasion or an impromptu curry with friends after a few beers. Writing this review is actually making me hungry to return soon! Top work fellas, I hope to see Lal Qila still going strong in another 30 years.

Still the best Indian in Cramlington and in fact the Country. The staff are all lovely and go out of their way to make you feel welcome. Great waiting area for a couple of Kingfishers while waiting to pick up a takeaway or through to the the well lit and atmospheric restaurant for a meal in. Highly recommended.

Its a long time since I last ate here but thnkfully little has changed. As always the service was excellent, food was overall very good but price wise a lttle bit above average. Running throught the dishes we had:- Popadoms and pickle tray - the lime pickle was the best I have had anywhere however the onion salad was a bit chunky making it difficult to keep on the popadom, Onion Bhaji - crisp and fluffy really well presented but taste wise a bit bland. Chicken Tikka Karai - excellent the best I have ever eaten. Tikka Lamb Balti - good taste and quality Lamb but the pool of oil in the dish was a bit off putting.

Second time I’ve been here, busy but found a table, service very good, friendly staff who had time to talk. Pickles, poppadums tasty, lamb garlic starter, really tasty Chicken saag with a fluffy keema naan Could have eaten it again Clean, good food as Arnie says I’ll be back

Nice clean place but we were seated beside the toilets which wasn’t pleasant. We all opted for the 5 course Thursday night special which on paper sounded good value. Popadoms were nice, crispy and light with tasty pickles. Starters were bland and dry served without fried onions and sauce. Mains were plentiful but my Chicken Tikka Masala was bitter, rice was nice. The Naan breads were really nice and tasty. The small glasses of wine tasted like vinegar. The single scoop of ice cream was cold and the coffee was like dish water. The table beside us were given free shots but we weren’t so I withdrew my £10 tip and we headed for the door. Such a shame as I really wanted to like this place, no comparison to the quality Whitley Bay curry houses.

Called without booking, no issues about a table. Service was excellent and speedy with great explanation regarding certain meals

Excellent food, great place and staff. Had a lovely time and enjoyed our complementary shots, food so good we took a doggy bag home 😋

Was out for my birthday 7/7/23 with hubby and the in laws decided wed try here waited 20 mins for a drink ,orderd drinks 2 mins later guy came to take food order ,45 mins later no food had arrived we paid for our drinks and left ,too busy looking after there takeaway customers once your in they have you avoid at all costs ,worst restaurant ive ever been too and the worst service ever recieved

Recommended by a friend, I had the thurs special, hot tasty well seasoned perfectly served and good service Excellent

As a family that had come to Lal Qila many many times over the years, this visit I have to say was very disappointing. We came on a Sunday evening for a meal. We ordered our starters, which were very nice indeed. Along with the poppadoms and dips. A great start. Ordered our mains. My husband and mother order lamb curries and I ordered the mixed Biriani. My husband says it was so salty and my husband and mother said there was absolutely no taste of curry or spices. They found it hard to describe, but it was tasteless. My Biriani was luke warm and had no taste. I have never been to an Indian restaurant and had this experience. it was very disappointing. I hope Lal Qila can pull it back again. It has been a very popular restaurant for a long time in Cramlington. Or maybe we just turned up on a bad night.

First time diners and was very impressed with service and food was very flavoursome. Compliments to the chef! Will definitely return. Lovely chilled atmosphere too.

Located beside the main Sainsbury’s supermarket in the town centre, there is ample parking A pretty sizeable waiting area as you enter the establishment where you can grab pre-dinner drinks if you were waiting for your table A modern decor with plenty of seating inside...

Very nice good size portions they are a bit more expensive than others in the area but the quality of food is much better..

I went to la qila with my partner for a meal the staff are very nice helpful and friendly the food is amazing they are always looking after the customers which I love as you are made to feel as home the prices are good...

We had a Lovley meal can't fault the food but we asked for the bill my husband went to the toilet and said we will just pay on the way out however as soon as he went to the toilet one staff member came waving...

This place is great, the staff and food our 5 stars, they do a special 5 course menu on a Thursday and this includes a complimentary glass of wine, though theres a non alcoholic option available if you want that. I come with a group...

What a disappointment. We booked a table for 19.30. When we arrived, reception was full but we were told we would be seated in 2 minutes. 30 minutes later still waiting in reception. Finally asked if we could order and after a few minutes were...

Do not order, worse most expensive Indian take away I have eaten. Warm pop/doms I could tear them! King prawn masala -3 king prawns!!!! Unacceptable!!!!!! Lamb chops so dry I couldn’t eat the tiny things.

Came here with the family. The place is very clean with modern decor. Good park and close to the town centre. Staff were warm and friendly. Food was very good especially as they also serve beef which is quite rare to find. Would highly recommend...

In Cramlington house hunting and not knowing the area very well we rely on local reviews to find the best eating places. This Indian being highly rated we gave it a try on a Tuesday evening just as it opened, first impression was how spotlessly...

Probably the best Indian restaurant in the North East. A return visit where we opted for poppadoms and naan bread to start with and then followed this with vegetable korma for me and Malay chicken special for my mum and my friend. The food was...

Its a long time since I visited this restaurant, and was very impressed with everything this place has to offer. Staff were pleasant, efficient and professional. Food brought to our table was piping hot and the food was excellent. Plenty to choose from on the...

Dined here with a group of 8 people for a business dinner, service was amazing. The dishes were fantastic - I went for the Lamb Madras for the main and Chicken Tikka starter. Portions were a good size. Overall really impressed and will be back...

Carry out tea tonight for 3 just the right size portions and food was very nice now feeling stuffed have not been for a wile but will be going g back soon

Not to be biased but have been coming here now for many many years , few times a week at times and can honestly say it’s been top notch every time . Everyone can have a bad day as everknows but if this has happened...

On returning home after collecting my order I was bitterly disappointed to find the takeaway dish I had ordered had leaked into the bag. On closer inspection the corners of the foil trays appeared badly distorted as if the bag has been dropped causing the...

Great food, amazing waiters and a good laugh. We first went in 2019 and in 2 years, it's become the number 1 place we go to for food.

Was on holiday so thought we would try this place for a curry and wasn’t disappointed from the minute we arrived we were looked after my had a starter of crabmeat in spices and I had the salmon tikka which was awesome the mains were...

We have been customers of Lal Qila for 40 years and they have never failed to provide a tasty meal with excellent service. We are vegetarian and often ask the staff to recommend dishes for us. The title of the review says it all.

So I never actually managed to get a meal, just laughed at. According to google maps I am 10 minutes away from this restaurant so called up to ask if they could deliver to my address and was laughed at and told “no, that’s a...

Maybe I am being harsh by saying average! But if your looking for value for money this is not for you, the food is very nice of that there is no question but it is expensive in comparison to other places. Staff friendly enough and...

Was recommended this place by this tool I work with and to be fair it wasn't a bad call, although it was a little bit pricey nearly 20 large for some of the king prawn dishes!. It was fairly quite on the night with only...

One of my favourite places to eat out. Me and the family love the food and go often. Always friendly staff and excellent service.

The staff here fitted us in last minuet despite being very busy due to eat out to help out , this was after we were so badly let down by Porkies at Bebside. The staff were all COVID-19 aware and did an amazing job making...

Fab meal as usual. Well presented, staff friendly and good great. All covid guidelines followed. Will visit again

Went for the 7.30 sitting tonight, usual great food and friendly service , all of the government guide lines were followed

Went for lunch on the first day of re-opening (4the July). It was so lovely to have a meal out. The staff were very friendly and the service was amazing. The meal was absolutely perfect. It was so tasty, plentiful and red hot. All staff...

Normally sit in but with COVID had the takeaway, delivered. 40 mins late, Food cold, Onion Bhaji undercooked, all purées breads were cold, hard and generally terrible. Veg Bhuna a tasteless bizarre concoction Totally underwhelming and from a Restaraunt I rave about and visit regular...

A friend of mine mentioned that Lal had just re-opened for delivery. I must admit I do go relatively often so I am a bit biased, they are a great bunch of guys always good banter, However in the current climate that's impossibles we decided...

Went with friends for the Thursday night special night . Order taking in the waiting area then taken through to the restaurant area when our table was ready . Popadoms and pickles were brought out which were great . Our starters followed which were beautiful...

The food is lovely and the service is excellent. Can not fault and definitely recommend. Will be back soon,

I have frequently used this restaurant many times for takeaways and the food has always been excellent. However on the last two occasions it has been terrible the first take away was on Christmas Eve the curry was fine but the nan breads were appalling I think they had been made in advance they looked like a wrap you could buy at the local shop.Then once again on Sunday night we had been on along drive and decided to have a curry once again the nan breads were appalling and my chicken tikka tasted nothing like chicken tikka. Have they changed their chef? It has put me off returning.

Who says you have to eat turkey and stuffing on Christmas Day. In 2019 we joined our amazing friends at Lal Qila in Cramlington. What an awesome day we had. A full restaurant of like minded people who enjoy excellent food and amazing friendly service. The team at Lal Qila went out of their way to make this special, the food as always was superb, we just can't get enough of it. This day was a wonderful example of love and friendship that showed the best of how people no matter who they worship, if they worship, or how and where they worship can come together in peace love and respect. Thank you Awlad and his team. I am delighted to say we are already booked for Christmas 2020 and we won't be alone.

We visited on our Wedding Anniversary and I must say that the service and food is still 5 star. We love this place. I have been eating here for 28 years and I have never had a bad meal in all that time. The Lal Qila is excellent.

Great service great food .warm welcome. Excellent choice . Kingfisher on draft .what more could you ask for

I’ve been going to Lal Qila for over 20 years and I can say that within those 20+ years the food and service have been outstanding, keep it up Lal Qila and I’ll be going there for another 20+ years.

Love coming here, great for the kids too. Place has a good feel to it, nice decor and atmosphere. Staff are friendly and food is of a high standard every time.

Used this years ago and started to go back and the food is just the same very good well worth a visit

Be careful when ordering from this menu, you can only have rice as an accompaniment and there is no choice of anything different, even though there are cheaper items on the menu. I ask the basic question what if you do not like rice?

Totally tasteless curry straight in the bin , if I could be bothered i would have returned, dont know whats happening to this place one time its nice the next rubbish, so wont be getting anymore of my hard earned cash,

We decided to try here after the pictures, upon arriving we were greeted by very friendly staff. We chose our food for takeaway menu and sat in a very comfortable waiting area in which we were asked if we wanted anything to drink whilst we waited.

Good food, attentive staff and nice, warm surroundings. Reasonably priced. Would reccomend especially before going to the nearby cinema.

Visited on Saturday evening with another couple. It had been many years since we had eaten here so were keen to see what it was like. Arrived in time for our reservation and could hardly get in the door it was so full of people waiting for tables and waiting for take away. We were ignored by 3 waiting staff, one of whom appeared to be the owner but were eventually greeted by a pleasant lady behind the bar. No where to sit or stand but the owner pushed 4 menus into my hand then walked away without a word, Eventually found somewhere to wait, got a drink and waited. A while later we were shown to our table which had not been reset from the previous diners. No smiles or pleasantries at all. Eventually someone tidied the table and took our order, again without a word. Poppadoms came promptly. After that it was downhill in terms of service. Waited ages for the starters - food was ok but no garnish or accompanying sauces. had to ask 3 times for raita. Took another eternity to clear away. It was so difficult to attract the attention of anyone for more drinks or to establish what happened to the mains. When we did get someone the drinks order was wrong. No apologies no smiles - very sullen staff. Chased the mains a couple of times more - by now we had been in the restaurant almost 2 hours. Eventually it came, no apologies. The food was, in the main good although one meal was very peppery as opposed to spicy, Again a wait for the table to be cleared. Dessert menus placed on the table without a word. Tried a couple of times to get the bill. The restaurant was packed to capacity the whole time and as soon as a table emptied someone else was sat down. Saw the owner engage with the local MP in a pleasant way but there was very little else in the way of pleasant service. The staff were run ragged. As we left, the owner was at the bottom of the ramp but was more interested in getting the next customers in than to say goodbye or thank you. We all spoke to him however. The meal, when it came was, for the most part, very tasty but the service was so slow and the staff and owner showed so little care we will not be risking going back on a Saturday evening again. Perhaps we will try in the middle of the week just to compare. Interested to see what others thought of the same evening.

We had to book so we were told. So we did for 7pm on a Thursday night in August. Wow. So glad we did as it was packed out. This was a good start.

Had been a while since visiting Lal Qila & the food quality was still fantastic. Certainly Lal Qila is one of the best Indian restaurants in the North East! If you visit I’m sure you’ll enjoy 😉

Visit Thursday night with friends, we ordered the special price menu and went the main dishes served it was all sauce only four small pieces of chicken in my curry,the food was ok but very small potions . It will be good value for money if they serve full potions meals .

We had been looking forward to trying out this place as the reviews looked good and they promote a vegan/vegetarian menu. We arrived early evening on a Wednesday night and the man who greeted us with the menu looked unhappy that we were there. It made us feel unwelcome and a little uncomfortable. We ordered our drinks at the small entrance/bar area and took a look through the menu. All of the vegetable sides looked interesting so we decided that rather than order a main meal we would order a good selection from the sides so we could experience as many different tastes and vegetables as we could. Being our first time there, we had not established any favourites or quite knew the different flavours etc.

Enjoyed the food, service ok but find Im not out of touch but I felt its was expensive at just shy of £100 for 3 people with a soft drink each and no desserts. This could be the reason why the restaurant was two third empty.

Arrived about 6:30pm, our first visit to this restaurant. Plenty of vegetable options on the menu for us to choose from so we ordered drinks and spent a few minutes deciding what food to order. The waiter couldn't manage a smile and lacked enthusiasm. We ordered 3 vegetable side dishes, a rice, some chapatis and some chips and he when we said "and that's all" he said "no main courses? this is not possible, you have to order a main course". I was ready to leave immediately at that point because of the waiter's attitude but my wife persuaded me to stay. We chose one main course and removed one of our side dishes.

This little gem is becoming a firm favourite of ours to dine out! The staff are lovely. Always polite, friendly and funny! The food is always delicious. The restaurant always clean and service is excellent. Great choice of menu too. Look forward to returning!

We visited the restaurant because a friend recommended it. We went on the Thursday night for the special menu. It was extremely busy but the staff were really friendly and the food was the best I've ever had. You weren't rushed but you they weren't taking forever to serve food either. The only thing that I found which wasnt the best was the way the tables were laid out as there wasn't much space between tables so you felt very close to others. It wouldn't put me off going back though. The meal was amazing and like I say the best Indians I've ever had :)

Jalfrezi had absolutely no spice, very disappointing. Normally a spicy dish. We had heard good reviews but very disappointed overall. Complained but got no reaction whatsoever and wont be going back.

Tea last night and i was stuffed after very nice food the garlic nan was a bit strong but the food was very nice and good service

A lovely Ambeyonce & lovely food never herd a bad word said about the restraunte in all the years its been here

On Tripadvisor’s recommendation we decided to try Lal Qila in the village area .Staff were welcoming and the generous appetisers arrived very promptly.Starters were delicious with tasty dips.All the main courses ,both meat and vegetarian, were plentiful and well presented.We were all too replete to tackle a dessert or coffee.Recommended if you are in this part of Northumberland

Been tonight with few friends and wife baby . 2nd visit and honestly last food is bland not to your order when it comes to been hot they play on the safe side also but thats a small point. Staff are great tho helpfull friendly. But you go for food and for me and wife theres alot better around

Second time I have visited here while working in the area and the food as it was the last time was fantastic Staff attentive Monkfish starter was lovely Tandoori mixed grill was lovely as well Would recommend if in the area

It's been ages since we ate here but found ourselves at a loose end and decided to go again. Glad we did, the friendly welcome and prompt service soon impressed us. Although it was early and not very busy might be different when full. Popadoms and pickle to set us off followed by Bhuna Prawn on puree. Main dishes tender Lamb sagh washed down with a nice French red.

We had a party of 7 on a golfing trip to around this area & we all had a great meal at Lai Qila. Service was exceptional & special thanks to Faz who socialised very well with us with his witty comments. The poppadums & pickles were very good but all of the main courses were excellent! I ordered a lamb dish with prunes which had a great sauce for dipping my peshwari naan bread into. Prices were reasonable and portions very good & as mentioned earlier service exceptional!

Worst takeaway Indians ever!!! My chicken tikka bhuna looked exactly like the other halfs chicken madras. Watery yellow curry. Bhuna is usually dryish with onions this bhuna was watery seen about 2 bits of onions no taste / flaver. Madrass looked the same and tasted the same. Wont go back !

Visited for the Thursday night special and was made sat in the reception for long until a table was free eventually. While the food was alright but the management was the worse. The man seemed like the manager or so called owner started pointing and shouting at the staff creating a scene that caught everyone’s attention. Will be never visiting again have better Indian restaurants in Cramlington and Blyth.

After being to the cinema with my Mam & daughter, we decided to grab a bite to eat last minute. Thankfully they had a table. Staff were very friendly, and the food was fantastic! We will be back very soon.

We are regulars here and have been for sometime. The Chicken Bandook is out of the world. The staff are polite, attentive and go the extra mile. The food is very high standard, the portions very good and reasonably priced. We love this place. One of the best places to eat in Cramlington. The Thursday night special for £14.95 is excellent value, a wide selection of dishes are available and the portions are very generous.

A couple of weeks ago I visited this restaurant, I have been meaning to go for ages but never got around to it. What a fantastic meal we had, the food was amazing, so much so that I have been back every week since. The menu is extensive and the staff pleasant. This truly was an amazing experience, I seriously recommend this place.

We live in cramlington so we visit lal qila quite often , they’ve got so many awards for their fantastic food , all the times we’ve been we’ve never been let down , so if anyone is in the area it’s a must visit for excellent Indian food and they do takeaways aswell plus the staff are brilliant

Been a few times and as always the food was outstanding. Great service also. Nice bright And airy what is not to like

It has been a long time since we visited here and just for a change decided to order a takeaway on a Saturday evening.

Look no further for a fantastic Indian meal. Great service, very polite staff, fantastic food and the meat used is of a very high quality.

Went with 9 mates to a charity night, the place was full, but the service was spot on, fantastic food and drink i think they would of raised a lot of money. Just like to thank all the staff for a great night out

4th time visiting this restuarant and we're yet to be disappointed. The food is outstanding, served promptly and the service is impeccable. A little background music would be welcome but the atmosphere is always buzzing with chatter and a pleasant ambience all round.

Very enjoyable takeaway. Fast friendly service, so glad to have this place as my local. Well recommended.

It was my first visit here and wasn’t disappointed. Lovely food and the service was friendly and attentive.

Went for a family visit for a birthday celebration. Staff friendly efficient and very helpful. Quality of food was exceptional with a huge variety to chose from. Drinks also reasonably priced. Thoroughly recommend this venue.

Can’t go wrong with this little gem of a restaurant. Truly delicious food and great service from very friendly staff. Would definitely recommend

We are regulars here and have been for sometime. The Chicken Bandook is out of the world. The staff are polite, attentive and go the extra mile. The food is very high standard, the portions very good and reasonably priced. We love this place. One of the best places to eat in Cramlington.

We had a take away from this restaurant before but it was a while ago, and it was nice. This time we decided to sit down and have a meal. Our curry dishes were very nice. The staff were friendly and the place looked nice and clean. The only downside is that the drinks are quite expensive and the portions of food seem to get smaller. But we were aware of that so we ordered an extra main course. We will visit again.

Four of us had a delicious meal here. Generous portions, tasty authentic food and good service despite the restaurant being extremely busy. The drinks are expensive but that is often the case in restaurants.

The Chicken Tikka Masala was creamy and so tasty with loads of cubes of tasty chicken in it, the naan bread was perfect just what what was needed

We go to Lal Quila 3-4 times a month, we are always greeted with a smile, the food is excellent We don't mind paying a little more for good food, always a pleasure to go there, never been let down .

Saturday night bill for two adults and two teenagers.

This restaurant has everything the food is delicious not pricey the staff are attentive and friendly the chef even grows some of his own herbs in a small garden behind the the restaurant. All in all a great place to enjoy a good meal.

The food was fantastic, despite only have a Chicken Madras and rice. I found the meal expensive for what you got (£9.00). The portion sizes where small and not much chicken in the meal.