Maharaja Restaurant in Castle Point

Went for the Sunday buffet and it was fabulous. The dishes were varied, the food piping hot and in particular the Chicken Tikka Massala and Bombay Potato were firm favourites. The staff are so friendly and can't do enough for you. At £17.95, the price is exceptional for all you can eat. You get starters of poppadoms, onion bhajis and somasos served at the table and they were tasty. If I'm being super critical, the onion bhajis were a bit overdone and too crispy, but that's just such a small detail that it is barely worth mentioning. We will be back again very soon.

Order every week, same order, this week the website isn't totalling correctly with their normal collection discount. Phoned and asked if can place order on phone, refused to offer same price. Went elsewhere after years of almost weekly orders

Just been to this restaurant last night ( Saturday family dinner) food is delicious, amazing place, nice music, kids enjoy the dance floor💃🏻🕺🏻 My wife she really enjoyed the food normally she don’t go much to Indian restaurants but she love the place and food, so we are going again there soon

This was unlike any Indian buffet/ restaurant I have ever been to. Definitely not the place if you want a quiet meal, the buffet was literally on the dance floor right next to the DJ, which I thought was a bit of an odd setup. The food was average but nice, the service was very good, really nice workers. I’d say the customers are what ruined it for us, as they were very loud. Just overall odd experience, probably wouldn’t go back, I would sooner have a more quiet, civilised meal.

Absolutely lovely date night with hubby here at Maharaja. We thoroughly enjoyed the food and great service. Defo coming back here. Hubby was over the moon with the kashmiri rogan josh as it brought back memories of when he had it in India. Brilliant!!! Thank you for a delicious meal and lovely service.

If I could give it six stars I would. Excellent service, excellent food and excellent atmosphere. The paneer was to die for. I recommend wholeheartedly.

Booked a table but when there they choose where anyone can seat as you can't choose a table needs more space between customers.The buffet was really great and one would keep going back as it was self service no attender.Had to wait a while to pay the bill as they were serving other tables and we had to be patient about it .It's quite hidden unless you go checking around and a bit of walk from the bus stop unless driving and limited space too.

Always an absolutely brilliant evening out (photos from multiple visits). Engaging, attentive waiters full of great recommendations when you're not sure what you want or are after a specific flavour and some absolutely delicious food that's generously portioned. The restaurant is really clean, well lit and peaceful. Every time we go, it's a delightful meal.

This Indian restaurant has a reasonably large car park to the front and side of the building but it can get really busy, so you may have to park nearby and take a short 5 minute walk. I guess that just shows just how popular this place is. They offer an all you can eat buffet, which has set prices, but that varies depending on whether it's a weekday or Friday, Saturday & Sunday. We went on a Friday night and it was £24.95 per person, which I felt was a little bit expensive compared to other similar establishments within the area. However the food was good, tasty and hot, it was clean, the staff were attentive and helpful and there is a dance floor with a live DJ, so I guess that maybe justifies the extra cost? I guess that'll be for you to make your own decision. The DJ isn't always there and on those nights its cheaper. They also allow you to order from a menu and the waiter did say they would make some food specially if we didn't see it in the buffet. As for drinks, beers and wines are good, I'm not a wine expert but I can taste Diet Coke and what I got definitely wasn't that. Possibly a budget Cola from a local supermarket which I thought was disappointing and obviously I was still charged the normal price. All in all I would recommend this restaurant to friends, you are made to feel welcome, it's comfortable albeit a bit noisy when its busy but that's fine. Give it a try I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

Absolutely amazing food, so tasty and the staff/service was brilliant with us from start to finish. 100% recommend. Great place

Had a Christmas meal here. Food was ok. Seated right near the door which wasn't ideal. Service was very slow and took ages to receive ordered drinks and had to chase several times. Was not advised in advance that buffet was shutting two hours after arrival and premises shortly after. Part of our group still had food and we were advised buffet and desserts were finishing whilst people were still eating main meal! We would have booked earlier had we known. Staff said not too rush but we were actively being cleaned around. Lack of atmosphere and bizarre situation of buffet being on a flashing dancefloor with no overhead lighting! Approx £400 spent on an average, rushed meal, with no complimentary drink, and had to cut our day short.....

Enjoyed a really tasty meal with our large family group (20)

Absolutely disgraceful foods taste. Avoid at all costs. Will never visit again!

2nd time we have been here this week because the first was so nice that we had to come again and bring the children, My little boy even stopped one of the men as we came out and told him it was a 10/10 restaurant. Nothing is oily very clean piping hot and full of flavour. If you haven’t been definitely go we will definitely be returning.

Place looked very elegant, good food, quick service. Rocky took care of us and he was excellent.

Very nice venue! One of the best places I’ve been to.

Good food, in our party we had Gluten free, and one lactose. Two ate from Buffet and three from main menu, service was excellent, highly recommended.

Excellent food and service again. Been here twice in the last month and couldn't fault the service and food, first class!

Food was disgusting, not recommended at all even the staff and the manager were very rude , it takes too long for Food and after waiting we received the food it was too sweet,cold and we didn't eat at all very disappointed.... NEVER GO THERE .... the quality of food was very poor it looks like they serve the old food .... We order some starter it was literally raw when we told the waitress she bring the same one and that was still raw and for the mains its cold and sweet .... I DON'T KNOW WHAT TIME OF SERVICE THEY ARE PROVIDING TO CUSTOMERS " They even DID NOT DESERVE (1 start ⭐️)as well .... in the end they ask to pay full amount for the food and we paid it They didn't say Sorry and ask what's wrong with the food ... I don't know how they get rating ... plz guys [DON'T Go] in this place I think they deserve to close the restaurant... Don't play with the customers money And time ... I will never go in this place

Service excellent, food really nice, hot and fresh

Visited with friends for the first time in a few years and the food was very good. The decor is really nice and it's very spacious. It's a shame that there were very few people in the restaurant as it meant it lacked atmosphere but will definitely return as we enjoyed the food.

The food at this restaurant was amazing, very tasteful and definitely did not disappoint! Service was fantastic and very friendly too. Would highly recommend.

Very poor quality vegetarian food, don't ever try for it.

Visited for their Sunday Buffet for £17.95pp and wasn't disappointed. 6 of us for a Birthday. Staff very welcoming, attentive and polite. Also nice to get free poppadoms, samosas and onion bahjee free for starters before the Buffet..(Not seen this elsewhere!) Great selection and taste to go along with it! Very impressive (been to others for a Sunday lunch and this by far the best!) Only one criticism, drinks are somewhat on the expensive side, hence we only had one, but overall excellent.

Food was delicious , staff was very polite as well as friendly. Great experience!

Wonderful dinner with my partner food was amazing service was great all friendly and all smiling, looking forward to next time :)

Saturday party night very busy, dine and dance. Buffet with plenty of choice, starter serve on the table. It was a great night out...

Great friendly service food was so fresh hot and tasty 😋 good atmosphere 5 star restaurant all round

Best Indian restaurant in Essex. Mouth watering test food. Very well decorated. Service as always excellent...

A lovely restaurant, excellent decorated. Very attentive customer service. Food was very tasty, specially chicken tikka butter massala. Highly recommended. Thank you

Not impressed with some of the waiters at this restaurant.When we received the bill the waiter tried to make us pay by cash rather than by card, and this upset us because he put fear in us thinking that we couldn't pay by card.He also explained that he wanted cash to pay one of his drivers, ( which isn't the customers problem).He also smirked when he also told us we should pay by cash.He also rudely asked for a tip when he shouldn't have.His attitude was dominating and controlling.Also the female waiter couldn't be bothered to get us a desert menu, and we almost missed out on a desert.The restaurant also had a strong body odour, and the toilets were disgusting, and the toilet flusher was weak.My friend had to use antibacterial wipes to wipe their dirty toilets,which she carries in her bag.The female waitress and the other nasty male waiter,ruined our experience at the Maharaja, and we certainly won't be coming back.

We always have the most amazing meal here. We came for the buffet on Sunday evening. Food was lovely as always. Service was brilliant. Staff are attentive and very welcoming and accommodating. The original and best Indian in Benfleet.

Excellent restaurant with lovely staff and tasty food

Fantastic restaurant, friendly staff, good food and great service.

Amazing venue , foodand service had a family celebration here and was very impressed and loved the atmoshere, Sam gave attention to us all and there was nothing he would not do for us 5****. Will deffo visit again . Thank you to all the team

Fantastic buffet on Sunday, and very good value.

Spent the most important day of my life- birthday of my wife. She absolutely loved the food and the sweet gesture of ice cream cake for wishes. Thank you for amazing food and beer. Cheers!

Personally sharing my experience as its my big day my birthday. Was a bit skeptical about restaurants and their food according to my taste but this particular restaurant did not just meet my taste but also was so humble and friendly that they celebrated my birthday. I do recommend this place to all people with exquisite taste. I ordered a chicken lollipop and butter chicken tikka and boy did it melt my taste buds☺️. Inshort best place to go to for food

Omg the food was so good !!! The service was really outstanding. I can't wait to have more food from them.

Really disappointed after going there for so many years and occasions, 1 -total lack of atmosphere, 2 -cold had to put our coats back on WHILE EATING OUR FOOD, 3- food portions were visibly smaller, 4-the old management knew how to treat customers for their enjoyment & experience NOT for the NEW OWNER's MAXIMUM PROFIT. 5- so expensive now, 6- one other couple came in just as we were leaving, with the restaurant being deserted. So NO we will most definitely not be going there again.

First time in over 15years, food very good choices of dishes, one very hot chilli dish Nice, staff very nice, spoke to owner very pleasant man. Will be going back sooner than 15 years. 10/10

A welcoming atmosphere nothing to much trouble the food was among the best I have had well cooked and presented, not like some other similar restaurants I’ve tried would highly recommend for any event or just a nice quite meal for two. Will definitely be returning as I have many times

Came with a semi large group and we ordered a huge proportion of the menu, and all the dishes we tried were very delicious! All the paneer dishes and the garlic and peshwari naan especially!

Haven't been here for years and i can see why now , Dry chicken, poor service , won't be visiting again .Property needs updating

Celebrating a 40th birthday. A fantastic evening, child friendly which was great. Thoroughly recommend this place for a great night out. DJ good.

Very good food & service Proper Indian food

Enjoyed our family meal out. There were plenty of food to choose. Food was delicious, nice flavours and very comforting. Beautiful interior, friendly atmosphere. Really enjoyed.

I was absolutely disgusted by the customer service from the ‘manager’. Myself and a two other couples went there for a Valentines dinner, we bought a drink and was sat at our table. The waiter took our orders and all was fine. Then the ‘manager’ came over and said that if we ordered a starter it would be cheaper for our meal as it was a Valentines “ Deal”. The valentines “deal” worked out £35pp but the order itself only came to £25 so there was no deal in that. We then asked to see the menu for the “deal” but the “manager” said that there wasn’t a menu it was just knowledge. Although given the normal menu by another waitor. We then proceeded to ask if we can just order off the menu as we did not want to do the menu said and pay for the food that we were ordering. He said in front of the restaurant that we are children so we will lower it to £30 pp and if we don’t like it then we can leave. I’m not sure what children are 21 plus but I think that is very degrading and rude to do as a ‘manager’. When we asked to speak to a different person he said that everyone was busy and completely disregarded us. We then spoke to another women who was serving and she said that she has not heard of the Valentines menu. The ‘manager’ came back over and said if we’re not paying then we can leave. This ruined our evening and then had no where to book after as we had already booked this restaurant. Just be aware if you are younger they will try to get extra money off you as they think you are naive.

Very tasty and authentic Indian food. Decent quantity. Good service and ambience. Would definitely recommend to try. We would like to try buffet next time.

Very good venue for a party. Food is good. Drinks prices a little bit high in my opinion. Great dance floor and a super dj that will play whatever you ask. We had a great night out, with it being a buffet can't really say the service is super but adequate.

By far the best indian in Benfleet! Lovely flavours. Everything was perfect. Very welcoming. We'll definitely be back. Thank you 😊

Enjoyed the food but the buffet was very limited, I wouldn't want to pay the additional amount for Friday or Saturday with the same buffet

The best place for a celebratory dinner! Delicious food, amazing service in an incredible setting! The pistachio Kulfi is one not to miss! Thank you so much!

Wow. Doesn’t get much better than this. Food glorious food Thank YOU

Really good food and attentive staff.

Just took my mum here for dinner and it was fantastic! Brilliant food and friendly staff. A very warm welcome and goodbye from Sam as well! 10/10 would definitely recommend and will be back again! Joe

Staff were great, very friendly and welcoming. They helped us make choices on dishes when we were unsure. Food was delicious and everyone was happy. Will definitely go back.

Lovely lovely food, and yummy cocktails and shisha too. Staff are super attentive, Rocky was an absolute pleasure to have as a server and made sure we were happy with everything.

Excellent service, excellent food, 10/10 would defo recommend. Shisha is also top tier!

Had a lovely meal here tonight, food tasted amazing, great atmosphere and the most lovely staff ☺️

Came here for an early nye buffet with my partner and 4 year old. Lovely decor and relaxing indian music playing in the background. Not the biggest choice of food in the buffet area but I must say the best chicken korma I have ever had! Will definately be back!

Lovely people! lovely place and amazing food! Great service! Thank you very much for having us

An amazing place and by far the most welcoming Indian Restaurant this side of Essex.

So nice to see The Maharaja back to its best. Food was great. service was spot on and the atmosphere was warm and friendly just the way it always was. Well done Sam and his staff. It's great to see you and we'll be back soon!

Just home after an amazing Christmas Day dinner, the food was excellent as always . Both the Indian dishes and traditional Christmas meals were so lovely. We have spent a few Christmas days here and this year didn’t disappoint. Choice of dishes was great .. fantastic value for money .

Best indian restaurant i have ever had, fantastic service, delicious food and price is good. Love ❤️ it.

Really great place for large groups, they were able to accommodate our group of 30. The music and dancefloor are good fun and they played lots of songs across a range of genres that people enjoyed. There could be a bit of a wider range of options in the buffet but I enjoyed everything I had (Naga chicken was especially good). The starters didn't have much for vegetarians, but the mains had more choice.

Went in the Maharaja today for Dinner with my Family, This restaurant is well and truly back on the map for being one the best in Essex. Great Food Great Staff 10/10 for the dining Experience will be returning 100%

Thank you for making my husband's birthday special. We had a great evening, lovely food, good entertainment and friendly staff.

Very good and delicious food especially their chicken biriyani. Highly recommend

Lovely lunch, food was delicious and service could not have been better, highly recommend 😋

Maharaja back to how it was when Mr Ali was there. Great food good service Well done Sam we will be back

We absolutely love this restaurant. We've been there numerous times before, but today was extra special. It was for my amazing dad's 80th birthday and it did not disappoint. The staff were so courteous and friendly, as always. The food was superb, as always, and as always ours eyes were bigger than our bellies, so we went home with doggie bags. Well, that's lunch sorted for tomorrow. As it was for a special occasion, we requested the VIP booth, which comfortably fit nine adults and an almost six year old. It was so nice for us all, it felt like we were sharing such an intimate dinner and the outside world was far away from our thoughts. Quality time, with quality people, in a quality restaurant, serving quality food. Outstanding.

I had bad experience with Maharaja restaurant, the food was takeaway order and it was bad. Never ever have I tasted such a bad quality food in the past. Will not recommend them to anyone. Bad choice. :(

Good Food at good Prices Very Clean A Good Night out

Went for another family meal at the Maharaja on bonfire night , we all chose the buffet option, the food was delicious again. The staff as usual were very friendly, polite and attentive. The Maharaja has become our family go to place for a meet up meal. 5*

What a nice restaurant staff very friendly when you enter my daughter in law booked a table for 11 for my granddaughter 21st we had a long table near dance floor with DJ and set menu starters were seaved at the table with poppadoms and dips which was very nice then buffet in room near dj which was a great choice lots of dishes plus nan bread saled etc . Then the music started we had a great night dancing drinking my granddaughter really enjoyed herself as we all did the staff are so nice and helpful and friendly we will definitely be returning I also told my friends if they want a good Night out with a great meal to go

Excellent service & food. Absolutely recommend

I celebrated my birthday here with a few close friends on Sunday afternoon, and the staff were very welcoming and friendly. We really enjoyed our time, especially being seated at the VIP area, which was nice and cosy. The food, service and atmosphere were all great and I would highly recommend this place to others. I have been here a few times now, for both their buffet and a la carte, and have never been disappointed. I will certainly come back again.

Went on a Tuesday evening so wouldn’t expect fireworks when it comes to atmosphere, but it wasn’t empty. The decor is quite plush and Indian music in the background adds to the ambience. The waiters were very pleasant and attentive and the food, although a little salty, was otherwise excellent. They have a very impressive dance floor of which they are rightly proud and I expect it comes into its own on busy nights.

If you are looking for an Indian with great food, service and atmosphere this is the place! The staff are very welcoming and the food is great. There is also a buffet on weekends which serves a great selection of food.

A ‘proper’ Indian restaurant with friendly, professional, helpful staff. We were here for a family 21st birthday. Such helpful staff, nice background Indian music (not too loud), relaxed atmosphere, parking outside, very reasonable prices and the very best of Indian food. They have a very large range of dishes on the menue and cater for all tastes. We will def be back soon.

Some of the best food about. If you’re looking for a proper curry this is the place. Come down on the weekend and got the buffet and it’s only fair to say it was one of the best curries I’ve had. Will be going back.

Always a great experience, food, service and hospitality are superb.

Food and Ambience is superbb. Staff is soft spoken and fast paced to serve food. In short its a well recommended for all to have a spend good time with friends and family.

Me and my partner had an amazing curry with black lentils that rivalled dishooms in Shoreditch, it was actually better! Great atmosphere and dj playing soul music. We will be back soon! :-)

Popped in for Shisha with a work colleague and Rocky really stood out from the rest, small team but outstanding service and polite, rushing around to all customers, but still strived to deliver the best service. Highly recommend a visit if local or if not worth a trip even if just passing throughout

Cannot believe I found this hidden gem! Food was amazingly well balanced, and Front of House Manager Sam couldn't stop singing praises for the Executive Chef Trilochen, which was, in my words, an understatement as the food captured the essence of India without the over bearing heat and spice level. Tried the chicken tikka biryani and lemon chicken tikka, and I myself joined the wagon with Sam in singing praises. Great banter with staff who were very helpful and polite. Kudos. Would love to see something like this in London. To top it off, they have a shisha lounge!

Maharaja is the ideal stop for dinner if you are returning to London after a day trip to the coastal towns. It’s also a perfect spot if you are in the mood for a really great Indian meal, and are ready for a long drive from the city to satisfy those cravings. There’s ample parking space, so that’s a load off. The décor is traditionally Indian, with spaces designated for all kinds of gatherings. Intimate family dinners with kids and grandparents, lounging with pals and hookahs, hanging out with friends after work - Maharaja has spacious, designated areas for every kind of ocassion. You can do your thing without disturbing or being disturbed. That’s another thing that’s nice here, the space. You won’t be sandwiched between tiny tables like fancy central London restaurants! There’s a dance floor too, if you want to host a dinner and dance party. Overall, Maharaja has an understated, festive look which can make you feel good. The food here is authentically Indian. Not ‘pretend Indian’ like most so called ‘Indian’ restaurants in and around London. We had aloo chaat, chicken tikka pakoras, lamb momos, vegetable rice, tadka dal, and Chettinad Chicken. All were very well made and passed our strict ‘authentic flavour’ taste. Especially the dal, which may seem like the simplest dish but is actually a delicacy and quite complex. This one passed with flying colours. The aloo chaat with patties, chickpeas and yoghurt hit the spot, the chicken pakoras were succulent, and the rice was loaded with fresh vegetables. Last but not the least, the courtesy of the host and his team deserves a special mention. They really want everyone to have a great time and enjoy the food. The service is from the heart, authentic and not trying to impress. Even though it was closing time, Sam told us to take it easy. What a wonderful host! He showed us around too, and shared his future plans for the Maharaja. And with that, Sam proved that he too is a king, which is the meaning of the word Maharaja. Sam is the king of hospitality. :) Do drop in and check it out. Great food, attentive service, and perfect ambience, all are guaranteed. p.s: I am not related to the management, nor did they compensate me for this review. If it sounds too good to be true, trust me, it isn't. It's all good and very, very true. :) Enjoy the food of our incredible India! And our neighbour Nepal too.

I was just driving past and saw it. I stopped and asked if they could make me a traditional chicken tikka masala. They have been super helpful.

Great food, Great service, Overall excellent.

Really great atmosphere, amazing furnishing and everything. It was a Friday so buffet and DJ night fantastic for our Xmas do. Only downside is buffet didn't have many dishes and we didn't eat til gone 9pm. I'd have preferred to be able to have a la carte service rather than only buffet. Food was really delicious but soft drink quite expensive-nursed same one all night. Would have liked designated driver discount if could be offered so discount on soft drinks for road safety but there you are can't have it all. Would go back food was fabulous!

brilliant costumer service and very friendly. Lovely food with a great atmosphere, really enjoyed my time :))

The food was AMAZING !! definitely coming back ! Staff are very welcoming and friendly

Amazing place, polite staff, foods outstanding and the parkings great aswell

This restaurant is one of our favourites!! The service is amazing and the food is even better. Every dish is exceptionally tasty and authentic.Garlic naan bread is to die for. Would recommend to everyone 100%. One of the best places we have ever dined in!

Personally I didn’t like the experience because, a few of the staff seemed a bit rude and on the table next to us people we knew bc we as a large group they had to send there samosas back twice bc of it being frozen, and the girls toilet both cubicals got clogged up with toilet paper repeatedly and finally it’s a very claustrophobic restaurant where the tables are close to one and another and poor spacial area

Excellent food and service. Very friendly and helpful staff. Special birthday dessert for my wife. This was our first visit, it won't be our last. Amazing light show on the dance floor. Can't wait to try the buffet.

The best curry I’ve ever had, I definitely recommend the Nagaraj if you can take the heat, the Naan and Momo are also worth getting, unfortunately the food looked so good when it came out I forgot to take photos 😭. The restaurant as a whole has a great atmosphere, with comfortable seating and great service, the waiters are very attentive and more than willing to accommodate anything you need 👍.

Fantastic food and great customer service, momo dumplings were an excellent starter. Welcoming atmosphere and large portion sizes ensure you will be satisfied with your meal. Would highly recommend dining here!