Masala in West Dorset

Masala is a fabulous Indian restaurant. It is easily the best in Dorchester. They were happy to prepare a dish not on their menu (Shashlick Phaal) for me and it was exceptional. The balance of spices and heat complimented the tender succulent chicken that I ordered. The Tarka Daal was a perfect accompaniment and the rice was perfect too. The staff are very good, friendly and efficient without being overbearing. They timed their visits to the table with perfection. Despite not living in the UK, I have been to this restaurant many times and have never been disappointed. Highly recommended.

One of the best curries I have ever had! I ordered Chicken Tikka Masala and my friend had a Vindaloo. Both of us were blown away by both the quality, heat and value of the food we had. This is the best curry house in Dorchester and is well worth a visit! I could not recommend this place highly enough.

Amazingly good. Beats it’s main competitor easily- the service was excellent and the food was perfect in quality, taste and quantity- best Vindaloo I have had in years- it’s not much to look at from the outside but a very good dining experience and I would thoroughly recommend it

Best tasting Indian takeaway in Dorset. Always consistent with flavour and orders always come correct. Definitely recommend to anyone!

We had a gorgeous meal here! It was really tasty loads of flavour! I would highly recommend a trip here!

Worse bland food I've ever had & tasted in an Indian restaurant, no flavours chicken was bland in my Tikka masala, my son had lamb said it was tough & warmed up, absolutely disgusting I told them before I paid my bill only they didn't care, why should I pay for discusting food with no flavours when we go out these days it's more of a treat with the cost of everything lately.. I won't ever be returning to try it again, beware if you're thinking of going.. there's a lot nicer places... Staff aren't interested, I would say if the staff came back to our table to ask if everything was ok with our meal I would have given them a chance to rectify the problem only no one bothered to come & ask us... Stay well away if you don't want to disappointed.

Ordered a takeaway as we always do from here. Unfortunately tonight it was terrible. We had things missing from the order and 2 meals were stone cold. We phoned up and were told the manager would call back. He did so, an hour later and asked us to return the food. We explained that it was cold to start with and he agreed it was pointless to bring it back but to return for a 50%discount. So I did, and the staff were rude and said I should of brought it back. I got the discount...eventually and left. I have supported this local business on a monthly basis and would of expected to of been treated with respect but the staff were so rude.I cant stress how good they used to be here but if you cant respect your loyal customers then unfortunately you won't be seeing us again.

What used to be our favourite Indian Restaueant in Dorchester has sadly gone downhill. Even before Covid things started to change. First the table cloths disappeared, leaving us under no illusions of the cheap Formica industrial tables, along with that some of the ambiance, also the smiles from the staff. Waited half an hour for our pre booked table, then hour &1/4 for food. The food also started to disappoint. Now with the social distancing...naturally tables disappeared, seemingly to be replaced by booths in each side of the restaurant..but keep looking and you’ll notice it’s just a half booth, one side being freestanding chairs. Which can accommodate 12 loud diners (is that the magic number now?) if necessary. Napkins glued around the cutlery. Pictures on the walls appear to be a job lot from a French cafe. But worst of all have they lost their chef? Smaller portions, lacking in flavour and consistency, chewy lamb? Sadly, we will now be giving it a miss going forward....

The Masala restaurant is wonderful. We had the most amazingly delicious meal with brilliant service. Definitely recommend this restauarnt.

Decided to order from Masala due to poor quality from normal takeaway. Whilst being a bit dearer quality is normally good but that seems to have changed post lockdown! The normally creamy Korma sauce tasted like it was made with water. Equally the chicken was bland as if boiled and placed in at the last minute. The nan bread was very dry which was inedible. The lamb Bhuna was also very bland.On a plus note the onion bhaji was good.A very disappointing meal overall with the 10% discount removed for takeaway unless collecting.

i ordered last week as i do often, delivery driver asked me if next time i’d like free food i said no thanks. today i received No Caller ID calls and a voicemail from an indian man (couldn’t understand him)... the same delivery man has turned up at my door today with a bag of food. handed me the food and asked to come in, i said no. he then asked if he could come round one evening. i politely declined and told him i have a boyfriend. he asked if my boyfriend lived here and if my child was in school. i said i wasn’t interested. his reply....i’ll come back again another time! NO THE HELL YOU WONT!!! i will never order from here again the foods AMAZING but he’s terrified me. please be careful!

This has always been one of our favourite curry houses to eat in on a night out. During lockdown, we decided to have a take-away and it didn't disappoint. The chicken tikka masala was excellent as was the garlic naan bread. Lamb bhuna also delicious and wonderfully friendly staff. Thank you Masala - we shall be back soon.

What’s gone wrong?I’ve had many takeaways from the Masala restaurant before. And quite often it’s been their Lamb Sag. UsuallyThey are lovely. But this one was not..... I can’t tell you want was wrong with it, but I struggled to eat it. The meat was fine but the sauce was terrible. The keema naan was also below par. Soggy and did not have the nice layer of red minced lamb in the centre. On a plus point the onion bahjis were lovelyI was very disapointed. It’s unlikely I’ll use them again

Always rated this as excellent but last autumn the quality of the curry sauces took a bit of a dip (too salty and not as much flavour). I’m glad to say we tried again this weekend and it’s back to it’s very best. Tasty sauces, great naans and very nice staff. Our favourite curry house.

We had a take-away this evening and it was delicious. Good sized portions, well spiced and a great traditional curry. We eat at a lot of Indian restaurants and this was outstanding.

I booked a work get together and the restaurant did not let us down, great food great atmosphere great price.

I visited Masala with a friend and was really impressed. The food is consistently good, and the decor was simple but clean. I ordered a Chicken Shashlik which was delicious. I would recommend the restaurant to visitors and locals alike.

Although I like Indian cuisine I am not a great lover of Indian restaurants as all too often they flatter to deceive. So it was a real treat when a group of friends visited here to find a warm and friendly greeting,and food that was as Indian cuisine should be - layer apon layer of subtle flavours that demanded another forkful. Well done to all,you got ten out of ten from all six of us.

We have been coming here regularly, ever since we moved to Fordington 22 years ago. The Masala is our go-to restaurant, and definitely the best Indian in town. (Who needs Brewery Square?)My Duck Rezala was as tasty as ever, just the right hotness, and the Bhaji side was beautifully crispy. Vicki's Lamb Loknow was a tasty blend of flavours. I also enjoyed my Dahl soup.The Masala isn't especially lavish, and the High Street location is ordinary - however, the waiters produce a good atmosphere and staff turnover seems low so that tells you a lot. Besides, in my experience, some of the best hidden gems are behind shop fronts.Thanks to all the staff for a wonderful evening. We'll be back.

A full menu of Indian dishes has beckoned us back many times to this restaurant. The service is very good from the friendly staff and the prices a quite reasonable.

Ordered through the ‘Just Eat’ app always on time with delivery/collection times.

The two of us arrived early on a Sunday evening, a very warm welcome from the staff. We both had king prawn dishes, which were absolutely excellent, washed down with a bottle of well priced wine. A lovely experience and will definately return.

Meal was excellent and will definaley re order again some time. A minor niggle was the fact that i was given a time in an email for delivery and allowed to go get provisions on this basis only to be called when out that the delivery driver was there trying to deliver!

Meal was excellent and will definaley re order again some time. A minor niggle was the fact that i was given a time in an email for delivery and allowed to go get provisions on this basis only to be called when out that the delivery driver was there trying to deliver!

Food was delicious but at an and hour and a half early meant we had to re-heat. Drover said sorry and would make sure didn’t happen again

Food was delicious but at an and hour and a half early meant we had to re-heat. Drover said sorry and would make sure didn’t happen again

Delicious treat for my birthday, will definitely order again in the future

Delicious treat for my birthday, will definitely order again in the future

Excellent food Quick friendly service Would recommend this restaurant Without hesitation

Excellent food Quick friendly service Would recommend this restaurant Without hesitation

On this occasion I was without my man and was looking for something light to eat. Masala was filling up with customers - always a good sign - so I joined them.

This was my first visit. Heard this restaurant was good and it was. Pleasant greeting, friendly service.

Nothing wrong with the food, but it was not exceptional, either, hence the title of this review. No beers on tap, and bottles very expensive. Service was OK. Overall, distinctly ordinary.

I only now put reviews up when the place I visit is exceptional.

Popped in after a late finish at work on a Friday evening, booked online and just went along to collect. Great tasting, good portion sizes they were very busy and very apologetic for the small delay. Found the staff to be super polite and helpful.

Called into Masala after the Dorset County Show.

This is the best take away curry in Dorchester, really tasty, plenty of flavour and spicy when needed. We will be ordering again soon. The meal was ready on time.

This is the best take away curry in Dorchester, really tasty, plenty of flavour and spicy when needed. We will be ordering again soon. The meal was ready on time.

We dined here with friends who live in Dorchester and they recommended it. When we arrived for our booking at 8:30 it was packed which is always a good sign. Food was great, as was the atmosphere. We will definitely visit again when we next visit Dorchester.

Don't be put off by the surroundings when you enter the restaurant. The food and service are very good. Best to book at the weekend.

Stopped off here just before closing time after a long journey - expectations weren't high when we walked in, the interior could be improved, but we were completely taken aback by the food. Very tasty interesting dishes, varied, and they adapted dishes to accommodate for the vegans in the group (very successfully). Little disappointed by the service (a drink was knocked over onto my friend and no apology), but great food (if they do takeaway would recommend). Thanks for staying open for us!

Dorchester man through and through. I am a little partial to the odd curry takeaway ...however found the manager and staff rude and obnoxious. Business obviously isn't doing well as restaurant had only about 2 people in on a Friday night.... with the staff being a bit more pleasant May help things. Sorry state as use to be the place to go and staff havent changed so things cannot be going well. Food average and over priced.

It was a very good curry and a good wine selection thank you for your time. Please remember dinners from out of town may not always want to be rushed on a quiet night. but i understand. Still great food and service. Many thanks

Always a good curry. Tuesday night it’s banquet night (choose from main menu) and great value. They do superb naan bread.

Had the meal for two. Very nice food the selection gave a good variety of choices available. service was very efficient and very friendly staff.

Whilst staying in Dorchester for the weekend we went to Masala on Friday night The food was very good and reasonably priced. The restaurant was busy so had a really good atmosphere. .

This place is fantastic and I will be returning. The food was very tasty. I had Lamb Garlic Chili Masala and it was delicious, hot chilis and lots of garlic but neither was overpowering and the lamb was perfectly cooked. My girlfriend had chicken tikka pasanda; not my thing but also well-cooked. We had mushroom rice, brinjal bhaji, bhindi bhaji, and a Peshwari nan as sides. The brinjal bhaji was especially good; it's hard to get aubergine right but this was superb and a great accompaniment to the lamb. Washed down with the ubiquitous Cobra (more interesting beer would have been welcome but it didn't detract). Atmosphere was fine, pretty much what you'd expect from an Indian restaurant, and the service was friendly and attentive. I'll be going back. Value was good at £45.00 for 2 for the above with poppadoms and pickes to start.

Whilst this restaurant isn't going to win any awards for innovative interior design or pushing the culinary horizons , what it does do straight forward Indian food it does very well indeed. The food is nicely presented , well cooked and the portions are a good size .

The meal was very good and the four of us had a variety of dishes, all were piping hot, aromatic, spicy and were as we remembered them from our original visit

Have eaten here on another occasion, all was good. Tonight had a takeaway and service good but the food was terrible. Ordered vegetable biriani. Very over cooked curry, like a awful burned stew, biriani was 30% burnt onions. Lacked flavour. Don't recommend!

We called in here on the off chance on a wet sat eve , the food was very good , in fact it was the best pishwari nan we have had , The only thing that let the place down was no nice white table cloths, & the very old fashioned tables / chairs,,, & , don't look up at the artex galaxy ceiling , but then we didn't go their for the furnishings. We will deff come back when in Dorchester again.

We waited a total of 2 hours for our meal to arrive, with a main meal and side missing!... not happy at all! To which the staff member replied with it's not my fault, still wanting us to pay £34.80 for only 1 main meal...

Had dinner with 3 friends who live in Dorchester. This was my 1st visit and won't be the last. Very tasty food, plenty of it. Particularly liked the King Prawn Bhuna. Lovely service and good value £72 for 4, loads of food and beer and wine too. Will be back. Highly recommended.

Recientemente nos mudamos de Manchester, y hoy fue el primer día perdimos de estar allí. Este curry era dos veces el precio que estamos acostumbrados a pagar, pero no estaba en cualquier lugar cerca de la calidad que estamos acostumbrados. La comida era bastante sosa, lo tibio, y el frigorífico naans eran casi. Esta fue una triste experiencia de curry.

Always always great food. The staff always have time for you, make you feel comfortable and ensure you order is prepared as quickly as they can even with a restaurant tull of customers. I will only use this Indian take away in Dorchester.

Always always great food. The staff always have time for you, make you feel comfortable and ensure you order is prepared as quickly as they can even with a restaurant tull of customers. I will only use this Indian take away in Dorchester.

Culpa la comida que se sirve aquí. Comido en varias ocasiones y había comida para llevar y cada vez su impecable! Un poco caro, pero aún así volver ya que es el mejor hindú en Dorchester.

Por desgracia poco nuce restaurante el extremo equivocado de la ciudad, amplio menu de Bangladesh, acogedora, de 5 estrellas, el precio medio de EHO cert, personal agradable, vale la pena una visita

The curry is the best in dorchester / weymouth and the naan bread is fantastic BUT the lager is just not cold enough. I just wish they would turn the fridge down a bit more!!!!

Never has a bad meal here in large or small group's excellent staff can never do too much to help selection of curry's cannot be beaten

I fancied a curry and went into Masala by chance. The restaurant was not busy. The service was good and my food was served quickly. The portions are generous and my meal was tasty. I would return if I am in Dorchester again.

First time 'Just Eat' user. Will definitely use again.

First time 'Just Eat' user. Will definitely use again.

The restaurant was surprisingly empty for buffet night and for the 4 of us it was our first time. The buffet menu is priced at 12.95 pp and you can pick just about anything off the menu. For this price you get offered a starter, a main course with naan or rice and a side dish . The food was delicious but so much of it! You certainly get your money's worth!The staff were very friendly and accommodating to our party. 2 members were profoundly Deaf and communicate in sign language and felt very welcome. The only minor issue was that we felt we were rushed a little which was a bit odd as the restaurant was virtually empty However we will be coming back again. It's lovely :)

The best Indian restaurant in Dorchester. We use this restaurant quite frequently and have never been disappointed in the past 20 years. Restaurants in small town live by their reputation so it is suffice to say this is the best in town for a family sit-down meal or a takeaway. Very good value for money and very large portions.

Fantastic food as always, fast service, brilliant staff. Thank you xxxx

Fantastic food as always, fast service, brilliant staff. Thank you xxxx

Having been recommended this venue by our B&B host we were instantly impressed on arrival. It was busy, not over crowded, buzzing with a great atmosphereTable for two requested and given a four seater. Lots of space required for our food!On ordering some poppadoms they arrived within a minute, with a vast array of chutneys, pickles, sauces and onion salad.We were given plenty of time to decide our order.We skipped the starters as we had plenty of poppadoms!The Chicken Tikka Pathia I ordered was great. Full of flavour. It was a little less spicy than I have at my local (200 miles away!) but I cannot fault the flavour this dish gave to me. The rice and naan bread were task enough to eat on their own.We drank bottles of Kingfisher which were well priced. At one point the waiter bought over two bottles of Cobra (already opened) and instantly realised his error that they should have been Kingfisher, taking them away instantly.The food was well priced and very good. The staff were friendly and efficient. When back in the area I will be back!Thank you!

Perfectly lovely im every way A*

Great food, ready on time, friendly staff. No faults at all.

Went on a Tuesday night which is buffet night. At 12.95 and starter main and a side it's very reasonable and tasty. Staff courteous and happy to cook outside the menu. Happily recommend this venue

We had an evening with friends of 20 on 17/02/2017. Wow, what can I say.... the best Indian in town. As you enter you can smell Indian spices. The atmosphere in the restaurant is good. The staff were very polite and attended to all of us. The food was outstanding. Taking into account it is not London Chutney Mary, the range and quality were excellent. I liked my chicken shashlik, which cam on a hot metal tray sizzling away. My friends had different carry and all were satisfied with their meal. I would recommend this place to spice up your life time to time!

Yes. Masala is a great curry house in Dorchester. It's your standard curries, well cooked, great attentive staff and amazing flavours. I tired the Tawa chicken- which contains cheese? Random? I thought. Turns out it was the best curry on our table. Would definitely reccomend this place, cheaper than the Raj too.

Always a great meal, friendly professional service. Highly recommend.

Second time we have used this service and it certainly won't be the last , order time to pick up 20 minutes both times .

Excellent service and food. Very busy but all the staff made you feel special. It was my son's 21st and they couldn't do enough for us to make it a memorable evening. Definitely going back and soon. Advisable to book a table.

Delicious, fresh tasting food and service that is a cut above most other takeaways and restaurants in town.

New years eve was busy but service was still very good. Every thing arrived at our table in a timely manner and was great tasting food.

Delicious! Highly recommend this place

Very pleased with the food and service, will order from this restaurant again.

Food was lovely and the service was excellent.

Read the reviews and thought we'd try this place as we were going to the cinema in the town. This restaurant is more expensive than our usual haunt in Weymouth where we are never disappointed but it's nice to have a change sometimes. In retrospect a regretful maxim on this occasion! One or two of the waiters were pleasant, one even smiled and promised to bring some ice for my lukewarm glass of water but failed to return. I ordered Butter chicken which is the dish I order whenever we go out for an Indian meal, my hubby ordered a Biriani. Ate our poppadoms with a pleasant array of condiments but things went downhill from there. My Butter chicken appeared and the bowlful could easily have fed 2 people however it soon became clear that quantity had triumphed over quality. The chicken not unlike the cheap strips found in large bags in the frozen section of a budget supermarket, the grain of the meat too large to be natural. The sauce unlike anything I have ever encountered as an incarnation of this delicious dish rather a claggy splodge. It was inedible and so I called the waiter to register my feelings and refuse to pay for it. My dissatisfaction was duly acknowledged but not before being asked if I'd had Butter chicken before!!! The £9+ was deducted from the bill. My husband's biriani was also tasteless and the rice component greasy and lacklustre. All in all a bitter disappointment. Avoid the place if you know your Indian cuisine and appreciate a good meal.

I would definitely recommend Masala restaurant. Although the restaurant itself is basic both outside & in, it is clean with great service and delicious food at a good price. This was our first visit and we will be recommending and coming back again soon!

Just what you want from a curry house. Good food at a good price. We had the King Prawn Korai and King Prawn Pathia with rice and Pashwari Naan all cooked excellently. Will definitely be going back.

We picked the order up when arranged. The only slight criticism was that it wasn't very hot.

Top quality food and service. Visited several times and never fails to please. Staff always welcoming.

Delicious food and excellent service!

Delicious food and excellent service!

Caught out trying to find a place to eat with senior parents and 5 year old kid, stumbled on this Indian place off Dorchester main high street. Food was good and service was quick. Though food had Bangaldeshi touch to it, would say that had good taste to it.

Helped to car on collection. Very polite.

Visited on recommendation by a local while on holiday. The outside looks a bit battered (don't be put off!), but on entering the restaurant was lovely and clean and well presented.Our waiter was very attentive and the food was some of the best I've had. The saag aloo in particular was superb, cooked in a dry style, something I've never tried before.The local chap said it was the best in travelling distance, and judging by my experience, I can well believe him.

Excellent food, staff and service. Nothing is too much trouble for the staff, good choices on the menu including vegetarian dishes. Although a now an open plan room, pleasant atmosphere and doesn't feel overcrowded,

Saag Alloo portion size very small, peshwari naan disappointing- no fruit.

Wonderful food, great atmosphere, friendly attentive staff who are always pleased to see you.Would recommend to anyone. If you're in Dorchester then you must visit the Masala.You won't be disappointed.

A wide choice for vegetarians and meet eaters. Always very tasty food, good sized portions and friendly people. Always welcoming and happy to help.

I am not a fan of Indian food, usually because it can be greasy and fatty but this was yummy and fresh. The flavours were amazing, the poppadoms and sauce selections were gorgeous. Staff are friendly and welcoming. Would definitely visit again

Have been here a number of times and not had a bad meal yet, so decided to celebrate my future wedding here with a bunch of friends, the food was again delicious, service was excellent, they catered for all our needs. Would have no hesitation in recommending this place.

This place served some of the best Indian food I have had. Absolutely fantastic. All served in a timely fashion with friendly attentive staff. Very reasonably priced. As usual we ordered too much, but we took it away with us and it did another meal the following evening. We came to this to this rather unassuming place after having several poor experiences at another Dorchester High Street Indian Restaurant. We shall be going again.

Fantastic food. Ready when we arrived, and very courteous staff!

Really good food. Forgot one of the naan breads though.