Masala Bay in Christchurch

My favourite place to eat out in Christchurch. Whilst the food is first class and the ambience delightful, it is the care and attention shown by all who work in the restaurant that makes an evening so special. They make it seem like nothing is too much trouble and that they are really pleased to see you. I have only praise for Masala Bay and those who work there.

Busy restaurant with friendly staff.

First visit here and was pleasantly surprised. Good curry options, friendly service and bring your own alcohol. Worth a visit.

Superb. Instant attention from the moment we walked in, we hadn't booked but they made space for us, everybody super-busy and attentive and the food - magnificent. Possibly the best King Prawn Biriani I've ever had - and I've been eating the dish for 30 years. A very hard working team and the food was fresh, full of quality ingredients and outstanding in flavour with zero nasty aftertaste or bloating. Couldn't recommend highly enough.

We ordered food for delivery. One dish contained coconut we didn't know about, phoned restaurant and they kindly offered to remake the dish to our taste and delivered free of charge and also added egg fried rice free of charge. Second time ordering from them and the food is amazing, and the service is outstanding. Highly recommended. Lived in the UK for over 20 years and this is the place where they will go above and beyond to satisfy their customers. Many thanks 😊

Excellent service and excellent food.

Ordered takeaway, one of the dishes was not butter chicken. It was a tasteless korma. The other meal Masala Bay special was stringy tough chicken. Both meals were horrible. I don't know why there was a whole egg in one of the meals.

Great food, great service and great price. The Chicken Vindaloo was spot on and they even did a Chilli Naan for me that wasn't on the menu.

Ordered a takeaway Saturday night a Masala Bay Special and a Butter Chicken both supposedly tandoori chicken. I arrived home and tasted the butter chicken and it was actually a very tasteless chicken korma with loads of coconut. The chicken certainly was tandoori. The Masala Bay Special was small dried strips of chicken with an OK mild sauce but all of a sudden I'm serving this on my plate and a whole egg falls on to my plate. It didn't state anywhere on the menu an egg was going to jump out at me or it contain an egg. Sorry, but certainly won't be visiting again.

We ordered a chicken biriani the rice was tasteless and the chicken was very hard My son had Garlic chilli chicken the chicken was hard and he was up all night with a bad stomach my wife's chicken dansak tasteless not good at all

Always excellent here, staff professional but very caring, food always lovely. Been here many times and never disappointed.

Had two very nice takeaways from here. Speedy delivery. Great food - just the right amount of spice. Will use again and hoping to eat in at some point too.

Great curry house. Good food and service. Bring your own drink, that they will gladly put in the fridge to cool and supply openers. No corkage charge. Just a nice friendly place to go.

Sorry didn’t rate masala bay at all.Ordered two takeaways picked up on time but barely warm.Fish curry ok but masala special mostly went in the bin.Not tasty at all.

Went this evening with our grand children .The food and service was amazing .my grand son is celiac and there was no problem with serving him a delicious curry .The staff were friendly and very efficient would defintaly recommend this restaurant.

Not much meat & small portions. The flavour was average. Nice setting though.

Booked for an anniversary meal whilst on a short break in Dorset. Welcoming very well dressed staff and lovely atmosphere and it was full all the time we were there. We asked to move as I needed a chair as oppose to padded bench and the staff owner was very accommodating. I ordered the lamb korahi and onion rice and my husband had chicken tikka phalli and mushroom rice, we shared a saag paneer, it was all cooked fresh and tasted absolutely delicious and very authentic. The onion bhaji's and the veg Samosas, both the best we had ever had. We had chapati and peshwari naan too, all good. You can bring your own wine and lager if you want to, which is a nice touch as wine and lager can be expensive in restaurants To finish we had pistachio and mango kulfi and they were so creamy and tasted pure and were a great pallette cleanser to end our meal. We asked to sit outside after to finish our wine and asked if we should pay beforehand, they were relaxed and said no that's fine, so we chilled in the garden comfortably and did not feel rushed at all. Overall 10/10 from us, we highly recommend this restaurant and beautiful food with attentive and polite staff.

Service Great,Food Great,Staff Great and it Great In House or as a Takeaway

Excellent menu, well prepared and calm, polite and courteous service from this lovely restaurant. They are happy for you to bring your own wine and beer which they will keep cool until you're ready to be served. Highly recommended and very good value...expect £20-£25 per person. Can recommend the whole seabass.

We had a lovely evening , the staff were friendly and professional. The food was delicious and well presented. Well worth a visit.

Great food and great portions as well.

Me and my partner came for dinner, the service and food was 5 star I would definitely recommend

Had a curry with a friend Service was fast and professional Food was lovely

I may have had a worse curry but I can’t recall one. In fact I’m not sure the word curry is an appropriate description. It was basically a plate of coconut cream. I feel queasy just thinking about it.

First Takeaway from Masala Bay to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Firstly, service was excellent. I called yesterday as I'm gluten free and needed to clarify what dishes I could eat. Very informative and clear. Rang this evening and placed order for free local delivery. Food was plentiful and few bits left over for tomorrow too! My husband had masala Bay special which as requested was made slightly spicier. All.of the food was tasty, fresh and not greasy. Delivery arrived spot on time. Thank you so much!

Good tasty Bangladeshi food. Very prompt service by staff - with a smile. Good choices of vegetarian dishes. The restaurant has it’s own parking which is a bonus.

Fantastic in every way, and I’ve been to a lot of Indian restaurants. Not just in the uk but globally. Balanced flavours, fresh, and absolutely delicious. 5 star!

Lovely food , very professional and friendly staff, very recommended

Wow, the only place that cooks Keerla. Packed with locals. Highly rated by me. Went straight to mains, had the special, veg rice amd veg nan, second one later. Wednesday evening, able to park outside. 30 minute drive from Poole. The food here matches anything from Birmingham. Very tasty.

Brilliant atmosphere, fantastic food, great service. Bring your own alcohol. From start to finish it was a delight. What a brilliant night.

We had a takeaway from here tonight and throughly enjoyed it. Service was quick and very friendly. We had the Masala Bay special with rice, Poppadoms, Peshwari naan and onion bhajis (4 In a portion) all was hot tasty and plentiful. We had 20% for being a takeaway but will probably sit in next time now we know how nice it is. Highly recommended. Only marked down to 4 stars as I was only in 5mins to collect so couldnt comment on atmosphere.

3 of our meals were fine but two, a vegetable byriani and a chicken shashlik, had zero taste unfortunately. Staff were very good but not the best meal

Absolutely delicious! My Partner and I come here very frequently and we always receive top service and fantastic food. We've been to many local curry houses in the past and this is by far our favourite! Highly recommend 😁

Amazing food, easily best on the island. Waiter Syed was super helpful and made the experience that much better. Highly recommend!!

Shame food wasn’t great …. Felt short staffed … was a special evening with friends food warm and not tasty …. Too busy for staff to cope with … will try again sometime

We chose a delivery as we were a bit under the weather. The chicken korma was very nice, plenty of it. The mixed kebab starter was massive and very tasty. I was very impressed by the complimentary poppadoms, salads and two mint sauces. The meal was delivered exactly on time and piping hot. I will certainly be back.

6 of us girls went on a tuesday night, i was given the round table which i had asked for. The staff were so polite and friendly from the moment we arrived. Bringing your own alcohol made everything seem so relaxed and easy. The food WOW, it was superb, presentation, taste and brilliant portion size. The naan bread was cut into triangles, so much easier as we were sharing it. The best indian sit down meal i have had in a long time. We all loved it.

As someone familiar with good Indian cuisine, this was my most disappointing restaurant experience. The general belief is that the best Indian restaurants thrive where Asian patrons frequent. Unfortunately, this small, cramped place had poor service and dreadful food – I should have sent it back. My advice: steer clear if you can.

Takeaway received of poor taste. Disappointing considering when I went there last time it was good. Not sure why the food was lacking taste tonight

Delicious food and atmosphere, would recommend! Lovely poppadoms, and would recommend the chicken saag and the vegetarian Dhansak.

We ordered from masala bay and the delivery was on time and the food was absolutely beautiful. Everything was cooked perfectly with the curry dishes abundant with meat along with a wonderfully cooked sauce. Would never go anywhere else if you want an expertly cooked and authentic Indian dish.

Had a lovely meal..asked for red onion with my chicken shishlak as white onion upsets my stomach...a really lovely meal...generous portions and all very tasty and polite and attentive staff. Very impressed! A bonus is being able to take your own alcohol. They do add a service charge but it's so nice you'll Def be happy to leave a tip!

Had a group meal for30+, they managed it well. Food was good and not overly expensive. Byo alcohol helped to keep cost reasonable. Would definitely use again

Good food. Nice service. Been there a few times and always had nice food. They are happy to amend anything to veggie too which is great

Ordered a curry on New Year’s Eve from Masala Bay - this was the second time I’ve ordered from them as I’m new in Christchurch! The first delivery the food was very nice, lovely flavours, came hot and was very fresh. Unfortunately £70.00 paid on New Year’s Eve and I can honestly say I won’t be going back to Masala Bay, the Chilli Paneer was nice (the only dish that was good) the chicken shashlick was very dry and the pieces of chicken seems not fresh like it has been re-cooked, no flavour completely unbeatable and was left, same for the chicken korma and chicken masala, the rice was also watery! The potato & cauliflower dish was terrible, watery and no flavour too. Sad to leave this review as the first order was nice, but upset & angry I wasted £70.00 on a takeaway that couldn’t be eaten on New Years Eve! Maybe - they pre-cooked everything in advance of new years & reheated as required, but if that was the case, the food was a huge let down!!!

You can bring your own beer and wine, which helps keep the costs down. Very child friendly, nice people to deal with.

WOW!! Food was amazing, service was amazing, had to take our own drinks which was ok, staff served our drinks on request, food was nice and fresh, staff really accommodating, polite and helpful, food was served quickly, and really hot! Good quality for money! Highly recommend, if you want an Indian 100% be going back!

Great tasting food. I had the masala blast (naga 🌶)

The food is incredible here And the staff are fantastic we had a baby recently so haven’t been in a while but got takeout still so tasty. Highly recommend

Awesome service, delicious food and a fantastic atmosphere. The staff go above and beyond at all times. We were a large group of 35 and they met each individuals needs and more. Looking forward to the next visit already.

Where to start ! Fantastic restaurant. The food was authentic, clean and well presented. The waiting staff are amazing, attentive and helpful. Will be back for sure !

Brilliant food & outstanding service. Nothing else to say.

Great food, service and atmosphere. Fantastic flavours make for an excellent dining experience

Amazing atmosphere with friendly staff providing a high quality service. Best in class

a very elegant setting with well crafted dishes presented in a amazing manor. Even the takeaway service is always fresh and hot.

Excellent food exceptional staff x

A wonderful supper, 10/10 experience.

Very attentive and allowed us to order at our own pace. We like to take our time and order starters first and then order mains afterwards which they didn't have any issue with. Lovely food and many options you don't see in other Indian restaurants. Would highly recommend.

Excellent food - very obliging and friendly staff.

We regularly visit here and the service and food is always 5 star. We feel very welcomed. The After Eights after dinner are an added bonus 😁 We shall keep returning. Many thanks Mishu and your amazing team

We absolutely love it here! The food is fantastic, all the staff are welcoming, polite, and very friendly, and the restaurant is lovely to dine in. We eat here once a week and have done so for the past year and never once experienced a single problem. 5+ stars from us!

Beautiful food, I have a nut allergy also but Raj and his team cater to your every need. I cannot recommend this place enough. 5 stars

Our favourite local restaurant which just gets better each time. Superb food and service is outstanding. Being able to take your own choice of alcohol is a real bonus.

Great food and wonderful service from these guys - always a lovely evening here!

Absolutely delicious, will be back.

Not a bad curry to be fair. A little different which I like.

Delicious food in a cosy restaurant. Great buzzing atmosphere and very good service.

Superb, fresh, clean - fantastic 10 stars

Fantastic can’t be faulted…we keep coming back every time we’re in the area!

Exceptional food, the staff are all very lovely and genuine. Amazing place for authentic Indian Cuisine!

Good food, good team, service can be somewhat hit or miss at very peak busy times, but they are all a great hardworking team. I’d argue the best Indian that’s close in terms of walking distance to the high street.

Don't bother ordering food from this place 20.37 ordered food 11 o clock still not delivered!! They took my money and still did not deliver my food! Disgusting service!! I gave clear instructions on how to find my house step by step instructions! I don't believe they even tried to deliver my order! Never ever again will I give this restaurant the chance to screw me over! I now have to try get my money back!!...

Great food, excellent service and very good value.

Few problems with the order but the staff did what they could to compensate

We have just enjoyed a thoroughly pleasant evening, we had the alcove table for 5 just by the bar. All the dishes served were tasty, the naan was the best we have ever had! The restaurant was very busy and the staff were obviously working hard so you have to allow for this!

My partner and I ate because of the good reviews there. I expected something more...normal food and good service but the tables were very close together, the waiters gave me a coat hanging on the chair when they passed by, it was full and there was a lot of noise. I would not repeat for the price it has, it is not cheap.

Very good restaurant. Good food and attentive service. You can take your own alcohol to keep the bills low. Highly recommend the channa masala.

Excellent food choice and great value for money, make sure to book and arrive early as very busy and a wait for food. The choice to bring your own alcohol makes this a very affordable night out.

Staff are very friendly and the food was nice. I would recommend

One of the best choices and tasty curries I have had we were a group of 4 and everyone enjoyed what they had

Fabulous evening at Masala Bay, greeted at the door by excellent attentive staff, very busy!, the tables were at little squished but oh wow 🤩 the food ! Superb a starter of veggie samosas, sheek kebab was delicious 😋, followed by a wonderful dinner, vegetarian thali was incredible, so delicious! Bring your own alcohol! But staff will serve it to you, also alcohol can be provided on request.

Food 4/5 overall food was tasty, just a shame the prawn purée (purées were too bite size for my liking I prefer my purée standard size). Service 5/5 Mr Alam was a great host offered drinks and onion bhaji on the house as we completed our bike ride from Aldgate, London to Bournemouth. Atmosphere 4/5 buzzing with customers

Lovely dinner for two. Vegetarian-friendly

What a delicious meal and such good service from all the staff. I loved the Kerala fish curry, very authentic and the extra after eight mints were very welcome! Thank you 😊

Absolutely lovely place to come with friends or family or your partner! Great food , great service and you can bring your own drinks ! Couldn’t recommend more , the best Indian around and would definitely recommend.

poor hygiene it's been down graded to 1 by the food agency people

Friendly staff good food and great service

Been here multiple times and each time we visit, the staff is very welcoming and the manager is also very friendly. Delicious 😋 food of course! 🙌

Went for a very early meal, and we had the restaurant to ourselves initially. Everything was lovely, but obviously quiet in an empty restaurant (which was our fault for being early).

This restaurant has such a lovely interior with great lighting and table spacing. They have bring your own alcohol, but was happy to arrange some alcohol to be brought to the restaurant for our table. The staff were so welcoming and made sure to check everything was going well. They were very friendly and explained all the dishes when asked. One of the staff members informed us that all the dishes could be made vegan, including the naans! I tried the vegan Masala Bay Special and the plain rice and naan. It was all delicious and was packed with flavour. The veg was cooked thoroughly and the sauce was slightly spicy. I would highly recommend this restaurant!

Delicious Indian food and lovely service. After I asked for one dish to share with my girlfriend accidentally, they happily brought out the second on very quickly. Also, a great place for vegans as they can do any dish vegan. Definitely would go again and I have to recommend to anyone who does the nasal bay special curry.

3rd time visit here, absolutely superb. Caring waiters, they realized some noisy people in restaurant, so sat us in quiet area, food was honestly top quality and we know the difference having eaten curry hundreds of times. Will definitely be back, would fully recommend.

We had a lovely night in masala bay; the food was authentic- great chicken tikka & daal! The Atmosphere was great & the staff were exceptional as they went above & beyond for our party- tweaks to our dishes & extra wine 👍🏽 Thank you all

Great meal and so much better than Mela - staff very friendly and food was delicious. Nice atmosphere inside too

The mixed grill was the best I've ever eaten. Bring a bottle of your favourite wine and enjoy the delicious food.

Excellent friendly service, nice ambience, flavoursome food, great value. A Bonus is you take your own drinks at no cost. My favorite Indian restaurant by far. Brilliant 👏. They deserve to thrive.

Great place for an evening meal. Gets very busy Fridays and at weekends so would highly recommend pre booking a table. Staff are very friendly and welcoming. Service on food is fairly quick but is well worth the wait as it is very delicious. A great extensive menu and good atmosphere, tho does get noisy when busy with people talking. You bring your own drinks either alcohol or soft drinks. Would recommend getting there early. No parking but a paid car park down the road.

Ordered a take away. I collected. I had chicken korma with plain rice. The sauce was lovely but the chicken was very very dry, which thoroughly spoilt the meal.

Don’t know what the recent bad reviews are about Masala bay. Either the IQ of a shoe or only eat fast food. We had an outstanding meal tonight at Masala Bay. Starters and mains were so tasty and staff were attentive clearing plates etc. 10/10 will be regulars now. Don’t let recent reviews put you off.

Having seen some of the recent reviews of this curry house, my wife and I were intially a little apprehensive about booking a visit here. Fortunately the poor recent reviews were unfounded and we really enjoyed our Friday evening meal there. The food was excellent and the service impeccable, so we will definitely be returning soon. It was quite busy when we were there so it's probably wise to book in advance..... just in case!