Masala Dabbas in Bromley

We’ve always had afternoon lunch and ordered from masala dabbas, however today we thought we should go for dinner today as the kids wanted to eat there. The reception we got by the owner when compared to the locals here was exactly the opposite… cold greeting to us whereas it was all smiles to the locals by the owner. This behaviour is unacceptable. I didn’t want to create a scene and asked my kids to walk out. Please bear in mind that you need to treat all with respect else you’ll end up losing good customers like us. No more the restaurant we’ll ever go to unfortunately. Checking your response to my review - unfortunately there were no pleasantries- just a straight face which is always the case - however why I was taken aback was when two other families came in and you were good at greeting them. This time I had to walk out.

Walked in on a weekday, service was quick, and taste was authentic

Food said it had been delivered and it wasn’t. Farce

The food here is delicious and reasonably priced. The decor is modern and fresh. The staff were friendly and polite. My only criticism was, on the day I was there it was almost as cold inside as it was outside, I had to sit with my coat on. Hopefully, on my next visit, they will have the heating on. I will definitely be going back and have recommended MD to my colleagues and friends. Best restaurant in Orpington.

Amazing food! One of the best south Asian restaurants I have been to south of the river. Everything tasted fresh, spicy and overall tasty. Prices were very reasonable for a well-portioned dinner too. Two people with a starter each, a main and two (soft) drinks came to £55

Dont order Mango Cardamom Brule if you do not wish to leave with a disappointment. It does not have any mango. It is not even a Brule. The waiter said he would replace it. But, he returned only when we asked for a bill. And 10% service charge. The first impression is the last impression. Not again.

You charged me twice and cannot find any way of contacting you

During my two week stays, I visited a couple of restaurants in many part of UK region... But I had a fantastic dining experience at MASALA DABBA today. The food was exceptional each dish was deliciously presented and bursting with flavor. I and family especially enjoyed the some of the dishes {ie- chicken chilly, chat masala} malabar chicken, lime & lemon chicken shashlic, soft Garlic naan, Masala Tea etc...) which was a highlight of the evening. The ambiance was warm and inviting, creating the perfect atmosphere for a meal. The service was equally impressive. The staff Ms. Nandini was very friendly, pleasant, professional and quite attentive without being intrusive, and she is knowledgeable about the menu, offering great recommendations. Overall, it was a wonderful experience, and I highly recommend MASALA DABBA for anyone looking for delicious food and top-notch service. I can’t wait to return! Warm regards, Girish Kumar (Former President of Indian Cultural Centre, under the ageis of Embassy of India to the State of Qatar)

Was looking for Indian restaurant and being late, couldnt look for any other option. We went with family and ordered veg, non-veg considering it was Saturday 28/09/24. Except Naan and Daal Rice, nothing was good. Messi roti was more of papad, Bhindi do pyazaa - which can be forgotten easily as was not eatable but being hungry end up eating (as had to travel back for 2 hours). Also ordered methi chcken - except methi chicken to forget as it was hard to chew so may be order somoething else or better not to visit at all.

I requested the food to be mild but it was still very spicy.

Not a bad experience. Really friendly staff and owner, that go out of their way to make your time there comfortable. We ordered a variety of meals and shared. I also had the Thali, which was ok but a bit bland, despite asking for it to be made spicy. A great selection on the menu, that did taste quite authentic. Would return

Affordable rates, scrumptious food and quick service. P.s - the chicken biryani is a must try too

Beautiful food delivered hot and just as in the restaurant

Splendid food and service - many thanks! We had a buffet catered for at home for a Summer Family Gathering of 45 people . We were advised and skilfully helped to select our menu - which catered for vegans vegetarians and ourselves. The food was very well received and we also had a plentiful amount. The delivery was on time and discretely set up. It was also very helpful to be able to hire serving tables and cutlery. It was all most reassuring to know our guests were all so well catered for. We have no hesitation to recommend Masala Dabbas.

Great starters but couldn't say the same for the main courses. However I have to say the service was superb

Good food, they have different dishes so it's nice to experiment with something you haven't had before!

Normal curry menu PLUS huge number of Indian dishes not seen before. Take a look at their menu, got to try a few. Friendly with good service too. Recommended. There is also a proper beer available.

Working in Orpington so had a free curry pass!this was the closest restaurant to the hotel. I had a really tasty Rogan Josh, and the very staff were really friendly. Bought some complimentary raita.

Excellent service but Manager was inept & incompetent telling us aboutvP&O days… food cooked by North Indian chef hardly tasted South Indian… overpriced & overrated.. had dinner too rather uncomfortable feeling … only Wednesday waiter was compliant but rest waste of space

Very quiet on a Monday evening as we were the only people dining. The food was very good and the service was good.

Best Indian food we have eaten. This place has become our regular especially for dosa.

Second time here and food is sooo delicious! Lunchtime thaali’s are very good - definitely recommend

Food is okay, tried Dosa, chole bhature during lunch time and it was okay. Seevice is poor. No water was served. Not even glasses were put on table. Tried a prawn dish and the taste was okayish type.

We have been planning to visit for a while and were not disappointed. Staff were very welcoming and as first time diners we opted for the set menu to experience a wider range of flavours. We were guided through each course by our friendly waiter and enjoyed Indian food quite unlike any other we have eaten. The food and service were both excellent and we will be visiting again very soon.

Awesome food 🥘 authentic indian taste. ♥️♥️and atmosphere is also very neat and clean .. good for family eatouts 🤩🤩🤩highly recommended

First off let me say that Orpington and Petts Wood have 3 great Indian restaurants each offering different menus which adds to the variety available. That is a great thing and all are worth trying (Indian Esseence & Talli Kitchen being the other two). Masala Dabbas is my personal favourite as it offers the most authentic representations of Indian food, the other 2 offer more modern takes. Never had a bad dish from MD at dinner or lunch. (Chole/channa with putara is awesome and inexpensive as is their masala dosa). Staff are friendly, it’s clean and it’s relatively inexpensive especially the lunch options. Would highly recommend.

We went here for dinner some time back and really enjoyed the experience! They have a very good menu with some interesting items. The food itself tasted good, very authentic flavours. The service was very good, the owners were on hand and very attentive to anything we might need, especially our little one! The ambience is also top notch, I was positively surprised when I first entered the place. To top it all, the prices were quite reasonable as well. I will definitely go back for the food, and the overall experience.

Some of the best indian I've ever had. I get it delivered almost every week. Their samosa chaat is so good, highly recommend. Also love the Malabar pepper chicken and butter chicken.

Beautiful place, very good service and yummy lunch time deals. Also lovely Dosa!

Authentic Indian food with great service

This is not cheap. If you want a hearty meal for a reasonable price, go somewhere else. It's expensive and small. But very very tasty

Been hear twice now and both times the food has been amazing and friendly, personally I think its the best in the high street proper authentic flavours, took the Wife for Valentines we had a great night. Thanks and we'll see you again soon..

Really nice food. Friendly staff. Some nice original dishes much better than your average curry restaurant.

Everything is great about Masala Dabbas!

Wonderful menu with lots of choices, we loved our lunch

This is our last visit to this restaurant. We are a regular customer and visit frequently as the food is very good but the service is appalling. I read a few reviews and most say the same : poor service, one person manning the entire restaurant, no one comes unless you ask them. And the excuses mentioned by the owner is laughable. Get your staffing issues sorted. We went there during lunch and the entire restaurant was empty and we sat for a long time and no one came to ask or give us the menus. We requested for them, requested for water, then requested for cutlery, then requested for our food which came in at sporadic times. Some got their starters, some did not. Then the mains came in for certain people. When we complained we were told the delivery orders were a priority. Apparently customers in the restaurant can wait as they don’t complain but the delivery orders cannot as they can be complained for a refund or exchange. They just shrugged when we said why should we have to wait and not be served when we have come all the way to your restaurant. Just plain rude. Well I am not coming back till you sort out your staffing issues and learn how to deal with your customers with some politeness and courtsey.

Very nice food Worth the trip we made from Welling As vegetarians in South East London, every restaurant offering good Indian food matters Recommended PS - Liquid Explosion is the Gol gappe/pani puri - recommended too

Absolutely amazing food, veg manchurian is one of the best starters I've had ever. The rogan josh was well above average. Great service and good atmosphere. The price may seem expensive, but the food is much better than your typical Indian restaurant.

Charged me £4.80 for some extra sauce.

Absolutely delicious food - and one of the very few Indian restaurants in the area that serves authentic dishes. The chole bhatura is amazing. 😋

Eaten here a few times now and in our opinion this is Orpington's best Indian restaurant - the dishes are authentic, interesting and incredibly well flavoured. Particular favourites for us are the Railway Lamb, Macchi ka Saalan (salmon), Maacher Jhol (fish) and Dal Bukhara (lentils). Some reviewers have said the prices are high, but I think they're very reasonable for what you get - the food is so much more authentic than your standard British curries (although they do still offer those too) and the flavours are to die for. Would definitely recommend ordering something you may not have tried before. The service is personable and relaxed and we always leave feeling like we've been well looked after and have had a great time. We didn't have a booking this time and they still accommodated us and managed to fit us in on a busy evening. We've tried lots of others in Orpington that just don't compare when it comes to quality and flavour (including the newer Talli Kitchen, which unfortunately left our whole party feeling unwell the next day). Would definitely recommend trying here instead! Hoping to be back soon to try out their lunchtime thali menu...

Just collected a takeaway and the quality of the chicken was inedible, chewie and very tough on three of the four curries, called up to complain and would not give a refund only exchange

Food is amazing one of our Favourites.

We have enjoyed food from Masala Dabbas since they opened in Orpington, both in the restaurant and take away. I've seen a few grumbles about the price, but seriously everything is so expensive at the minute and I'd prefer to spend a few extra pennies for something that is so much higher quality than the average Indian take away.

The restaurant missed items from the order that they grudgingly offered to refund. The food arrived stone cold, but the restaurant refused to take responsibility for this and were abrasive and argumentative rather than apologetic. The member of staff thought that this service was acceptable and would not back down or offer a further refund for inedible food. There is plenty of competition in the area that value good customer service, I’d recommend them instead.

Easy to book, about 20-25 quid per person, food well presented and fresh. Cannot fault at all !

Indian restaurant food is good. Small place buy service is average. Little bet cosily .

We met friends here midweek for an evening meal and really enjoyed the evening. The food was delicious with very generous portions. The service was very attentive with everything running smoothly in a busy service. The quality of the food was, as always, very high. This is a great local restaurant which serves different dishes to most Indian restaurants, with a focus on South Indian cuisine, which makes for a very different and pleasurable dining experience. Thank you !

Food was cold due to long delivery time

Our experience was awful. We received our food but only because we ended up collecting it ourselves. The food was at the restaurant and not collected by just eat. The restaurant informed us it had been delivered. Terrible service.

We popped in for a meal and OMG did we have a great meal we had Sish Kebab starter and Chicken Dansak and Chicken saag with rice and a Beautiful keema Nan . Service was out of this world and the food The Best Curry we have had for a long long time. So if your In Orpington or close by please visit this Restaurant the food is Delicious

Amazing! The staff was so lovely! And the food was amazing we had the best time. Perfect way for us to experience Orpington

Excellent food and service. I could not fault it. Staff were very attentive and prawns, chicken and peshawari naan some of the best I have ever tasted. Thank you for a lovely evening.

The food is wonderful! Justine is a brilliant member of staff -unfortunately her shift ended after helping us order. We appreciate that a staff member didn't turn up to replace Justine, but the service was poor! The Manager agreed to take the service charge off of our bill. Despite this, we would return

Just had a meal last night .services is very slow restaurant was very fully one one server serving .didn’t feel welcome .waste of my money never go again ,very disappointed .wouldn’t recommend

Good food.dont agree with paying vat and service charge

Awesome food with some great varieties, Impressed by the portion size. Massive portions for the mains. We took, Rajastani Daal and Dill and Spinach Chicken. It was deliciously tasty. We took Aloo Tikki chat - Bigger portion could have been a good idea there and would have preferred a flat presentation rather than the small bowl, which was difficult to eat. Service was good. Especially enjoyed the special request they fulfilled for Pickle and Onion to go with the food. Surprised to see it was charged though when we saw the bill. Would certainly recommend for the great tasting food and big portion sizes overall.

The food was alright, although I found it a bit plain for my liking... In some foods the seasoning and spice levels were of in others they were no existent - Personally wouldn't recommend but I know a lot of people who like this restaurant.

Excellent authentic Indian food and very different menu that will surprise you! It's better than those fancy central London Indian restaurants. Must visit and I am sure you keep coming. I will definitely come back to taste other items! 👍👍👍👍👍

Very good food, unique menu ideas from across the country of India. For instance there was jhal muri, aside with delicious biryani. We went as a group of 9, after going there several times in smaller groups. Did not disappoint! Would recommend spinach and dill chicken. Generous portion sizes as well…

The food was delicious especially the rice with lamb. Their service was excellent! We were happy and full! We will definitely visit again!

I really appreciate the kind of hospitality we received in this restaurant. It was about the closing time when we got in, but without any hesitation they served us with great compassion. The restaurant ambience is great as well. One of the best places to enjoy an Indian dining experience. Aditi Devo Bhava!

Our favourite Indian restaurant to date, we visited many times and it was our favourite until our recent visit few weeks ago. I was shocked as we didn't go for few months Something has terrible gone wrong. The waiter was smelling badly on alcohol and not very adequate, she was with dirty clothes and not restaurant appropriate, the appearance was not rigth, don't even think she ever worked in a restaurant before. The service was shockingly bad, kept forgetting food and drinks. The restaurant compare to before was a bit dirty and not to standard. Food as always was perfect and tasty. I'll visit once more nd I hope it doesn't disappoin.

Great to see an Indian menu that differs from the normal choices Lovely food and so many unusual options that I will need to eat there again (and again) Not too busy and no loud music so very comfortable to sit and chat but this may contribute to a slight lack of atmosphere - a potential solution is for the staff to offer insight into some of the interesting menu choices that are not on offer elsewhere

Absolutely brilliant food, reception and atmosphere!

Visited with my wife on a rare night out without the kids. Perhaps the finest Indian meal I’ve ever had. Absolutely delicious and the service was first rate.

Brilliant food - delivered on time and hot. The quality as always was amazing !!

Delicious food. Starters have small portions. Ambient atmosphere. Friendly staff. Tawa chicken Biriyani is delicious.

We have visited a number of times and have always had lovely food and nice service. We took friends with us on Saturday. The usual front of house guy who is very good was not there. There were three people serving tables. It was very quiet but we put this down to being a hot evening so not many people want to sit inside to eat! The staff were polite but not very well trained. So, if they were new then the owner (who was there) should be observing ! When we were ordering our food the lady asked us if we really needed 3 rice's (there were 4 of us) and when we pointed out that we did she then asked our friend, when he ordered his food, if he really needed another rice as we had 3 already? We also had confusion over bread but she may not have heard correctly ? The food came and it was lovely! She then asked if we wanted sweets and then only gave us 1 menu and after a minute came back to ask if we knew what we wanted (obviously 4 people had not had a chance to look at one menu in a minute). We ordered some sweets and our friend ask for a coffee. She was told 'no' by a very timid lady who could not understand us. I approached the owner and he imformed us the machine was broken and he could make an instant coffee but we decided against it. As soon as we finished our sweets the owner came over and told us that they close in ten minutes ( good we didn't have that coffee as we would have run over their closing time. I appreciate they close at 10.30 because they dont want people in there from the pubs. There's a lack of customer awareness and service here! We did not expect to sit there half of the night but fail to see why this needs to be pointed out so quickly. It's almost like....we have your money now you can go, thanks. Our bill was £150. I should think the lack of customers that night they would have be glad to have us!

Original and unusual dishes. Really tasty. The starter I had was probably the nicest I've ever had

Really lovely Indian restaurant. The food is different and authentic, the owners and waiting staff are proud of the food and restaurant.

Yet again a wonderful experience, super helpful staff an taste explosions to remember We can’t recommend this place highly enough *****

We have just eaten at Masala Dabbas our starter of Lime & Lemon chicken Shashlik was one of the best starters we have ever had.The main meal was equally as good as the starter. Staff very friendly and attentive. Will definitely be returning soon.

Met the owner in Weymouth he was very nice. Look at the photos food looks amazing

Visited this place based on Google reviews. Excellent food menu and some of the dishes are unique as compared to other Indian restaurants in the vicinity. Pleasant ambiance and good service. Overall excellent experience to plan another visit.

We were the first customers in today! Excellent service, food took a while to come to us but it was completely worth the wait. Kids had idli and masala Dosa and finished every last bit of it. Being indians we are fussy about our food- the restaurant did not disappoint at all. The Hyderabadi baigan ka salan and biryani were amazing. The jackfruit curry was delicious and so was the roti. All in all, great food, great vibe and very knowledgeable manager who was great at recommendations of what to eat. Vegetarian and meat choices available for every taste.

Amazing food, amazing service. We had Chaat for starters and Dosa for mains and we were not disappointed. Sambhar that came with Dosa was also truly delicious. It’s a gem of a restaurant that I will revisit with my family.

Weird. Just had a call from this place advising that they’re Currys PCWorld and trying to sell me a mobile phone. Wrong sort of Curry!

Great food and very good service, will definitely return !

Masala Dabbas serves one of the best dosa I’ve tried in London. I would suggest the following to further improve its quality and appeal: 1) They need to increase the size of dosas and the amount of filling to make it worth the money charged. 2) Use less tomatoes in sambhar and instead increase tamarind. Use carrots and aubergine only instead of the vegetables used currently. Not all vegetables go with sambhar. Also, try to use less spices in sambhar. 3) In coconut chutney, use more coconut. Currently, there is a strong taste of urud lentil. The dominant taste and texture in coconut chutney should be that of coconut. 4) Introduce free servings of sambhar and coconut chutney as currently the amount served is too little. 5) Serve dosa for lunch and dinner. Currently, it is only served for lunch.

Amazing food, great service, friendly staff. We ordered lamb meal and biryani it was good taste and quantity as well. I would recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to try indian food around the area.

We had an amazing meal at Masala Dabbas this week. We've walked past it many times but never tried it as my husband is not a fan of curry and has coeliac disease so he is always cautious when trying new restaurants. He explained this when we arrived and Naresh went out of his way to make sure that everything was safe for us to eat. A lot of the menu is naturally gluten free and these are marked on the menu, but he double checked things with the chef and to our surprise offered us gluten free beer as well. The food was delicious - so many amazing flavours and I love the fact that these are authentic indian recipes not westernised versions. Even my husband thought the food was amazing. We will definitely be returning.

Me and my husband enjoyed a valentine meal this evening. Well what can i say firstly the atmosphere was very nice waiters very attentive and gave us some history on the recipes , was very interesting. And gave us ideas on what to try the food portions were generous and steaming hot very tasty food very fresh,i could not fault anything i did try!good prices will definitely go back . Best around.thanks for making our evening special

Excellent curry house. Generous portions and great tasting food

Prices are very high and food was disappointing as well

Visited on Christmas Eve, although sadly only a few tables were booked, we had a lovely evening. Staff are very friendly, atmosphere relaxing and the food is superb. A true Indian food experience. Would highly recommend a visit!

Great order-in with gluten free

High quality Indian restaurant serving authentic Indian food...several dishes from different states of India.

Chicken a bit chewy, flavours were good however, chilli nann needed way more chilli

Sono in Hotel ad Orpington e vicino vedo che c'è questo ristorante. L'accoglienza è cordiale e l'ambiente è curato. Mi studio il menù e la lista è molto varia. Scelgo un antipasto a base di pollo ed un piatto principale vegetariano. In entrambi i casi il gusto è buono e la sensazione è che le materie prime utilizzate siano fresche. Non sono un esperto di cucina indiana ma ho trovato il mangiare speziato come vuole la tradizione ma in modo molto equilibrato.

I had a hospital appointment and was looking for somewhere for lunch nearby after for my mum's birthday. I find it hard to book restaurants due to my dietary requirements but was very happy to see both gluten free and dairy free clearly labelled on the menu. The food did not disappoint. I'm usually left with one or two options if I'm lucky on the menu but I found there were so many options. The food tasted fresh, well made and with plenty of flavour. There were so many choices on the menu with different dishes from different influences which I loved. The staff were incredibly friendly and attentive and polite. The alcohol free drink options were excellent and I had a mocktail which was a wonderful change from the standard soft drinks many restaurants offer. If you live nearby or are passing through I would thoroughly recommend visiting this restaurant. Delicious food and great service.

We were visiting family in the area so did a bit of research about where might offer good veggie/vegan options. We settled on Masala Dabbas and were not disappointed. A friendly welcome and a drink while we waited for our food (for takeaway). We were pleasantly surprised at the selection of vegetarian dishes on offer and they were delicious too. We particularly enjoyed the aubergine tamarind dish. Menu clearly labelled for dietary needs. The staff were so friendly, we wished were dining in and will be sure to visit again when we are next in the area. Camilla and Simon.

We went to this restaurant for a birthday lunch and it was excellent. A great range of food on the menu and great service. Would highly recommend it.

A real must for your to do list. Delicious food. Excellent customer service. Very comfortable relaxing atmosphere.

Order was wrong when it came-we didn't get 2 garlic naans. My friend complained of the chicken in the curry-they separated it from the sauce and said it had the texture of slimy. I also thought the chicken in my curry wasn't good. My friend also complained she came down with stomach ache.

spur of the moment date night with my wifey, lovely food,great service, love that you can watch chefs prep + cook, reasonable ££, def go back soon ian

Really good quality indian food, amazing choice of veggie and vegan options. One of the best on the high street hands down.

We love to go to this restaurant. Friendly staff, cosy atmosphere and amazing food. Kids are always welcomed and always have lots of attention from the staff. Definitely would recommend.

I don’t ever write reviews but on this occasion I feel I must. First time eating here and I’m blown away! Super friendly team and the food was the best I’ve had in a long while; fresh tasting herbs and spices, incredible meat and prawns even a wonderful but somewhat crazy carrot dessert with amazing ice cream. I will certainly be eating here again not your average Indian restaurant.

This Indian restaurant is great place to feel "Desi". It has a good range of menu with a decent pricing. The food is great both in taste and presentation. The quantity is sufficient. The flavours are well balanced. The staff are friendly and gives you suggestions. The best part of the restaurant are the owners who have set it up with Indian food passion. OverAll experience was great and is recommended for anyone looking for a great meal.