New Gulshan in St Albans

unreal food. good service, can’t ask for much more they helped me out for my selection and it was magnificent

The food is so tasty!! Great flavours, the meat is really good quality, tender and plentiful, the veg were fresh and perfectly cooked. Service was impeccable, lovely guys in there, very welcoming and accommodating. We asked for a dish to be altered and it was no problem. I was also surprised that I really enjoyed the dessert! Not something I’d usually consider but is was the perfect balance of sweetness and a great end to a wonderful meal. Thanks all the Gulshan, we will definitely be back!!!

This is the first place myself and siblings ever had Indian food. We now live far apart, so when we found ourselves home ahead of our fathers funeral it seemed appropriate that we bashed a few Keema Naans in his honour. It certainly hadn’t changed much in the time we had all been away on the decoration front but, most importantly, neither had the food. All the team were helpful, professional, attentive and very funny. They were there when we needed something and then left us to catch up and reminisce. We didn’t feel rushed or hurried. The food was absolutely delicious from start to finish. Freshly cooked, tasty, great quality and the keema naans were banging! It was enjoyed by all. Don’t judge this book by its cover. Thank you to the whole team, we enjoyed our evening with you.

The best dansak in town. Overall experience was great, very good service. The staff are attentive and not pushy. Will definitely be back.

Came for a family meal. The staff were very friendly and the food was very tasty. The new management are doing a great job.

Excellent We went as a group of 5 who remembered this restaurant from previous visits .We found the new management have turned it in to an excellent restaurant .Food was really good and very tasty .Service was friendly and couldn’t do enough for us A most enjoyable visit

Had a great evening made enjoyable by the lovely food and friendly helpful staff Will definitely be returning

I ve been going here for 22 years and recently they’ve changed the menu. Tonight I was guided with new dishes and it was truly amazing. So full of flavour. Amazing service and the restaurant was packed So good to see . Highly recommend authentic cuisine. Can’t wait to go back!!! Thank you .

I have not used the 'New Gushan' for many years and thought that I would give it a try tonight. It was probably the worse Indian takeaway that I have had in 10 years in St Albans. Portion size very small, vindaloo sauce totally generic with no flavour and Peshari Naan bread basically a plain naan bread with a smear of sugar syrup. Phoned the restaurant and an extremely rude and unhelpful gentleman told me 'not his problem, talk to 'Just Eat''. Paul

Great food and lovely staff will be back. Not the busiest curry house I have been to but the food was up there with the best and great prices. Will be returning.

I have known and been to this restaurant for years without a compliant, until this week, we ate in on Wednesday (eat out to help out) 3 of us, and it was a shambles, asked 4 times for water, and my curry Chicken Vindaoo was sweet and sickly (and not hot) the food generally was all well below my previous experiences and there was zero social distancing. Last night we ordered a delivery at 7.30pm for delivery at 9pm it eventually turned up at 9.30 my vindaloo was disgusting 4 minute pieces of chicken and a small piece of tomato the gravey was a yellowish orange colour and not the deep red we have had before and was watery and thin. We had a keema nan which was stone cold, my wife had prawn tikka (dry and usually on a sizzling plate if eating in) it was totally different and came in a sauce which was also cold. When delivered we were offered 3 poppadoms for late delivery, when I complained I was offered another vindaloo and a bottle of beer(the food was exactly as the 1st). Very disappointed and unfortunately have no option but not to return. Mark Scott

It’s sad when you have to write about a local independent restaurant with bad service and just average food. The Gov scheme was to bring people out and get them spending again, but when you have neither enough staff or the right staff to deliver, you are doomed to fail. 1. Waiting times for food to long. 2. Young staff going out to buy the beers as they had run out. 3. Pouring cokes from warm plastic bottles 4. Lack of ice 5. Staff shouting - quick quick quick The list can go on but with the chef walking the streets and the owner in the kitchen, it’s just not right. They want to profit from 3 days of busy times and then recover for the next few quiet days. Get staff trained, order in enough beer and drinks, use cans not plastic warm bottles, get enough kitchen staff. As for the food average at best, used to be so much better, hotter and presented better. We know you can do it!!!

Waited for 2 hours for food. I know restaurants get busy but this wasn’t fun. We were all starving and should have left really as some of our party did. Really wouldn’t recommend them to anyone.

I love The New Gulshan. I have eaten here for many years. The decor is very authentic and the waiters are all smartly dressed and polite.

After having been told our order would only take 30mins to deliver we waited over an hour. When I called the restaurant said the driver had left 20 mins ago, no wonder it was luke warm at best on arrival. The delivery driver was apologetic he had been given the wrong address by the restaurant and explained it was very busy. All in all not a great experience. We won't be ordering again.

The owner needs to get waiting staff with a better attitude, and food needs to be consistent not hit and miss. This restaurant has become tired in its look and needs to bring itself up to date.

I've been coming to this restaurant since the 80's. It used to be fantastic and always busy, even up until around 5 years ago it was ok.I have brought many a friend here, and sometimes large groups of us when there has barley been any other customers.The last 4 times over the past 3 years or so, the food has been Luke warm. On every occasion I've tried mentioning this to them, but they just don't seem to get it. Unfriendly to say the least. No hot plates in the middle of the tables. Why do I go back?I keep thinking they must have improved, obviously not!

Although I still can't remember a great deal from the night of the beer festival, I do remember the food afterwards in the New Gulshan was excellent. I had a dish that I'd never ordered before, which was quite hot, and it was lovely.

Why is it never the same? one week good,and the next poor, today the aloo paratha was pathetic, no potato filling just a smear and more cooked dough than filling, sent it back only to get more of the same? refused it and sent it back again, taken off the bill, gulshan has gone way down in my estimate, will not be going back, waiting staff need to know what there doing and dishing up???

This was my third visit to New Gulshan, although I hadn't been for a while. (We've been trying other places.)As for my previous visits, the service was prompt and the food tasty.We went mid-week and it was a peaceful venue (though not too quiet either!).

We came for a small family occasion. We had always loved this place and used to come here in the 80s ad 90s when I was a kid. It was always lovely all-round.But this time we were completely befuddled with the undeniably frosty reception we had from the waiting staff. It continued throughout the meal and actually seemed to escalate. They treated us as if they didn't want us to be there at all and we just couldn't work it out. The place was virtually empty which should have warranted attentiveness and friendliness but we weren't made to feel welcome at all. We were nothing but polite from the off. It was uncomfortable and peculiar.The food itself was nice and tasty (although it was only lukewarm when it arrived) but that couldn't make up for the strange attitude of the staff. Also no acknowledgement whatsoever was made of our tip as the waiter took the bill payment. Blank face, no comment, no thank you. Unfortunately after 30+ years of coming here we won't be returning. Strange strange strange.

Another visit to this wonderful place. Really friendly staff and delicious food. Thank you. See you soon.

I’ve been using the Gulshan for 40 years and in that time I’ve seen plenty of changes to staff,menu and decor and still I keep coming backIf you’re after the new style picture on a plate Indian food then maybe this isn’t for you,however if you want a top quality curry like we all loved in the 70s and 80s then this place is where you’ll get itThere are other places in St Albans that have opened and closed but the Gulshan stands the test of timeAs a local the onion bhaji starters are legendary around here and the standard curry,madras and jalfrezi are never beaten locallyStaff are fantastic and the huge restaurant is always comfortableCame in a while back with friends from Leeds,Dublin and Kusadasi in Turkey as a holiday reunion and they all loved their food and all agreed they’d come back again so say no more

6 people for an evening meal(not many customers in) every main meal sent back as they were not hot, in fact barely warm, 1 dhansak even had a skin on top!! There was no apology in fact staff were miserable, whether it was the inconvenience or not don’t know but have had the same experience at least a couple of times before, we thought it could not be as bad as previous visits....... wrong! We shall not be returning

Ok, it’s a little tired, dated and certainly not silver service but if you want a decent curry a beer you can’t go far wrong. Whenever my mates come to see me in St Albans they always ask to be taken here - there is something special about the owner, his staff and I’ve never had a bad meal here.

Had seen good reviews about this place but was incredibly unhappy but after waiting an hour and a half for food, the plates given to us were dirty and then 'cleaned' infront of us with a dirty cloth.

Lovely food and great service, had many a great meal here . Definitely the go to restaurant to go to in St Albans and I have tried them all

Called-in on a whim and initially pleased to see busy restaurant that was not evident from the street. Good first impression turned to disappointment after it (a) took ages for anyone to come and take my order; (b) an interminably long wait for any food; (c) when my food did come, the starter had been forgotten - it was my main course; and (d) after I drew lack of starter to the attention of the waiter, I did get my starter but when the main course arrived it had clearly been kept ready and was lukewarm and beginning to congeal. Food itself was standard Indian restaurant fare, okay but nothing special other than (lukewarm) lamb shank was nice. Overall, there was a feeling that as I was there by myself (i.e. single), I was being given second class treatment.

Deardful food. Didn’t finish the meals as they were that bad. A squash ball would have been less chewy than the chicken. Everything was just covered in sauce to try and hide how bad it was. Shocking how

We ordered a delivery because my Dad struggles to walk and we’re blown away. Fast, efficient delivery. Absolutely delicious. 5 curries, 5 people, all very happy. The rice was spicy and soft the curries spicy and creamy and the pappadoms yummy! Highly recommend. We had ages from 14 to 78 all happy!

I've been visiting this restaurant for 40 years almost. It's never let me down. The food is always good and the staff have always been friendly.

We had a group of 7 of us on a busy night. Once we got the waiter attention the service was quite fast. The food was very good and reasonably priced. Overall a good restaurant.

Used this for the first time yesterday. Whole family very impressed with the food. Meat was tender and flavours were great and not over powering. Good amount too. Phoned the order which was ready in the time they said. Friendly staff at the restaurant. Will definitely use again.

Despite living in St. Albans for years I had never been to this restaurant. The food that I ordered was delicious with good portions, it's an old fashioned restaurant but don't be put off by that because the food was lovely and reasonably priced. The owner was lovely and friendly and asked several times if everything was ok. I will definitely go back

We were a tad undecided about venturing into the New Gulshan - there appeared to be no one in there at all and at 10.30 at night that meant not a lot of atmosphere. Yet when hunger drove us in we were welcopmed and taken through a tardis like set of rooms to near the back where everyone was - like a surprise party...

Firstly, the atmosphere of the restaurant was nice, however, the waiter was much too pushy and we felt forced to buy side dishes we wouldn't have initially purchased. Secondly, the popadoms felt like they were from a standard takeaway and the chicken in the curries felt extremely rubbery and not restaurant standard. Also, the dips were extremely disappointing as they were watery. Lastly, the menu was extremely different to what we had received, therefore we were not satisfied with the dishes as they were far from what we ordered. (One of the dishes - Chicken Tikka Masala, was far too overpowering as it was very sweet, Also the Sagaloo didn't taste fresh and had no flavour).

I haven't been to the New Gulshan in St Albans for about 10 years I was really pleasantly surprised by the quality of the food and I had a really enjoyable meal there. I won't leave it so long next time

Throughout that time the New Gulshan has been the gold standard for curry houses everywhere in terms of food and friendly service. Some have come close, but none have ever surpassed it.

Food seemed precooked with little use of fresh ingredients Concerned the Tandoori meat drew its colour from artificial ingredients. Won't be going back despite having used it regularly during the noughties

Comimos aquí delante de ir a la Odisea. La comida era buena, con crujientes popadoms sirve con una gran pickle lime. Seguido de un cordero Achari con lentejas fue justo. El servicio fue rápido sin prisa nos permite llegar a la película a tiempo.

If you're after standard Indian fare in St Albans, this is probably the best place. The usual favourites are there, and cooked well - not too much salt or oil (though not too little either), and they don't add loads of sugar like many places seem to nowadays.Staff not over familiar despite me being a regular, and always very helpful (great helping the kids to choose). It's not groundbreaking, but it does what you want very well indeed.

Not been to the new gulshan before, but the reviews were good; took a friend there for a curry.Initially we parked in Iceland (opposite) but on arrival I was advised that there was a better car park, which the greet walked is to.The staff were friendly, efficient, the food was well presented, tasty and every effort was made to ensure we had a good meal.We will be going back without a doubt.

I was treated to dinner there by my son. Pleasant food served efficiently and in a friendly manner. Much bigger than it looks from the front and could accommodate good sized parties.

We usually have a take away from here not often but we had friends visiting and it was easier to go out!! The restaurant was very empty on a Saturday night!! Two other tables in use. The service was good and the food tasty.

Fancied a change of scenery in the Indian scene having grown a bit bored of our usual haunts and stupidly looking at the 'scores on the doors' on a number of Indians in the area (Gulshan has 5). Food was nothing spectacular, felt like take away standard in a restaurant environment. Starters were nice, but mains felt a bit lacking. Portion size was good though. Service good and staff polite as you usually find in Indians!

What a revelation! The younger generation has taken over this old established family run restaurant in St Albans. We tend to think of an “Indian” restaurant forgetting how huge the sub-continent really is and the different cuisines that this produces. The Décor remains the same with engraved glass screens dividing up the room and reducing noise. But the food. . . . . . .Tanveer Shah is producing authentic Bangladeshi flavours from old family recipes using some British ingredients and presenting the dish in a very stylish and modern way.Well worth a visit for "upmarket dining" at sensible prices.

We visit perhaps once a month on average but haven't been for a while over the summer and were taken aback to find that menu and food presentation has changed! A list of new chef's specials with all food presented on square and other shaped plates other than the traditional circular "Willow Tree" pattern ones. I had the "Deshi Classic" (with lentilds and it was very good. Naan was sliced into quarters in a basket as well. Small upgrade to the side salad with cherry rather than sliced tomatoes.Overall, food and service just as good if not a little better, even if the decor is the same. Do I like the "new" New Gulshan? ... Not sure but I think so.

I have known this restaurant for over thirty years and it has maintained a consistently high level of food and service. Take away is very good too. It appears to be a popular venue for larger parties especially over weekends.

I am really enjoying my dinner in new gulshan tandoori restaurants. .everythings are right of the money.

We used to go very often when we lived there for 3 years. We went back after few years, they are still doing the same great food ever. we love it..

This is a reasonably priced curry but it lacks the freshness of other indian restaurants. It's ok if u just want that sort of food which we all do on occasion!! It's a curry.

Well sited between town and station, unfortunately parking can be a challenge. Reception good, service good, food great and prices very fair.

Seven of us visited this restaurant last Sunday and everything was first class - from the food, service and lavish décor. Will definitely return.

Like other reviewers we used to be regulars at the New Gulshan but found the food had gone down-hill and switched allegiance to other more modern restaurants. However we decided to give it a try again last night and were very happy with our choice - like meeting a friend you haven't seen for years but it immediately feels just as it always did.The exterior of the Gulshan gives no indication of its size, although the length of the interior is divided into booths making it feel cosy on a cold day. This is traditional 'Indian' décor complete with plastic plants. The food is also 'traditional' Bangladeshi Indian but none the worse for that. All the old favourites are there at a very reasonable price, including dishes you don't always find elsewhere - my choice usually being Chicken Methi or Prawn Sag. For some reason the potatoes are always a vivid red colour. The naan last night was excellent, and the Tarka Dal - always the best in St Albans was just as we like it.Negatives - service less friendly than we remembered - and waiting staff talked across us in Urdu which seemed rude. Wine as bad as ever and the toilets still have no heating (well the gents anyway).

We have used the Gulshan since 1973 [roughly once a week] and pretty much the food was always good. About two years ago the food dropped off and we stopped going, although we found other places we still used the 'Old' Gulshan as the benchmark. So start of a new year we thought we would give them another go, we have had 3 meals so far this year [it's Feb 12th] and they have all been excellent again.

Absolutely brilliant food. As an Asian person myself this is most definitely Indian cuisine. The confusion may come from it being a Bangladeshi run restaurant but this is the best place I've been to for an Indian by far! Couldn't have asked for better service. I ordered the spiciest dish, Chicken Phaal, and received complimentary yogurt to calm the buds if needed. Will definitely return!

Have been to this Indian a number of times post getting back from rugby games with groups of about 10. Booked in advance although they are also good at off the cuff when they can. The service and the food is always of high quality and reasonable process. This is a cavernous restaurant inside and belies its little back street type frontage. It is invariably well attended and has a very good local reputation. Given it is out of town too its popularity says everything. Really worth a visit and as to the food - great selection and great all round from what I know nad can gather.

We visited the New Gulshan on a trip through the town, possibly drawn in by its proximity to the station.Sadly, I must agree with a previous review - this is not Indian food I'm afraid.I had a fish bhuna, which came as fish fillets (not cooked on the bone), devoid of taste, covered in an anonymous dingy coloured sauce. There was little taste or care.My partner had a chicken tikka dish that was all food colouring and little taste. Shame really.The service was attentive and enthusiastic, if a little confused by my request for chillis to give my food any sort of taste.On the upside, the onion bhaji starter was fresh and tasty, as was the kebab.Overall I refer back to the title - if you need more of a hint, look up "going for an english"sorry guys, you really need to get some taste and authenticity to go up my list.

First off - we have been coming here for more than 10 years and have previously never had a bad meal or bad service. That all changed last night and we will not be coming back. There are plenty of other local curry places in the area that are similar. We had been waiting for 40 minutes for our starters. I asked how much longer these would be - we were told they were being dished up. 10 minutes later, our main course arrived, with one of the items wrong. We were told they had decided to substitute one item (without asking) as that would be easier for them to make (!). We didn't want the item but were told it would be at least another 10 minutes for our chosen item. This is bearing in mind they hadn't bothered to bring the starters. We just wanted to go at this point so just told them to leave it and we would eat the things that had arrived that we did want. When they brought the bill, they had still tried to charge for everything we had ordered. They finally agreed to take these items off. The waiters offered no apology but the head waiter did come over at the end to basically say it was our fault that we came on a night they were busy (it was only about 60% full so I dread to think how bad it would have been if it had actually been full...). It is disappointing that having visited for 10 years we received such bad service. The good news is that there is lots of competition so we won't have to return here again.

The food was good. The problem arose when the bill arrived, as it appeared that everything had been mispriced on the menu. Our drinks were priced on the menu at £2,50 each, but we were then told that our drinks were in fact £4.00 each. Not only did they assume we wanted a larger drink that was not on the menu, but they refused to apologise for their incredibly misleading menu. I don't mind paying £4.00 for a drink but at least put the real price on the menu so customers know what they're buying. This was the same issue with the food as well - only one price was given, with no option in size or price. But we found out at the end of the meal that we had been charged for a larger portion - which we didn't even ask for or know about! The portions were quite large and so if I had known there was an option in size I would have specifically requested the smaller one.I won't be going again, not because of the food but because of their money-grabbing service and unapologetic response.

We have been loyal to this curry house for many years and as such chose to take a large party of friends here.First we were split onto two tables with a partition between us despite asking for the larger table. We were told they would sort it but nothing happened. Then it took an HOUR for them to take our order! And when they did the waiter kept butting in and shouting orders to other members of staff. He seemed completely distracted. Finally at ten pm we received our food. One table got theirs fifteen minutes earlier.We decided not to leave a tip because of the poor service. But guess what? They never gave us our change back!Thus ended twenty years of loyalty and a discussion on the other curry houses of St Albans. I think it will be Abbey Spice next time.

Yet another visit to our trusty curry house yet another great meal with my girls.We have been regulars here for 20 years can't think of ever having a bad experience great food and service.

Have been eating at this restaurant for about 10 years. Brilliant service and very good food. Nothing is too much trouble for them. I'm not that adventurous when eating Indian but whatever we have chosen has always been first class. It can be a little noisy on some nights if they have a large crowd in celebrating a birthday but it has never ruined our evening. Have tried other Indian restaurants in the area but always return to this one.

Lovely staff who are professional and provide a good service.As usual in the UK, the menu is significant with many dishes being very similar to other dishes. On a arrival, the food was standard UK curry. Having been to India I am continually amazed at how bland UK/Indian food is. Nothing to highlight and nothing to moan about. Just some Indian style food.I had to drink lager, which I don't really like as the wine by the glass was restricted to the house red and no other types of beers were available. Loos could do with a spruce up as well.

Nice curry, not the best however not the worst but nice. I would say it does the job. Service was good and the restaurant decor was very 80's. Thanks

i have been there so many times their food is traditional and very tasty.and their service was good but i think they need more staff for better service.

We have been eating here for many years with our two daughters. The service and food cannot be faulted in our opinion. It has always been a consistently great experience. The price is also reasonable and the staff cannot do enough for the customers. I cannot recommend this restaurant highly enough .

I have been going this restaurant so many times. .There food is excellent and services is good ..They have so many traditional Bangladeshi and Indian food. They are taste are same as the first beginning of this restaurant

We did arrive very late but we were the only customers in the restaurant. Finding a table was therefore not an issue. Food was quick for the same reasons but it was very good. As normal I had a mixed grill which was tasty. There was a degree of encouragement to leave - but it was late to be fair. Bill was more than sensible for three people.

My wife and I came up from London for the beer festival and really fancied an Indian. We were delayed by the train but knew there was a restaurant near the station and we might just make it if we got there before they closed after lunch. We could see the open sign but all the staff had obviously finished and were sitting in the front. We asked anyway and they said we only had 5 minutes. They then said they could do something if we ordered quickly. Although the tandoori oven had been switched off we had chicken dupiaza, dansak, bhindi, veg, chapati and rice. Everything was cooked to perfection in no time at all and at a reasonable price.Will definitely be going back.

I've eaten here regularly for over 30 years and it has been CONSISTENTLY BRILLIANT. On a trip to Goa I went to an Indian restaurant and that had heard of it too and thought it was the best. Obviously some times it's crowded and others it's virtually empty, and when it's full it can be boisterous. Highly recommended. The excellent service may be, to some extent, because they recognise me.

curry poor. Service average. Atmosphere.... if you want to go to a school canteen and eat with drunk teenagers then this is the place to go

Food is good and the place is very quiet. I have hardly seen people here when out with work friends during lunch

This was my favourite Indian restaurant. I've been coming here since 1980. In that time I've seldom had anything but good experiences - so this was a shock. I'll run you through it, bit by bit:-The ServiceOur table wasn't ready - no problem they will prepare one. A fresh cloth, then 2 piles of cutlery and a couple of napkins literally thrown on the table - the napkins weren't even folded!Then we had poppadoms. 15 mins after finishing our poppadoms they got around to taking our order but only because we collared one of the waiters. We then had a another 15 minute wait for our starters. The mains followed pretty well as expected.OK, you can forgive a lot if you have a great meal - so what about the food?The poppadoms. The plain were alright but rather bland, the spicy were straight from the supermarket and tiny - utter rubbish. The pickles were OK, though for me, the Lime Pickle was far too chunky.The starters.Seekh kebabs (previously really good) these have shrunk 20 to 25% and had a powdery rather than meaty texture - horribleThe Onion Bhaji's (always served the best I've had) have also been on a diet, they are least 10% smaller. Still nice and well cooked I'd say they were quite as good as usual either.The mains.We chose Chicken Madras, I've had it here many times and always enjoyed it. One of my favourites and a great yardstick to compare restaurants by. On this occasion it was awful and so hot we couldn't eat it. The sauce had an unpleasant vinegar taste, so I suspect we were given something else which was "heated up" with a generous dollop of hot sauce of some description. I've had Phaal that was not as hot as this.Portion wise, it was the same silver dishes and about 8 chunks of chicken, as per usual, but the chunks were substantially smaller and the level of sauce was greater to hide the shortage of chicken when served it looked the same. Since we couldn't eat it it didn't really matter.I had Pilau rice and my mate had plain rice. Again everything had been on a diet especially my Pilau rice which did not cover more than 75% of the little silver dish it was served on.The beers - server quickly - draft Kingfisher was fine, but the bottle of Cobra was lukewarm. The waiter didn't even listen to our order and was gone before we could ensure he'd got it. Sure enough a pint of Coke turned up uninvited. Someone else probably got that an hour later and wondered why it was flat.We did inform the staff of our unsatisfactory experience but whilst polite, they really couldn't care less. I'd like to say everywhere has an off day but this was so unsatisfactory in so many ways - and they really don't care what you think that second chances are not an option, I won't be coming here again anytime soon.So now I'm looking for a good, reliable Indian restaurant in St Albans.

Having travelled around the UK sampling many hundreds of Indian meals over the years including Southall and Rushholme, I find some of the comments on this board unbelievable. The New Gulshan is an outstanding restaurant far exceeding the standards of all the other Indian/Pakistani restaurants in St Albans and one of the best provincial sub-continental restaurants around. Why? Very simple. Other restaurants have good dishes; some excel in Madras,tandoori, fish dishes: the Gulshan delivers on all fronts - service, quality of ingredients, range of dishes and value. The Gulshan home page is a little misleading as it has been leading the way in terms of Indian food since the early 80s not since 1993 (a change at the helm!). It inspires loyalty because it provides a superb product. As the population of St Albans has altered since the Gulshan opened, misguided individuals have attempted to disparage this institution to demonstrate their taste and superiority. At one stage only the Kohinoor and The Gulshan flew the flag for Indian food. Other Indian restaurants have opened and closed since the late 70s. The Gulshan and the Kohinoor (a little plug for the Mumtaz too!) have remained and thrived. Maybe some of the critics on this site should consider why? Eight of us went there for New Year - standards were as consistently excellent as ever. Have just rung up for a takeaway. I've been eating there for over thirty years - maybe one dodgy side dish in that time...........Just needed to put things in some kind of perspective!

This restaurant is around the corner from us so we thought it was about time we tried it out. Firstly, the service is good - attentive and prompt. Atmosphere was OK too, fairly busy but not overwhelmingly loud (it was a Friday). However, my main complaint was the food. For starters we had the chicken tikka and the sheek kebab which left my partner and I underwhelmed - it just didn't taste fresh. For our mains we had a chicken tikka balti and a lamb tikka dupiaza - again, it just didn't taste very fresh. The lamb was hard and not tender at all. This may be down to personal preference but it was either too overcooked or the meat wasn't fresh. The chicken in our balti dish was exactly the same chicken we had for our starter but mixed around in some balti curry. The actual curry sauce was precisely how other reviewers have described it - average, bog standard curry. It's a real shame as New Gulshan has some other elements right, unfortunately it hasn't got right the most important element - the taste of their food. There's a few indian restaurants within a 1-2 mile radius that offer far tastier curries for the same price - fix up New Gulshan!

My wife and I both found the food here to be bland and dull. We ordered two different curries and when they came we couldn't taste the difference between the two. Both were lacking spice and flavour and we left very very disappointed. The service was fine and I guess it was ok value for money. There are much better Indian restaurants in St Albans and we shall not be going back to this one.

Found this restaurant by accident whilst looking on TA for another! Now it is our regular curry house and the only Indian restaurant we use in St Albans, Food is concsisitenly good, always and we especially like the onion bhaji's.

Got a takeaway from her recently - nothing fancy, just a madras, rice and a couple of popadums. It was ok- but not great. It's just a very straightforward, traditional curry house serving a decent curry at a reasonable price and with good service.Would have maybe been deemed very good ten years ago - but the standard of Indian food in this country has been raised in recent years and there are places you can go for a more authentic experience and greater quality (although at an admittedly higher price). This place doesn't do a lot wrong, it's just been left behind a little....

I went here so many times..everytime I have been place an order for takeway and sometime came here for dining in on evening time..I am really enjoy there food and service. .it is awesome and good value for money. .I think it is the best restaurent in the st albans..should be I will back again for get their hospitality. .

I'm a regular visitor here and would say it's a "traditional" Indian restaurant. I have both Indian and Pakistani friends who eat here from the plethora of similar restaurants in St Albans, and quite rightly so.Food is good if not outstanding but the extremely good value wine list, and the friendly and efficient service all make for a pleasant experience.

JUST BAD IS ALL I CAN SAY!!!A BIT OF QUALITY WOULDNT GO A MISS.DRINKS WERNT TO BAD THOUGH.How do people spend money in places that they get no value at all i mean i could of boiled some chicken and spices and done a better job.Very dissapointed i had to pay to eat this standard of food.

Came here on a Thursday night with a group of friends and had a great meal and time here. The food was really good with plenty of choice with lots of interesting specials on the menu. I shared a mixed tandoori grill starter and had the achari chicken with mushroom rice and a garlic naan all of which were very tasty and great. Will definitely be coming back.

This restaurant is conveniently located near the train station in St Albans. The restaurant has a very traditional feel to it with carpets and Indian music which made a change, as it is a bit unusual nowadays. The staff are friendly, all of them talk to you about your meal and whether you are enjoying it. On leaving the restaurant they all acknowledge you and say goodbye. However during the ordering stage they push for you to buy extra drinks and side orders!!The menu lacks imagination but is still ok for the traditional eater like me. I ordered my standard Jalfrezi. It looked unusual but was quite tasty. The chicken wasn’t all that fresh and was a little dry. The portions were quite small as well.I went with a colleague on a Thursday early evening and it was busy so they must be doing something right!This restaurant is borderline 3*/4* but as I enjoyed my evening I will be giving it 4*

Whilst I wouldn't rave about the experience, I'm happy to report that I enjoyed a pretty decent meal here early evening on a Wednesday. Just no wow factor really, either about the meal itself or the restaurant which felt ever so slightly gloomy. I liked the separate sections, though, and the whole place would undoubtedly feel more upbeat after a few beers and with a few more people in. I went for the chicken bhuna and was presented with the tikka version, which I accepted as it had been a long day and I was hungry. Very nice it was too, the chicken succulent and tender. The Cobra went down well too, although ideally it needed to be just a little colder. The wrapper on the chocolate mint that arrived with the bill looked a little travel-worn so I passed on that little treat and instead purchased a mint aero on the way home. Call me old-fashioned, but presentation is important. Overall though a good dining experience - I definitely wouldn't rule out going there again.

I've been going to the New Gulshan for the last 25 years and now I've moved out the area I still return. It used to be one of the first Indian restaurants in St.Albans and I still consider it the best. I was introduced to Chicken Tika Masala here some 25 years ago and embarrassingly have to admit to many druken nights as a lad growing up and frequenting this fine establishment. Nicest masala anywhere ! Part of the St.Albans heritage now..

My first memories of this restaurant were back in the 1980s when St Albans had a cinema. This Indian eateries used to advertise before every film. Yes the New Gulshan is an institution that has been in town for over 30 years. Known locally and affectionately as "The Tardis" because the entrance betrays the size of the restaurant inside, the food never ever fails to satisfy. Great Indian fare and with great value. Is this the best Indian restaurant in St Albans? Categorically yes it is.

I used to visit this restaurant all the but moved to the other side of town so wasn't convenate an more, I wanted a change so thought I would re visit. The food was of a good standard a little oily but then again it is a curry house. I would say it more of a traditional Indian restaurant than the new age la carte establishment that popped up in recent years, decore is a little dated but I feel it in keeping with the food they serve. Service was fast and staff welcoming enough the restaurant was empty (7.00pm on a Friday night) but I guess it would be packed once the pubs kicked out. Enoughed the food would go again by maybe for a takeaway rather than a sit down meal. The only down side as the cost I felt a little expensive.

I've been going to the 'Gully' for 32 years and the service is always excellent! And the food - divine! If you want to go for a curry, I can't recommend them highly enough. Wonderful!

Attention to detail; went as a couple and were seated away from other people. Noticed they did this with all couples who came in. Didn't have to wait a long time to have orders taken or for food to arrive. Manager was present in the restaurant which was quite busy, ensuring that people were served promptly and plates cleared away. food was good. Wouldn't call this a place for a special occasion but for decent indian food on a night out it ticks all the right boxes

I am normally one to rave about this Indian restaurant- the staff are pleasant and it's not hugely expensive for good food.However when I had my last meal there there was a large group of us and so as always there was a bit of trouble with the bill at the end. We decided to each pay for what we had as some people had considerably more than others. The bill was just not adding up- everyone had paid for what they had and we were still a fair amount of money off the grand total. We were looking at the handwritten itemised bill to check nothing extra has been added, the gent even came over to answer any queries we had, it still didn't add up! We then decided to check the amounts down the side of the handwritten bill to check the overall amount as this was the only thing that could possibly be wrong- low and behold there was £10 difference! I know that doesn't seem a lot, but how often is that 'mistake' made when there is a large group eating?! How often would people not just split the bill between everybody without checking?! Of course human error does exist and these mistakes can be made occasionally but I hope it was human error and not a regular con. I was really dissapointed that this happened and if I dine again at the new gulshan ill be sure to check my bill, because it is in fact illegal to overcharge like that. Perhaps investing in modern tills rather than old fashioned pen and calculator calculations will avoid this sort of mistake. It's a shame to write a bad review but I'm being totally honest about my experience.

I have eaten at this Indian restaurant a couple of times before and never had any problems however that has always been as a small group. I recently visited as a group of 10 and although the food was fantastic and the service was fine,at the end of the night the bill was wrong by £15! All the items on the bill were correct but the total was added up all wrong making us nearly pay £15 extra! Luckily we noticed before we paid! It is slightly disappointing as I usual have such a great opinion of this place!

I love this place, the food, the service everything. But what almost always bugs me every time I go in there is the amount of underage drinking that goes on, 16 year olds have resorted into having dinners out there because it's 'the only place that doesn't ask for id' they're drinking huge bottles of wine, and making quite a bit of a noise! Maybe the experience would be more pleasurable if you were to ask them for ID instead of having drunk young girls making an uproar in what could be a sophisticated restaurant

Think I've tried most of the Indians in St Albans, this one serves by far the best food, in fact it's excellent. Only downside is they don't do deliveries unless a large order.

I fail to understand what the fuss is about with this place.If it's such a great Indian restaurant why is there English and Indionesian food on the menu? Fancy chicken and chips? or how about a Nasi Goreng?Maybe the other ethnic foods are the secret of this place because the Indian food isnt.Very ordinary.

There are many Indian restaurants in St Albans but the Gulshan has been around for years and has a loyal following. The staff are courteous, the chef is excellent, and the food delivered is tasty. They will also do special requests and dishes off the menu if there is time. The prices are competitive too.

This restaurant has been my favourite Indian in St Albans for the last 30 years. I probably eat here 3 or 4 times a year and I've never had a bad meal.Prices are comparable to other St Albans Indians and by no means one of the dearest.I recently went with a party of 4 we all had Poppadums, Starters, Mains, Rices and a nan and a couple of rounds of large Cobra bottles.There was not a scrap left! The Onion Bahjis are the best I have found anywhere.Cost about £20 per head.So very much better than my recent experiences at the Mumtaj.Looking forward to another 30 delicious years!

love the food from this place, shame they dont deliver! always busy and great value for money, overall cheap and cheerful, with classic curry house decor!

Restaurants come and go but the New Gulshan has stood out as one of the finest Curry Houses in town for quite some time. The service is courteous and efficient, the food is always excellent and there always seem to be people in there no matter when we go in. I have no hesitation in recommending this establishment to even the most choosy of diners. If its a traditional curry with a beer or two that you are after, then head to the New Gulshan, I'd be astonished if you were disappointed!

Been here countless times and it's consistently excellent . Service is always polite, the Cobras always cold and the food tremendous.