Shaheens Indian Bistro in County Durham

We manage to get to Shaheens around eight times a year and every time we go we are reminded how poor the other curries we have are. We simply cannot fault the service or the food.

If you love naan, you have to try theirs! Tan provided top-notch service, Shaheens just become my go to.

Tan was an excellent staff member who served the food superbly. The Chicken Tikka Masala and Sag Paneer were excellent.

We had walked past this restraunt a few times while wondering around Durham over the years and it was some where I really fancied trying. Although quiet, as was the rest of Durham, as it was the evening before New Years Eve the restaurant and the owner did not disappoint. The host was really friendly and welcoming and shared his knowledge of the dishes. When he overheard us discussing our 5 year old son's meal and what he would eat from the menu he took the time to ask him what he liked and offered multiple suggestions and serving suggestions to ensure that he had the best chance of enjoying his meal. My son really enjoyed his choice. The food was freshley cooked, tailored in spice level and delicious and good sized portions. We very much particularly enjoyed the nan bread was also clearly freshed cooked and clearly not pre made nor greasy like some places. The wife and I thoughly enjoyed our meal and will be back.

A fabulous small restaurant. The knowledge and guidance given by the owner is perfect. Making dishes to suit our tastes was fantastic and highly recommended.

Great location in the North Bailey, amazing food, excellent service. Defo recommend the Balti was delicious will be back

We're in Durham every New Year and we always go back. Delicious curries, friendly and professional service and fair prices. Well worth a visit!

Food was fingure licking good . I don't usually write reviews but this restro got me . It was just fab . Will visit again 🩷

Amazing vibe .. Amazing food .. I am a regular customer at this restaurant and i can tell you the taste here will satisfy every taste bud and atmosphere and vibe is also amazing ..

Had an amazing meal at Shaheens. The lamb vindaloo was incredible, and Tan's service made the whole experience so much better

Shaheens is my new favorite! Tan made our experience wonderful, and every dish was packed with flavor

Shaheens’ kebabs are phenomenal! Tan was friendly and attentive, and we had such a lovely experience here.

Loved the garlic naan and tikka platter! Tan's friendly service added to the experience. Shaheens is a hidden gem for me and for you if you consider it!!

I ordered the paneer tikka, and it was fantastic! Tan was great, and the ambiance at Shaheens is perfect for a relaxed dinner

Shaheens’ veggie dishes are phenomenal! Tan’s service was friendly and attentive. We’ll definitely be back

"The chicken tikka masala at shaheens was incredible! Tan's service was spot on and every dish was a delight . Definitely recommend this place! "

The dal and rice combo was simple but delicious! Tan’s friendly service made us feel so welcome. Shaheens is a great find😋😋

Worst Indian I have ever had. Had to set our own table as waiter just plonked crockery and cutlery on the table in a pile. Chicken tika sizzler was abysmal and way over priced at £18. Chicken was rubbery, tasteless and swimming in water and the onions were raw. Three of our party have been ill today.

There's something special about Shaheena . Tan's service was so friendly and food was exceptional

Had an amazing meal at Shaheens. The lamb vindaloo was incredible, and Tan’s service made the whole experience so much better."

Tried the paneer tikka, and it was bursting with flavor! Tan’s service was just as good – Shaheens never disappoints

The garlic naan is addictive! Tan made sure we had everything we needed. Shaheens has incredible food and amazing service.

"Incredible experience at Shaheens! Tan’s service was the icing on the cake, and the food was memorable."

Shaheens is a total winner! Great food, and Tan’s service is just fantastic. Definitely a place worth visiting

Shaheens is a total winner! Great food, and Tan’s service is just fantastic. Definitely a place worth visiting

Tan is the boy, he serves curry like no other, he also absolutely loves the lads.

We had a great food experience here, and the service from Tan was absolutely beautiful! Highly recommended.

Tan at Shaheens = amazing vibes. He’s so attentive, and the food was absolutely insane. 10/10 experience

Tan treated us like family, and the food was pure magic. Shaheens, you’ve got our hearts

We felt like VIPs at Shaheen thanks to Tan’s stellar service. The food was out of this world toos..

Shaheens is a total winner! Great food, and Tan’s service is just fantastic. Definitely a place worth visiting

Beautiful food. Beautiful service from Tan. Highly recommended

Shaheens has some of the best food in Durham, hands down. Tan’s friendly service was the icing on the cake!

Shaheens deserves all the hype! Tan was super friendly and took care of every little detail. Food was pure fire

Best food and enviornment ever time atleast one te u visit

Tan at Shaheens = amazing vibes. He’s so attentive, and the food was absolutely insane. 10/10 experience

Shaheens is a total winner! Great food, and Tan’s service is just fantastic. Definitely a place worth visiting.

Not just great food, but a great vibe thanks to Tan! Shaheens really has it all.

S whole vibe! Tan took such good care of us, and the food was absolute flames. Shaheens deserves the hype

The lamb biryani was delicious! Tan was so friendly, and Shaheens made us feel like we were part of the family.

The food was great and the staff service especially by tan was also good.

"Food was 10/10, and Tan made sure everything was perfect. Shaheens is such a vibe – you gotta check it out!"

"The food is delightful, and Tan’s attentive service made it perfect."

The food was great and the services especially tan was quite accommodating and it was a great experience overall

I've been a regular customer at Shaheens for many years, and I can attest that the quality of food, service and overall experience is always consistently excellent. I often enjoy a meal here with my family, and I regularly bring business visitors from overseas who are left with a fantastic impression of the culinary magic that is on offer at Shaheens. special thanks to Tanmay for recommending good food.

"The chicken tikka masala at Shaheens was incredible! Tan’s service was spot-on, and every dish was a delight. Definitely recommend this place!"

"Amazing Indian cuisine with authentic flavors that leave you wanting more. The experience was made even better by the excellent service from the staff. Special thanks to Tan for the fantastic recommendation—truly a memorable dining experience!"

One of the best places to experience authentic Indian cuisine! The staff is exceptionally welcoming, especially Tanmay. A must-visit spot for all food enthusiasts!

Overall great experience and delicious food! staff service is also good especially by tanmay. would definitely recommend 👍

Amazing food, amazing service especially by tanmay!

A fine dine in indian restaurant. As an Indian I love the initiative by the restaurant. Not forgetting about the staff service a special thanks to Tan for recommending amazing food.

Staff service Amazing especially by tanmay

A delicious indian cuisine and to put a cherry on top excellent staff member behaviour.Thanks Tan for the great reccomendation.

Absolutely amazing! Especially tanmay's service... Thank you for an amazing experience

Had a great experience at Shaheens with delicious food and outstanding service. I was served by Tanmay who gave me outstanding recommendations and I was very delighted by his hospitality. Overall it was an unforgettable experience and the service by Tanmay especially was a cherry on top.

Best place for Indian food. Period. Tanmay was amazing. Excellent service standards.

Best place for trying Indian cuisine .Amazing staff service especially by Tanmay . A must try for all food lovers

great food and especially tanmay’s service was exceptional!

Best curry you can get in Durham…jalfrezi and peshwari naan is goated and Tan is a great guy to have as your server. Cannot recommend more!

Dinner for two on a quiet Monday evening. Friendly and knowledgeable staff. Delicious food. Our waiter gave us great recommendations.

Great restaurant, very good authentic indian food. Ambiance is amazing, and Tanmay’s service was also incredible. Will definitely visit again soon

Food was very greasy and the service was really poor. Expensive for what it is

Super tasty Indian food, and great service - thank you. Great variety of dishes and fab service from Tan. Would recommend

Absolutely 5 stars!!! Shaheen’s Indian delivered a fantastic experience when I came with friends. Our waiter Tan showed fantastic commitment to delivering a sensational experience. The curry was SPICY, just how I like it, many compliments to the chef for that absolute SIZZLER. I will be visiting again and tackling an even more HARDCORE dish. Absolutely amazing, thank you for being so accommodating. P.S the toilets were very clean and luxurious.

probably the best in town, they offer excellent services especially tan, will recommend more

First time visiting here on Friday night with my boyfriend. Had the chicken tikka starter, which was absolutely beautiful, and we'll presented. I went away from my usual dishes for my main and picked the balti special with coriander pilau rice due to the great advice from the waiter. I liked the fact that you could also pick how spicy you could have your meal. Great food and service 👌 and polite and friendly staff. We'll definitely be back .

Visited for the 1st time on Friday night, very impressed, the food was absolutely banging and a great friendly atmosphere, staff were helpful and made to feel very comfortable will definitely be returning and would recommend with confidence 👍

Great curry. Top service and staff

Shouldn't sell alcohol if halal, food was bland not much masala in the jalfrezi like watered down curry.

Attentive service. Delicious food. Allergies well labelled.

The food here is great (best Indian in Durham if you ask me), and the staff is super friendly and attentive!

Adam was really cool :) The food is always amazing as well!

Hadn’t been for years and used to love this place. It has no atmosphere when we arrived and we were greeted by a solemn man. We ordered food. The pickle tray was a good indicator that the food might not be good as it seemed to be out of a supermarket, bland and overly puréed chutney. The mains were completely bland, I got the lamb jalfrezi, it literally tasted of nothing. The Bombay potatoes were bland and it was as if the potatoes were added at the last second so weren’t coated in any of the bland sauce. The onion rice was 50% rice 50% onion which isn’t very nice. The naan bread was flat and was more like a pizza than a naan. Gutted to be writing this review but it just was awful.

Been to going Shaheens for years and never had a bad experience. Our go to Indian, a hidden gem and the best in Durham. We often eat here as a family, and sometimes in large groups with friends, nothing is ever too much and we have always received brilliant food and service. Adham always goes above and beyond on front of house to make sure everything is spot on and in the kitchen his mother's cooking is always brilliant. An excellent family run restaurant. Will always recommend shaheens and since taking friends, this is now their go to Indian as well.

Delicious and a great menu with something for everyone. Nice and attentive staff and still owned by the same family, now in the second generation with Mum still cooking!

Bland food and not very authentic - something I can attest as an Indian ethnic person and a fairly decent cook. The naans had huge swathes of frozen butter just simply scraped on top and the coriander naan had raisins in it for some reason. The gravy/curries were surprisingly small portions, under spiced and barely had any salt. The mango lassi was the saving grace. Quite underwhelming on the whole. Update: 18 Sep 2024: The management at the restaurant have responded to my review. See below. They claim that I ordered the peshwari naan which is impossible considering that I know that naan does contain raisins and I prefer my naan not sweet. Therefore, they even got my order wrong. Besides, when we were ordering, I asked the staff member if one curry would be enough for the amount of bread we were ordering and was told that it would suffice. We ended up having to order another one later. Thanks to the management for deciding to promote healthy eating by not flavouring their food with salt. However, slathering the naan with frozen butter and the curries floating in oil probably defeats the purpose of their claim.

First time trying and definitely not the last. Chicken Tikka Balti was the best I've ever had. Wife also said the same. Really friendly owner which is great. Going to re book for next weekend. 10/10

It was a Lovely meal, the staff were great and super friendly, definitely worth a visit. The owner was really helpful and made us feel super relaxed.

Wonderful food and fab staff (Adham). I had concerns about my allergies to nuts and seeds, and he was able to put my mind at rest as they use neither in the kitchen. First time I've had an Indian meal in years because of allergies. Wonderful staff, friendly and well informed about menu

My friends and I came for dinner after seeing the excellent reviews and the food certainly did not disappoint. I had the chicken and paneer masala which was creamy and delicious and a peshwari nan was the perfect accompaniment. So many options here to cater for all and the staff were very accommodating with quick and friendly service. Highly recommend!

Had a great meal at Shaheen’s in Durham! The food was absolutely delicious – the butter chicken was full of flavor, and the garlic naan was perfect. The staff were super friendly and made us feel really welcome. Cozy atmosphere, great service, and amazing food. Definitely worth a visit!

I've been a regular customer at Shaheens for many years, and I can attest that the quality of food, service and overall experience is always consistently excellent. I often enjoy a meal here with my family, and I regularly bring business visitors from overseas who are left with a fantastic impression of the culinary magic that is on offer at Shaheens. The care taken by Adham who looks after front of house is truly exceptional, and in the kitchen under his mother's expert leadership, many a fantastic dish is created. My own favourite is the Kashmiri Malayan - a hybrid fusion of flavours. In terms of experience, and under the strapline, "Best Bhaji for miles", a few years ago, my son was really interested in how the Onion Bhaji was made. Adham's mother took time out of the kitchen to explain this and this is only one example of the personal touch which is highly appreciated. In my view, you should look no further and book Shaheens today!

Genuinely the most unpleasant staff I have ever had to deal with. Flat lager and boring food too.

The only authentic indian in the north east, great food, always a laugh, 10/10 in every aspect, really well looked after (get the chocolate cake)

Two of us visited for food last night for someone’s birthday. Opted for a main each, chips to share, rice and a naan bread. The food tasted nice but the portions were tiny and we both came away hungry, which is rare when you go to an indian. I wouldn’t recommend or come back for what you pay. There’s better options nearby.

The place looks very good, and the food is AMAZING, but the courtesy of the staff makes this place an even bigger success! Shout out to Adham for being so welcoming with us - the Italian psychologist and fambam

Rang the wrong Indian for take away by accident but thought I’d chance it the reviews looked good . This was honestly the worst Indian iv had the chicken tikka masala was sour you could see the clumps in the sauce It had so much oil on the top if I didn’t live so far away I would have taken it back . The bread was poor and the rice was tasteless It’s the most expensive takeaway iv thrown away

Went on a Monday night, food was great, portion size was great, not too big or too small. Very flavourful.

Absolutely delicious curry, which you know is going to be good, when you're asked how you like it :) Obviously all home made. Really tasty. Definitely recommend 100%.

Party of seven, the staff welcomed us on a busy Saturday evening. Service was very good & food excellent. The interior had been refurbished since my last visit & was very smart & clean. Highly recommend.

The food did not meet expectations. The garlic naan bread was burnt, and the special balti chicken was also burnt at the bottom of the wok.

We are not from the area and booked into Shaheen’s for a meal whilst staying in Durham when we arrived at Shaheen’s the restaurant was totally empty apart from one other couple which was not a good sign at 7.30pm on a Friday night we ordered starters and a main and quite honestly couldn’t eat the food it was swimming in grease the portions were tiny my husband ordered a chicken madras and requested it to be spicy which it definitely was not although a madras usually is my chicken tikka was a weird brown colour not your usual red colour the chicken was like rubber and the whole meal was very disappointing and inedible and when the guy came over and took our full plates away after asking us why we had not eaten it he still brought us the full bill at £60 which we paid and left hungry. The whole restaurant also needed a good clean I’d avoid at all costs a empty restaurant usually is an indication of a bad one and I wish we had left straight away.

Lovely waiter, delicious, good sized portioned food, and quick service :)

Best Indian in Durham, real Indian food, food comes super quick and everyone there clearly enjoys working there. The service is second to none and even if you have no idea what to order, you’ll end up with the right meal. No matter what meal I end up trying, its always the best quality and the deserts are amazing too. I would reccomend the Balti Lamb and try some of the Mango Lassi for dessert. Adham is a great waiter too and will guide you through ordering perfectly.

All I can think of is that I will never visit this place again. The place was rundown, the service brisk to say the least - not welcoming at all. The table was rickety and wobbled constantly, and as for the food. All the dishes we selected, although varied, had the same overwhelming taste. Too much garam masala added by the cook.

Booked mainly because of reading some good reviews, however as a group of 4, we all came away slightly underwhelmed. Small table, not set up well, given a handful of knives and forks and small plates to distribute around the table ourselves, asked immediately if we wanted poppadoms, but our actual choice of meal wasn’t taken until we finished our poppadoms, which seemed bizarre as we now had to wait. Once meal came, it was all squeezed onto our table, which we had to ask for empty plates/dishes to be removed to gives us a little room. The meals were all good, very tasty, but slightly overpriced, compared to other Indians I have previously visited in Durham. Apart from a pleasant young waiter, who suggested one of the meals, the other two waiters, just didn’t have warm welcoming character’s, in fact the opposite. Sorry, but meal was nice, but overall not the best dinning experience.

We (two couples/close friends visiting from the States) had an amazing array of dishes as well as caring, attentive service. The husband (of the husband-wife team that owns, cooks and serves) was extremely helpful in pointing us to the perfect selection of dishes. Scrumptious! Overall a wonderful experience. Highly recommend when you're in or near Durham.

We were looking for somewhere to eat before a concert in the Cathedral and could not have chosen a better place to eat. Wonderful food and amazingly friendly, attentive and knowledgeable staff. My partner has an unusual, serious food allergy and the staff could not have been more helpful and patient when guiding her through the menu. Highly reccomended.

The best Indian food in Durham, lovely atmosphere and attentive staff.

Absolutely dreadful meal, poor service, cheap ingredients, far better places to eat in Durham