Shaheens Indian Bistro in County Durham

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!

"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!"

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

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.

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

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

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

Amazing food, amazing service especially by tanmay!

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!

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!

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

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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

Just had a cracking meal at this family run Indian. Service was top notch and I had a really good chat with the owner who recommended the King Prawn Balti which was spot on! You know when you're going to get a good meal when they have homemade chutneys served with the popadoms, also transpires his mum is the chef. Brilliant meal thank you....

Lovely family meal, will be returning indefinitely!

Great Indian cuisine that is very authentic. We eat here quite often and every dish we have ever had there is absolutely amazing. Highly recommend the Malayan! Also, being someone who is coeliac they have such a great gluten free menu and everything is clearly marked with GF.

Visited here on a Sunday night and it was very busy but they found us a table. The waiter was so friendly and chatty. I had the best Chicken biryani with a little bit of spice as I love the fact that they ask how spicy you want your food a real nice touch. The dish was so so tasty and fresh. Will differently be back as not only was the food lovely but so was the greeting from everyone so helpful can't recommended enough

Proper authentic FRESH Indian food. Caters to allergies and very good customer service. Definitely a little treasure to visit for a decent meal and down to earth people 😊 in a very pretty corner of Durham. Price included few alcoholic and soft drinks

So happy to of eaten at this place for my birthday. Great tasting food, friendly staff and such a great location 👌

Great place, delicious food and helpful, friendly staff — especially the handsome one!!!

Booked a table for 7pmand was out by 8pm. Felt very rushed not exactly a relaxing meal. The onion bhaji were very nice, home made rather than mass produced. We ordered 2 different chicken curries and were served chicken tikka curries. The meat was cut very small cubes and mine was dry and overcooked. The other one was fine. Naan bread was thin and dry.Within minutes of finishing we were presented with the bill and asked to leave a review

Family run. Great food. Excellent service.

Best Indian food I’ve had in the UK. Everything was full of flavor and well spiced. The prawn balti with added gobi was amazing. The garlic naan was cooked perfectly. The staff were very friendly and made excellent recommendations. My only regret was not capturing the beautiful presentation of the dishes with photos because they smelled so good we ate right away, but here are our cold Cobra beers. We will be back next time we are in Durham.

Highly recommended: had a delicious balti, just the right level of spiciness and very reasonably priced. The location is also ideal, close to the city centre and cathedral.

Best curry in durham hands down, amazing food and service, the chef is a master of her craft

10/10 food Great value Quality staff Highly recommend for anyone visiting Durham

Always a delight to dine at Shaheens, top quality curry, superb atmosphere and the most hospitable staff you will find in Durham. Definitely worth a visit if you want a delicious curry.

Delicious! Top rated food only beaten by its superb service. Would highly recommend for anyone wanting a good night out.

Very friendly service. Food very tasty with a home cooked feel (ie this was something they’d whipped up in the kitchen, not bulk produced!) Would def recommend 😊

A super-friendly small restaurant in the heart of Durham City. Great food and superb service. Service was fast and efficient but we didn't feel that the staff were trying to rush us. Excellent.

Happy to recommend this great restaurant. We visited as a group of seven on a Sunday evening. We received a warm welcome and the waiter was happy to explain some of the dishes and asked us how hot we would like each of the dishes, which was very helpful. The service was excellent, as was the food.

First time in Durham. A great family restaurant. Very friendly and welcoming. Wonderful food and service. Highly recommended

The meal was lovely. We arrived a little early and the restaurant wasn't open for customers, we asked if we could come in and sit and wait for our table due to the rain outside they said no. We waited half an hour in the rain before they took pity on us. The restraunt was quirky but cramped.

After trying various restaurants in the area not having a table for me (understandable on a Saturday night) my last chance I was received with welcome arms. Pouring me a beautiful king Cobra I ordered my food and it did not disappoint. Full of flavour, fresh and delicious. Great attentive service and will visit again. Thanks Shaheens.

Great food and service. Best restaurant I’ve been to so far in Durham. I would highly recommend to anyone visiting the area.

Trip to Durham from Scotland - had been seriously missing a good curry as I’ve grown up in the Midlands. But this was in a league quite different. I’d almost make the 4 hour drive just for the Balti Ghosht! Thanks for a fabulous meal.

A really tasty Indian meal in this small but atmospheric restaurant. Our waiter Adham was very courteous and attentive, giving us some good recommendations for food and drink. We will definitely be returning!

Food was delicious -each dish had their own superb flavour. The service was excellent and we were made to feel at home . Definately recommended for awesome Indian dishes.

Food was excellent, and the service was impeccable. The waiter was a sound lad the music they were playing was a proper vibe.

Lovely family run restaurant. Had a great mid week dinner. Flavoursome good food would definitely recommend. Exactly what you want!

Food was absolutely delicious; service was equally excellent and friendly. We had the lamb sag and fish biryanis and naan.

Excellent food served at curry strength requested. Options offered according to needs including a floater coffee. Lovely evening meal served in a friendly way

Really great food, all freshly made and the spice levels tailored to fit us. Excellent dish recommendations from the manager who was also a really nice guy. Definitely will visit again.

Disappointing - Wont Be Back - Don't Recommend - bottom of the list in Durham! We visited here for the first time recently on an evening based on reviews. The food was average and the starter was meager and dry, seeming almost shop bought with little taste, substance or content to the main course curry dish, which was quite watery in consistency. The service was generally poor with the male attendant seeming to lack basic manners or knowledge of what he was serving - he repeatedly reached over our heads to clear glasses or dishes without asking - the final straw came when we were presented with our bill before the last course had even arrived.

Haven’t been here for years, but went in this evening before a concert in the Cathedral. What a meal! So fresh and original. The chef came out to see us and asked how the food was and she talked us through dishes we might like to try…her recommendations were very well received. The only issue was us…the food was so lovely, we over-ordered, and felt terrible for wasting such good food because we were full! When we go back we know the score and rein in the over consumption 😊

Amazing and delicious food. First time have cleared plates in an Indian restaurant. Definitely recommend and will be back.

Friendly staff. Food excellent. Very tasty. Lady cook came to ensure we were happy with our meal, a nice touch. Young lady serving us was very pleasant. Definitely recommend and will return on our next visit to Durham

AVOID! Had a smple takeaway. I saw the 4.6 review score without reading reviews - big mistake! £17.50 for a supermarket quality nann bread, no rice and 1 tasteless lamb jalfrezi which my Thai wife managed to save a bit by adding some of her own ingredients. There should be a trade description requirement for an Indian restaurant which should mean a distinction notice from a halal version of the cuisine.

I am something of a BIR aficionado (ALs Kitchen) so I looked forward to this visit. Service Excellent Popadoms - very good although I think charging separately for the accompanying dips is abit of a cheap shot Chicken Madras - decent base gravy - mixed powder tasted nice through the dish. Heat was correct. Quite a lot of oil on the finished dish. Chicken Korma- well cooked out good coconut (maggi?) almond taste. Tikka Rogan - service onions were that well cooked out Sag Tikka - decent, nicely cooked Bombay potatoes - to oily. No enough potato and too much base gravy in the finished dish Rice / naans - average but not bad. Would I visit again? Yes I would, but nothing here you can’t cook using ALs kitchen on YouTube.

Such good variety for Indian cuisine and taste is good too.. the owner got egg curry custom made for me even though it's not on menu. I could ask to make the dish hot, cause I preferred that... Service is good .. it's family run... The owner lady is sweet. I visited more than few times during my stay in Durham

Excellent family meal as the food was fresh and very flavoursome and very attentive service. One of the best Indian meals we’ve had in a long time.

Had been recommended by a friend but was a bit disappointed. Portions were generous but that didn’t make up for a lack in flavours. We wouldn’t hurry back, even though the staff were lovely.