Shaheens Indian Bistro in County Durham

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.

Amazing food, staff were very friendly, will be coming here a lot more in the future, will definitely let people know about this fantastic restaurant.

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.

Obviously fraudulent reviews. It’s a cramped dive inside. Food mostly flavourless. I’m absolutely expecting to have the Barry Sha-heens in the morning as it was plain rough.

I went to Shaheens Indian It was outstanding. The curry I had had the right flavour and heat. It was just outstanding. Definitely coming back for more!

Poor and dismissive service - we were not made welcome. Overpriced food and drink which didn't taste great either.

Not great. The food was mediocre and the service seemed more difficult than it should have been. The waiter didn't appear to know what was on the menu.

Once again we had a fantastic meal. Thank you so much. I must say that the way you dealt with the complaint from a couple who clearly were looking for a free meal was absolutely first class. " But you have eaten everything we put on the table" will go down as one of the best responses I have ever heard. This restaurant is top notch and I would highly recommend to anyone.

Delicious starters and even nicer main courses. We were made to feel very welcome when we arrived. The service was attentive, but not overpowering. The food was subtly different from the norm in the UK - authentic Indian, rather than the more usual Bangladeshi. After our meal we had a chat with the lady chefs - lovely people and very good at what they do. We'll be back!

It's a family run business, everything handled within family members. The food was good but the owner lady is just awesome, she is really friendly and a great hostess and she cooks the food herself. Will definitely recommend to try them once.

Amazing food. Scrupulously clean toilets. Laid back atmosphere. Fantastic service from staff but especially from young lass from Middlesbrough.... I didn't get her name.

Four of us went to eat at Shaheens in Durham. As we entered the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The staff were very knowledgeable and keen to make sure our meals were spiced correctly for each individual. The food arrived promptly and was truly delicious. I had lamb dupiaza and it was the best I've ever had. The staff were very attentive and pleasant. It was a great curry experience I would highly recommend this restaurant. Pricewise we were pleasantly surprised too.

We had a wonderful meal! We particularly enjoyed the vegetable pakoras for starters. The biryani was amazing as was the paneer dhansak. The lovely chef Mrs Khan, came out to chat to us after our meal who, is clearly passionate about food and authentic flavours. Highly recommended!

Great food! Came back after a couple years away from Durham with the family and the food is still incredible

Great food. Great service. Good choices for vegetarians and grest size portions. Would def come again!

Upon hearing recommendations from our friends and family my wife and I decided to take it upon ourselves to book a table at Shaheens. We were pleasantly surprised. Everything was amazing from the food to the service. I ordered a prawn bhuna and my wife ordered the lamb jalfrezi. Both dishes were divine! The naan was soft and fluffy and the service was incredible. Amazing family run restaurant, we will definitely be back again. Thank you for the amazing night

Best Indian food in Durham City, authentic home cooked food, sensible sized portions, great service!...highly recommended..5*****

Just visited for bread Roghni Naan. The price was toooooo high for 1 naan and the quality was awful, burnt naan, cold and no taste. Picture attached. I travelled from Birmingham to visit the lovely Durham, but the visit ended with burnt Naan. I am highly disappointed.

Where to start Avoid like the plague Worst Indian I have ever been to in my life. Small portions, expensive, cold, soggy chips and baji and poppadoms soft and sweaty ,naan was awful didn't even look cooked in a tandoori oven probably been in a toaster Would not eat there again if you paid me I would have actually given it zero stars if I could have

Fantastic food and friendly service. Big menu with lots of choice. Great location in the centre of Durham. Would definitely recommend

We’ve been here every December for the last three years. This year, it wasn’t great. The curry was bland and the pickles were sparse. It’s always been good, not great. However this time it wasn’t even good. One person serving and didn’t ask how the...

Came here for a meal on Christmas Eve with my wife after we'd been to the Christmas Carol service at Durham Cathedral. The restaurant was warm and welcoming, the staff were friendly and helpful and the food was great. What more could you want. It...

Amazing night out at shaheens. Beautiful food accompanied with amazing atmosphere. Would definitely recommend the balti chicken masala and the onion bhajis were full of flavour. 10/10!

Wouldn't go back. It looked like a cheap cafe inside. The food wasn't that nice, there are better places to have Indian food in durham. The table wasn't set. They brought the cutlery in a napkin. My friend ordered a chicken korma, and I got a chicken tikka balti. The dishes looked very similar, and apart from hers being slightly milder, there was no difference. The garlic naan was more like a soft poppadom with thick garlic butter on.

The food was tasty and the waitress was very helpful with suggestions and getting the heat level right for our tastes.

On arrival fully booked but the staff managed to find us a space. Waitress very friendly and the service was quick. Food was outstanding! The chef made time to come and speak to us at our table considering it was a busy weekend service. Highly recommend a visit.

Having visited here for over a year since we moved away from Durham but it is like we have never been away. Service was prompt and efficient and we managed to get our usual table. The food quality was very good and just enough. Although...

Long weekend prior to Christmas and a traditional curry. Delicious food friendly staff great atmosphere. Highly recommended, will be back. Loved it!

Initial impressions were not good. Very run down basic decor and furniture. Very cold - lack of heating. Lethal step down immediately behind entry doors - beware! Food very average and all barely warm. Lamb Korma was chewy and overly salty so was left. Half...

Booked here as it was listed as No 1 Indian on TripAdvisor. Food was just ok but a very extensive menu. Service was rushed and they asked us to leave to give our table to others. Felt like I was in a Student Union! Won't be back

amazing food and amazing service. highly recommend dining here as i will definitely be coming back!

The food was brilliant, that Peshwari naan quite literally changed my life it was divine! The service was speedy even on a busy Saturday, and the staff were very friendly and helpful as well (thanks Shaheen). Overall it is must if you’re visiting Durham, Shaheen’s...

We called ahead to book a large table and they offered us a 20 pound deal for 1 popadom, half a naan, one curry and one rice. Ups on arriving and checking the menu it turned out they overcharged us for the food we bought....

Best curry in the North of England Friendly staff Fantastic food Great for both students and families 10/10 would recommend

Food is extremely bland, came out very quickly which didn't give good omens. Paneer Bhuna would have been tasteless if it wasn't for the spice. Ordered 2 bottles of Cobra at £6 each - the pint glasses were out of date and immediately made the...

Excellent service and the food was fantastic! The garlic chilli chicken i had was so tasty, really spicy and aromatic , and the chicken dahi my husband had on recommendation went down really well too. The chilli naan bread was freshly cooked and also very...

Just returned from Shaheens tonight after an excellent meal. Arrived at the restaurant and was shown to our table. We asked if we could move as we were very close to the entrance, no problem at all. Excellent service and great food. We had the...

OMG. The Chicken Tikka Biryani (medium to hot) is to die for! One of the most delicious meals I have ever had and I've eaten at Indian Restaurants all over the world. Can't recommend this place highly enough!

Shaheens is a lovely setting and excellent food!

Fantastic food and a great atmosphere, it’s always a lovely night out!!!xx

best curry in durham, lovely atmosphere for everyone, would highly recommend for all curry enthusiasts

We had a booking for 13 people and were a little concerned that a smaller restaurant such as this would struggle with service and quality for these numbers. There was no need for any concerns at all. The Food was great and service prompt and...

Food was absolutely awful. Cold, bland, absolutely no flavour, even the chips were rotten. Mint sauce & yoghurt tasted as if it had soured. A main missing from order which whne we rang inform them they offered a refund which in hindsight was good as i can only imagine it would have ended up in bin with the rest. Extremely disappointed as we spent £60 for it to be in the bin. 5 * for atmosphere as I was at home!!

Wowsa great find! Lovely atmosphere family ran restaurant. Service was superb from start to finish. Food delicious, portion size just right. Menu really lovely tried something totally different than what i would usually go for and wasn’t disappointed. We will definitely be back!

Great chicken balti, surprisingly tasty lentil soup and a great atmosphere for a fun meal with friends

Great food, amazing people and budget friendly - a great place for students, locals, visitors and more!

Eaten here twice, Great curry, naan and wine! Especially without cutlery. Clean place, no spyders found. I recommend eating at dusc 👍

Great munch, went last week with some good mates from home. Had heard fine reviews already from others and it did not disappoint.

Read all the good reviews for Shaheens but was disappointed with our experience- I can't believe we've gone to the same place honestly. Food was expensive and boring, so not worth paying so much with alternative places to eat. Our currys also came out very...

Food was delicious, friendly atmosphere. Top tip. The ladies toilet is a slide door. I stood outside waiting until I realised.

My cousin and I were visiting durham from London and we were greeted by a friendly waitress, she made sure we had the best dining experience possible (which we did, thank you shaheen!) The naan bread was soft and fluffy and the lamb pathia was...

Absolutely Great, service was very attentive, even querying how spicey we wanted our food and when it came it was just as good as described. We had a laugh with the staff and could not fault our experience. The only down side was they want...

We had a shipping company re-union over a weekend in Durham Currys were a great part of our life at sea and Mrs Khan and her brilliant team went above and beyond in providing excellent authentic fare.The "Serangs" chicken curry was fantastic along with the...

An excellent BISNCo Ltd Sunday curry lunch (8th October 2023) particularly the serang’s curry. All well prepared and served and washed down with a bottle of Cobra ale

An excellent restaurant with authentic food, friendly service and nothing too much bother. A large number of friends and seagoing colleagues gathered in two groups to have Sunday curry lunch, specially cooked by Mrs Khan and her family. The food was superb – authentic Indian...

Quite good curry (Lamb Sag) but would have benefited from more flavour.

All the food we ordered was delicious, freshly-prepared to individual taste for spice, and piping hot. Very friendly staff, and easily our favourite Indian restaurant in Durham.

Lovely meal with attentive staff. Would definitely recommend 😀👍

Absolutely wonderful service and food. A group of us had tureens of rice, chicken, mutton, chickpea on each table, with chapattis and parathas, plus chutney and pickles. Gulag Japan desserts, with ice cream to follow.

On the whole it was decent. Very small restaurant with small tables with hardly enough room your poppadoms. The curry and rice was very nice but we were served a garlic naan bread that was white and flat as a pancake. At then end I...

From the minute we arrived we were made to feel welcome, this was down the to friendly service of all (front of house staff). We felt the service was well managed, all courses arrived in good succession and were delicious. We did not feel rushed...

Simply put, the food is excellent and is complimented by friendly and above average service. The restaurant is smallish, so would recommend booking on a weekend. We visit Durham at least once per year and always include Shaheens in our travel plans.

After reading all the good reviews we were quite disappointed with some aspects of the meal. Firstly, the restaurant is quite small and tables are very close together. No issues with this as gave it a cosy atmosphere. Young lady who showed us to our...

Shaheens came highly recommended by my daughter we chose this for dinner last night. Absolutely phenomenal - the favours were intense and wonderful. So many options that make me want to come back and try more. Service was great and would highly recommend.

Great atmosphere, very accommodating, food was unbelievably good and great value for money, our servers were great (only got George's name but the other staff were fantastic!) Will 100% recommend and will visit again!

What a friendly and welcoming restaurant. Staff took a keen interest in what I liked and made excellent recommendations for my meal. Top quality

After some confusion with our online booking (not the fault of the restaurant), Mr Khan, the proprietor, telephoned me straight back and sorted everything out. On arrival, the welcome was warm and the service prompt and attentive. The menu is extensive, and a little unfamiliar,...

Really enjoyed our meal here ,the service was polite and friendly and the food was delicious ,fresh and authentic . We can’t wait to return !

We ate here on a very busy day in Durham. The food was excellent, came very quickly after we ordered it and was very tasty in good sized portions. The service was extremely good, the staff were attentive and engaging. We would definitely recommend this...

Wow, we went to Shaheens while staying the night in Durham . My partner, myself and my two sister's had the most fantastic evening . We ordered 3 different vegetarian dishes and a chicken dish, various rice dishes and some parathas and a garlic naan....

Excellent meal with wonderful flavours. Extensive choices Great service from Tanmay. Highly recommend a visit here…

We had the pleasure of visiting Shaheen’s restaurant for the first time last night. We will be back. The hospitality was superb and engaging, but most of all the quality of the food was so so good. We eat out quite a lot and I...

Fabulous food as always, the Malayan lamb was superb and the dhal puri starter was lovely too. The service is always excellent, very attentive from start to finish

Excellent welcoming atmosphere, food was incredible tasty and authentic. Very quick service, nothing was too much trouble.

Great menu & quality food. Sensible portions and very amiable staff. Thoroughly recommend 👌

Absolutely beautiful food Great service And great staff Highly recommend anyone visiting durham to visit here it's the best Indians you will find!

We wanted an evening meal in a restaurant close to the cathedral and Indian is usually our first choice, so Shaheen's had to be it. The food was excellent, with a great choice for meat eaters and vegetarians, the staff were welcoming and friendly and...

Excellent service. The staff were class and the food is second to none in Durham.

absolutely shocking ! food was served cold, service was terrible, waiters were rude. will not be returning here.

My wife and I visited for the first time after recommendations from friends. We are so pleased that we did visit. The food was very good. The restaurant was spotless. The staff were very welcoming and it was obvious when discussing items on the menu,...

Great friendly service and awesome food, the special baltis and the madras are the tastiest around.

Excellent Indian restaurant in a great location by the cathedral and castle in Durham. Relaxed atmosphere. Good range of balti dishes.

We booked for 8 people for a friend’s special Birthday we didn’t feel rushed we spent 3 hours there. The food and service was fantastic Staff so friendly and attentive .We would definitely recommend this restaurant.

Exceptional food with genuine welcoming friendly service. The best Indian we’ve had in a long time. Planning our next visit

An excellent meal with attentive service near the top of the city. Properly slightly crisp vegetables with well balanced flavourful sauce.

Tried Shaheens for date night and had the best curry experience we’ve had in years. I was hesitating between two dishes and asked Adam for his advice and the dish did not disappoint! Food was outstanding (we asked for spicy and we got it!), service...

The best food I’ve ever had in my life!! Will definitely be coming back and I recommend highly to anyone. Staff are friendly and welcoming also.

The butter chicken whit the cheese Naan was extremely good, if a wasn't so full I would have eaten 2 more plate. Absolutely to try, a very nice place also.

Nah. Third Rate food that was bland in taste and didn't resemble any of the traditional tastes and textures you'd expect. Tandoori chicken was deep fried. Tadka dhal inedible and stock curry sauce across all dishes. The biryani was dry and uninspired. Service was okay...

So many Indian restaurants turn out generic mush which looks much the same and taste similar, reflecting the kitchen is as bored in cooking as we are at eating. Not so at Shaheens! The passion starts to shows as soon as you walk through the...

On a trip up to Durham we were delighted to find that Shaheens was still there. We'd last visited around 20 years ago as a couple and had an amazing meal. So with high hopes we booked in - and it didn't disappoint. The food...

The staff were very friendly and welcoming, and the food was really very good. The menu can be at times difficult to understand, especially the variety of seemingly very similar dishes, but the staff are happy to offer advice and it really isn’t very expensive...

What a great place. When we walked in the placed look full of people enjoying themselves, the team very quickly directed us to a table. Their service was efficient and just the perfect balance between formal and informal. Starters came quickly and the team checked...

Very good variety of tikka styles and flavors. We tried the Balti and the Jalfrezi and both were very good. Service was prompt and very friendly. Atmosphere is typical English cozy and the setting is along a historic street. Would highly recommend.