Shilam Tandori (machynlleth) in Powys

Nice Indian restaurant, only drawback is you have to bring your own alcohol.

Eating out by myself on a Sunday evening - pubs were all showing football and so I tried this Indian restaurant. I had the lamb biryani. The whole meal was of a high standard with a good mix of fresh veg in the curry, but I was particularly struck by the quality of the lamb which was beautifully cooked. There is a cash machine next door, so it's easy to respect the wishes of the proprietor.

Only take cash, which is not helpful, maybe they should state that in their advertising. Sadly didn’t get a chance to try their food so this rating is not about their food it’s about not being able to access them. Card is legal tender and should be accepted as payment.

Lovely. Ring sting next day but worth it.

All 5 of us enjoyed lovely food. No complaints whatsoever and also happy to take our own wine! Cashpoint is next door if you forget cash. I had the salmon, others had korma, tikka and a tandoori. Also sides of Dahl and paneer with spinach. Everything was hot, served promptly and tasted delicious. The waiter was a lovely guy who was very attentive.

I'm not sure why this place is so poor considering the Shilam restaurant on Aberystwyth station was a very good Indian. I thought now that the Red Lion has a Indian restaurant owner in place they'd improve their standards, it's been poor since opening. The Madras was mild and had as much heat as a tomato soup which a pinch of chili powder, rice is poor and of a small grain variety, and the Naan Bread looked grey as if it had gone off. If it's true that they bring the sauces pre-made and warm them up adding a few spices this could explain why nothing tastes fresh and is watery.

The food here is very typically British version of 'Indian' so you'll know what to expect. It's all made pretty well and the server on the night we were in was very personable- he even put on Asian music to replace the British Rock that was on when we arrived. Lighting is bright and quite glaring. All that said I'd be happy to go back for a Ruby!

I can honestly say this is the worst curry I've ever had. Got 2 takeaway meals and when we got them home the plastic pots were only half full with onions and dried up meat. They gave us a seperate sauce which I can honestly say was the blandest sauce weve ever had with a curry. It had zero kick to it, very very mild and tasted and looked like heinz tomato soup. The keema nann had meat in it that again was totally unseasoned and bland and again dried up. We paid just over £40 for these two meals and a combo starter which I thought was quite alot. The owners of this restaurant need to get rid of the chef and get someone else in urgently before they lose too much business because id hate it to close being the only curry house in Machynlleth. I hope this review helps them rather than hinders, if the owner reads this please take it as constructive criticism

Expensive for the quality and amount you get. I must say that I absolutely loved the Onion Bhajis but the rest of the food was just ok. The naan was really poor (we got 3 because we love to dip in our curries), really quite tough.

The food is just terrible, nothing is freshly prepared, the rice was from a packet and was microwaved, the Garlic Naan was from a packet and had no Garlic involved at all, the Chicken Madras was clearly a can of tomato soup with chilli powder added, VERY VERY DISAPPOINTED, The chef was waring civilian clothes - The 3 star hygiene rating should have put us off, do yourself a favour and enjoy a delicacy like a pot noodle over this terrible place.

Great food with decent portions and lots of flavour, perfect after a long road trip.

Great vegan options and really tasty.

Excellent service, food lovely, definitely go back. Thank you

I was visiting corris and looked for nearby halal places to eat but there is nothing halal about the money they make scamming people out of their terrible quality of food!!! They served naans that were microwaved and went from being somewhat edible to rock solid within a minute of being served. It would have been easier to break rocks with my teeth than eat them. Massive chunks of whole onion cut into the curries - I understand they are owned by bangledeshis but they do not cook curries like that. They know not many south asians will visit (I'm brown) due to the demographics, and most non-brown/south asians won't know what a good curry is so basically serve shambolic food. AVOID whatever color of skin/culture you are - if you think you're having a good curry, you need to reseason those tastebuds and go elsewhere to get a better comparison.

So after reading a lot of mixed reviews about this place I thought I'd give it the benefit of the doubt. Honestly, it's just not great food. Don't know what some of these 5 star reviews are talking about because everything is clearly not fresh and just reheated. The portions are stingy and the naan I had was borderline stale. There's not much in the way of food in Machynlleth unfortunately and this place doesn't change things.

For the only Indian restaurant for miles, the Shilam serves up good food! It is probably advisable to book, especially if looking to go there later in the week. It does also do takeways. And no longer having a licence, if you want a beer with your meal, you need to bring your own (there is a Spar in Maengwyn Street, a short walk away, that sells alcohol). And the Shilam only takes cash! Notwithstanding any of that, it serves a decent curry!

Poor food Poor service Over priced Useless staff

Friendly, accommodating restaurant. Another family had booked a table for 3 but when one of their party didn't turn up they suggested we use half their table. The maitre d pulled it apart as two tables had been pushed into one. Food was great. We had a vegetable biriyani, a veg dhansak, rice and naan. All very good. Be aware they only take cash, but there is a cash machine a few metres from their entrance so no problem. Waiters were very helpful and efficient.

Nice place to eat. But note, only takes cash. You can't pay for your food by card.

I feel bad for making this review as the owner was actually a nice man…. But I have to warn anyone who thinks about trying this place. I have also taken many photos for this review. However, Google is not allowing to upload photos for this specific place. Let me start with… The food is not freshly prepared. It was steaming hot to the point where we couldn’t touch if for a long time (Microwaved). Lamb was like rubber because again (Microwaved). Pompadoms were basically plastic. Rice was microwaved. To be completely frank. The food was VILE. The toilets were just as vile. I don’t think opening the doors to a filled black bin bag with holes and dirty pipes with nails sticking out everywhere is a good look. I honestly can’t believe this place has been allowed to keep open. Don’t try this place guys… please don’t do it.

I was apprehensive about here due to the number of negative reviews however, Shilam was a treat and the curry was delicious. Not a lot of meat but not so little it is worth being upset over, hence the 4 stars. The waiter was amazingly attentive and our food came quickly. I got the lamb madras which was hotter than I thought (in a good way), rich and the lamb was lovely and tender. My partner got the chicken balti which was also lovely however the chicken was a little tough and the plate arrived with some fluff/hair? On the side but nothing near the food so again no complaints. The naan was great and you could taste the coconut in this one! All in all, far better than I anticipated and definitely worth a visit. I have lived in Cardiff in the last 4 years and Shilam could easily compete there! All of the issues would probably be resolved by having more staff however everywhere around here is suffering staff shortages so in terms of wait times during peak, set your expectations. 8/10 will definitely recommend to friends staying in the area.

Used for a carry out friendly staff great food will use again

What a treasure, my brother suggested this place for our last dinner on our Welsh holiday and I couldn't imagine a better place to finish it. The food is amazing, tasty, and fast. The kind of Indian that's spicy but not hot. You can taste the care cooked in it. The staff are friendly and patient when you have questions. Highly recommend getting the poppadoms and pickle tray as a pre starter!!

The worst Indian restaurant in the UK....and they're not even Indian. Disgusting food. Even the owner admitted that their 'food' is different. We left midway eating. What a joke.

Last table available in this popular restaurant. Delicious meal, nice red wine & great service as usual .. currently the only place worth visiting for food in Machynlleth, carry on doing what you’re doing 👍

Train your staff to know the menu. Can't belive I've tipped for food I didn't order

ABSOLUTLY DELICIOUS This place gets better and better. Hats off to the Chief tonight. 31/12/22

Delicious curries! Packed with flavour and the chicken high quality. Happy to make any dish vegetarian and full of lots of different veg. Really friendly service.

Busy restaurant … booked the last table at 7:30 on a Saturday night. Excellent service & delicious food. Portions are large so order with that in mind, also I had what was described as medium hot dish was much hotter imo., still delicious but hot!! Waiting staff and host are super friendly and efficient

Tasteless, absolutely tasteless. Would never go back again. Tried 3 times now, and each time has been shocking.

We had a take away from here and it was lovely! Will definitely be opting to dine in next time we are in the area.

Excellent meal this evening, definitely eat there again. Waiter fab.

Delicious takeaway food! Would definitely recommend!

Delicious and friendly indian restaurant. Honestly I do not understand the review, the amount of food is huge for the price and it’s really good.

Was slightly wary by the 50:50 reviews but it was in fact lovely. Good service, good tasty food. Although maybe not stuffed with meat certainly enough not to give a thought to. ( chicken jalfreze & lamb Rogan). Only slight negative comment would be the naan bread was a bit tough. 8/10

Had a lovely meal , portion size was just right definitely will return

Top Drawer. Excellent Jalfrezi and great service.

Amazing food. The best curry I've ever had (and I used to live near the curry mile in Manchester) cooked with such delicious flavours. We had the lamb rogan josh and the salmon. The flavours were incredible!

Food was enjoyable albeit I think the portion sizes were a bit small. Customer service and friendliness of the waiter was first class

We often get food to takeaway and it’s always a good standard, the menu has a good amount of options too so there’s plenty to choose from. The staff are always friendly and welcoming too!

I struggle to find words for how awful this restaurant is. I love Indian food and have eaten at hundreds if not thousands of Indian restaurants and to put this into further context I have spent time in India and one of my parents was born there. When this restaurant first opened we were excited to have a new Indian restaurant in Machynlleth so we were excited to try it - it was dreadful, awful service and long wait for the food even though they were not especially busy. The wait would have been worthwhile if the food had been any good but it was as dreadful as the service. However, in the interests of being fair we decided to give them a second chance six months later in case the first visit was down to teething troubles. Turns out the first visit was just a warm up act! My partner ordered samosas which turned out to be the tiny ones served on a cheap buffet, the chicken in the curry was pre-processed chunks from a cash and carry and the 'curry' sauces were disgusting. Anyone who says anything nice about this place has never eaten a meal at even a half decent Indian restaurant, AVOID AT ALL COSTS!!!!

Excellent food, 6 of us with different menu options and all really good, no complaints at all. Service came with a very big smile too. Happily return - thank you Shilam!

Fantastic food amazing atmosphere and beautiful place to hang out 🥘

We have waited a long time for an excellent Indian takeaway in Machynlleth but judging by our food tonight it was worth the wait. We ordered and picked up a takeaway and it was really delicious! So good! Thankyou Shilam it was fab.

Third or fourth time getting a take away from Shilam. It's got better every time. Timings were spot on as was the super tasty food. Always friendly staff.

I traveled London to Machynlleth. There were 4 of us who ordered food at this restaurant. 4 main and 4 starters with side dal and papadum and nan. Costing 105£! After 1 hour the food was ready but they were not busy at all. Everything was absolutely bad quality. It was the most annoying and bad restaurant I had ever experienced. The smell and taste of the food was absolutely of poor quality.

Beautiful food. 10/10. Staff really friendly. Me and my boyfriend will be returning here again soon.

Very friendly and good customer service. The gentleman who greeted us, recommended a dish based on what we told him we liked and it was incredible and so tasty. Food was lovely, hit and very tasty. Would recommend here.

We love the Shilam restaurant. Most beautiful Indian food and great people. They have really done well and it’s lovely to have for the community

I was passing this restaurant on a sunny evening as I was travelling towards Aber on my own. What a great little find. Food was fantastic and the staff were great. Never write reviews but this was a little gem. The food was too notch....

Great restaurant and great food

The food was amazing, the service was great. Lovely atmosphere. Will certainly return back. Great restaurant :)

Sit down meal with my family. There were 4 of us. Consistent every time I have eaten there. I have tried 5/6 different meals and enjoyed them all. More people need to clue onto this place. I spoke to the son of the owner and...

Over an hours wait for missing/wrong items, cold food and chicken that was so dry it was best to go in the bin, all 5 pieces of it. If it wasn't 10 miles away from where me and my partner were staying then I'd have happily taken it back for a refund. I never expect too much from a takeaway but these basic principles shouldn't ever be missed. Very very poor and won't be returning, awful!

pricier than expected but great food. Prepare to wait a little bit as we had to wait half an hour or more but I guess a sign that they were cooking food from scratch? I had the Salmon tikka and it was delicious. Very friendly...

l called to order a take-away. The guy that took the order was really friendly and helpful. The order was ready, as promised, half an hour later and the same guy looked after me. Again, really friendly and helpful. We had Lamb Rogan Josh, Lamb...

My friend and I had our birthday dinner at Shilam Tandori and I highly recommend the place! Our host went out of his way to make that evening special. He was open to prior arrangements about the cake and decoration, and helped with the music too! The food really was delicious and suited all of our friends' various tastes. A friendly place where I will happily go again.

Our second visit and will be our last. First time there were eight of us and we all ordered different meals, everything tasted the same. This time there were just the two of us. They're not licenced which is a bother as meant wandering off...

Correct order, but mains were cold and Naan was so hard it was inedible, very disappointed as Aberystwyth used to be excellent.

Missing main, when it arrived it had about £3 worth of food in the pot instead of the £15 it cost. Will not return. Photo shows poor portion and missing bread and salad in tandoori special.

Excellent food and great service. Friendly staff, couldn’t ask for more. Will come again.

Slow, lose orders, tried to order food early, to give them time, so not to rush them. Lost the order, disorganised very long wait, thought they might have got it together after a few weeks, but no If you get a takeaway make sure they check it. Always miss items out. Shame really.

1st time, food was good despite wasent what I ordered, thought give it a 2nd try food was dreadful and again completely wrong order its ashame

Chris and Isabel had a delicious takeaway on 15 October shared with the family who enjoyed it as well. Lamb Bhuna, Vegetable Biryani, Onion Bhajis all good. Many thanks ! We'll be back !!

The food was delicious and the staff supportive and helpful. Great menu choice for vegetarians and meat eaters.

I booked a table for 3 at this restaurant at 7.30pm and arrived at the correct time. On arrival the place was full. I spoke with the manager, no explanation or apology was offered. He said he would find an extra table we waited outside...