Sitar Indian Restaurant in Dumfries & Galloway

Mmmh, having read other reviews re how fabulous the food is at this restaurant, sadly, I would have to disagree. The reviews set great expectations of fabulous food so we were so looking forward to it. I do appreciate that this is is all down to the individual palate and what one is used to, so you do need to try this place for yourself, rather than relying on my review - just in the same way that we have. On holiday in Annan and ordered a takeaway. Having been told that the collection time would be 35 to 45 minutes, I ended up waiting an addition 15 minutes over the 45 minutes, making it 15 to 25 minutes later than anticipated. Our holiday house is a 4 minutes' drive from the restaurant. Returning home immediately after collecting the curry, all dishes were cold, not even luke warm. How could this have been, when we were waiting for it coming out from the restaurant's kitchen? The pakora was inedible : soggy-soft on the outside, which I know can sometimes happen when hot food is put into a closed, metalic container, but when cut into, the batter flowed out in a gooey mess - it hadn't been cooked properly. There was the most awful smell emitting from the sheesh kebab, not too dissimilar to a sewage smell. That was binned immediately. This almost killed any appetite for the remainder of the meal. Persevering, the ginger slices on top of the chicken baraka were raw. The chicken looked and tasted as if it had been cooked separately from the sauces for each of the dishes and then added to match the order. The peshwari nan was dry and crumbly. Saturday night, prime time, I would have expected much better. Sorry Sitar! As mentioned, taste is very individual but quality is not and there were quite significant issues in the quality of your product.

Excellent Customer Service and the Food was Exceptional in a Lovely Warm Environment that You just need to Experience to Savour the Quality of the Food,We were Looked After very well.

I cannot recommend this place enough! I was in last night with my family, 7 in total. The staff were so attentive and friendly and the food was amazing.

Had a lovely meal here last night with my family. The staff were so attentive and so friendly. Food was amazing! Good sized portions, you could tell it was all freshly cooked and nice and warm. Definitely be back

Excellent service, food was outstanding. Definitely be going again

Called in for a take out , met by a friendly and courteous gentleman . Food was amazing and really tasty . Will definitely be back . Definitely give 10 / 10 .

Grabbed a takeaway curry as its been a while and it's a still as good as ever, chicken tikka bakra is amazing along with the keema rice and peshawar nan, tikka korma was sweet and tasty and went down a treat.

Good service, polite and friendly, no atmosphere and well in need of a referb. Nice poppadoms, onion bhaji tasted like they were reheated, and chicken was very tough, again tasted like it was pre cooked at some point.

Great food and service, just a shame about the decor. Hopefully the new management/owners will address this and make I a top spot to visit for dining out in the local area.

Very good food, very polite staff. Thank you

Only Indian restaurant in Annan apart from a take away. So we had onion bhaji and vegetable pakora which were ok, wee bit greasy. The main courses were tikka masala chilli curry which was hot and tasty watch out for the whole chillies and the sitar chicken which was sweet and creamy a nice dish. Two peshwari nans complete the meal which were big, fluffy and tasty. Restaurant is in need of a refurbishment but can’t fault the food.

Complete joke and a waste of time coming here, yet again another restaurant that says it's open to 11pm on Google Maps and says 10pm on their building 7 days a week and we arrive at 2045 to find the place shut! Not good !

Really good food n really nice ppl who work there spot on thxs 😊 👍

Food wasn't as good as expected reading the reviews. We had a onion bhaji n a chicken chat for starters. A pathia and a dupiaza curry chips rice n a garlic nan. The nan was a glorified garlic bread and the chips looked like bottom off a frozen chip bag which had been cooked a few times over. The curry was average. The place wasn't that busy so could off been miles better. The guy serving looked very stressed but was nice enough. The place needs a good clean. Carpet needs a good hoovering and the door to the kitchen well enough said. Prices are about normal for a curry. Cost £48 for 2 cobras a coke. 2 small starters 2 curries rice chips n a nan.

Had a lovely meal. I tend to struggle with spicy food but the waiter went out of his way to make my meal really perfect for me. Thankyou!

Lovely meal at The Sitar restaurant. Nice hot, fresh, tasty food. Good portion size and prices were very reasonable.

Good service, delicious food. Shame there were no other diners.

The front of the restaurant could do with a makeover but don’t judge the book by the cover, We had read a negative review so entered with a little trepidation, however inside is clean spacious and inviting. We were served quickly by our waiter who may have been the owner, knowledgable of the menu I chose and Arabic curry which did not disappoint, my son has chicken tikka masala which was also excellent, fluffy rice and a chapati complemented the dishes perfectly. One reviewer complained about portion size, our portions were generous nd we struggled to finish the dishes.

Got a takeaway from here yesterday. Ordered vegetable pakora as one of our things. Got home and opened the container to discover it was three badly burnt onion bhajis instead. Terrible. The chicken tikka masala was passable; the chicken madras I ordered wasn't madras but something milder. I'll be shocked and gutted if I eat a worse Indian meal this year.

What a lovely friendly place we had a lovely family meal.The staff were great & so was the food We will definitely vist again next time we are up this way..

Great Indian food in Annan, we go there whenever we can , the food is excellent .

Excellent food as always, and service x 😁

Good food with great service. Overall atmosphere and decor needs updating, but otherwise a great place to go for a curry. Also, good banquet deals on making it very affordable 👍 Check them out on Facebook, booking recommended for banquet days.

Friendly excellent food great price no complaints big portions and the garlic chilli rice is amazing!! Would recommend

Outstanding food! Annan, you're blessed with an Indian restaurant and take away that knows how to do Indian food with impact. Ordered a take away from here for 7 people whilst staying in the area. £85 in total and each and every one of us was very impressed with the fare. We enjoyed richly flavoured and well spiced dishes (Lamb Madras, Tandoori Chicken, Saag Paneer, Lamb Tikka Massala, Chicken Malayan etc etc) that were up there with the very best. Wholeheartedly recommended!!!

Bland food, cold phoned first still had to wait on collection, won't be recommending.

The food was good, prices fair as things go, speed of service reasonable, the waiter friendly. The prawn puree was really delicious, with huge, juicy prawns. It does feel a bit down at heel - think old menus with the prices tippexed out. Waiter told us it's under new management and is about to be refurbished; I guess we'll see. One thing they do need to sort out is the naan breads, which did not come out with the meals - a bit like serving fish without your chips! We were told that, for some bizarre reason, they can only cook one at a time. They were good when they came though, and huge. Rice portions, on the other hand, were very small.

Excellent food everything tasted amazing and fresh. Highly recommend. Very nice atmosphere. Bit expensive but you expect that.

What a hidden gem. Lived close by for 6 years and this was our first visit. Excellent food, first class service. We will definitely be back.

I had a lovely evening at this restaurant. The decor was modern and tasteful, and the lighting added to the overall ambiance. The service was prompt and attentive, and the staff were knowledgeable about the menu. I highly recommend this restaurant for a date night or a special occasion.

I highly recommend this place to eat in annan me and my son went for a mothers day meal and the food was amazing staff were very friendly and made us feel very welcoming. Excellent food, fab service well done guys 😁

We love it here! We eat in/take out regularly !!!

Hit or miss. Sometimes i’ve sat in an it is good, i for a takeaway an it was disgusting barely edible

My girlfriend went for valentines special with her friend. Both service and food were excellent and place was spotlessly clean also. She can’t wait to go back👍❤️

First visit so don’t want to be too harsh but it wasn’t great. Positive was the inside of the restaurant is nice despite the dismal outside. The waiter was lovely. My starter a mushroom poori was ok but big chunks of garlic. I had chicken far sizzler which was ok except green peppers were huge and therefore not really cooked, nan was nice , rice clumpy which is a basic. Hubby is vegetarian and got the mixed starter which was the more expensive one but it was bland and only had 3 pieces. His vegetable bhoona was mostly potatoes so disappointing. It was cheap only £34 in total but couldn’t recommend unless it improved

Had the most amazing meal here tonight, the tikka masala was the best I have ever had. The service was quick and jay the waiter was attentive with nothing being to much trouble for him. It’s defo worth a visit 👍🏻

We go to the Sitar 2 or 3 times a month, and have never had a bad meal, Jay the new waiter is so friendly and polite. We decided to go today and yet again we were delighted with the food, Jay has made such a difference in the restaurant.

Everytime we visit Annan (from Southport), we ALWAYS go to Sitar. The food is excellent and the service is very attentive. Try the spinach dish, you’ll be surprised, it’s very tasty.

Visited for the 1st time not the last, when walked in greeted with a handsome waiter who was very friendly and made me feel welcome at his restourant. Food was fantastic can tell its fresh. 1st class service. Nice atmosphere Defo will be back again very soon

We visit the sitar restaurant regularly and it never fails to please. On some occasions service could be a little slow but always charming but with the new waiter/chef the last 2 visits this has been resolved. The food tonight 6/1/23 was 1st class chicken, lamb and prawn all beautifully cooked and piping hot. Nothing at all to complain about.

Save yourself time and don’t eat from here, worst Indian food we have had. We ordered South Indian garlic chicken and it tasted nothing like it which was bizarre. The chicken pakora was terrible and came with a watery sauce. The garlic nan was like cardboard. To top it all off the salad was given in a bag. Oh and the portions are tiny, thankfully.

Haven’t been to this restaurant for a good 10 years, went back the other night with my partner and was absolutely disgusted at what we were served. I had chicken pakora to start it was bland and my other half got chicken tandoori which was completely raw in the middle and could have made him seriously ill. Lucky we noticed before he ate it. Asked us if we wanted our mains, said no thank you, I won’t be paying for the starters and walked out. Would never return

I’ve tried and tried to like this place but every time I convince myself to go back they prove to be pretty bad. The new chap that’s on the bar/ greeting has zero personality and doesn’t have a grasp on what’s going on! There’s no...

A breath of fresh air in Annan. Great service, excellent food and a good craic with Jay. Definitely be back soon.

Thought I had left a review previously when I got my last meal but must not of done. Anyway amazing food!!! The lady who took my order was soo nice she even gave my little boy 2 free poppadoms! This alone has secured my business I don't go anywhere else for an Indian now! Really can't fault them. The place looks a little run down from the outside but please don't let this put you off as the food is amazing!

We were visiting annan for a couple of nights and the website AND On the shop window said it was open at 5pm. We called several times on a monday night around 6pm and were cut off after a few rings. They need to update the website

After a long days walk along the beach we were looking forward to our takeaway, so we ordered our meal @ 17.05 fir 18.15 pick up. Eventually we got it @ 19.10 from an I’ll mannered waitress who clearly couldn’t cope with the orders… we...

We went with friends who live nearby they've been before and although they had a few reservations we thought we'd give it one more go not a good move there is no ambiance the girl that was serving us was very good very friendly the...

Excellent food, well worth the wait.

Superb family run restaurant Great food, great staff,super service will book again next time I'm in Annan

Don't be put off by the exterior or the waiting area when you go in. The food was excellent, staff friendly and good value. Service was a little slow so if having pre cinema meal be careful with timing, but definitely worth the wait.

we went there ofr takeout after a day's excursion. There were a lot of non standard dishes on the menu, which we appreciated. The service was excellent and the food quite good. Will go again if we have time.

Excellent friendly service,interior decor totally at odds with the exterior frontage which gives the impression that they have already,or are seriously thinking of,ceasing trading.Inside it is really a remarkable difference, well decorated, new carpet, furnishings and expensive lighting,and spotlessly clean.The food was spot on and...

Nice little Indian restaurant with good food

I wasn't at all sure what to expect from Sitar. The previous reviews are a bit all over the place, and the actual building itself looks like it's about to be condemned. Up until you get to the front door, it's not actually that clear...

This is my favourite go to Indian Restaurant. As locals, we eat there regularly. The food is excellent, and very different to anywhere else I have been, I never came across dishes like Nentara, Mashrique, Sagwala, Bakara or Papra boti before I came to Sitars,...

Great authentic Indian food . OK the place really needs sprucing up and a lick paint but if you're here for the food then you won't be disappointed. Perfect Lamb Madras and Dansak full of spices . Great starters and dips. Highly recommended.

Awful experience. Unhygienic eldery woman in tired dirty attire lacking basic manners within the hospitality sector. The young 17 year old girl was like Emanuel from faulty towers. In fact, Indian version of faulty towers best describes this business. Beer with ice cubes, basic food...

Called on a chance Tuesday evening when every restaurant was shut. What an absolute gem! Waitress was so nice, helpful and efficient. The food was superb. Tasty, hot and first class. Enjoyed every mouthful. Reasonably priced, no frills but delicious. Well worth a visit, even though the outside looks dark and unwelcome.

Really good for a small town curry house

Friendly staff, young lady at front of house, very friendly and chatty. We ordered take out, which was virtually ready at the time we were told to go pick up. Food was really tasty and freshly cooked. King prawn puri, tikka mixed starter (not the...

Lovely food, lovely friendly staff

Food is amazing, but I've been here a few times and have been over charged by £20 at least twice, I thought this must've been a mistake but when I spoke to the mother in law she also experienced the same overcharge. If you go here you'll enjoy a fantastic meal, but make sure and count how much it'll cost before hand to prevent paying more than it costs.

If you're into long waits and frozen food and a headless chicken for a waitress then this is the place to go. Awful service and even worse food. Don't bother and don't waste your time.

A totally bizarre experience. We had booked a table, but when we arrived the entrance/bar area was absolutely full of chaos. There were 3 or 4 children charging around and various other people coming down to demand drinks, try and pay, all speaking to the one lady behind the counter without any real respect. That might have been because they knew her well, which very much seemed to be the case. During a lull in the storm we mentioned we'd booked a table. I gave the name and was told curtly "sit", which we did, on some sofas by the door. While we sat there for 15 minutes or so, the lady continued to look at and serve everyone as though they were an annoyance. We seemed totally forgotten. A small child walked in through the front door and straight into the restaurant kitchen. Other children charged into the lobby and demanded things from the bar. A man in what I can only describe as a lab coat came from the kitchens and just kind of wandered around. Eventually I got up and asked again after our table. This time she took us to a table which was clearly ready before. One couple had left during our time on the sofa, and the place was busy but it wasn't full and there were numerous spare tables. Why we were made to wait is unclear. The floor was dirty, speckled with shreds of paper or food, and the tablecloth was marked. The table next to us had clearly been used, with cans and food scattered, but hadn't been cleaned or cleared. It wasn't during our whole meal. When the same lady from the bar came to serve us, she was very short with us, on the border of being rude. We ordered drinks, but asked for water also. We had to ask for water 3 times before it came. Then a woman who told us she was 16 brought us our starters. She was absolutely lovely, friendly and funny. The first breath of pleasantness or life in the place. The restaurant was still chaos, with other customers summoning the staff like they were Kings and the staff servants, demanding food or drink be brought more quickly. The children were still running riot. The man in the lab cost continued to wander up and down. And a man came in and sat on that dirty table next to us. He hadn't been seated by the staff, and he ordered no food, just sat amongst the dirty cutlery and bottles, eyeing the staff and customers. The food was excellent though. The poppadoms, starters, and main course were all flawless, delicious Indian cuisine. Full of flavour, good portion sizes, couldn't recommend highly enough. I suppose this is the most important thing, hence the 3 stars. The decor was also fairly nice. After a while the place quietened down and most of the rowdy customers left. Things felt more pleasant then, but that lady from the bar was still grumpy, and the guy next to us was inexplicably brought food on the dirty table, despite having not ordered any. A regular, maybe? Like I said, bizarre.

Arrived without booking on a wet and windy October Wednesday evening. The restaurant was empty, which we were a little concerned about, but we needn't have worried about. The restaurant soon filled up, and we had a lovely evening. The food was fantastic. Price was...

Came across this restaurant. And very glad we did .greeted by a very cheerful waitress who was very helpful. The food was excellent I had mixed tandoori grill can honestly say was the most flavours I have had in a long time. If you are ever near this restaurant give it a try you won't regret it

So disappointed again with my Lamb Korma 😒 I've had my Kormas from Sitar for many years..and bragged to others on how beautifully tasty coconut and creamy they always were. This is the 3rd chance I have hoped it would be that same recipe again. Even after requesting a mild Korma this time.. It is so spicy and dark coloured ..not the lovely pale mustard colour and creamy texture I have always delighted in. I'm afraid it will be my last meal from them and I'm so sad about that..but I don't enjoy really spicy food 😪 I will miss the beautiful Korma recipe they used to have

Really enjoyed the food and ice cold beer. Just what the Dr ordered. No music playing in the background. This is always something I like. The young waitress was truly lovely with a great personality. I would defo come back.

Firstly i would give this restaurant 5 stars for the food we had the tandoori mixed grill and a curry and both were perfect.now the negatives there was no background music so you could here every other tables conversation so you had to whisper or...

This is a really busy restaurant with the locals as the phone didn’t stop the entire time we were here, as well as people picking up takeaways. Was a lovely surprise though as the food was really tasty and very enjoyable. The service was excellent!...

Looking at the reviews here and on Google, I really didn’t expect much on Sunday night. However, given that the next nearest Indian is in Dumfries (and really is bloody awful), we thought we would give Sitar a try. The restaurant is looking a little...

Great meal at Sitar good service and very reasonable price. Waitress Nisha was excellent 10/10

Absolutely delicious food. The waiting staff are lovely only downer was how long our food took to come but it was a busy Saturday night. Highly recommend.

Stopping in Annan on hols to Scotland. Needed a evening meal and do like a curry. Called at 7pm and told to come back in 30 mins for a table. 30 mins later we sat down to Cobra beer (of course). Ptnr had Prawn Poori...

Stopped here after visiting gretna gateway. Food cooked to dietary requirements and service excellent

Great hosts and the staff are marvelous

Got a take-away last night from Sitar. We really enjoyed it and would definitely go back. We also have left overs for lunch to look forward too. Unfortunately we are on holiday or we would become regulars. Had chilli chicken tikka masala(hot), chicken tikka pathia, rice & garlic Nan.

Despite the previous bad reviews we decided to visit anyway. The exterior and decor are pretty shabby and tired (like most of Annan tbh) However, we were greeted very warmly and served by the most delightful waitress. We only ordered a main course and had...

Fantastic meal and really friendly service. Would highly recommend this restaurant. 🤙

I booked this restaurant at really short notice for a large family, they were really accommodating and got us in no bother. I live in West Yorkshire so living around Bradford and Leeds I've had a fair few decent curries so have to admit I...

I've used this Indian for years it's the only one I liked but the portion of the chicken Korma has gone down and it's just not worth the price anymore time to look else were

Wish I trusted more reviews before going to this restaurant. Sat down at 7.10 and our frozen starter arrived soon after. Our main meal didn’t arrive until 9.10, and people who arrived after us were given their food first. When the mains arrived 1 meals...

Nothing worse than eating in a ghost town of a restaurant except in this case the service and food. We waited almost 2hrs for the starters which were served frozen in the middle! The waitress eye rolled so we had enough and left without our...

Second time we've had a takeaway from Sitar, great food, hence why we've gone back. Tasty and good chicken pieces. Speedy service.

Top quality food & stand out service. Staff were amazing.

Food good but half of order missing , and yes we had paid for it.

Everything we ordered was outstanding. Fresh, delicious, affordable meal.

I used to eat here but looking at it now it looks disgusting. The building looks filthy and the flat above looks like a hovel. How clean safe staff can stay in that beats me. I'll give it a swerve.

Lack of starter! Burnt chicken! Burnt cheese naan bread! Far too expensive! Also had to wait 25mins over the time they said to come and pick it up. Unacceptable!

Ordered at 6 for 7pm, 7.30 came and went, overheard a phone call bring back the order!! People bring back the order, it's only mine!!!!!! £80 order!! And they can't get it right!!

The only place I go to for an Indian. Great service and great food. Very pleasant to sit in as well.

Absolutely poor service cant give less than one star or I would

Having not long moved to the area we were ensure what indian to try but now having tried sitar we will only be using them locally. Got a takeaway for 8 people with a range of chicken, lamb and vegetarian dishes and all were very good and tasty. Not one unhappy person with their food. Will definitely be going back.

If your in need of a good Curry and your around Annon - Look no Further. Very traditional Indian restaurant serving excellent food. Sensibly Priced.

Food wasn't that good. Expensive. The staff misgendered me. It was my Birthday so it was very upsetting.

What a surprise, Sitar is a great choice for an authentic Indian curry, very warm welcome from our hostess, the food was delicious. Service very attentive throughout and the final bill wasn’t a shock. Ignore the negative reviews and try it for yourself. Wonderful.

The food is great, the only issue would be when you order take away they do not have a delivery service.

Excellent quality of food lovely

Didn't think I got value for money. One small dish of rice for 2.