Tawa Lounge in South Cambridgeshire

Sunday lunch with friends. Service was terrible. Food was cold. Double booked requested seats. No atmosphere in the pub. Would not use again.

Great food. Went for a birthday.

Great food, nice and friendly service. A bit slow when busy but the service and atmosphere make the wait a breeze. Loved it and highly recommend.

Always Great food and great service.

Amazing Indian food!! My son (who's been to India) says it's the most authentic food he's had in the area. We had the Mysore lamb and chicken chettinad with rice, paratha and poppadom. The food was full of flavour and beautifully presented. The service was lovely and we had a great time. Would definitely recommend for a more sophisticated Indian meal!

Oh My, everyone has their own opinion about a place, so looking at previous reviews, all of which gave this place a good rating, we decided to give it a go. We were not disappointed. Lovely welcome, ambience of the lounge was lovely and the food was truly lovely. It maybe not everybody’s cup of tea but it definitely was ours and I’m so glad we booked a table. We will return at some point.

We had a lovely night, the food was awesome (especially the kale chat and daal)! It was a great atmosphere and the staff were really friendly and helpful too

A really wonderful place to eat! The kale chaat is extraordinary. I would strongly recommend.

Excellent food, really lovely restaurant. Absolutely loved it and we will be coming back again!

The starters are to die for - best squid, cauliflower, chicken wings and kale chaat I’ve ever had! Great service and nice decor too - great for friends and couples!

You have to try the kale chaat, the cauliflower and the chicken wing starters! Lamb mysore so good too! Cozy venue with great decor.

Very impressive indeed! One of the nicest meals I’ve had in Histon, and a delicious lychee martini as well.

So happy that this restaurant has opened near my work. The food was absolutely gorgeous! I am a real foodie and enjoyed what I had and tried all my friends' dishes we scummy too! I went back for more the next day!

The food was awesome! A fabulous fish curry for me, the best curry I have had for a long time. My wife had lamb chops which were delicious. Way beyound our expectations. 2 for 1 cocktails, beer at a fair price. The service was relaxed and just right. The atmospehere for us suited us just fine.

Loved it. Delicious food with a good range of vegan and vegetarian options. Staff were very friendly too.

Stunning Indian food. I'm a meat eater but I've found the veggie options here are to die for. I'm slowly working through the menu and living it. Lots of choice whether you're veggie or not. A refreshing change from all the run of the mill Indian restaurants

Excellent food. We had mainly the Indian options, which were excellent and not the typical curry house things. Friendly, relaxed and professional staff. It is clean and neat. Its a pity they do not have any real ale on tap. We will return again.

A perfect night with friends. The food is amazing, I had chicken chattinad which perfectly cooked and spiced, no harsh spices clawing at your throat so flavoursome and delicious, the decor was clean, spacious and quirky and the service was attentive, knowledgeable, warm and friendly, like going round to your friend's house. Highly recommend, will definitely be back!!

We joined the wine tasting event last evening. What a wonderful event - Jamie Harrison from Noel Young's Wine was excellent - very informed and help create a lovely relaxed atmosphere. The staff were wonderful and welcoming and the Indian style tapas snacks were absolutely amazing - what a treat of an evening - really enjoyed it - well done Tawa - Thank you

I went for breakfast with a friend yesterday. It was a nice well prepared breakfast. The staff were friendly and polite. I can't say much about the atmosphere as we were the only customers.

We now visit The Tawa Lounge almost every week, normally for an Indian-style meal, The food is excellent, certainly quite different from the run-of-the-mill British Indian Restaurant menu. They also cater for non-Indian cuisine making the restaurant a perfect place for a group if some of the people do not like "Curry" The service is excellent, it's not fast food, which is not a negative in my book! A slight negative is the car park could do with a bit of a tidy up. We normally walk, but if you were going for a special evening the car park could give a bit of bad impression, Having said that as soon as you get inside and try the food the untidy car park is forgotten.

We had poppadoms and the chickpea and pomegranate chole and ribs so a mix. Everything was super tasty and perfectly cooked with great service. We will be back

I’ve been 5 times since it reopened and tonight’s meal was the best yet. We all choose Indian food today and it was so tasty. Biriani was authentic, other dishes with lots of flavour. If you like Indian food I recommend it but if you don’t, still lots of western options too, perfect mix for groups. We have struggled with the speed, attentiveness and organisation of service, but it was slightly better tonight. It still needs sharpening up and the lovely staff just being ‘on point’ a bit more with noticing customers needs, like empty glasses. Yes it still needs some work doing to make the internal space spot on, but that didn’t impact our meal.

Fabulous evening in the Jaipur room to celebrate a friend’s work promotion. Service by Lauren was excellent and friendly. The food was amazing - genuinely one of the best curries I’ve ever had, I had the Nellore Fish Curry as a Thali (with rice, paratha and have a poppadum). The rest of the party throughly enjoyed their meals too - amazing vegetarian options. Very different from the normal curry house fare.

This is our third visit with Friends and each visit has got better. The menu has evolved and now includes a lot more Indian choices that are just amazing. We all ate something different and all four of us were very happy with our choices. The quality of the Indian food is very high. It’s also great for vegetarian / vegan options. The service was excellent and we got help navigating the new menu and got some great advice on what to try. Service through dinner was excellent and attentive and we were offered more drinks just before we needed them. Congratulations to the whole team at TAWA Lounge. You’re producing top quality delicious food and delivering it with excellent service. We are lucky to have you in Histon. If you have not tried it yet: I suggest you get a move on and get to TAWA and try their new Indian dishes.

Our third visit and it’s got better and better. The menu has evolved adding more Indian options and the service has evolved too. The team are working much better now and it all worked like clock work. The new options are delicious. Between the 4 of us we all tried something different and we were all very happy with our choices. Overall TAWA lounge has evolved into a great restaurant and is worth a visit. If you visited before; when they just opened and were disappointed…. My advice is to try again now and I think you will be very happy you did. Great night out and great food. It’s the best restaurant in Histon and by a long way.

We went to the Tawu Lounge in Histon for a traditional roast dinner today. The food was excellent. The Yorkshire pudding was massive and we had a fantastic time. A big thumbs up for me 👍👍👍👍

Fantastic roast beef dinner. Lots of seasonal vegetables with potatoes and a massive Yorkshire pudding to complete it. Staff are all so welcoming and nothing is too much trouble. Wonderful place to visit, would highly recommend. Definitely going back as the salmon dish looked amazing also.

Great food, great drinks, great service. Went for a curry and liked it so much we went back for Sunday lunch. Food is some of the best in Histon. They also accept dogs, which is handy.

First time here in Histon was impressed how they've made over the interior of the venue, the food was fantastic

Lovely experience, great food and service will definitely return! Group of 6 friends all ordering differently, especially enjoyed the small plates they offer

This was our first visit since their opening. Really like the new bar area at the front and the eating to the rear. Lovely welcoming staff who were very attentive. Great food, lots of menu choice, well presented and was delicious. We will be back 😁

Went for a Curry and tapas on Saturday and the roast on Sunday. Both matched or were better than the village's competitors, which is high praise as there are already some great places in Histon. The owner and family are great fun and the staff are happy to try and keep everyone happy. And a good range of wines and beers. Oh and if you want to try something different, you need to try the Mumbai mule cocktail 😋

This spot is great for families and for a night out with friends in equal measure. I have visited a few times with friends of an evening taking advantage of their 2 for £10 cocktail menu and they're delicous selection of small plates are great when you want something to small to keep you going throughout the night. I also attended for lunch on Mother's day - the staff were polite and regularly checked that we had everything we needed. They had recently brought new additions to the menu and the staff were able to make recommendations adapting to each of our tastes -- the fact they have some "international" style dishes paired with their south-eastern indian dishes means that there is something for everyone. I believe there is also soon to be a Sunday roast menu too so I look forward to visiting again soon! In terms of setting it is a massive improvement on the previous establishment decor, there are a few finishing touches to be made but all in all the marble tables and warm rich colours give an art deco type vibe but with a friendly atmosphere.

Our first visit to Tawa Lounge in Histon last night after hearing good things. We enjoyed the slightly unusual mix n match menu and the buttery soft 'stringy' Paratha that came with each meal was best we have ever had. The ambience was very pleasant. The staff are super keen and friendly. Will definitely return.

What looked like a luxurious and cool place to dine, really wasn’t! I know Tawa Lounge has just recently opened its doors, but the decor and building works weren’t complete. Although we had booked online we were told they were fully booked in the restaurant and we could sit on the bar stalls by the window, even though the restaurant was practically empty, when we entered and when we left. We waited 20 minutes for our drinks to arrive, when we mentioned this to the manager at the end, he arrogantly told us it was 18 minutes! Food arrived before cutlery, so we had to wait for that, as well as condiments. The meal itself was very tasty, but not hot, in fact barely luke warm and had obviously been sat for a while before arriving at our table. We did mention this to the waitress when she asked if everything was ok with our meal. Nothing was done to rectify any issues apart from a measly apology. The manager had parked his car in such away the 3 car spaces couldn’t be used, there were nails and screws all over the car park. Really disappointed, I was excited and looking forward to seeing what the Tawa Lounge had to offer as it looked superb.

Delicious food beautifully prepared and presented. Service good. Good range of dishes to choose from with plenty of veggie options.

This is the second time that we’ve been to the Tawa Lounge and the food was exceptional and wonderfully cooked on both occasions. Delicious lunch and friendly staff. Beer and wine excellent. What a great time we had!

Went there with some friends. We had several small plates of food/snacks, very yummy, first class! Great selection of draft beers. The service was with a smile, which we like. There has been a lot of building work carried out with great results, very comfortable. The loud wallpaper on one wall, kind of 3D i really stands out. It's worth the visit just for that.

Not a great visit and venue was quite cold. The food was bland and Dry. I had to ask for a sauce, lemon and salt to make it a bit better. Opted for 2 small dishes and would have thought falafels would be accompanied with some sauce (as they are dry) I left most of one dish as it was very spicy. Katsu curry was also bland and chicken dry and sauce looked congealed. We were never asked if our food was ok and hard to get the vacant waitresses attention, who seemed more interested chatting to own staff. I think I was slightly annoying her asking for things. The drinks for the cost, tasted like a cheap concentrated orange juice. Will be not returning, very disappointed and went home hungry needing a cuppa and a few biscuits.

We came here for Sunday brunch as we frequently came to this restaurant for brunch when it was The Smokehouse. Sadly the change to Tawa Lounge is not a good one. We waited over 30 mins for our drinks to come and nearly an hour for the food, which was sat on the side for quite some time and then was taken to two other tables before it found its way to us. We all had the cooked breakfast but When it eventually came the portion sizes didn’t match the description on the menu which suggested you would get multiple hash browns, sausages and bacon but when it came there was just one of each and they were small. Two of us had raw bacon on our plates and the others just had very anaemic looking rashers which didn’t even have the fat rendered. We ordered a child size breakfast and when it came it was the same as ours but since it was so small the 8 year old was able to eat it after all. My teenage son was still hungry after finishing his. I could go on but all in all it was a massive disappointment and we will not be returning. Based on this experience we don’t think it’s worth trying out their evening food. It’s a dismal replacement for the Smokehoue which offered something original in the village, this new effort simple offers more of the same as what we can already get from other establishments in Histon, only a crappier version. A real shame.

Second visit to Histon Tawa Lounge even better than first. Well thought out menu with plenty of nice-sounding European dishes in addition to the Tawa dishes. Great cocktails and friendly staff. Very good!

Very accommodating. Delicious meal. Tasty cocktails. Lovely evening. Thanks so much.

Great host for a meal of seven, all found something great to eat on menu and care was taken for one of us being a coeliac vegan.

My husband and I had a beautiful dinner and drinks at Tawa lounge. I would highly recommend. The staff were very friendly and helpful.

Ordered kale chat, wasn't that great. Too much sauce in it had an overwhelming taste.

The salt and pepper squid had a perfect balance of flavors, and the tenderness was delightful. Both the lamb and chicken burgers were mouthwatering, showcasing quality ingredients. A fantastic dining experience overall! The masala seasoning for the fries are a must!

The main problem with the place is that it still has some of its identity as the Steak House. The car park was like a building site and didn’t make me want to park in it. The inside was ok, but cold - they had some portable heaters inside, but still on the chilly side. Staff were friendly and helpful though and the menu choice was ok, if a little on the pricey side. I had the spare ribs which were quite tasty, but a bit mean on the portion size, especially at £19. Other people had the burgers, which were ok apart from one which had a hair in it. The staff did give some free fries and a discounted bill, so were understanding and helpful. I probably wouldn’t go again or at least wait until the place is more settled and established.

A half finished restaurant, still felt like a building site particularly outside. useless waiting staff. Actually forgot my order. When it did arrive, it was all dry and overcooked. No discount off bill or even an offer of a glass of their horrid wine, just a complimentary samosa. All felt very amateurish. Will not be returning

Like a breath of fresh air for Histon Village: great beer, excellent food, good company and above all a friendly, family, bad-languaae free atmosphere you wouldn't hesitate bringing your kids along to enjoy.

Really relaxed feel with a varied menu which mixes some delicious curry dishes from their other restaurants in Cambridge with some dishes from the previous smokehouse incarnation it now occupies. Their Pepper lamb curry is something i could eat all the time! And the sizzling chocolate brownie on a hot skillet with chocolate sauce just something else. Highly recommend.

We had a great meal. Everything we ordered was delicious - we especially liked the Tikka Masala. The staff were very friendly and the atmosphere was cosy. Will definitely return for other meals.

My father loved his birthday dinner here. There was a great selection of food from East and West. Marvellous sauce on the chicken tikka massala.

The last time I visited here it was under different management and trading name. The menu is quite varied. It was quite busy when I arrived. We hadn't booked a table but we're seated promptly. Probably best to reserve a table.

I have come here twice and every time it has been more than lovely the waiter Alex was very helpful and warmed my heart also our experience with the owners and people around was amazing the food was also fantastic!!!

Friendly service, relaxed atmosphere and great food. The lamb curry was delicious had a unique, homecooked feel to it.

The following review was posted without my permission or knowledge, presumably by someone hacking my Google account. It is a complete fabrication and does not reflect my views or experience there in any way whatsoever. For one thing, it is dated six months ago, before the Histon Tawa actually opened. My actual visit was on Friday 13th. Oct 2023 and was memorable, but not necessarily in a good way. From poorly made cocktails, (I had to tell them how to make a Mojito) to wrong meals delivered to the table. I could have just deleted this review, but I feel it is important to put the record straight. I will be reporting this to Google and OfCom. I DID NOT WRITE THE FOLLOWING The Histon Smokehouse is a treat for your taste buds, and it's the perfect place to satisfy your cravings for delicious smoked meats. The ambiance is cozy and rustic, and the aroma of the slow-cooked meats will make your mouth water. The brisket is a standout, with a perfect smoky flavor and tender texture that melts in your mouth. The ribs are also a crowd-pleaser, with a crispy bark on the outside and juicy meat on the inside. The sides are just as impressive, with options like mac and cheese, coleslaw, and baked beans that complement the meats perfectly. And let's not forget about the sauces - they are the icing on the cake and take the flavor to the next level. Overall, the Histon Smokehouse is a must-visit for any meat lover, and you won't be disappointed. Just be prepared to leave with a full belly and a big smile on your face!

Lunch visit . Menu has good choice to go small or large plates. Food well presented and tasty. Couple of small points Jalapeño burgers could do with a curry type sauce .Vegetable Samosa sauce almost non existent. Drinks choice good. Service efficient and friendly but a little ‘over the top’ for our liking.

New owners with some new vibes and different menu from the others in village. I ordered Vegetarian- Chinese noodles with gravy- its a must try!! Environment is lovely if you like live music and if you are a sports fan- you have a treat.

Having been to the Tawa in town for the first time a few months back, I was really happy to hear that we were going to get our very own Tawa in Histon. Food was interesting and very tasty, and service was great - very attentive and gave me the impression the place really cares about the experience. Think this place has so much potential, only marking down slightly as think there’s still a bit of work to be done to finish the place off following refurbishment. Cheers guys

We visited Tara lounge last weekend, turned up in large numbers however never seemed to have a problem to accommodate us. The host was very welcoming, overall the service was excellent, lovely cuisines with lot of varieties, I was particularly impressed with the ambience of this place. Would highly recommend and look forward to visiting again.

Excellent place to spend your evenings. They have screens to show live sport. Ambience is good. Food is new and innovative. The staff are friendly and not to forget the owners who were hands on last Sunday. Cheers guys. Will definitely be a regular!!!

I visited Tawa Lounge last Saturday with my for lunch. For a start when we entered we were left amazed by the renovation that had been done to the former Histon Smokehouse. We had the pepper squid and lamb kebab for starters. Both amazing dishes, particularly amazed by the dipping sauce that accompanied the squid. The kebab we tender and moist melting in the mouth. For mains we ordered the katsu chicken and baked salmon dishes. Both dishes were fantastic. They serve a nice selection of beers and wines to accompany your meal. Service was delightful and very professional. To sum up it has all the good things you expect definitely worth a try.!

The ambience and food is Top class 💯

An unusual eclectic menu (in a good way). Braised feather blade steak was ‘melt in your mouth’. Staff very friendly and attentive. Great for an evening meal catching up with friends. Good luck with this new endeavour Tawa Lounge! Will return.

The new owners of this establishment have done a great job of the refurbishment (although it's not quite finished with some decoration and fittings still to sort when we visited). The furnishings are a good standard and when you walk in you immediately feel that it would be a great place to come for a nice glass of wine. There's a choice of comfy sofas or bar stools (positioned to look out over the village green and pond). Food is tasty - especially the small plates. Nearly everyone enjoyed their mains although the veggie burger was a bit thin and uninteresting. Owners actively seek feedback and it's clear they will act on it Tawa Lounge could easily become our go-to place in Histon once the teething troubles are resolved.

Recently renovated, very open and spacious. Really great place for watching sports in the pub area.

Recently renovated and looks like a very classy pub. They have fantastic coffee, and were told that it was imported from India. Food was prompt and very delicious, really liked the Egg royale breakfast.

Great family meal this evening. My daughters paneer tikka was amazing and my steak was delicious. Very friendly and great food.

A recently renovated place in the middle of Histon. Looks and feels quite nice, soothing even but the food is overpriced for what you get. Pros - Spacious and green — I personally love their choice of emerald tiles to create that lounge feeling - Staff are welcoming, friendly and attentive - Dog friendly - The small lounge at the entrance is beautiful - Simple but nice menu Cons - Aberdeen Angus Beef burger was below average. Onion slices were just too big for our taste — it felt like we were eating a raw onion burger, not a beef burger for a moment. - Our table was a bit sticky and there were water (?) drops on the table - We needed to remind the staff about our drinks, seemed like they forgot about them (we waited for 5-10 mins after they served the burger)

Would like to have scored this restaurant higher - it has great potential and we'll definitely give it a few more chances. However, on this occasion, despite the food being carefully made and presented, it was very bland - a criticism that both of us who were eating agreed on. We have family members with coeliac disease who were not present but we asked about this in order to ascertain whether there would be much choice if we brought them here. They showed us a draft menu showing allergy information and it looked as though there would be a good selection of gf food ....so, we'll try again and see...

This place has just opened and still has some little details to sort out. It was very busy but the staff coped well remaining polite and attentive with little delay in providing the food. The food was good and it was refreshing to go somewhere offering a wide verity of food which was a little different from the norm. International food with a twist. Prices where reasonable. I thoroughly recommend.

Went for lunch, ordered the Katsu chicken curry- delicious. Great, friendly service and fantastic Flat White coffee! It was a bit quiet, but it was lunch time.

Removing old review of previous establishment. Waiting to try the new Tawa Lounge.

First visit to the newly revamped smokehouse. Really lovely experience thank you and wishing you well for the future

Dreadful! They've only just opened and the bloke seemingly in-charge called it a "soft opening"! He totally lost sight of the fact that most of the windows still have masking tape on them and there is dust on the seating where your butt doesn't dust! They are paying terrible builders, car park littered with rubbish, just dumped!The cook served uncooked chips and doesn't understand how to cook steak well! Staff tried but were chasing around eachother! Absolute positive is they don't have sticky wooden tables, well done!Could get better possibly!

The WORST experience EVER!!! We waited for more than 1hr for 2dishes... Rib eye Steak was terribly dry and drowned in the sauce. Pork strip was also dry. We heard the noises of door slamming and breaking dishes in the kitchen after we complained of their food and waiting time. Horrible restaurant!! We will NEVER come back!!

Nice place. Good food and service. Can park easily as it's in a village. Staff very nice and quite attentive.

Have enjoyed brunch here in the past. Unfortunately this week the ribs were as tough as leather such that I could barely chew them. Mash tasted like packet Smash (very watery). Really bad value for £19…. Such a shame but think they need to up their game. Staff always lovely.

Nice, quiet place. Staff have good sense of humor.

Good food but alittle pricey compared to others in village, 2 poached eggs on toast with bacon, 2 coffees £12:50 (FYI card transactions comes up as TAWA Kitchen which is an Indian restaurant in town but that's the new owners!) Lovely ambience

Came with my family, a group of 7. My sister had already been to this restaurant last year and she expressed her experience here was negative, reluctantly she gave it a second chance. Overall the experience was mediocre, we waited over a hour for food. 2 of us had macaroni cheese and it was awful, tasteless and the pasta was hard. When presented to the manager he offered us 10% discount which wasn't even one of the meals, considering it only had a few mouthfuls from. When returning back to the manager again he then added 5% more discount and said because it was partially eaten (few mouthfuls) there was nothing he could do. Which personally we all found crazy as you have to try food before passing feedback, such a shame. Unfortunately the manager couldn't come and table and talk to us himself, my sister walked to the bar to discuss the bill initially, manger made the young waitress come over on his behalf. For the price we won't be returning and people were left hungry.

Pleasantly surprised! Lovely food and good service :)

Love this place. Great lunch and fan atmosphere. Staff are so friendly

Great food, inviting place and great service. Highly recommended

My local haunt. Great craic, friendly staff, and the 2:4:1 cocktails make it a perfect place to celebrate.

I come here often with friends, there's crowd pleasing food, good friendly service and we enjoy the live music events. Food can sometimes be hit or miss though, some days it's all excellent and delicious but I've also had some dishes that came cold or tough. There are good vegetarian/vegan options which makes it ideal for a group.

Went on Sunday anf had an english breakfast, burger and another meal. Service was good, environment ok if you want live music. Beef Burger was dry and the rest of the food ok.

OMG. Where do I start? Food? Absolutely yummy. Service? Top notch. Rebecca, you just topped our evening with your brilliant people / waiting skills. The best place I have been to in years!!! Will be back very soon

Dinner out as a treat for my mum. Lovely service and fantastic food

Amazing food, fab staff and brilliant atmosphere

Had the best morning at the histon smokehouse. Food was delicious and was so relaxing listening to the band while having brunch. Excellent choice on menu. Great value for money and was fantastic they were dog friendly too. Staff were very friendly and efficient. Will definitely visit again.

Great lunch, some very nice veggie/vegan options. Very good service! Recommend a visit 😁

Always a 10/10 experience when visiting here! The menu is lovely - I have experienced breakfast, lunch and also dinner! My daughter couldn't get enough of the mac and cheese and ate every last bit! The staff are always very friendly and very accommodating and the bar staff are wonderful at making cocktails 🍹 It won't be long before I return!!

The Smokehouse is so welcoming and staff are always very attentive. Great vibes, delicious food (particularly the pork strips), and scrumptious cocktails. Would always recommend a visit here!

great place, excellent staff and service. food was 10/10. - wings are still on my mind! just lovely.

Branding and menu at histon smokeworks came across well and was excited to try food but unfortunately was very dissapointed. Ordered wings burgers and drinks food came out very fast . Wings where pink and undercooked when i brought to manangers attention was told it was veins ,he proceeded to lie telling me every wing is probed and argued with me it was an uncomfortable experience please see photos for yourselves THIS COULD BE A HEALTH RISK !!!

Good food and great service. The Smokehouse itself was clean but cold, parking was also limited.

Large group of 16. Food was absolutely first class and the staff were excellent. Very friendly and attentive. Perfect surroundings and a really festive atmosphere.

Great food, was a little salty but that's what you get when you want fall off the bone ribs! We were served by a lovely guy who was very personable. Was a tad chilly in there but not too bad