The Ancient Raj in Canterbury

Four of us had a fabulous meal here and all commented that it was the best Indian food we've had in a very long time. The staff were attentive and extremely friendly. Highly recommended to all.

Ordered takeaway. Found a hair in my food, the Bombay Aloo was burnt and the curry filled up less than half of a standard container.

Food was very nice and would definitely come back with friends as atmosphere was very nice. People working there were extremely welcoming and kind too.

Say they open at 12pm but they didn't so. There already lying about open times how embarrassing for them

Very good food and service! My Wife and friends love this particular cuisine and certainly loved the food here, I personally don't usually choose it however I also thoroughly enjoyed the food. We would all happily return again and recommend a visit or they offer take out. The service was great from all the staff, they were attentive, polite and friendly. There is a car park opposite the restaurant but for the cheapest parking in Canterbury is usually castle streets multi story.

Excellent Indian restaurant, attentive welcome and service, calm but cozy atmosphere, reasonable prices for the quality

Went here for Valentines! Lovely food and lovely service as usual! Such a comfortable place.

Had an excellent Valentines dinner here. Booking via phone call is a must. Service is excellent and friendly, the food is amazing and incredibly delicious.

Exquisite cuisine, the setting and the welcome are of a high standard with more than fair prices. Don't hesitate to test.

This is a restaurant I have no hesitation in recommending. It combines all aspects that make dining a great experience. Great food, friendly service and value for money. The standards are maintained at a very high level and the fact that it’s busy every day of the week is a testament to this. Five stars for everything.

Amazing food and service, staff are brilliant and the atmosphere is very nice.

Lovely curry and a great atmosphere! Would highly recommend

Dined here last night with friends, they were very busy but the service was friendly and the food was great. Lovely decor too! Will definitely be back next time we're in Canterbury.

We have been going to the ancient Raj on and off for years. Very unfortunately however, we have just had my wife’s birthday dinner ruined by an incredibly loud and obnoxious group of dinners. Given the proximity to their table, it was not possible to have a conversation above their constant shouting and jeering. No one should be told not to have fun in a restaurant, but there should be limits to this, especially when one group of dinners is ruining the experience for everyone else. To be fair to the manager, he did offer to move us to the lounge when I asked for the bill shortly after the mains had been served. This was much appreciated. By this point however, we all had splitting headaches and wanted to leave. The restaurant has also appeared to change its Naan recipe. Mine was very tough, and not particularly nice.

As regular visitors, we cannot praise the Ancient Raj enough. Food, service and ambience are all first class.

Delicious food and friendly service. The Ancient Raj is our favourite restaurant in Canterbury.

Lovely restaurant & staff. The food is brilliant. Highly recommend.

Highly recommend. Had a lovely night here with my partner, food and service was great!

Went for a family meal and everything was wonderful. Excellent food served by fabulous staff. We will definitely return

Kashmir tandoori is much better. The curries were okay and the meat was okay but I felt that the sauces were a bit watery and had no depth. The breads were just okay too. I wouldn’t order again purely because kashmir has much better curries and bread overall.

Based on the previous reviews, we decided to go here, but must admit we found it somewhat disappointing. The starter was good, the mains OK, but the desserts are really a disappointment. The Indian cuisine has some nice desserts, but this restaurant has a choice of 6 total and only one a bit Indian style, the rest quite standard. Furthermore personnel is not paying much attention, it took a long time to notice that my wife wanted another drink.

Well done anc Raj great meal great service!

Great food, pleasant surprise lived in Canterbury for over 20 years, never been finally have and would happily go back again

Excellent Indian restaurant, great food and service - can't fault it. Been here before, as good as it was then!! Was heaving on Christmas eve, but the ambience was very pleasant.

Not Recommended!!! I visited Ancient Raj, and the plate I received was filthy and had uncleaned rice at the bottom. When I brought this up to the staff, they simply gave me a new plate, and when I asked them to clean the dirty table, the waiter rudely told me to do it myself, which was disrespectful to me. I left after paying for my appetisers, and I highly recommend this to tourists and people who value their own dignity.

My wife and I dined at The Ancient Raj last Saturday on a weekend visit to Canterbury, and it was nothing short of exceptional. Kitch, the manager, was incredibly communicative and welcoming from the start. When I emailed to book a table, I informed him that me and my wife are vegan - he enthusiastically informed me about their dedicated vegan menu, which was a wonderful surprise. Throughout our meal, Kitch and his team provided outstanding hospitality. All staff were friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, and a special mention goes to Kitch himself, who entertained us with fascinating stories about famous past guests and engaging discussions on Indian politics and history. It added a unique, personal touch to our experience. The restaurant setting is remarkable – the warmly-lit building, over 600 years old, is charming and cosy (on a wintry evening), and the photographs on the walls of the British Raj (and the audio recordings of interviews with Raj personnel played in the bathrooms!) add weight to the name of the restaurant; a peek into the history of why we love Indian cuisine in the UK today! Being vegan, we are often limited to vegetable side dishes or mock-meat curries at Indian restaurants (the latter of which are not our preference). However, at The Ancient Raj, many vegan options of traditional curries were on offer served with a great mix of vegetables (as well as sides, rices and breads - Kitch explained they use vegetable ghee in place of animal-fat ghee). Our food was beautifully presented and absolutely delicious. We had such a special evening - it was a major highlight of our weekend! Thank you so much to Kitch and his team for taking such good care of us; we’ll be back! Very highly recommend. Luke

I do trust TripAdvisor so I had high expectations of here. On entry the place was busy and the welcome friendly. There were 4 of us and we all love a curry. It turned out to be a 50/50 split night as two of us thought our meals were good,( Chettinad and a Bhuna) while the other two described their meals ( the Shashlik and the Tamasha) as very average. Not fantastic, not bad just somewhere in the middle

First impressions are very important to my wife and I and we couldn't have asked for better. We were welcomed and seated immediately by the very polite and smartly dressed manager. Our waiter was fantastic and explained everything in detail about how it works as it was our first ever time there. If you are interested in the history of the place please ask the flawless manager who took his time and explained the history behind the building in great detail from it's humble beginnings as an Inn to the great Indian restaurant it is today. Even though our reservation was from 6.15 to 8.00 we were seated before this as we had arrived early and we were not rushed out. We were told by the manager that we could go to the upstairs to chill and relax until we wanted to leave. The price is very reasonable and the food is exquisite. We were there to celebrate our 10th wedding anniversary and you really made our evening special. Thanks to all staff but in particular to the manager and our waiter and waitress who treated us perfectly.

This is the best Indian restaurant in Canterbury, Kent! I now understand why it is so hard to book a table at this place. Everything here was amazing including service, food and the atmosphere. The location is very close to town centre and within walking distance to the train station. I cannot recommend this place enough. Two thumbs up!

My partner and I went here off the back of a family recommendation while we were staying in Canterbury. Wow, it was so good. We agreed it was the best eat-in curry we’ve had in a long, long time, so good in fact that my partner rated it 10/10 and - as she’s of Indian heritage and therefore very fussy about Indian cooking - that is the highest praise possible! Seriously, the food is amazing and the whole experience was one I’d recommend to anyone looking for a knockout meal in Canterbury 👍 🏆

The best curry house great staff

The best Indian curry in Canterbury and the surrounding area. Top service Relaxed atmosphere and the food is superb. Quality and price is a good ratio.

Great service, great food with no fuss delivery. Used the online process, delivery even arrived a couple of minutes early... Will certainly use again!

Great Indian Restaurant. Fab food (does very good butter chicken), great ambianceand well looked after by attentive staff.

If I could give it a 0 out of 5 I would!!!! The worst curry I genuinely have ever had, I have had ready meals from Sainburys miles better than this watery mess. I can’t believe how expensive it was for the standard of the food and wait time. Please do not waste your time with this restaurant and go to any other restaurant. This is not an exaggeration, I would not even describe what we tried to eat as curry. We ordered 2 chicken tikka masala’s and saag aloo, couldn’t even eat it after 2 mouthfuls, horrendous. STAY FAR FAR AWAY FROM THIS RESTAURANT 0/5!!!!!!!

I was advised to book here and I'm so glad that I did. I booked for 18.00 but they rang me and asked if we could come a little earlier so that they could 'spread the load' over the evening. What a great decision that was. Service was impeccable and the food was the same. So much that we couldn't eat it all. Very flavoursome. Would thoroughly recommend.

Looks relatively small from the outside but very spacious on the inside, with timbered ceilings and a mezzanine floor. We arrived at 6pm on a Monday evening, we were the only table for the first 30 minutes but by the time we left, the place was getting busy, so I would advise booking ahead even on quiet evenings. Food was delicious, nothing complicated but a good range of meat and vegetable dishes, with some seafood options on the menu that I hadn't seen before. Service was friendly and attentive, though it did take a while for us to order dessert. We all enjoyed the meal and were sorry we couldn't take the leftovers home.

Good things come to those who wait and that is true of the flavoursome curries at The Ancient Raj. No corners are cut in the selection, mix and development of spices to create delectable curry dishes. Fish was tender, biryani fluffy, madras properly spiced and service impeccable.

This is our favourite Indian restaurant. The food is always superb and the staff are very friendly. Only improvement might be with deliveries as ours arrived nearly cold. To much was packed on top of each other in the single bag meaning the curry on the bottom had leaked a bit and two of the five curries had lost their seal. Don't let that put you off though and do go in to the restaurant and enjoy the experience.

Food v good. Service a bit slow ( had to chase up drinks). The person that invited me said the restaurant needed my order in full, days ahead of the booking...which I thought was odd.

Delicious food, couldn't stop eating even after I was full :)

Not been here for sometime, but I will certainly be visiting more often. The food is amazing, the staff are lovely and the service is fantastic. Thank you to Kitch for being so accommodating and fitting us in tonight, it was great to see you again. If you're visiting Canterbury this restaurant is a must, you won't be disappointed.

Cannot describe how disappointed I am with the Ancient Raj. I used to Frequent the restaurant several years ago and the food was fantastic. After a long spell away from Canterbury I took my family to the ancient raj. After waiting an hour for our food with some questionable service, we were delivered multiple pots of watery slop. The naan bread was hard and pre made and the chicken could be used as a weapon by rioters. The only enjoyable moment of the meal was admiring the hand written badge saying ‘trainee’. I feel sorry for the girl learning in a dive like the ancient Raj. My guts are in pieces this morning.

This place deserves every single one of those five stars. The staff was super nice, the food was brilliant, the ambiance was great. There is simply nothing to improve there, this is a must stop for Indian food

What an amazing place to eat. Our group of 10 with mixed appetites and food requests were all perfectly satisfied after our meal here at the perfectly located Ancient Raj. Walking into this beautiful building where the original features have been kept and emphasised alongside unique and eclectic Indian touches gives this restaurant an authentic and luxurious feel. All this amazing ambience highlighted with the best Indian dishes this diner has eaten, with superb service, is a must for anyone looking for a special place to dine out.

Best Indian food I've ever had. Attentive, friendly waiters and great atmosphere.

Great food and service as always.

Best Indian dining in whole UK. Very authentic taste, Indian Hospitality, mesmerising Indian themed interiors. Truly enjoyed dining here with family. Ensure to get reservation done before visiting. Dreaming to visit again someday.

I don't normally write reviews but felt I had to, because of how disappointed we feel. We ordered a takeaway and it took a while for the food to arrive but that's fine on a Friday night, but all of our curries were watery, the chicken was bone dry, portion sizes were small which doesn't seem fair after what we paid. Also the coke was room temperature and the naan was flat and dry. Hate to leave a bad review, but I won't be ordering here again.

We ate divinely, everything was delicious! The waiter was very kind and helped us choose less spicy dishes. I highly recommend going to eat at this restaurant 😋

They have a separate vegan menu. Great food, lovely setting and a warm welcoming service.

Delicious meal, beautiful interior and furnishings in restaurant as well as kind waiting staff! Thank you 🙏

The food was passable - nothing special. It was a bit lacking in flavour (not just heat), the quality of the chicken was a little disappointing, the amount of paneer / spinach in the saag paneer was also a below expectations. The staff were very apologetic when they realised that they had not put through our starters (it would have been nice to sample more of the food on offer). We wouldn't opt to come back if we happened to be in the area again.

Brilliant Indian restaurant, excellent and fresh food, very nice and midful service. Every time we come to Canterbury we visit the Ancient Raj!

Outstanding service and great food! Highly recommend! The owner/manager took the time to explain to us the different dishes and was very thoughtful and patient. One of the best service experiences I‘ve had in a long long time. The training the staff seems to go through is excellent and very personal.

Well yes but as French people, we are not used to such spicy food! I had the Madras lamb and I thought I was going to fly away, it was so powerful and spicy 🔥🔥🔥. At the limit of edible. So, I think it was good, but my mouth was totally numb 😅. I was hot for 2 days.

Really delicious food, with a great range of vegetarian options (they allowed me to choose any meal and use paneer instead of meat!) - medium really isn't very spicy at all but the flavours are incredible. Beautiful interior with a great atmosphere even on a Tuesday! Service was excellent, very accommodating, kind and helpful. Really exceptional - thank you!

I've been to the ancient raj twice now and it's been excellent both times. Wonderful vegan menu, lovely building, great atmosphere and attentive and polite staff. They also have a car park round the side, just let them know you've parked and they'll give you a slip to put on the dash. My favourite Indian restaurant for sure.

This place has excellent service. Waiters were really kind and they even came out to hold the door for us when we left. The food was mostly very good although the korma was a bit watery. Saag was fantastic. Would come back.

We booked by phone without difficulty on a day packed with tourists: it is no coincidence that there was a certain wait, but the main dishes were very tasty, with a sweet and sour flavor different from the more common Indian restaurants. There were numerous vegan and vegetarian options, the portion of chicken served with fried bread was huge for one person and could easily be shared. Good value for money

The food was absolutely amazing! The staff were wonderful super friendly. Hands down best butter chicken and coconut rice ive ever had. The restaurant itself was gorgeous. A must see! Will come back from Florida again!

Amazing dinner, 100/10 experience, the food was original and tasty and not oily, the service was empecable, the interior design was very cured and elegant and the owner was lovely and welcoming, I 100% recommend this restaurant for all meals and celebrations 🥳💐 cheers from Italy and Morocco

Great food. Very busy, but the Manager still found us a table. Would recommend booking at the weekend

The best curry we had in years. This restaurant is so beautiful and very tasty food. We will be back.

We had booked the ancient raj as a surprise for family, there ended up being 20 odd of us there. The staff were amazing and everything was very organised. Our food was delicious and everyone got the correct dishes, We really enjoyed our meals.

Excellent cuisine. Friendly service with good advice. The chicken tamasha is to die for. Generous portions and moderate prices. It was perfect.

Arrived early to pick up a takeaway, friendly bar staff allowed us to sit in the lounge whilst our order was speeded through

.We had a very tasty and plentiful meal in the Ancient Raj. The staff were very friendly and the service they provided was impeccable. I especially liked the fact that when we ordered brandies at the end of the meal the glasses had been warmed upon serving. Such a nice touch. There's a really good selection of authentic Indian dishes which pleased our palates.

The best Indian in town . Everything about it is great

I can understand why this place gets busy. All the staff were very friendly, smartly dressed and welcoming. The service was quick together with the clearing of any dishes that were finished with. The food was cooked perfectly, the atmosphere was roomy and it didn't feel cramped. My table was booked for 6.15pm Saturday night and within the hour as I looked around the whole place was almost full. You need to book in advance for this place because it's very popular and I can see why. Without hesitation I would definitely eat here again and I recommend to anyone who loves Indian food. 👍

Service most recently in comparison to service 10 years ago remains consistently excellent. This is a great restaurant for anyone who appreciates good food in a pleasant environment.

A very nice old building with a very comfortable upstairs lounge for drinks or coffee. The staff are very attentive and the overall atmosphere is good. The food was fine, but not at all special. The chicken and meet was of a good quality, but the curry sauces were all rather bland.

Great Indian restaurant with a great menu, friendly staff and an eclectic collection of images of India.

The Ancient Raj is "our" restaurant when we visit our family in the North of England (we are from Germany). The food is absolutely superb. We always have starters and mains. I had the Hyderabadi lamb naga and my wife had the Begun Masala. The quality is high and so is the service. The staff are friendly and courteous. As we visit our family every two years, it is clear that we will dine here again next time. Can't wait. Last time I forgot my flat cap. I contacted the owner when we were back in Germany, the cap was found and sent to Germany. Perfect!!!! So stop reading - visit this Indian restaurant in Canterbury and enjoy. Have fun

Had a beautiful meal, service was brilliant, atmosphere was lovely, would highly recommend, will definitely go again soon 👍

Great place to eat. Excellent service. Tasty food. Very pleasant surroundings. It was a Friday and very busy, therefore took a bit longer for food to arrive, so give yourselves plenty of time if you have theatre appointment etc. Would highly reccommend this place.

I would have liked to have given no star at all AVOID.

Enjoyed a lovely ancient raj dinner this evening for my mothers birthday. Service was lovely and food was equally as delicious. Especially enjoyed my lamb gosht which tasted of a lovely fresh coriander and mint combination.

Mixed meat mashed potatoes and rice, really delicious! Asian stomachs are satisfied. The most delicious British cuisine is Indian food. This sentence is confirmed here.

Very friendly reception and very taste food. Highly recommended!

Visited the Ancient Raj yesterday evening... it was excellent, from booking, to eating, to heading home! Our welcome to the restaurant was courteous and friendly, our umbrellas stored (it was chucking it down!) and we were given a moment to settle with friends before our drink and poppadom order was taken. The service was first rate, professional and with a smile. We ordered four different chicken dishes and had a table laden with breads, rice and bhajis. The food was great, well presented, tasty and filling - we all wanted to share! Our table was booked for 6.30 and four or five tables were occupied when we arrived, with a steady increase in customers over the following two hours. The atmosphere was very enjoyable; I thoroughly recommend this curry restaurant. The bill for four covers, with two drinks each and good food was £124, which we were happy to round up to £140. Definitely recommend and will definitely return!

Didn’t find the food that tasty, starter was overdone a bit. Still waiting for them to ask me what I want for dessert.

Lovely food tonight on a takeaway, it did take a while but they were busy which is always a good sign. Last time we ate in, takeaway was equally as good!

Ordered a delivery tonight for the first time in 3 years. Have been using Deliveroo lately and thought I’d go back to an old favourite as my kids asked for a curry for the first time. Has this place changed hands lately? Curry arrived *stone cold*. The chicken korma was so sweet it was inedible. Everything else was so mild it was bland: barely spiced at all. My children asked if this was really curry - the one they have at school is spicier. They used to include poppadoms but there were none included this time. I don’t know what’s happened to the place but it was a poor introduction to curry for my kids and we won’t be ordering from here again. Such a shame.

Awful takeaway. Took 2 hours to arrive and when it did the chicken was inedible (overcooked), the day paneer was watery and everything was cold. Tried to call and there was no answer. Really disappointed.

I remember the menu being larger, but there should be something for everyone here. The restaurant was busy on this Saturday evening, but both the service and quality of food was excellent.

Food excellent, service excellent and very friendly atmosphere. Definitely going back.

Came for few days Staff so lovely best food wish if you were in my town

Simply put, the best curry house in Canterbury. Service is good and food is excellent, provides everything I want in a curry house for a very reasonable price. Highly recommended visiting when you can.

Great curries and other dishes and nice atmosphere!

We came down to Canterbury on the Wednesday 7 of us and was recommended to this restaurant , I’ve got to say it was the best curry I’ve ever had in fact it was all lovely I come from Flixton in Manchester I wish it was my local curry house , the service and atmosphere was brilliant 10/10 👍Longyn from Flixton

Everything about the place is great except for the main reason everyone is there: The food. They charge 3.50 quid for a single store-bought quality naan. The Tarka daal was too salty and the chicken jalfrezi was all spice no flavor. A definite disappointment.

Ate there last night with my brother. Had an excellent meal. Nothing was greasy and there didn’t seem to be any food colouring used at all. Sag gosht was great. Meat was cooked very well still had a little chew but far from being tough. Tadka dhal was divine tasted slightly different from what I am used to maybe some fennel? Special rice was great not at all greasy with a lovely fragrance and taste. Nan was nice and light. My brother said his paratha was spot on again not at all greasy as they can be. Service was good. Attentive but not overly and very polite and happy to engage. All in all do highly recommend and hope to return in the near future.

Great at the basics. Still one of the best restaurants in town. Good service, good food, good atmosphere.

Nothing to fault here. Great food and friendly service. Always worth reserving a table as it is extremely popular.

We love this restaurant one of our favorite places to eat in Canterbury. There was five of us and the food, drink and service was excellent.

Lovely staff, really attentive and polite. Food is amazing and the portion sizes are huge! Highly recommended a visit.

Wow… honestly what can I say about this place. Every time we have been it has been a pleasure from start to finish! Upon entering you are greeted graciously by the host (who I believe may also be one of owners?) and taken to your seat. The menu has a great selection of classic favourites and traditional dishes, I don’t think I’ve had the same dish each time I’ve been there! The poppadoms come out warm and fresh tasting with that mix of crunch and melt in your mouth! The staff are speedy and attentive, sporadically checking how you are and whether you’re ready to order, they space this out enough to ensure that you aren’t being constantly hassled during your meal or aren’t being forgotten about. The food is just cooked perfectly. The meat is never chewy, the blend of flavours and spices is done in such an elegant way that even the harshest of flavours blends well and tastes absolute amazing. Overall, this place is top tier, and cannot be faulted! We will always be coming back here!

What a great place! Turned up without a reservation, and was seated within minutes (was very busy thou). We had a young trainee as our waiter and he was great. Next on to the food, one of the condiments for the poppadoms was very different it looked dry but was full of flavour and was moist, it was delicious. The two mains we shared had a very good potion size of meat in them and both were great in taste. Very difficult to fault anything.

Fantastic food! I had lamb padina which was gorgeous . My husband had chicken balti - tasty, but a bit too spicy for me. Very attentive service and friendly atmosphere. Just outside the main city centre. Great value for money.