The Ancient Raj in Canterbury

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 :)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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!

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.

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.

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.

Very friendly reception and very taste food. Highly recommended!

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

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!

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.

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!

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.

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

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

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.

Delicious food, well prepared. Service a bit slow, but very friendly.

This restaurant is far from an authentic Indian. We ordered a few dishes. Starters were ok but chicken was too chewy. For the mains, the butter chicken was reheated and had an after smell and taste to it. The garlic naan was a plain naan with some garlic spread over it. The Raita was yoghurt with tonnes of mint sauce added into it. We asked for chutney we were told this would cost us extra. We agreed but did not touch it in the end, due to the poor quality of the food. We could not finish our food after the first bite. We spoke with one of the colleagues who said we should speak with her manager. The manager was confused as to why we had complained, she had an attitude and after much explaining only agreed for the butter chicken and raita to be taken off the bill. A waste of £40!!! Please avoid if you are from London, or a regular consumer of Indian food. This is a VERY British take on Indian food.

An ABSOLUTE SHOCKER. Me and 4 others used this place last night. At first the service was attentitve and friendly ith our beers and poppadoms etc arriving quickly. After that nobody came to check how we were doing and it wasn't until I asked where our food was ONE HOUR LATER that they started rushing about. This resulted in one of our party having to gobble his food down as he needed to get back to Folkestone in the last train. I guess they could have had an excuse if the place was full but it was half empty. There was no attempt to make an amendment to the bill. We have been here before but won't be back. Poor!

The staff were very friendly and attentive, the ambience was nice and the wine selection is fantastic. But I’m actually feeling unwell today from the excessive amounts of salt in the dishes. That said I’m grateful the staff brought me a new main dish cooked with significantly less salt and deducted some money from the bill. The owner/ manager should review how much salt is being used and take steps to reduce this, in particular in the tarka dhal which I could not eat.

I often eat in this restaurant, tonight I came to collect a takeaway. Unfortunately my car broke down in their car park, the staff couldn't have been more helpful. Their delivery guy also helped me re start my car. A huge thank you to you all.

Amazing food, attentive friendly and professional staff, good atmosphere, located just out of main town centre so easy to access. My husband and I are both vegan and we were so impressed by food and staff knowledge. Separate (extensive) vegan menu and staff picked up that we were vegan and stopped us from having a drink that had milk in and a dip with yogurt. Great portion sizes too. Cannot fault it!

One of the best Indian meals we have ever had and that includes going to India

Food seasoned and flavourful sauce tastes correct and very polite service, I really enjoyed the chicken butter & dakeshwari the naan bread was decent

Restaurant was excellent. Food was delicious and an amazing choice. Staff were friendly and efficient. Happy to recommend. It was very noisy but that was due to a large group who insisted on shouting and swearing!

Still great restaurant ! Probably the best Indian in Canterbury

Some expensive but taste is great.

Agree with previous review. The owner makes you feel like you’ve made a new friend. All the staff are great including the trainee. Food was delicious. The chefs special chicken dish was particularly tasty. I’d recommend getting a starter as the food is cooked fresh & takes a while . Overall - Best restaurant experience we have had in Canterbury so far- living here 9 months.

Great food as usual both eat in or takeaway

As much as I remember this was nice. I think maybe a slight overuse of chilli...

The Ancien Raj is my favourite restaurant in Canterbury & I can't fault the place. The food is always perfectly spiced and cooked to perfection. The staff are incredibly polite and welcoming, you will enter as a customer and leave as friends!

Fantastic food and service. The inside is also very nice, don’t judge from the outside. We went twice in the week as we enjoyed it very much

Very attentive front of house, continues through to the waiting staff.

Went here with a few classmates, no reservation. However, the service was startlingly fantastic from the very beginning. We waited for approximately 10 minutes before getting a table, and right away we were accommodated to our needs. Ie, a friend of mine is allergic to chili, so we asked the server whether there were any options to change anything in the menu up, and they ended up working around it. It was a very lovely atmosphere, and the servers were super nice, and of course, the food was absolutely delicious. I would rate this restaurant an infinity stars if it were possible!

Rocked up without a booking and they found us a table even though it was busy. Staff were very friendly and attentive. Food was superb. Whole vegan menu available on request. Thanks for a lovely meal!

Always the place to go if in Canterbury best service and lovely food.

Got 4 tiny pieces of Paneer and thats their normal Food was disgusting service was terrible DO NOT COME HERE ITS NIOT AUTHENTIC INDIAN FOOD

Vegetarian food is very tasty. Highly recommended. We'll certainly be coming back.

I had a takeaway that I collected. I've used the restaurant for many years, however on this occasion the food was not up to their usual high quality. The Dahl was watery and my curry tasteless.

Had a lovely meal at this Indian restaraunt last night. It didn't look very much from the outside but I was nicely surprised. Came in without a booking but we got a table before it got very busy. We had the lamb jelfrezi and Chicken...

I had an absolutely wonderful experience at the Ancient Raj Indian Restaurant. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted with warmth and hospitality. The atmosphere was charming, creating a perfect setting for a delightful meal. The highlight of my visit was undoubtedly the Naga Curry, known for its intense spiciness. As a lover of spicy food, I decided to take on the challenge, and to my delight, the waiter noticed my choice and was genuinely impressed by my ability to not only handle but thoroughly enjoy the fiery dish.

This restaurant was recommend to me after a fabulous tour of Canterbury Cathedral. I can't thank them enough. I asked for a good Indian restaurant and they gave me The Ancient Raj. We looked it up on Google and found it was near Canterbury West...

Called in on the off chance, and was ready for the apologies as all the visible tables were reserved, but we were offered a table right in the middle of the restaurant. Service was friendly and good, and the food was out of this world. Definitely look at returning. The manager was really great, giving a personal input into the menu.

Absolutely fantastic food but disappointed by the price of the wine. I really don't think there is need to charge nearly £24 for a bottle that I buy in my local bar at retail, for £12.50.

Lovely place very friendly and helpful and let us stay and chat until closing thank you

Fantastic meal! Great service at a reasonable price! Huge portions that we couldn’t do justice to, but loved every mouthful!

Super Personal, leckeres Essen, sehr engagierter Chef, nur zu empfehlen.

Great food as per usual. We Always use the ancient raj for Indian take aways and the food you can never fault. I have eaten in the restaurant as well and it is lovely. The staff are exceptional and the atmosphere is lovely.

The staff were friendly and the atmosphere in this beautiful building was lovely. It was clean and smart, excellent price. The owners had gone all out to create an amazing dining experience, which showed in the fantastic food. We sampled curries, rice dishes and vegetarian...

I have never been to such a friendly Indian restaurant. We were visiting friends in the area and they very kindly brought us here for my birthday, and what a lovely treat. Superb food, atmosphere and service. You really must try it, you will be shocked at how good it is. Thank you to all staff.