The best restaurants serving Indian food in Fishguard North West Pembrokeshire West Wales

When we first glanced at the menu at Hot Chilli, things looked promising. The dishes sounded exciting, and our expectations for a flavourful Indian meal were set. But, as they say, looks can be deceiving, and sadly, this was truer than we could have imagined. We started with three popadoms and a selection of five chutneys. A decent opener, but sharing between me and The Bald (my husband’s affectionate moniker) was where the excitement ended. What followed was a culinary comedy of errors—except no one was laughing. I ordered the Special Makhani, a dish with a thick almond-based sauce that was less “special” and more “culinary sludge.” Both the chicken and lamb were dry, with the texture of reheated leftovers, and the prawns—well, let’s be honest—they were frozen shrimp masquerading as seafood. The sauce lacked depth or spice, and the dish was as bland as a beige carpet. The keema naan was similarly disappointing—mostly dough, with just a whisper of keema meat hiding somewhere in the folds. The Bald’s Chicken Balti was a spectacle in its own right. Upon its arrival, his verdict was swift and unforgiving: “It looks like dog sh*t.” Harsh? Perhaps. Accurate? Tragically, yes. The balti was a sad, gloopy brown mess with bits of what might have once been skewered chicken, now reduced to dry lumps. There were no vegetables to add interest, just thick, claggy sauce. His pilaf (pilau) rice turned out to be a packet of basmati tossed in a frying pan with oil—a culinary shortcut that fooled no one. By the halfway mark, we both surrendered. The food was unbearable, and we’d lost the will to persist. When the lady came by for a “check-back,” The Bald asked about the lack of peppers in his balti, only to be met with a shrug. Later, the chef emerged, proudly presenting a jar of Patak’s Balti spice mix as his culinary inspiration. A jar. Out of a jar. In what world is this acceptable for a £45 meal? To his credit, the chef knocked £5 off the bill, rounding it to £40, and offered complimentary coffees. But by this point, we wanted nothing more than to leave and never return. He also made vague promises about what he’d do “next time,” but let’s face it—Hell has a better chance of freezing over than us coming back. The restaurant itself was tired, with flaking paint and a general sense of neglect. We didn’t dare check the bathrooms—our trust in the establishment was already rock bottom. In conclusion, Hot Chilli is a lukewarm mess. For a meal that lacked authenticity, flavour, or even basic culinary effort, this was an insult to the proud tradition of Indian cuisine. If you’re considering spending your hard-earned money here, don’t. We’ve done the hard work for you. Final rating: One bald head out of five. Save your appetite—and your dignity.