Just terrific: Sunday buffet at Taste of Tandoori in Tilehurst is a real bargain

Nestled in a small parade of shops in a Tilehurst neighbourhood is the Taste of Tandoori.

Unassuming from the outside, one could be fooled into thinking it was a typical Indian equivalent of the greasy spoon and therefore nothing special.

But TripAdvisor suggests different: of the 141 reviews at the time of writing, 116 of them give it the highest rating. Just 12 think it was poor or terrible. That’s pretty respectable by anyone’s standards.

The Hildens Drive restaurant looks classy, with a floral mural rather than flock wallpaper.

The tables don’t have an over-elaborate system of linen tablecloths where you aren’t sure where the napkin ends and the table begins. Instead, it’s a marble effect Formica-style table with beautiful placemats, simple cutlery and what feels like their best china.

Napkins are the paper variety, and it is simple and welcoming.

Staff were also welcoming – big smiles and ensuring the experience was enjoyable without being distant or too elaborate.

Taste of Tandoori offers several deals across the week, including a Banquet Night offer. For £15.95, people can enjoy a starter, a main, a side dish, and a naan bread or a portion of rice. If the main is a seafood dish such as prawns, the price increases by £3.

That’s good value in anyone’s book, especially as main courses are around a tenner to £12, depending on the choice.

On Sunday, it offers an all-you-can-eat buffet at £12.95 per head and £6.95 for children.

It is, quite frankly, a bargain.

The buffet is set up at the back of the restaurant and next to the kitchen, so staff keep a watchful eye on portions, spillage, and food hygiene.

The are plenty of dishes to choose from, although vegetarians weren’t catered for on this visit. Staff will almost certainly create something if that affects anyone in your party.

This is the first buffet I’ve seen where poppadom and pickles form part of the menu, and it was very welcome. In addition to the usual condiments such as mango chutney, and raw onion salad, there were melon chunks to try.

Starters included Vegetable Spring Rolls, Chicken Pakora, and Chicken Tikka pieces on the bone – the latter may need cutting up and checking if you have small children in your party.

Add in Chicken Pakora and Onion Bhajis and you have a decent starter for 10. The bhajis were smaller portions and a little, but not unpleasantly, greasy.

Also in this area were French Fry-like chips, perfect for someone who isn’t as comfortable with curry as others are.

Small plates are placed on the tables for the starters, while larger plates are next to the buffet for the main courses.

The main courses are crowd pleasers: the choice on this visit were Chicken Korma, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Jalfrezi, and a Lamb Curry.  None of these were overly spicy, meaning some palates might pine for more chillis, while others will be grateful for the opportunity to try different dishes without burning their tongues.

The korma was pleasantly coconuty, the tikka masala exactly what you’d expect with the creamy sauce, while the lamb curry had a nice zing to it.

Each pot had large chunks of chicken breast in them, while the sauces were plentiful as you would expect in a buffet, and the pilau rice was pretty decent too.

There is opportunity to have a naan bread and for me this was cooked to order and brought to the table.

For those who can’t find something suitable from the buffet, the full menu is available, and the staff won’t be fazed at all.

Although the restaurant was bustling, particularly with families, there was no sense of being hurried through a meal, nor being made to feel we were outstaying our welcome.

In fact, it was superb experience all round: superb food, terrific service and a really pleasant atmosphere. Definitely worth seeking out.

The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 5pm Monday to Saturdays, and 1pm on Sundays. Closing time is 10.30pm Mondays to Thursdays, 11pm on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10pm on Sundays.

It offers a collection service with 10% discount on orders over £15 on Mondays to Thursdays, while deliveries are available. This is free for people who live within three miles of the restaurant, and £3 for those who live up to five miles away.

Its Scores on the Doors is three out of five, with the food inspectorate finding everything generally satisfactory. This rating was made by West Berkshire Council in February 2023.

Taste of Tandoori
33 Hildens Drive
Tilehurst RG31 5HY
0118 942 5173
tasteoftandoori.co.uk