Great India

10-07-2008
dave washer

The upside: the food is very good. And the prices aren't astronomical (unlike some Indian restaurants in Chelsea). The downside: you are not allowed to make any noise! We booked and told them our party was a relatively large one and they said no problem. When we turned up, they told us to keep the noise down, even though we weren't actually making any more noise than any of the other diners! If they know they are going to have a large party, they should be prepared for that party to talk and, in turn, make some (small amount of) noise! It seemed that all they wanted to do was take our money without providing the service! We were not loud, we were not noisy, we were simply out for the evening having an Indian meal. Great India should have either not accepted a booking for such a large group, or provided us with a suitable space for our requirements. Simple really. Won't be going back.

10-07-2008
dena

Great India. Great disappointment more like. A table for 15 was booked � 12 of us actually went. Nobody was drunk, nobody was rude or obnoxious � yet, after around half an hour, a waiter came up to my friend and asked if he had a license. A license for noise. He then asked everyone to keep the noise down. Er, what � the noise which naturally accompanies 12 people having a number of separate, relatively animated conversations in a restaurant? What did they expect when they took a booking for 15? That it was going to be attended by five mutes, six monks who�d taken a vow of silence and four prolific sulkers? This is an Indian restaurant for goodness sake, not a quiet country pub or a Michelin Starred restaurant. There�s nothing worse than a curry house with ideas above its station � especially when the food�s not that great either. Yes there were other guests in there, but they didn�t seem concerned by the laughter and chatting. And if you run a small restaurant (as this is) and feel that a booking for 15 is going to generate too much noise, then simply decline. Oh, but that would mean passing up �300-odd quid. An excessive bill, given the fact that the food wasn�t great and we felt uncomfortable and not particularly welcome all night. For a good curry in the area, opt for Love India instead � they really know how to treat their paying customers.