Darbar Restaurant

Someone from this business manages this listing.

614 reviews

#1 of 34 Restaurants in Emsworth₹₹ - ₹₹₹, Indian, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options

+44 1243 430095+ Add website

Hours

Mon

12:00 pm - 2:30 pm5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Tue

12:00 pm - 2:30 pm5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Wed

12:00 pm - 2:30 pm5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Thu

12:00 pm - 2:30 pm5:00 pm - 10:00 pm

Fri

12:00 pm - 2:30 pm5:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Sat

12:00 pm - 2:30 pm5:00 pm - 10:30 pm

Improve this listing

What is Travellers’ Choice?

Tripadvisor gives a Travellers’ Choice award to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travellers and are ranked within the top 10% of properties on Tripadvisor.

Ratings and reviews

4.5

614 reviews

#1 of 34 Restaurants in Emsworth

Travellers' Choice 2024

RATINGS

Food

Service

Value

Atmosphere

Food and ambience

Indian, Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

“The paneer (Indian cheese) was genuine.”

“We shared the pakora starter after the popadoms and chutneys which are amazing.”

“We had succulent tandoori chicken, tasty paneer and crispy okra for starters...”

“Excellent food with great service - garlic prawns, pakora, daal makani, butte...”

Location and contact

36-38 North Street, Emsworth PO10 7DG England

+44 1243 430095

Improve this listing

Is this a seafood restaurant?

Yes

Unsure

Details

Manage this business?

About

Darbar Restaurant provides an exceptional dining experience offering Muglai and Goan cuisine introduced to India by the royal kitchens of the Mugal emperors coupled with an array of cocktails, mocktails, beers, ciders and a wide range of wines chosen by connoisseurs.

PRICE RANGE

₹2,747.00 – ₹4,945.00

CUISINES

Indian

Special Diets

Vegetarian friendly, Vegan options, Gluten free options

Meals

Lunch, Dinner, Drinks

FEATURES

Takeout, Reservations, Seating, Free off-street parking, Serves Alcohol, Full Bar, Wine and Beer, Accepts Credit Cards, Table Service, Non-smoking restaurants

Contribute

Write a review Upload a photo Ask a question

4.5

614 reviews

Excellent

514

Very good

Average

Poor

Terrible

Parsons67

Titchfield7 contributions

Last night before lockdown - awesome!

Nov 2020 • none

First time here, found it on trip advisor, amazing evening, The staff were very friendly and well organised, the food was absolutely the best Indian I have had in a long time, Real attention to detail and taste. The wine was also top shelf, and reasonably priced, imported Indian wine and it was one of the best Sauvignon Blanc ever!! The owner took the time to come and speak to us as well, a very lovely man who clearly values his customers. We weren't rushed between courses, and the menu choices were great. I thoroughly recommend this restaurant, and will be making regular trips from Fareham because it is 1000% wirth it.

Written 4 November 2020

This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.

jamesashley7

Birmingham35 contributions

Authentic quality curry

Jan 2020 • couples

My wife and I enjoyed a very tasty curry here. The service was good and the menu extensive. I went for the lamb biriyani which was delicious and tender (was slow cooked in a clay pot). I'd recommend the lassi (like a smoothie) it goes well with a spicy curry! Little bit expensive but I'd rather pay more for good authenticity than cheap currys with too much sauce and not much flavour you can find in other places.

Written 7 January 2020

Surveyor47

Havant1832 contributions

Best Take Away Indian food in a long time

Jun 2020 • none

It is good to see people doing what they can in these troubled times, and it was nice to see Darbar back up and running, albeit with a limited menu. I cook a lot, and to have a night off is something for me to look forward to, so when the wife offered to pay for a take away, who was I to say no. I chose a couple of items off the limited, lockdown menu as did the wife, and have to say when I picked it up and got it home, it was nice and hot. Well packaged, cardboard in the bottom of the bag, all good. The food was excellent, maybe a little pricier than some others I have had, but you get what you pay for. We got good, wholesome, well cooked, tasty food. It really was the best I have had in a very long time. After completing the meal (which was enough to put some by for lunch the following day) I actually rang them and complimented them. Sometimes, something as simple as a good make meal can lift you, and after eating this, I had a smile on my face. I am smiling now just remembering what I had, and looking forward to the leftovers for lunch. Well done, keep up the good work.

Written 2 June 2020

Chi_Alex2

Portsmouth134 contributions

Excitement turned into disappointment

Jan 2020 • none

I've been excited to try Darbar for a while, with a menu which is different from your average curry house. However, I can't say the experience was a good one. The service was very poor. One member of our party wanted water which the waiter proceeded to pour from a jug from about 2 foot above the glass, spilling water all over the table and the person! When we asked for recommendations, the waiting staff did not seem to know the menu. And when our food came out, it all came out at different times. Onto the food. The poppodums are more expensive than most Indian restaurants and I can't seem to see the justification for this, as they're bog standard poppodums! For my main I ordered the Goan vindaloo on the specials, with a saffron rice. The rice was fairly cold and bland and the vindaloo did not have much spice to it (I was after more taste than spice), but tasted okay, certainly nothing to write home about. Another person on our table ordered the biryani, which did taste good and oddly, had more spice than the vindaloo! The bill was a mess. We were charged for 2 beers more than we had ordered, having been waiting for beers to come to our table for ages after ordering them. We were charged for 2 saffron rices, then only one person (me) had that and we were charged £13.95 for one vindaloo and £15.95 for another. On top of that was the 10% service charge, which given the shocking service was laughable. Will not be returning and will stick to the Taste of India in The Square in future.

Written 16 February 2020

Farlington Bob

Portsmouth34 contributions

Good food ruined by over the top charges.

Jan 2020 • none

We were a party of seven people. We all agreed that the starters were excellent, some of the main courses were of equally high standard but others were average at best, my main gripe with this restaurant is charging £3.95 for lime and soda, which lets be fair is just a squash, and £1 per Poppadum as well as adding a 10% service charge which in our case was £30. The service we received was fairly poor. Our bill was nearly £300 we only had very few alcoholic drinks, so the alcohol did not make up a great proportion of our bill. It’s a shame because this could be a great restaurant it has an interesting menu, but I feel that the greed in charging over the top prices for simple things will stop me going back.

Written 18 January 2020

Mc Madras Mouland

Emsworth2 contributions

Disappointing Takeaway!

Dec 2020 • none

Before I begin I would like to say that I consider myself to be somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to the Chicken Tikka Madras, I have honed my pallet to this particular dish over many years. Like everyone, my family and I are making the best of a bad situation this year and decided to treat ourselves to an Indian Takeaway for our New Years evening meal. We ordered early to save disappointment. Our meal was over one and a half hours late, now, even though I have managed to train my mind and body to be able to resist the urge to eat for up to 3 hours; this was too long. When it eventually arrived and after plating the food we found that it was very dilute and contained extremely small amounts of poultry, maybe half a breast of chicken per portion! Upon tasting the Chicken Tikka Madras I was bemused as it was rather lacking in flavour and body, the accompanied rice was also under-cooked and the Keema Naam lacked meat content. On a positive note however, the spice/heat level was spot on! Past reviews and local reports on this establishment have been extremely positive, our experience was on the contrary; the food, particularly for a takeaway is overpriced and under flavoured!

Written 31 December 2020

Surveyor47

Havant1832 contributions

First and Last time we sit down to eat.

Aug 2020 • none

My wife and had booked a table as neither one of us wanted to cook. This was the first time we had eaten in , and will probably be the last. The meal started off so well, nice cold beer, spicy papads and some of the best chutneys I have tasted in a very long time. My starter of Murg Tikka was probably the most moist, tender chicken I have ever eaten in an Indian restaurant, and I did compliment our server on its quality. My wife chose the Punjabi Samosa. They were nice and crispy, as promised in the menu, but that is where the meal started to go downhill. I was really happy to see the Goan Beef Kofta Curry on the menu. It took me back 43 years to the first curry I ever ate. Unfortunately, what I got was a long way from what was described on the menu. Instead of lean mince Koftas, I got chunks of fatty, tough beef, plus overcooked potato chunks in a gravy that did not look overly appetising. It may have been a unique Goan sauce, but it did not taste of much. I did comment, and was offered a complimentary alternative. I chose the Murg Do Pyaza. It had nice moist chicken, and fresh tomatoes. However the tomatoes were almost tasteless, and tasted "old" I did eat it, but did not overly enjoy it. We have had take aways from here in the past, and my wife really likes their Dhosa's, but her Naan bread and Pakora a Darbar were both undercooked and doughy. When our server cleared the dishes, he did not ask why so much had been left, and On this occasion, you left us feeling really flat. The food was lacklustre and mediocre, not overly tasty and definitely not what I was expecting. One other small niggle was that our server seemed to be "hovering" around the table, clearing glasses, plates, bowls and cutlery. In other establishments we have eaten in, they wait until the end. A phrase I use a lot is "you don't get a second chance at a first impression". based on our first impression of eating in, we will not be returning

Written 31 August 2020

Chricidity

Bangkok210 contributions

Great lunch with fresh and interesting flavours

Sept 2020 • family

I visited the restaurant last week and had to book again, so I did! The food is very good, the service is attentive but not over the top and the overall experience was interesting (from a taste point of view) and relaxing. The lunchtime tali is amazingly good both in terms of flavor and value, lots of little touches that make it great to eat. I will go again and I’m sure I’ll have another good experience.

Written 12 September 2020

667mayankg

Thanks for your kind words and honest feedback. Will love to see you back again soon.

Written 15 September 2020

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

MCC

South West England746 contributions

Lockdown Takeaway

Feb 2021 • none

There are several Indian Cuisines. Darbar promotes itself as Mughlai/Punjabi/North Indian cuisine. Moghuls developed a buttery and creamy style based on the traditional North Indian dishes. Prime difference is that ghee (clarified butter) is used in most dishes with mustard oil in some. Mixed vegetable oil would be an anathema in any North Indian cuisines. The oils heat and boil at different temperatures producing unbalanced extraction of spice flavours - over cooking some and under extracting others. Darbar unfortunately uses mixed vegetable oils in most of its cooking. The result is that the dishes are not a true representation of the cuisine Darbar aspires to. It has Indian trained chefs so should be able to do better. The front of house staff is very pleasant but have to slow down and not complete one's sentences. The dishes we had were not as individually spice flavoured as they should have been - dal makhni was not buttery enough, lacked right amount of cumin, ginger and garlic for instance. Darbar remains the ONLY restaurant in Emsworth that is a true INDIAN eatery. It is also the only Indian restaurant worth dining at - the others are Bangladeshi run which serve dross with a poor service!

Written 20 February 2021

RestaurantLover

1 contribution

Awful

Dec 2021 • friends

Group of myself and colleagues went. We spent nearly £400 but in our time there, a full pint was dropped down the back of one lady and there were very feeble attempts at an apology. The service was very slow, it took nearly an hour and a half to get our food. One had intolerances and the staff were very unhelpful to advise her on what she could eat. Will not be visiting again.

Written 4 December 2021

Mayank G

Sorry I also want to put records straight. You were bunch of very loud people who did not listen to our requests to calm down and not to be loud. You spoilt evening os several other customers who also had come to enjoy and evening. We had to move 3 tables downstairs as you were loud and drunk.

Written 5 December 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

PhilipG

Burstow250 contributions

SUPERB MEAL, HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Sept 2021 • couples

We were staying locally and saw this restaurant whilst looking at trip advisor. So pleased we visited, very friendly and welcoming staff, superb authentic food, very flavoursome. On their recommendation we tried the chicken Goan special together with two vegetarian dishes, roti and rice. Absolutely superb, we loved the flavours, one of the best Indian restaurants we have visited. Well worth a visit, you will not be disappointed. Waiters are friendly and attentive and very happy to help you choose a dish if you are unsure. Thank you for a lovely evening, we are here for a few more days and hope to return.

Written 1 September 2021

Ranjit and Cathy

2 contributions

Top class Indian food

Dec 2020 • none

We are regulars here and think that it is the best Indian food that we have eaten outside London (and India). The dishes are different to those found in many Indian restaurants and the individual herbs and spices can be tasted in each dish. The Biryani is THE BEST and is a must try dish cooked in the traditional way. The service is excellent and Joseph and his team always make us feel welcome, giving advice on each dish. The Gupta's who started the restaurant make a point of talking to all their guests, and Dr Mayank Gupta tells us that cooking Indian dishes is his passion. We have attended one of his cookery classes which was both informative and great fun. We thoroughly recommend this restaurant to lovers of Indian food

Written 5 January 2021

Laura M

Havant1 contribution

Tomato soup for curry?

Feb 2021 • couples

Me and my partner are new to the area and thought we’d try something new. I ordered the paneer tikka masala which came and tasted just like Heinz tomato soup. No flavour apart from the taste of tomato, the paneer was nice but unseasoned. Garlic naan wasn’t garlicky at all. My partner had the house chicken curry which he asked to be extra hot, and said it was mild and also tasted like tomato soup. The curry sauces were very runny - makes me wonder if they use soup

Written 10 February 2021

Mayank G

We appreciate everyone has their own taste, but I feel you have so far only tasted Bangladeshi restaurant's British style so-called "Indian curries" that are very rich with oil and garlic and not the true home-style genuine Indian food as you will get in India. You would have noticed on Tripadvisor that the majority of our customers rate us excellent because they now understand real Indian food. Of course, the choice is yours but we will encourage you to try our dishes, and of course, we will try to tweak it to your taste if possible but ask when you order.

Written 11 February 2021

This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.

Jen Moore

1 contribution

Wow, what incredible food!

Oct 2020 • family

Wow! This was some of the best Indian food I have ever eaten. The wines were all Indian and you can taste before choosing a bottle, some lovely wines,a good touch. Food was exquisite and full of flavours. The staff couldn't have been more attentive and were so friendly, helping with dish recommendations all of which did not disappoint. They were covid prepared and the atmosphere was great. I would suggest booking a table.

Written 26 October 2020

Dave

8 contributions

Are there 2 Darbar restaurants in Emsworth

Oct 2021 • none

i say are there 2 Darbar restaurants in Emsworth because the raving reviews didn't match the Darbar i went to. Staff were nice enough a bit of an issue was every 5 mins asking how the meal was. Setting was like a cafe zero atmosphere the music on the sound system was guitarist playing contemporary music - no Indian music as you would expect. Food was in all honesty poor , sorry Darbar your lovely guys but my home made curries would give you a run for your money. Overpriced for what you get. Wont be coming back thanks but no thanks

Written 22 October 2021

…

Showing results 1-15 of 614

Best moderately priced restaurants

See all