Mahdi Lounge - Rother

Now Rye is packed full of classy eating establishments, and you might therefore think twice about heading out to a simple curry house for a bite. Do yourself a HUGE favour, though, and give The Mahdi Lounge your serious attention, especially if you relish inventive cooking, stunning, subtle, balanced flavours, generous portions and wonderfully attentive service. It’s all good, but if you’re after recommendations, you absolutely must order the ubiquitous popadoms for the clever pickles they come with (let them know if you have a nut allergy, though…almonds are involved in at least one of the pickles). I’d also give serious consideration to the Naga Chicken, which is hot but sophisticated. The super-creamy dhal or the wonderful saag paneer works well to balance all that chilli thump. Best dish on our table though- a one pot biryani- like dish (Dum Achni, I think it was called) served in a sealed clay pot. You’ll be wanting the lamb version. For goodness sake- when you’re out and about in Rye- give Mahdi a chance to excite your tastebuds and fill you up with wonderful things.

Visited here as a party of 9. From the minute we entered everything was fantastic. Staff are so friendly, polite and helpful. Food was amazing, couldn’t fault it. We arrived at 6pm, by 6.30 this place was packed out, so would definitely advise to book if you plan to visit

We had a lovely meal here. The restaurant is lovely and the staff are very friendly. They have a good selection of dishes to choose from and service is about right not rushed or waiting too long. The food is excellent and portion size is generous. It was quite expensive but an excellent meal.

I had a booking with a group of friends. We were warmly greeted at the door and asked if we had made a reservation. We were primptly asked if we would like anypoppadoms and dr8nks which these arrived swiftly. Being a Saturday night, we made sure we had reserved a table 8pm and secondly, as we were a big group. We arrived in plenty of time for our booking and were happy to wait for the table. The restaurant was full, which is lovely to see I the current economic climate. The fine detail of fresh flowers on the table and in the waiting area added a personal touch and ambience. The staff were very helpful with talking trouugh the menu and especially the lovely young lady that asked us what heat and spice level we were used to. She had a great knowledge of the menu and was able to talk us through the dish, and suggested that if we like the sound of a dish then they could ask the chef to cater for thier own level of spice as the dishes were made fresh to each individual order. The food was of. Excellebt quality and great portion sizes. As well as the presentation was outstanding , and going the extra mile was aesthetically pleasing to the eye. The dish wee had was a mixture of the lounge specials Dum Akhni, Dum Gosth, Lamb Chop Bhuna, and salmon tikka with a mixture of vegetables side dish and nans We all shared and loved the great food. Will definitely be visiting you again, soon rather than later. Thank you so much for a lovely, enjoyable evening.

From the minute we stepped foot into the restaurant we were greeted with the warmest of welcomes! We were promptly asked if we would like a drink and popadoms and these were swiftly given to us. Staff were knowledgeable about the menu and were able to tell us of certain dishes could be made without ingredients as all good is cooked to order! The food was unbelievable, the chicken in both the curries and chicken tikka starter was delicious and it melted in the mouth! The excellent service continued throughout the meal as were we regularly checked on and asked if we needed any more drinks when our glasses were getting empty. All the food was brought out quickly and we didn’t have to wait long after ordering although the restaurant was very busy. If you want a delicious curry, this is the place to come! Our whole experience at Mahdi Lounge was amazing, it was definitely worth the hours drive! We can’t wait to return and bring family with us so they can have a great experience as well!