Dawat - Wandsworth

The service at the restaurant was terrible. We were led to our table only to be asked to stand up twice to retrieve water bottles from the store. Our order was delayed and arrived at different times, and the food was in poor condition, with the first order arriving last.

I had a negative experience at this restaurant when I was forced to leave my umbrella in their umbrella holder upon entry. Despite my reluctance, the staff insisted that it would be safe. However, when I left, my umbrella was missing. The staff then suggested I take another customer's umbrella as a replacement, which I found to be completely unacceptable. They did not offer any compensation for my lost property. I left feeling disappointed and out of pocket. To avoid similar situations, I recommend that the staff properly label and store customers' belongings to prevent theft.

Dawat is a beloved family restaurant that I have been frequenting for many years. I have taken friends and my spouse, who has also become a loyal customer, and we all enjoy the food. In fact, we had Dawat cater our wedding! The dishes are delicious and remind me of home-cooked meals in London. The nihari is my personal favorite and I have yet to find a better version elsewhere. The owners and staff are courteous and welcoming, although service can be a bit slow during busy times. Due to its popularity, the restaurant can get crowded, so I recommend visiting during off-peak hours for a more peaceful meal with loved ones.

We ordered 3 dishes and they all tasted the same, when we questioned this we were told they were different, they weren’t. The rice was bland and definitely not pilau. We were walk ins and waited 20 mins and other customers without bookings who were also walk ins were prioritised before us. Service was not friendly, borderline rude. Disappointing and expensive.

Standards have completely gone down. Food does not arrive on time or they make a mistake with the order. Their justification is “It’s busy”.