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Reviews for Curry Time Indian Restaurant

by Sue H.
28th August 2012

This business is a MenuMania SponsorOne of the Business' Favourite Reviews

This is definitely the best curry I have had in New Zealand. The curries were delicious had lovely tender meat and fresh herbs. They had distinctive flavours too. The popadums were the best I’ve tasted too…..they actually fry them as they are supposed to be so they are lovely and crisp….not the usual baked variety you get in alot of places. The service was spot on brilliant and the environment was really nice too. We will definitely be coming back here even though it is a drive away…..definitely worth the travel to get such a great curry:)

by Brian S.
21st May 2013

This Café Restaurant for customer service is one of the best .I visited this place because of our son gave us a voucher . The meal was perfect in all respects and I would definitely return and advise anyone visiting Christchurch to have a meal at this establishment

by Lisa W.
14th May 2013

Usually Curry Time is fantastic and haven’t been able to fault them, however after being a local here for some time and raving to friends and family we decided to go out to dinner for Mother’s Day. It was a busy night and takeaways seemed to take priority which meant we had huge delays on our entrees and meals. There was only 1 chef working and when our meals finally arrived they had been slightly mixed up. My Parents ordered the Tandoori Chicken and Mixed Grill both came out on a plate and were bordering on cold (these are meant to be served on a hot plate) When my father questioned this the manager told us they didn’t have any hot plates available so would give us a discount but wouldn’t be able to do anything further about it. The rest of us ordered curries which were also a large disappointment to what we are used to. They too were bordering on cold and were not in the least spicy.
The Manager did give us a small discount for not serving two of the dishes on a hot plate and when we advised that we had been slightly disappointed she said the usual chef was away.
Usually we have raved about this restaurant but after our last meal here we are hesitant to return again.

by E O.
21st February 2013

Came here for my birthday with my partner and used the Entertainment Voucher which they happily accepted. I ordered the Lamb Tikka Masala which the lamb was very tender and the curry was amazing! My partner had the butter chicken which was too sweet for the both of us, not the best but still quite nice. The naan we had was the best naan ever, very soft and fluffy. Love how it was cut into pieces and cooked perfectly (not burnt).

The food was great and up to the high standard that people seem to have for this place. However the service of the staff could be a bit faster and they could be more attentive since the restaurant wasn’t busy when we went. Other than that it was a great restaurant.

by Nigel B.
25th January 2013

Heard so many good things about this place, so decided to go with my wife for dinner one night. From the moment we walked in, we were warmly greeted and quickly shown to our table by the welcoming and enthusiastic waitress, Emma. She was fantastic in explaining the various dishes on the menu and she was attentive to us during the whole time we were there. We decided to have the platter to share between me and my wife, following by a main curry each, Chicken Tikki Masala and Butter Chicken. From the first mouthful to the last, the food was divine. We especially like the way they cut the garlic naan into pieces with fresh garlic rubbed over the top of the bread. The whole experience was great, good food, good service, and menu prices good too. We would absolutely go back there again without hesitation.

by Erica
6th November 2012

We have been a number of times now and cannot fault the restaurant, even when they are busy the staff pass your table with a smile and say they will be with you soon. The food is great and they take extra steps like singing to our son on his bithday. Going out with a family of children isn’t always easy but I can honestly say we felt comfortable and welcome. We will be back!

by Russell O.
5th November 2012

Ignore the negative comments!!!!!

Someone has to grumble!!!

This is a wonderful restuarant.

Quality food.

Quality service.

Staff could not have been more helpful with such a large group booking!!!!

Highy recommended.

by Skye S.
4th November 2012

Have been to this restaurant a few times before and have enjoyed various offerings like the sweet Kashmiri Curry, the Lamb Tikka Masala, and the Seafood Curry. The lunches are reasonably priced and consistently good. Service has always been wonderful during the week with Renu and Sarah serving. Then we made the mistake of going to the restaurant on a Saturday (Nov 3). Oh dear. The restaurant only has a two hour window for lunch from 12-2 pm. We (two adults and a child) got there at 12 noon, and the stern, red-lipped waitress who served us, Emma, was already in a bad mood, gracelessly directing us to our table. “Oh, you’re over there,” she said grimly, when we said we had a reservation.

We ordered drinks and she plonked down a bottle of beer in front of me, WITHOUT a glass. I had to request one from another waitress who sincerely apologized. The restaurant was full and people were still coming. Our meals arrived and were enjoyed. Hubby tried the Lamb Madras while my daughter and I had the Chicken Tikka and a Chicken Kashmiri curry. Same quality as always. But, we were there scarcely an hour when the unsmiling Kabuki-faced Emma, came to clear away our dishes and sternly announced, “On Saturdays, we only allow 45 minutes for lunch, because there are so many people, as you can see. So, as soon as you’re finished, please leave.” I could not believe her rudeness! We had certainly never experienced it from anyone there before. No wonder diners from various tables were leaving one after the other.

As we stood to go, Miss High and Mighty briskly brushed past us with a water spray bottle to clean our table for the newcomers. No smile and no “Thank you”. We bumped into a couple of diners outside the restaurant. They’d left the restaurant just before we did. I asked them if they were asked to leave and the lady said “Yes! It was quite rude!” I’m relieved to know we were not the only ones picked on.

Perhaps it was because it was the last day for the restaurant’s deal vouchers to be redeemed that there were so many people. Still, deal vouchers serve as a good introduction to a business, but if the business treats customers shoddily just because they are using vouchers, why would customers want to return? And, if Mgt. knows there will be lots of people, why not extend the lunch hours or give the people an extension on their voucher or simply say, “Sorry, you’ve left it too late. We can’t accommodate any more people. We are fully booked.” That’s how a professional business would handle it. But to tell us to leave because we’d already been there for over 45 minutes is the height of rudeness and unprofessional behaviour. If we wanted fast food, i.e. in-and-out in 45 minutes, we would have just gone to McDonalds! We’d have received better service there!

We’ll certainly never go back to Curry Time on a Saturday for fear of encountering the Iron Maiden. This restaurant is not bad. Both food and service are usually good, but this one sour apple sure spoiled the whole barrel!

by Nick T.
28th September 2012

Best curry in Christchurch by far, have been going there every Thursday (well most) and each time its been a treat. Every curry we’ve had has been very tasteful, fresh and pretty close the spice level asked.

The staff are amazing, very nice and very helpful. They have great knowledge on the curries and can advise a nice drink to go with it.

BYO which is also a bonus

by Glynn
27th June 2012

Beautiful, filling, quality….great food, good service. Can BYO (as we did).
Staff very pleasant and helpful.
great little local restaurant which serves quick and tasty food.

Looking at the old negative reviews, no idea which place they went to as we come here often and have never experienced anything like described.

Highly recommend…we keep coming back!

by Sophia C.
3rd June 2012

The best Indian restaurant ever, amazing food and nice friendly staff. Its byo which i think is always great, and you can buy drinks there too . The price s are very reasonable and they also do take aways ,which i often use . curry time keep up the good work .

by Phil J.
3rd June 2012

Great food, second time and just as good as the first time. We will be heading back soon to enjoy some more great food. Nice balance of meats, vege’s and sauce. Maybe a little noisy .

by Denise
18th May 2012

Just had our first meal at Curry Time. One of the best curries we’ve had in Christchurch. The staff were very helpful and polite. The service was great, just the right amount of time between courses. The food was served on HOT plates, almost unheard of in restaurants these days. We will certainly be going again.

by Ann
11th May 2012

Recently had lunch. A very good experience. Good service, good food and good value for money.

by Mark
8th May 2012

Great assett to the Redwood area, Have eaten in and had takeaways, nice modern comfortable interior and great food and service. Have no hesitation in recommending “Curry Time” – support the local Business !

by David H.
4th April 2012

Always had great service and amazing food. We’ve been working our way through the menu and haven’t been disappointed yet. Fish buhna is my favourite so far. It’s also a great place to go for lunch….same price as the ‘ Indian’ in the malls but waaay better quality.

by Daisy
6th March 2012

Great place to eat Indian food that doesn’t cost you much. Wide selection of different curries, naan bread was nice and freshly made. Service was great, very friendly staff. Overall we had a nice time there and good experience, with yummy curry and great services. Would definitely go back again. Thanks.

by Kish S.
20th February 2012

we have been to curry time 3 times for lunch and each time the service has been excellent! Pleasant staff and good food.We have tried the chicken & lamb dishes and the naan was good quality. we’ll be back again -cheers

by curry m.
30th January 2012

arrived on sat lunch time to wonderful food and service.eaten curries all over the world including brick lane.service,size,taste fantastic.going back to try their banquet set menu for wedding anniversary.as for dave ts comments.there is always somebody who even with superb service will find fault in anything!i sent a friend there and they could not fault.see you soon.

by Louise J.
17th January 2012

This has been our favourite Indian restaurant since it opened. The food is always fresh and cooked perfectly. The portions are more than adequate. Flavours are delicate and the spiciness of the meal is exactly what each person wants.
The unobtrusive service has been very good with friendly wait staff who go out of their way to help.
The ambience of the restaurant has been worked on over time to provide the right balance of lighting and privacy for each table.
A very pleasant night out with reasonable prices.

by Anthony
14th January 2012

My family and I have a keen taste for curry and have been to a number of restaurants to sample their food. Curry Time is definitely our favourite place and we would highly recommend it. Each dish has it’s own unique flavour and the flavours are amazing.

by Kim
4th January 2012

Great restaurant. Lovely food. Have been there many times and recommended it to many others who now go there too. Always relaxed and speedy service. Great quantity of food – always take some home in a container.

by Daisy W.
5th December 2011

Great service, good settings, good food. Try the Mango Chicken. We went there for lunch, reasonable price. Will definitely go back again.

by cawood
18th September 2011

have been to curry time on many occasions since it opened it doors. The staff have been friendly and helpful, and every time the food is just “moorish”. I have recommended curry time to many of my friends and family, all of whom are now regular customers, and not once have I heard a bad experience from them. All in all, a pleasurable intimate dining experience, value for money, and wonderful staff.

by Jim J.
13th September 2011

Bland, bland,bland.

Which surprised me after reading the reviews on here. How opinions differ, perhaps based upon previous experience I was expecting a lot more, but both my partner and my food tasted as if they came out of a can, albeit at least with a can of food you know there is a little more than water being used for ingredients.

We won’t be back there, there are plenty better Indian eateries in Christchurch. Service was very friendly though.

by Neil
5th August 2011

We booked a table for five last night at Curry Time. On arrival we were seated quickly, given menus and chilled water. The waitress was polite and friendly and there were only three other tables occupied so it was a quiet and relaxed atmosphere. Our entrees arrived 15 minutes after ordering and were suprisingly large and delicious. Our mains arrived about 15 minutes after we had finished our starters, everything looked fantastic and was steaming hot. Four of us prefer our dishes mild and one liked hot, he ordered the medium and did say that next time he would go for the hot as it wasn’t hot enough for him, for the rest of us it was perfect. We missed dessert as were all stuffed and we even took some of the uneaten food home in doggy bags! I also noted, after reading the single negative review for this restaurant, that a privacy screen has been placed by the door to seperate diners from the takeaway customers. As to the comments on the food, we found nothing in the previous reviewers comments to be true at the time we visited and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Curry Time to others. Just remember to ask for hot if you like heat in your curry

by Lynda
31st July 2011

Have eaten here a number of times, each time as good as the last. Very authentic flavours and great friendly service. Was also very pleased to get sparkling clean, heated plates as well. Naan was brilliant as well.
Will definitely be back and highly recommend to anyone.

by Charlotte
10th June 2011

We dined in on Friday 3rd June. The service was great and the food was amazing. There is heaps of choice and you can order just the right hotness (or not as the case may be). A great resturant for any food lover!
We are ordering takeout tonight, can’t wait!

by Joe J.
2nd June 2011

well, had take-away and also dined in. Fantastic, friendly service every time. have tried most things on the menu and so far cannot fault any of them!
Only 2 ways this place could improve…
1 – A liquor licence would save the trip to the bottle store around the corner and 2 – Get chicken dopiaza on the menu

As for comments by “Dave-T” we think he must be either the owner of another local Indian restaurant trying to run this 1 down, or stumbled into the chip shop next door by mistake!!!

Thank you guys

by Stephen M.
12th October 2010

This Indian restaurant is tucked away in the block of shops at the intersection of Daniels road and Main North Road Redwood. The Indian food is excellent, second to none. It is very clean with a modern decor.The staff we welcoming and with being a B.Y.O it is inexpensive. Recommend it for any special occasions or work function (There were 40 of us at the last function I organised – all enjoyed)

by Murray
9th August 2010

A big thank you to the staff of Curry Time for always providing an excellent dining experience be it dine or take away. The dine in service is friendly and courteous. We are made to feel extremely welcome and greeted as returning customers. The cuisine is excellent with curries to your request. I thoroughly recommend the entree platter for two.

by Trevor
27th July 2010

We have dined in at Curry Time many times and also had Take Aways. We would have to say that every meal we have had we have enjoyed immensely. We have taken others there also and they too have been very happy with the meals. The staff are very friendly and go out of their way to make everything enjoyable. We would recommend Curry Time to anyone who enjoys Indian food.

by AyoobMike
15th July 2010

We rate this the possibly the best Indian food in Christchurch, and really good value, personal service, friendly.
We have eaten at Curry Time often and have nothing but praise for this restaurant. A&M

by Jude R.
15th July 2010

We have dined at Curry Time many times. The meals have always been excellent. The staff are always very friendly and helpful. We think it is the best Indian Restaurant in Christchurch. Our London based son and partner think the onion bhajees are the best they have tasted!!

by Dave T.
28th December 2009

On the strength of the reviews on this site I took my wife to Curry Time for her birthday. We are always looking for good Indian restaurants close to us and thought we would give this one a go. To be honest, I don’t know why all these reviews are so good — perhaps we are completely off the mark, or maybe they are written by staff. In their defence, the night we dined was a public holiday, which might explain things, but I suspect probably doesn’t.

We were the only dine-in customers, arriving just after opening. First impressions were good; nice, neutral décor, relatively intimate settings and, unlike many Indian restaurants we have been to, the place, including what we could see of the kitchen, is exceptionally clean and tidy. Service was initially great with what appeared to be the owner taking our drinks and food orders. However, things soon went downhill from this point. Drinks arrived non-pre-chilled and with 1 small piece of ice in each that soon disappeared. Several take-away customers arrived, one with a small child that ran around screaming and throwing things and all milled around the counter/till area, which is not far from where we were sitting. These people stood around talking among themselves about whatever made up their day, as is their prerogative. Maybe we are weird, but we feel uncomfortable with people standing close by us while we are trying to eat and hold our own conversation. Our ‘intimate’ setting soon dissolved into putting up with everyone else’s comings and goings. Before long another parent/child combo arrived along with even more take-away clients. Busy disruptions aside, the worst thing was that our meal appeared to be put on hold while these orders were taken care of as it took roughly 50 minutes to arrive (we were still the only dine-in customers at this point). Perhaps some sort of screen separating the restaurant from the counter area would help make the dining-in experience a more intimate one? In Winter I can imagine the door opening and closing with constant traffic would be seriously upsetting to the people sitting at the first table inside the door, not much more than a meter away.

To be fair our starter platter arrived relatively promptly and the selection and sauces were fine but the somosas and bahjees were not to our taste. From where we sat the kitchen is visible through the door and we were pleased to see tongs being used and good kitchen practices in place. No problems there.

When the mains finally arrived, the naan, which has to be purchased separately and is relatively expensive at $3.70, was almost dead cold, as by this time were the hot plates put out in anticipation of our mains. The rice was beautifully cooked and very hot. Our mains though were awful, with my Butter Chicken tasting like Watties tomato sauce with ten tablespoon of chilli and sugar added. Even now, an hour after eating what I could of it I can still feel it, and it isn’t overly pleasant.

My wife’s Madras was not much better. The tandoori chicken in both our meals tasted like it was covered in Chicken Tonight sauce to give it colour, then microwaved. Nowhere to be seen was the slightly burnt edges and accompanying flavour that a good tandoori-cooked chicken should possess.

All in all, we could only manage about a third of it before giving up. We are not gourmets, but not total heathens either. We always give a new restaurant a fair go and, if good, we go back. I don’t think we will be going back to Curry Time. Our waiter guessed we weren’t altogether happy and mumbled an apology for something, I’m not sure what, but still charged us 66 bucks for the meal.

This restaurant could be up your alley if you like your Indian food really sweet and you might strike better service on a non-public holiday. We are usually willing to forgo certain aspects of dining if the food is great – or we are made to feel exceptionally welcome – but sadly none of these applied in this case. Unless something happens to convince us otherwise, we will likely not be returning to Curry Time, though we wish the owners no ill-will and the best of business.

by Tim F.
28th November 2009

I have not dined in yet but have had takeaways on a number of occasions and the food is the best Indian I have ever had, without exception. I have traveled extensively and eaten Indian in many locations but the Curry time food is by far the best I have had.

I travel about 5kms to get Curry time and pass a number of other Indian restaurants with pleasure. The service is fantastic too. Always friendly and helpful.

by Maurie S.
13th November 2009

My wife and I dine out almost every week and have done so for several years. We have tried almost all of the well established Asian/Indian/Thai restaurants in Christchurch. Curry Time, presents by far the best prepared and tasting food of all restaurants. The food is absolutely delightful in taste and presentation. In our opinion it is without equal and the best Indian/Bangladeshi restaurant in Christchurch. (we’ve been there more than 10 times) We usually dine with our Indian/Maylasian friends who had their own restaurant and they agree with our opinions expressed.

by Sheree
30th June 2009

Fantastic food and service, the Chilli Prawns are to die for! Great value.

by jaydeen beal
31st January 2009

the chicken korma is fantastic.
lovely and sweet. mild is mild for those of you who cant handle heat.
good service, friendly people.
will go there again!!

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