Food Review: Namaste Village, Indian Cuisine in Norwich

On a picturesque summer's evening, I had the pleasure of visiting one of the best Indian restaurants in the UK. Namaste Village is a family-run restaurant that celebrates authentic Indian cuisine with a focus on vegetarian and vegan dishes. 

Namaste Village was named the best Vegetarian restaurants in the UK at the National Curry Awards 2023 and after experiencing the food and the atmosphere first-hand, it is clear to see why they won this award. 

Bathed in the warm glow of the summer evening, Namaste Village exuded a vibrant ambiance as the friendly and attentive staff welcomed us with open arms. On their website, they state that they treat their guests like family and we felt this as soon as we entered the restaurant. 

We settled at a table near the bar and the restaurant was decorated beautifully with hanging lanterns from the ceiling and the bright beautiful colours that surrounded us made the restaurant feel warm, lively and inviting. 

We started with a delightful array of poppadoms accompanied by a pickle tray. The pickle tray beckoned with a tantalizing assortment of vibrant chutney, included were lime pickle, a fresh mint sauce, a tamarind date chutney and a pot of vibrant red onion and pepper that were sweet and spicy to accompany the chutney.

The pickle tray was bright, tempting and irresistibly fresh. From tangy tamarind to a sharp mint sauce., Each condiment offered a burst of flavour to accompany the salty and crunchy poppadoms making every bite absolutely delicious.

For our main course, I opted for the creamy butter masala made with vegan chick'n, whilst my partner chose a dish with slightly more of a spicy kick with the chick’n Jalfrezi.

Alongside our curry choices, we opted for a serving of Gujarati Pulav rice and indulged in a Gujwari Naan each.

I give credit to the portion sizes at Namaste Village as they were incredibly generous with plenty of the vegan chick’n in each curry portion. Each dish boasted a beautiful balance of aromatic spices and expert seasoning which really brought the taste of India to our dining experience.

The vegan chick’n was tender and deliciously marinated in spices, it practically fell apart as I was eating it. With the creamy, velvety butter masala sauce, the vegan Chick'n effortlessly absorbed the flavours and had a warm aromatic essence. Equally impressive was the Chick'n Jalfrezi, which was fiery and bold striking a perfect balance between heat and flavour.

The Gujwari Naan bread was the perfect accompaniment for the decadent curry dishes and are one of my favourite side dishes when ordering a curry. They were soft and pillowy and expertly cooked to a lightly golden colour, the fresh and sweet desiccated coconut that was found when tearing the naan allowed for a balance in not only taste but in texture when eating the dishes. 

I am someone who usually orders plain steamed rice with my curry, but I decided to be bold and try something more exciting. We opted for the Gujarati Pulav Rice which consisted of seasonal vegetables, saffron and aromatic spices. After trying this, I will never just order plain steamed rice ever again. The flavours of the rice blended seamlessly together and the saffron made the rice taste so luxurious.

After a satisfying and rich main course, we couldn’t help but indulge in a dessert to share. I love that they have been able to cater for vegans within their dessert section and even more in love with the fact that they can offer a fudgy chocolate cake. The Choc-A-Lot cake was fluffy and soft but the fudgy sauce that coated the cake melted effortlessly when eating it. To complement the cake’s chocolatey richness, a scoop of light and sweet vanilla ice cream graced the plate allowing for a refreshing contrast and enhancing the dessert.

Setting

One of the most beautiful restaurants in Norwich with bright beautiful colours surrounding you as you dine. 

Price

Our full bill came to £68.50 which included a 12.5% service charge which was whole-heartedly deserved. The two servers were so kind and inviting and were always there if you needed anything at all. 

Service

As above, the service was extremely warm and welcoming. The two servers were so friendly and attentive.

Highlight

Everything was absolutely delicious but my highlight would have to be the Butter Masala Chick’n. 

Summary

Namaste Village is the perfect journey into the realm of Indian cuisine. The warm and inviting ambiance, coupled with the attentive service, created an atmosphere of true hospitality. For anyone seeking an unforgettable and immersive Indian dining experience in Norwich, I wholeheartedly recommend Namaste Village.