Nirmals Restaurant Reviews

  See also: the Nirmals Restaurant profile page.

Ali Khan - 4th May 2012

Rating:

I had the misfortune to visit this establishment the other night with my wife.

To be welcomed by an overbearing owner and being told what to order is not my idea of a night out. I know what I like and don't like and being told and feeling pressurised to order from the overpriced specials menu. I felt belittled.

When the food did arrive it was mediocre and bland. Nothing special. Meat was gristly and the chicken was lukewarm. If they had been busy I could understand but it was a quiet Tuesday night.

Never again.

Also be aware you will be charged 10% for service. What service? Surely that should be at your discretion. When I asked the waiters who gets the 10% I was informed the boss keeps it. Shame on you.

You overcharge for your mediocre food and then expect your patrons to pay a service charge, which you pocket also.

Its a shame they don't have minus stars to give as I would be giving them to you.

My advice to other diners is stay away and order from elsewhere.

Kit - 3rd March 2012

Rating:

I really didn't enjoy my experience eating here.

The primary reason for this was the hostess. As other people have mentioned, she is incredibly pushy and irritating. For me, this pretty much ruined the evening before I tasted the food. She was continually suggesting various dishes, even after we explained that no, we didn't really like cauliflower!

The food was okay - nothing to write home about. It certainly wasn't worth the cost of the meal! For some reason, the food here is insanely expensive for the quality you receive.

So basically, if you like overbearing staff hovering close to you all night, then this place is perfect. If you want a pleasant evening, then I suggest you try elsewhere.

Mick Sterbs - 1st December 2010

Rating:

Where to start with this one? Like fools we entered in where no one else was eating. Table cloth was stained and dirty. Bhaji starters were cremated and looked as though they had been reheated several times.

Advised to order from "Specials board" with no prices attached and guess what, "Specials" all ridiculously expensive for not a lot. I had Chicken saag, which consisted of 1 tiny chicken breast and sauce in a tiny khari dish. Add to this a pathetic shop-bought naan, a bottle of Tiger beer at nearly £6 and pints of lime and soda at £2.45 each!

The total cost for 4 starters, 4 curries, 1 naan, 2 boiled rice, 1 beer and 3 lime & sodas was £78.60! We've been for curries virtually everywhere and never had our clothes felt up like this! Give this place a miss, it gives good curry restaurants a bad name.

Never, ever again!

Robin MacNeill - 28th November 2009

Rating: (Not rated - review added before star ratings introduced.)

Nirmals is simply one of the, if not the, finest Indian restaurant in Sheffield.

Where to start? Their homemade pickles (especially the carrot one) with popadums could be a meal in themselves. They make the best prawn puri I've ever eaten, a delicate freshly cooked puri sat on prawns in a lightly spiced cream sauce with a good bit of coconut. Their chicken wings are great too, with a tasty chickpea curry.

To be fair all the starters I've tried have been delicious. The mains are just a step above you're average curry, tastier, fresher everything about them says quality. And I'd try the parsnip side dish.

Rarely have space for puddings but like the kulfi very much when I can fit it in. Again it's homemade and puts what you've tried before into the shade. I've been many times so I may be biased but I think you'd be mad not to give it a go.

Zena - 13th December 2007

Rating: (Not rated - review added before star ratings introduced.)

We decided to visit the famous Nirmals Restaurant after hearing such good reviews. However, my experience was not so pleasant and ruined what was a great evening.

To start, we were seated to a dirty table, then given a filthy look when requested to have our table cleaned and set up. 40 minutes later the table was never set despite asking the waiter to do so several times. I would understand if the restaurant was busy, but it wasn't. The waiter was ignorant and rude! Never again!

Ashley Lester - 28th November 2007

Rating: (Not rated - review added before star ratings introduced.)

I keep going back to Nirmals Restaurant because I do believe it to be the best Indian cuisine that Sheffield has to offer. A family run business headed by Nirmal Gupta, who was a consultant for Sheffield University, has a good menu and serves spirits wine and Indian beers - a small bar but a wide selection of drinks, even if they are very pricey.

Your first visit will either be pleasant or downright bizarre - mine falls in to the latter category. I arrived just after closing on a Tuesday and not only did she welcome me in for a takeaway but she drove me back to my house! Something like this you just don't get in Sheffield or indeed anywhere else these days. Back a week later with a friend for a proper meal, on entering we were shown to our table and given menus, along with poppadoms and pickles (their mango chutney is divine - no other place I have been to comes close, and I have tried a half dozen Indian restaurants in Sheffield and plenty more in Manchester and Birmingham).

Nirmal comes over in her full ample regalia and recommends dishes, not something to everyone's taste but we put our trust in her and I would advise you to do the same. Service was quick, although she occasionally does have a memory lapse and forgets the odd naan which is no big deal as she barks her orders in the kitchen and keeps the chefs on their toes, which is nevertheless entertaining.

I usually have the madras, or the jalfrezi, with the occasional starter, half portion of saag paneer or Bombay aloo, and Kingfisher, sometimes a desert like her fresh mangoes from Bombay or kulfi, home made gold-leaved ice cream. If you're extra special as a customer she will give you a nice piece of her Indian sweet almond and aniseed pastry cake which is divine - I forget the name of it at this precise moment... It may be elitist but trust me, once you have the custom of this woman she will be like your second mother.

You can spend however much you want to, I have had meals for under £15 per person and I've splashed out and not got change from £30, it's rather up to you. But it can be a little pricey, as reviews have pointed out. I suppose you get what you pay for though. Just don't be tempted to give in to Nirmal's requests for you to try her so-and-so because it drains the wallet! All in all a fabulous place. Little touches like for example the timing of the naan to arrive about 90 seconds after the food is perfect - keeping it fresh and letting you spoon out the food before the naan reaches the table - now that's service.

All said and done it really is a haven for Sheffield's curry scene.

Prashant - 24th November 2007

Rating: (Not rated - review added before star ratings introduced.)

Nirmals restaurant touts itself as a very different restaurant, and it is different. As per the guide book you do have the ample hostess greeting you on entry.

The restaurant has a very homely feel to it (managed by the whole family). It has an old style decor and is really cramped for leg space.

The food is good (though no different from the endless array of other Indian restaurants in the UK). But the service was very slow.

Also beware of the prices on the menu card. The menu card is outdated and what you are charged for is much more than what is stated on the menu.

All in all an average decent restaurant but not one that I would frequent more than once.