Moonlight Indian Restaurant Corsham Review: Still a Family Favourite

Moonlight Indian Restaurant in Corsham has long been one of our family’s favourite places for a curry. We have visited many times over the years, enjoying everything from its excellent mixed seafood and lamb shank to the chef’s signature dishes featured in our previous Moonlight restaurant review.

Our expectations are naturally quite high whenever we return. Fortunately, Moonlight continues to deliver. What made this particular visit interesting was that I had eaten at Panahar Indian Restaurant in Bath the night before. With two curry meals on consecutive evenings, I was in an unusually good position to compare the food, presentation, service and overall dining experience. Both restaurants have their merits, but the differences were quite noticeable.

A Warm Welcome at a Familiar Restaurant

There were three of us on this occasion, and once again, we arrived without a reservation. Despite this, the familiar owner quickly welcomed us and showed us to our table. It is always pleasant returning to a restaurant where the people recognise you. Moonlight has consistently provided that personal touch, and this visit was no exception.

We had already enjoyed some cakes for afternoon tea, but apparently that wasn’t enough to satisfy our appetite. A proper curry dinner was still very much on the cards. One member of the family had been thinking about Moonlight’s Butter Chicken for some time, so that was an obvious choice. As for the rest of us, there were plenty of tempting options.

Poppadoms and Chutneys to Begin

As usual, we started with poppadoms and an assortment of chutneys while deciding on our main courses. The selection included mango chutney, mint sauce, onion salad and a green coriander-and-mint chutney. Lime pickle was also available, but we opted for the green chutney instead.

The green chutney deserves a mention. Typically made with fresh coriander, mint, green chillies, ginger, garlic, cumin and lemon or lime juice, this style of chutney brings a sharper, fresher flavour to the table. It provides a welcome contrast to the sweetness of mango chutney and the cooling mint sauce.

We always enjoy this little ritual at the beginning of an Indian meal. The poppadoms and accompanying dips offer enough variety to keep everyone occupied while waiting for the curries to arrive.

Butter Chicken: A Family Favourite Worth Returning For

Butter Chicken was the first main course on our list. Moonlight prepares its version with tandoor-cooked chicken, simmered in a sauce made with butter, cashew nuts and tomatoes, finished with cream and kasuri methi (dried fenugreek leaves). It is one of those comforting curry dishes that appeals to anyone who enjoys a milder, creamier sauce rather than something particularly hot.

We have ordered Butter Chicken here on previous visits, and it remains a favourite. There is something reassuring about returning to a restaurant with a particular dish in mind and finding it as enjoyable as you remembered. This time was no different.

Dalcha Lamb: A Hearty Signature Dish with Lucknow Influences

For my own main course, I initially considered ordering the Garlic Chilli, described on the menu as a dish sautéed with garlic, butter, lemon juice and a touch of Cajun powder, completed with a garlic chilli sauce. It sounded appealing, especially as I tend to favour curries with a little more heat. However, the Signature Collection eventually won me over, and I chose the Dalcha Lamb (Lucknow Style).

This was not entirely unfamiliar territory. We had ordered Dalcha Lamb on a previous visit and enjoyed it enough to write about it. The dish features marinated lamb cooked in a tandoor and combined with chana dal, red onions, green chillies, bell peppers and curry leaves. Ginger and fresh mint complete the combination.

Unlike a conventional curry served in a bowl of sauce, Moonlight’s Dalcha Lamb arrived beautifully arranged on a plate. It looked substantial, with the pieces of lamb surrounded by the colourful mixture of vegetables, lentils and spices.

The chana dal adds body to the dish, making it a more substantial option than a straightforward meat curry. The green chillies and ginger bring warmth, while the fresh mint introduces another layer of flavour.

It was exactly the sort of hearty, aromatic dish I had hoped for. For anyone wanting to explore beyond the familiar Madras, Bhuna or Rogan Josh, Moonlight’s Signature Collection is worth a closer look.

Palak: Our Favourite Way to Judge an Indian Restaurant

Instead of ordering three main courses between us, we decided on two mains and one vegetable side, together with rice and naan breads. Our choice was Palak, sautéed spinach cooked with chopped onions, garlic and butter.

If you have been following our restaurant reviews, you will know that we have something of a habit of judging an Indian restaurant by the quality of its spinach side dish. It might seem an odd benchmark, but a well-prepared spinach dish can tell you quite a lot about the kitchen’s approach to flavour, seasoning and texture.

Palak vs Saag Bhaji: What’s the Difference?

On British Indian restaurant menus, spinach is commonly offered as Saag Bhaji. At Moonlight, however, the vegetable side is listed as Palak, with Palak Paneer available as a separate dish. The names can be confusing because they overlap.

Palak is the Hindi word for spinach, while saag is a broader term referring to leafy greens, which may include spinach, mustard greens and other varieties.

Saag Bhaji, as commonly served in British Indian restaurants, is generally a sautéed spinach or leafy-green dish with onions, garlic and spices. It is often relatively dry, although preparation varies between restaurants.

Palak Paneer, meanwhile, is a popular North Indian dish featuring cubes of paneer cheese in a seasoned spinach gravy, often blended to give it a smoother texture.

Moonlight’s Palak is closer in preparation to a spinach bhaji, using chopped onions, garlic and butter rather than a smooth spinach sauce. And we thoroughly enjoyed it. The spinach was tasty, nicely seasoned and importantly, retained enough moisture to accompany the rice and curries without feeling dry.

This was particularly noticeable compared with the Saag Bhaji we recently ordered at River Spice in Bradford-on-Avon, which we felt was rather dry. It is a small detail, but these are precisely the differences we notice when returning to our favourite curry houses.

Pilau Rice, Keema Naan and Garlic Naan

To complete our meal, we ordered a portion of pilau rice, a keema naan and a garlic naan. Having eaten keema rice at Panahar the previous evening, I fancied a change and went for the keema naan instead.

There was also a rather amusing connection between the two meals. At Panahar, I had ordered Lamb Rezela but ended up eating Chicken Vindaloo after our dishes were accidentally swapped. This evening, I was pleased to have the lamb curry I had actually ordered!

The keema naan at Moonlight was tasty, with the seasoned minced meat providing a savoury contrast to the curries. It was slightly burnt around the edges, noticeably more so than the garlic naan, although this didn’t spoil our enjoyment.

The garlic naan was nicely prepared and made an excellent accompaniment to the butter chicken. The pilau rice was another area where Moonlight stood out. Compared with the rice served at Panahar the evening before, Moonlight’s portion was noticeably larger, more colourful and, to my taste, more flavourful. Rice might be considered a supporting act in an Indian meal, but when it is prepared well, it contributes considerably to the overall experience.

Moonlight vs Panahar: Two Very Different Curry Experiences

Having eaten at Panahar in Bath the previous evening, it was impossible not to draw some comparisons. Panahar is a traditional, no-frills Indian restaurant on Moorland Road in Oldfield Park. It offers an extensive selection of familiar curries at affordable prices, and its Bring Your Own Bottle policy, without corkage charges, makes it particularly attractive for groups of friends. I enjoyed my meal there, and it remains a good choice for our Curry Club outings.

Moonlight, however, offers a different level of dining experience. The differences begin with the surroundings. At Panahar, the tables are close together, with simple furnishings and paper napkins. At Moonlight, we were seated at a table dressed with a white tablecloth and proper white cloth napkins.

The interior is tastefully decorated, with paintings featuring the moon and moonlit scenes, a fitting touch given the restaurant’s name. The atmosphere feels comfortable and inviting, with more attention paid to the overall dining experience. There are also thoughtful details in the service. At Moonlight, we were each given a hot plate for our meal, helping to keep the food warm while we shared the different dishes.

The presentation of the food was another noticeable difference. My Dalcha Lamb arrived carefully arranged on a plate, while the pilau rice had more colour and visual appeal than the rice I had eaten the previous evening.

In terms of flavour, Moonlight had the edge for me on this occasion. The rice was more enjoyable, the vegetable side particularly good, and the signature lamb dish provided something different from the conventional curry-house favourites.

Of course, the comparison is not entirely like-for-like. At Panahar, I had eaten Chicken Vindaloo rather than the Lamb Rezela I originally ordered, and the restaurants cater to somewhat different expectations. Panahar’s strengths are its affordability, extensive traditional menu and relaxed, informal approach. Moonlight places greater emphasis on presentation, its signature creations, service and the complete dining experience. Both have their place, depending on what you are looking for.

It’s the Little Things That Make Moonlight Special

One of Moonlight’s greatest strengths is its hospitality. The owner recognised us from our previous visits, welcomed us warmly and later came over to ask whether we had enjoyed our meal and if everything was alright. It is a simple gesture, but one that makes a difference.

Combined with the white table linen, hot plates, attractive food presentation and comfortable surroundings, it creates the feeling of a restaurant that genuinely cares about the experience it provides. We have visited Moonlight enough times to know that this was not a one-off occasion. There is a consistency to the welcome and the food that keeps us coming back.

Moonlight Continues to Deliver

There is always a risk that returning to a favourite restaurant with high expectations will end in disappointment. Thankfully, Moonlight Indian Restaurant in Corsham has yet to give us much reason to worry. The Butter Chicken satisfied a long-standing craving, the Dalcha Lamb was a hearty and flavourful choice, and the Palak reminded us why we enjoy ordering spinach as a side dish wherever we go.

Even the slightly burnt edges of the keema naan were a minor imperfection in an otherwise thoroughly enjoyable meal. The comparison with Panahar was also revealing. While Panahar offers excellent value and a perfectly enjoyable traditional curry-house experience, Moonlight provides that little bit extra in food presentation, surroundings and attentive service.

It is easy to understand why Moonlight has earned such a strong reputation among its customers. For us, it remains one of the best places to enjoy an Indian meal in the Corsham and Bath area. More importantly, it continues to be a restaurant where we know we can bring the family, order our favourites and look forward to a lovely evening together. And that is precisely why we keep returning.