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We returned to Panahar on Moorland Road for another Curry Club evening, having visited several times before. Our earlier experience is covered in our Panahar Indian Restaurant review, so this visit gave us a chance to see how it felt to return to a familiar local favourite with a group of friends.
Panahar is the kind of Indian restaurant that knows its audience. The surroundings are simple, the menu leans heavily on traditional curry-house favourites, and the prices make a meal out with friends affordable. There are no elaborate extras to pay for, and the Bring Your Own Bottle policy means you can bring your own wine or beer without a corkage charge. IF you do, they won’t even bother taking your orders for drinks and will kindly bring out glasses for you to use with your own drinks. For our Curry Club, that combination made plenty of sense.
NOTE: Worth noting that the menu refers to Lamb as Meat. So when ordering Meat Rezela, it’s actually Lamb Rezela.
A Busy Friday Night on Moorland Road
We arrived on a Friday evening towards the end of the month. It was busy, with a steady stream of diners coming through the door and customers collecting takeaway orders. Pay day may well have helped explain the crowd.
We had made a mistake with our arrangements and, through no fault of the restaurant, had failed to book a table. We had to wait for one to become available, but it was only around five to ten minutes before we were seated. Given how busy the restaurant was, that was a reasonable wait.
Panahar is on Moorland Road, the main shopping street serving Oldfield Park. The area has a strong student presence, alongside local residents who use the shops and eateries along the road. The restaurant’s location and prices make it an accessible choice for people who want a curry without heading into Bath city centre and paying the prices often associated with a more central location.
The dining room is fairly compact. Tables are positioned close together, and the restaurant makes good use of the available space to accommodate as many customers as possible. It can feel a little tight when busy, particularly with a larger group, but that is part of the character of this sort of neighbourhood restaurant.
Due to the large number of patrons, the noise level can be a bit high at times, which is to be expected. More soft furnishing might help but the shear number of people packed in a tight space is to be attributed to this. Unless you start adding noise absorbing wall finishing, I can’t see how this will change.
Bring Your Own Bottle, Without the Corkage Charge
One of Panahar’s biggest practical advantages is its Bring Your Own Bottle policy. There is no corkage charge, so we picked up our wine and beer from a nearby supermarket before arriving. For a group dinner, this makes a noticeable difference to the overall bill. Drinks can add considerably to the cost of eating out, particularly when everyone orders a glass or two. Being able to bring your own keeps the evening affordable and lets everyone choose what they prefer.
The restaurant itself is straightforward in its presentation. There are no tablecloths or cloth napkins, just small paper napkins on the tables. The emphasis is clearly on serving food at accessible prices rather than creating a formal dining experience. That approach suits Panahar. You come here for a relaxed meal, familiar curry-house dishes and a bill that doesn’t make you think twice about arranging another evening out.
Poppadoms First, Then Straight to the Main Courses
Once seated, our server was quick to take our initial orders and returned shortly afterwards to collect the rest. We began with poppadoms and the accompanying chutney set, a familiar start to an Indian meal. For the main courses, our group ordered Lamb Madras, Lamb Rezela and Chicken Vindaloo, along with two portions of pilau rice, one keema rice and a naan bread.
I ordered the Lamb Rezela and keema rice. However, when the dishes arrived, I was given the Chicken Vindaloo instead. My friend, who had ordered the Vindaloo, received the Rezela. We didn’t spot the mix-up until we were nearly finished. The funny thing was that it wasn’t the heat of the Vindaloo that gave the game away. It was the single aloo — the potato — sitting in the dish. My friend joked that this was the aloo of the Vindaloo.
It gave us a laugh, although I did get to try a bit of the Lamb Rezela I had ordered on this visit and vice versa for my friend. With a busy dining room and several dishes arriving together, these things can happen. We had eaten most of the meal before realising, so there wasn’t much point in making a fuss at that stage. The experience did, however, remind us to check which dish has landed in front of us before getting too far into it!
A Traditional Indian Restaurant Menu
One thing I appreciate about Panahar is its menu. Some Indian restaurants devote an increasingly large section to house specials and chef’s creations, leaving the traditional dishes tucked away towards the back. Panahar takes a more conventional approach, with a broad selection of familiar curry-house favourites and a comparatively small house-specials or chef’s special section.
The traditional menu includes:
- Tandoori specialities and tandoori curry dishes, including Tikka Masala
- Mild and creamy curries, such as Kurma
- Classic medium curries, including Bhuna, Dupiaza, Rogan, Korai and Sagwala
- Other traditional favourites, including Methi, Benarsi, Dansak, Pathia and Balti
- Hot curries, such as Madras, Jhalfrazi and Vindaloo
- Rezala and garlic dishes for those looking for something a little different from the usual choices
There are also biryanis and a range of side dishes to round out the meal. This is a menu built around dishes people already know and enjoy. If you have a favourite curry, you are likely to find it here without having to work through pages of unfamiliar house specials.
A traditional menu also gives regular customers a reason to return. You can settle on a familiar order, or choose something different from the long list of established curry-house dishes. For a restaurant that attracts local residents and students, that consistency is part of the appeal.
Good Value Is the Main Attraction
Panahar has always struck me as a value-focused restaurant, and this visit reinforced that impression. The simple furnishings, compact dining room and paper napkins all fit with an establishment that keeps its overheads and presentation straightforward. Its BYOB arrangement adds to the savings, particularly for groups who would otherwise spend a fair amount on drinks.
Moorland Road is a useful location for this sort of restaurant. It serves the surrounding residential and student community, and it is convenient for anyone who lives or shops in Oldfield Park. The alternative is often to travel closer to Bath city centre, where diners may find themselves paying more for a comparable meal.
Panahar offers a practical option for anyone who wants to meet friends, order a few curries and enjoy a relaxed evening without turning dinner into an expensive occasion. It is worth being clear about what you are paying for. The setting is modest, the space is limited and the restaurant can get crowded at peak times. If you want an elaborate interior, spacious tables or a formal restaurant experience, this may not be the place for you. If you value affordable food and a traditional curry-house menu, it makes a much stronger case.
A Few Practical Tips Before You Visit
Book ahead on busy evenings. We were seated after around ten minutes without a reservation, but the restaurant was busy throughout our visit. Booking is sensible, especially for a Curry Club-sized group.
Bring your own drinks. Panahar’s no-corkage BYOB policy is a useful way to keep the bill down. There is a supermarket nearby, making it easy to pick up wine or beer before your meal.
Carry some cash. We paid in cash on this occasion, partly to help the restaurant avoid card-processing costs. There is a cash machine on Moorland Road, close to the local shops and Sainsbury’s Local supermarket.
Check your order when the food arrives. Our Lamb Rezela and Chicken Vindaloo were accidentally swapped between two diners. We only noticed near the end of the meal, so it is worth making sure everyone has the correct dish while the food is still arriving.
Expect a compact dining room. Panahar makes good use of its space. When the restaurant is full, tables can feel close together, so keep that in mind if you prefer a more spacious setting.
Would We Return to Panahar?
Yes. We have been to Panahar several times, and it remains a useful choice for our Curry Club evenings. Its appeal is easy to understand: a traditional Indian menu, affordable prices, a convenient Moorland Road location and the freedom to bring our own drinks without paying corkage.
Our order mix-up was a minor hiccup, and we managed to find the funny side of it. Next time, I would like to make sure I get to try the Lamb Rezela I originally ordered! Panahar isn’t trying to be a luxury restaurant, and it doesn’t need to be. It offers a straightforward way to enjoy a curry with friends, particularly for those who live around Oldfield Park or want to keep the cost of a meal out under control. For a relaxed Curry Club evening where the company, food and value matter most, Panahar continues to earn its place on our list.
Location Information
Panahar Indian Restaurant
- Address: Moorland Road, Oldfield Park, Bath
- Style: Traditional Indian restaurant and takeaway
- Drinks: Bring Your Own Bottle, with no corkage charge
- Best for: Affordable curry nights, local diners, students and groups of friends
For our previous visit and more details, read our earlier Panahar review on Colour My Days.
