When in London, the Southall area be sure to check out this wonderful dinning experience. The lamb chops were truly the best ever! The service from Fernandes exceptional as well. On the list of top places on my list. read more

Brilliant Restaurant - Mixed grill, chicken curry multiple sides. Mint sauce and tamarind deliciousness! - Indian Near Me - Southall, XGL

See all

I had some overseas guests from the film industry who like to keep a low profile, I had told them how good this place is and of the three options I gave them they plumped for Brilliant. The service was good and the welcome warm but even my guests said next time they would like try somewhere different. I don't know if the chef had changed or cost cutting had led to noticeable changes but it wasn't to the standard of before. The lamb biriyani had tough pieces of meat and as my guests discreetly pointed out the cuts were not the best that had been purchased. The prawn curry portion was half the size it used to be and tasted as it would from any local curry house, it no longer had that marinated depth of flavor. The first sweet lassi was ok but towards the end of the evening when a second was ordered all three of us could see the difference it had been watered down and tasted different. Both the naan and the tandoori paneer lacked the smoky taste of being cooked in a tandoor as it used to taste before, either the tandoor has gone, wasn't working or this chef isn't as adept at bringing the flavors out. Another sign of cost cutting is our table initially only got two chutneys, the table adjacent had four, I asked why and our server said that's only if you order papadums, later I asked for the four chutneys to be brought so my guests could try which were happily brought over but I don't know if they were complimentary or if they were added to the bill because our server at the end of the meal gave a total amount and the credit card machine whereas previously mints and the itemized bill would be presented first so one could check all was in order. read more

Very highly overpriced and overrated. It's not the restaurant we used know even 10 years ago. Portions are half the size than what they used to be. Average charge per person without any drinks is around forty pounds. read more

Food was good, but to be honest tasted just like some Indian restaurants back in Virginia. We started with the butter chicken. Not very saucy, and a little bland for my tastes...was picking out gristle and bone out of every bite, but I ate it and found it's flavor to be brought out more with some of the side sauces they brought out (one tasted like a BBQ?) I also had the curry lamb--very good! Lamb just fell apart it was so tender. The naan was probably the best part of the whole experience. Warm, very fresh, the best naan I've ever had. Something I found a little disturbing with the ambiance were the posters of Ms. Anand EVERYWHERE advertising her book. Her books were everywhere and posters and all kinds of stuff so I found myself staring at her the entire evening. Kind of ruined the ambiance, but kudos to good advertising, while sitting there we saw her sell and sign at least 2 books. *see pic of creepy stare* kind of like she's saying with her eyes "like my food........" read more

Brilliant Restaurant - "Like my food...or else...." - Indian Near Me - Southall, XGL

See all

Yes, it hit the spot! Great Indian food. Highlights: Food was delicious, cooked to perfection and ample quantity, Location was easy to find, Staff was friendly with good decor and set up. Can improve: Parking is a pain so be prepared to walk a little. Benchmark: For me the best Indian restaurants are Delhi Spice, Namaste Lounge and Everest Lounge. Dined in June 2015 and will return if in the area. read more

Brilliant Restaurant - Passion fruit juice - Indian Near Me - Southall, XGL

See all

Good tasty food. Healthy Indian food cooked to perfection. Zeera chicken is my favourite and chicken curry with crispy tandoori rotis to finish .. read more

This place has a great reputation for serving great Indian Food. Located in Southall which is perhaps the only drawback because if this was located in any other place it would be lines out the door. As others have pointed out this place has won many UK Curry Awards and they continue to be a benchmark by which other chefs have to compete. Its not cheap, perhaps 15 to 20 Pounds per person, which is about $24 to $30 Dollars. They keep this location going but I believe the majority of the business seems to have migrated to catering for weddings for the England Elite. People who can afford the steep prices for a posh and extravagant menu. Almost wish we had access to a place like this in San Francisco Bay Area, but alas some things have not migrated from the old RAJ to the New World. This is a must try if you are in the Area, other options are available in Ealing like Monty's. read more

Wow! The biryani lived up to expectations, as did the samosa's. I also ordered the tilapia pekoras and they were good too. Service was amazing. You can't miss this place. Totally worth it. The waiter didn't think my brilliant joke was funny, but then again, I was a tourist pushing the comic envelope. I've left London almost six weeks ago, and I can still smell the biryani. will go back just as soon as I touch UK soil read more

Nice buzzy atmoshere, loved the home made pickles & chutney. We had Orkra with lamb, Keema Peas, Lamb Biryani & Dhal(see pics). Was very good, you can taste the spices individually. Would come again. read more

Brilliant Restaurant - Pickles & chutneys - Indian Near Me - Southall, XGL

See all

I came here for my uncle's 70th+ birthday dinner & this is, hands down, the best (restaurant cooked) Indian food I have EVER had. The food was impeccable!! All of the meats were cooked to perfection - so tender! The curries were delicious & perfectly spiced. The service was great, however, they were spotty at times. This is an expensive meal, but definitely worth the splurge. read more

Always busy and a favourite among many I know for a Punjabi restaurant culinary experience! I wouldn't go as far to say it's " traditional" because food doesn't have the same kick or rustic appeal that you get from home cooking. But it's pretty close and tries to appeal to all palates. Great variety of dishes and they all come out piping hot and yes very tasty! Great for kids and families more so than an intimate meal for two. Sadly I have found as it gets busier the staff can get distracted - ours kept forgetting to check on us! For an Indian restaurant where you tend to need more naans or top ups mid- meal this was annoying and a let down. Overall better than most busy Indian restaurants. read more

Great resturant, food is tastey and fairly priced. Staff are very friendly, and atmosphere is quite nice. They have great starters and their main courses are very good too, they make great milkshakes too. I liek their lamb briyani it tastes just right, not too dry like some other places. read more

I agree with everything the other reviewers have said about The Brilliant. It is easily one of the best Indian Restaurant in the area. You know it is good when even the local Indian Community eat there. Very light and airy. Modern decor - not a plastic Taj Mahal or roll of flock wallpaper in site. Very clean, great service. The only small grip I have is the massive plasma TV's were on all the time. That might be OK for some but it ruined the 'atmos' for me slightly. Food is really good. Not too spicy which is usually done so just for the 'British' Pallet anyway (Goodness Gracious Me and the 'going for an English' sketch springs to mind). The food comes in good size portions but don't expect to find a healthy option anywhere on the menu. I am a wheelchair user so also look at things from the wheelchair access point of view. It has level access but no disabled loo. Plenty of side streets to park down though. The place gets very busy most weekends so you need to arrive early of be prepared for a wait for a table. read more

Please, people, ignore the negative reviews of the Brilliant. Maybe people genuinely had bad experiences, or they're just used to high street rubbish - or, as I suspect, the low-starring reviews are planted by rival restaurateurs. I'm as critical as you can be of any restaurants, but especially Indian / Pakistani places, and trust me the Brilliant .... IS. Utterly delicious, authentic food, fantastic ingredients, charming service, delightful ambiance. And, no, I wasn't influenced by Gordon Ramsay, either! I previously reviewed the Argentinian place in Battersea which he raved about in the same series, and it was dreadful.The Brilliant is now my joint No. 1 in London. read more

The Brilliant has long been one of of my favourite Indian restaurants - I have been coming here for twenty years on a regular basis. These days it is very smart, with an upstairs room that can be hired for private dining. The cooking is authentic Punjab,with a few twists from East Africa, which is where the owners grew up. Tandoori dishes are excellent, such as the butter chicken or jeera chicken, and the tandoori quaili is superb. Curries are made using a specially made garam masala mix, and dishes such as methi chicken have a wonderful rich complexity highlighting fenugreek and a host of other spices. Try the romali roti, a paper-thin bread that is tossed in the air and cooked briefly on a steel hemisphere. It is a bread that is common enough in India, but hardly any restaurant in the UK serves it. Portions are very much designed for large Asian families, but they will happily pack any leftovers for you. Prices are very fair indeed (though high by Southall standards) - £25 a head including drinks will buy more food than anyone could reasonably eat at one sitting. read more

This is the Indian Restaurant against which I rate all others. It is a multi award wining Indian restaurant. If you are in the London area - be sure to dine here. read more

I have been to this restaurant since I was a child. It is without doubt one of the best authentic Punjabi restaurant in England. Cooked by Indians as opposed to Bangladeshis, and at any one time, half the customers in the restaurant will be Indian, which is the best indicator of quality. The serv ice is unfailingly courteous. The last time i came here, I had the samosas which were light and delicious. We then had the chana, methi chicken, a couple of paneer dishes, kofta and vegetable biryani. These were all good, and the sauces vibrant and deep. The house wine at £2.50 a glass was very palatable. This place does not specialise in puddings. Despite being described as so on the menu, the kulfi was definitely not 'home made' and was correspondingly tasteless.The rasmalai was very dry despite the milky syrup. Whilst the food is a reason to come back again and again, the restaurant itself lacks atmosphere. The very bright white lighting and bank of televisions all along the back wall prevent you from feeling comfortable and relaxed. That is a shame. Aside from this, I'll still be found here for many years to come. read more

I can't believe this place only has 3 stars on Qype. What's wrong with you people? The food here is fantastic. The butter chicken is the best I've ever had and the rest of the menu is mouthwateringly good. In fact I want to go there right now and it's only quarter to 10 in the morning as I write this. The only thing that lets Brilliant down is the pricing, as it's more expensive than other local haunts such as Mirch Masala or Gifto's Lahore Karahi. read more

First time eating Indian. It was "Brilliant"! Ha Ha. Ok, the staff were very nice and helpful and the prices were not to bad. All in all a good introduction to Indian food for me. I would go back without hesitation. read more

Upon arrival, we were sent upstairs to the banqueting suite area. We were sat on a table which was next to the window - and the first thing that was noticed was the amount of dust on the window sill. Looking at the ceiling also, it was vile - there are stains all over it. Everyone in my family commented that how can such a 'reputable' restaurant be in such a mess? We decided to have the set menu, but were told that if the children had food off the a la carte menu, they would not be able to eat from the adult's food. This my whole family thought wasatrocious, because how can you say no to a child if they want to eat food off your plate which you have ordered? Secondly, we ordered the starters, which arrived within good time. Everyone began to tuck in, when all of a sudden, from under one of the dishes, a cockroach came crawling out!! My mum saw this and called the waiter, and diplomatically told him that the 'restaurant has a little friend'. The waiter picked up the cockroach with his bare hands, went in to the kitchen, and within seconds was out with plates of food in his hand, which makes me question whether he actually washed his hands?! Thirdly, after the cockroach incident, everyone was quite concious of what they were eating, and the 2 children refused to eat any food. When the mains arrived, my whole family were sickened, and hardly ate any of it. When the waiters came to pick all the dishes, out of curiousity, I asked if we could have the food packed up to which I was told no. So where do all the dishes that I have paid for go - they are actually re used again with other customers. So say I don't wash my hands when I go to the toilet, and then put my hands in dishes which are not finished, this is all added in to a big pot again for someone else to eat!? Fourthly, the toilets upstairs in the restaurant are filthy!! The women's toilet is right next to the kitchen, and both the kitchen door and the toilet door are open so there is a stench of faeces in the air, and a massive risk of cross contamination It is absolutley horrendous, and totally unacceptable!!! read more

Me & my wife decided to give Brilliant restaurant a visit after reading the reviews. The ambience of the restaurant was good. Very few noises going around. Best treat was to watch a video of Gordon Ramsay's visit to the restaurant for filming one of his cookery shows. For the starters we ordered some spicy Mogo chips. The mogos were crisp on the outside, soft on the inside. It was a good start and looked quite positive. Then we ordered Panner Jalfrezi which was cottage cheese cooked with mixed vegetables. The appearance all the three green, red, yellow peppers made it looked quite appetising. It went very well with plain kulcha bread which was well done, hot and soft, just as we liked it. At the end of the meal, we were given complimentary mint chocolates. Overall, the service was quick and they receive full marks for it. The only letback was the ginger ale, compared to what you usually get in supermarkets, this one was pale in flavour. I would look forward to visiting this restaurant again read more

This is the Indian where Charles and Camilla eat! The food is Punjabi with an African influence and the starters are enormous and delicious; try the Nyama Choma (Lamb ribs barbequed in Kenyan spices). I find it best to pig out on the starters then share a few main course dishes between you. Plenty of vegetarian options, and also the menu has healthy options marked on it. Loads of different breads to try. The staff are friendly and attentive. Have a look at the website! read more

Gone to Brilliant in Southall several times from Central London as the food is really good. Good Punjabi cuisine without fuss. However last night was a disaster. The restaurant for the first time during my visits was full and the staff was out of their dept. In short it was a shamble. I had to wait 25 minutes before been shown the menu. Only after several attempts (4) to get one of the waiter attention and having to "scream" to get them to attend, they came and took my order. Ok we all know a busy restaurant can have some difficulties to satisfy all but 25 minutes just for the menu?? Of the 2 starters ordered one arrived in timely manner the other....... ?? Some 10 minutes went by and looking at a lost waiter that was going around trying to unload some food to other tables, I enquired if it was mine, and he said yes. However it was not and sent it back. 10 minutes later he re appears with the same dish put it on my table and walked away. Got really upset as it was the same platter that was around for at least 15 minutes by then and when the daughter of the owner came by to apologise she said " I apologise but it's a busy night more than usual " NOT GOOD to apologise and take away the apology with an excuse as "we were busy more than usual" Is either one or the other. Anyway the food is good and reasonably priced but please AVOID BUSY TIMES as the can't cope. read more

The food was good but not Brilliant. Above average though. I was not that impressed with the service and found it difficult to get the attention of the waiter, which should have been easy being the only diners in the restaurant at the time (it was quite early in the evening). Maybe the waiter hadn't warmed up yet. I found the large TV screens showing Bollwood movies with scantilly clad woman whirling around quite distracting whilst we ate. The ambience was not my cup of tea as I prefer something a little more intimate, I can see many people may enjoy that sort of place though. read more

V.good but please try"The curry fever"in leicester,run by relatives of "Brilliant"it really does define what indian cuisine is all about.The best bar none!!!! read more

people like to rant and rave about this place, just because prince harry and gordon ramsay have been. food is something else though! nice

I was excited to go here since I am rarely stranded at Heathrow and it is not so easy to get to if you are staying in London proper. Southall where the restaurant is located is like being in India and Brilliant is definitely the jewel in the neigbhorhood crown. As a solo diner I paid 16 GBP roundtrip from my hotel at Heathrow just to pay homage and I was pleased to have done so. I started with the meat samosas and then had the lamb biryani. These are both staple items and you can tell everything about an Indian restaurant based upon the execution of these basics. The samosas had the classic thin, spring-roll wrapper which is almost never found any more, especially in the U.S. because of how much more work it takes to seal them and make them properly. I HATE FAT TORTILLA SAMOSAS. The lamb biryani was as good as homemade which means I would import it if I could! Not bits of lamb added to some sloppy paella wannabe rice dish, but true pressure cooker pot rice seared lamb. So yumm! My only regret was the fact that I could not find a group of people to dine with so I could have experienced even more flavors. read more

the food is not upto standard the place is cool and location gre at, staff are crap and they dont pay attention to the customers really this place is far from brilliant. I am not a rival restraunt owner I enjoy good food. read more

As always the service and food were OUTSTANDING! I live in Boston USA and come to Brilliant every chance I get when I am close to London/Southall!!! read more

i laughed when i read the review about the cockroach found in someones food, i think you have the wrong restaurant, this restaurant has a very famoius reputation and was selected as one of gordon ramsays best it also has a 5 score (the highest) rating you can get from the health inspector for its cleanliness and hygiene standards, and thats proving their hygiene is very good i think these reviews are probably written by customers who were looking for a freeby but didnt get one or customers who didnt get a table, why would someone make up silly things like this, fails me anyhow i have visited brilliant 150 times in the last 5-6 years and its never disappointed me, my family nor my friends. Food is spectacular and by FAR THE BEST INDIAN FOOD IN THE COUNTRY. Dont take my word for it, anyone can write reviews, go and judge it yourself. SIMPLY BRILLIANT read more

This has to be the worst Indian food ever. Went there last week for Valentines Day, and must say the food is bland and tasteless!! Martin2343, either your tastebuds are not working or you have been paid for your comments (the same way I think Gordon Ramsay has been paid to say its the best Indian lets not forget he was broke and must have welcomed any kind of money to promote a taste lacking restaurant). Or judging by other comments, if you have eaten here 150 times it must be the leftovers of other customers after you have finished your shift at the restaurant?! Would not recommend this place to anyone, as service is slow and the food really is not proper Indian food. You would probably get much better at your local curry house. Brilliant is SIMPLY NOT BRILLIANT!!! read more

15 of us went on a sunday evening, we being asian know a good curry. But it was terrible service, food and staff. we had the biggest table in the restaurant, but no dedicated waiter, looks like we were the wrong 'colour'. no popadums were put in the tables, despite there being chutneys on the table already. different staff kept asking for our drink orders, no communication between staff. starters were small and indifferent, this was after the waiters took ages to ask us. the chicken curry was like boiled chicken thrown into a curry sauce. terrible! lamb curry was ok. rest was average. it was pricey, we complained there and then to the owner, he gave us £20 discount for the horrible experience from the £350+ bill! then in the monday morning, 10 out of the 15 of us had upset tummies, when we complained again the following day, got short shrift. RUBBISH, NEVER AGAIN, DO NOT GO!!!! read more

Soon much food. All delicious but couldn't get close to eating it all! Only issue was chilli on one persons food that was asked to be without due to allergy. Otherwise excellent service and great food. read more