Judging by the descriptors, I should choose 2 stars, or "Meh, I've had better." However, the culture on Yelp is that 2 stars seems to be terrible. This place isn't terrible. It's not even bad. Just ok (and 3 stars say "A-OK!."
First the good: Great ambiance, great service (however one of the female servers seemed to have very flat affect--maybe she is having some personal issues, so I won't factor that into my review). Be prepared to be treated like royalty! The nan was amazingly hot and fresh. The lamb chop appetizer was served piping hot, was cooked perfectly with an abundance of mostly-caramelized onions, and had a delightful very dark sauce drizzled on the plate. The main course was also heated just right, on a hot plate, and placed on a heating plate, which is delightful. The rice pulao was fabulous.
Now, the bad: Not really bad, but just "meh." I ordered an appetizer of lamb chops, which is spectacular at the only other Indian restaurants where I've tried it (Pittsburgh, PA, my home). This was the highlight of my meal, and the three lamb chops for something like $8 USD were cooked perfectly. But the spices were just not rich or complex. The shredded cilantro was abundant, but when I tasted one of the shreds, it was brittle, devoid of the addictive cilantro aroma, and flavorless--perhaps left out so long it lost everything. After eating 2 of the 3 chops, the non-happy server brought a light orange cold sauce, breaking the perfect record of great service. It looked slightly darker than thousand island dressing, and more like the "special sauce" in a big Mac. It was definitely "meh" and the coldness didn't help either. Then my normal favorite arrived, lamb korma. Oh, what a sad event. The $15 US korma was ok, maybe even good. But I've definitely had WAY better. The flavors didn't seem complex, rich, or ...uh... flavorful. Seemed like crème and sugar were the main ingredients. There definitely were some other flavors, to be sure, but they were a bit weak. Often I use the nan to scrape up every last drop, but my exuberance for doing so was lacking (and I was getting full, but that is usually not even a hindrance). So that garlic nan with the wonderful texture, served nice and fresh and (temperature) hot? The downside was that it had very little garlic flavor.
Maybe the problem is me. Is Indian food in the UK tamed down from that in the USA? I didn't think that was likely. I was excited to have Indian food here but this was not a good starting point. Maybe I should venture into London proper to do this, rather than start in a small town like Windsor.
If you're looking for complex flavors, and accustomed to korma that is a little spicier, this restaurant might not do. But if great service and fresh and hot nan is what you're looking for, then by all means you should go to Viceroy. I might have tried the wrong dishes, but I'm not yearning to go back and spend another $33 USD for one mediocre dish, one pretty good appetizer, a piece of fresh but flavorless nan, and a dish of truly great rice. read more