Reviews of Brilliant

Had the pleasure of visiting this restaurant with some family. Was politely and quickly greeted. The staff served quickly and offered to ask for anything more. The atmosphere was nice and welcoming. Had the paneer sizzler for starters, then some main dishes and naan, then finished off with desserts. We thoroughly enjoyed it all, and will be visiting again. For a even better experience, I think it would be nice to offer pickles alongside the mains.

Brilliant - most enjoyable We travelled from Northamptonshire to dine here via East London where we picked up our daughter so it was a bit of a trek! That said, we absolutely were not disappointed. We were greeted as friends when they remembered my emailing re parking. The waiter was very helpful in describing the dishes and sensibly discouraged us from over ordering. The rice for one was more than adequate for the three of us. The mixed grill starter, after popadoms and pickles (which were sublime and plentiful) was superb. We each had a curry and my wife and daughter shared. My Karahi prawn was too good to share! The nan bread was delicious and so much better than the half inch thick doughy breads in some places. First rate authentic food. After dinner, Mr Anand came into the restaurant as we were leaving. We had a very pleasant conversation and bought the cook books which he kindly signed. All in all a very good meal and pleasant experience that we will repeat. Thanks for a lovely evening

Absolutely delicious food. Been many times and never been disappointed. Staff are very friendly and polite but a big shout out to Fernandes who has been our server each time and is a great guy. Very friendly and chatty but never over bearing. Quick and efficient with our order and quick to get drink refills.

Quiet early evening meal, discount by booking ahead, attentive respectful service. The food was very nice, and much better than some of the nasty things I've had in other places on Brick Lane but little to distinguish the two chicken curries we had.. and ultimately felt like we were just eating a takeaway on a plate.

For me this is the best indian restaurant in Southall. Super fresh and authentic taste. They serve home made delicious pickles and sauces all time with every dish, so please order at least one papadam for each person to try the home made mintchutney. Bhindi Masala was excellent. <br/>Secret: homemade passion fruit drink. I would come just for this amazing drink.

Where do I begin. We recently visited Brilliant in Southall because of the amazing food they have on their menu.<br/><br/>Food - The food here is really nice and full of amazing flavours. They take real good care when making food and the taste definitely shows it. The spiciness is really good and not over done. You can taste the individual flavours in each dish we had.<br/><br/>I liked the chill and garlic Mogo, Chilli Paneer, Mixed bhajjia. The list goes on.<br/><br/>Service - We had a large group of people and we were looked after very well. The waiters on duty were always attentive and helpful. The waiters made sure our food was coming out in a timely fashion and that we were not waiting too long which is what I really liked.<br/><br/>Ambience - The restaurant really looked good and was very up to date. Nicely done and felt very homely. The music wasn't too loud either so you can enjoy a conversation.<br/><br/>Overall a really nice place to take family and friends. It's not expensive either which is good.<br/><br/>I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for good food and service.

" BRILLIANT is simply not Brilliant"<br/><br/>During my stay in London, I was trying places and restaurants. Being a punjabi I had to visit South hall and to try the very famous *Brilliant Restaurant* as it had been visited by famous people such as 'Gordon Ramsay' and 'Prince Charles'.<br/>As this restaurant was featured in Gordon Ramsay's show, so I booked this one for a special occasion i.e. my dad's birthday.<br/>From the start, we had made our booking prior to the day we came and still we waited for half an hour.<br/>Ambience of this place was very average. Also, seating in the restaurant was quite cramped with tables closed together.<br/>Now coming to the service, I will give 1 out of 5 as service was very slow and we had to keep calling waiter for the menu and to order drinks. Also, behaviour of waiters was unfriendly and rude.<br/>Food was a total disappointment. It was cold, expensive, portions were ridiculously small and highly priced. We ordered Dal makhni, panner makhni, malai kofta, lamp chops, butter chicken and some breads with drinks to accompany.<br/>Drinks were good but food was bland and tasteless. There was no flavour. Absolutely nothing. Also, there was nothing unusual or exciting on their menu.<br/>We paid approx £65 for this experience. Definately it wasn't worthy for the price we paid.<br/>They advertise all over the place their awards and accolades they have received but the most recent one appeared to be 2007. When a restaurant is still harping on an award received nearly 10 years ago(and nothing since) you gotta ask yourself what went wrong in the mean time.<br/>My experience was so pathetic that I'll definately NOT RECOMMEND this restaurant to anyone.<br/>Shags715<br/>

One thing that I realised on my first foray into Southall restaurants is that if you really want to taste good North Indian cuisine, it has to be Southall and I haven't been to other dhaba styled restaurants here but Zomato brought me to Brilliant and I must say I was impressed. Thoroughly! Good use of the spices in the right proportions and not too much indulgence into the oils did the trick. Try their Jeera and Butter chicken.

This review is for a visit in mid 2016.<br/><br/>After a bit of research for a nice indian restaurant this place kept popping up, so I decided to head out there.<br/><br/>Restaurant had a decent sized dining area that was almost empty, I was quickly seated and given a plate of 4 condiments, I knew what I wanted so I ordered quite quickly... samosas, seekh kebab, mushroom pulao, butter chicken and a garlic naan.<br/><br/>Samosas were very nice, good crunch, not too oily, and excellent filling, was a great start... this was followed by the lamb seekh kebab which was just fantastic.. packed with flavour and really succulent.<br/><br/>Butter chicken was creamy, smoky with some good buttery tomato flavour and went superbly with the mushroom rice which was cooked really nicely too.  The garlic naan was glistening with butter and while it wasn't the most soft I've had it was great and I used it all to scoop up that delicious butter chicken.<br/><br/>The service was also very friendly, prompt and not over bearing.<br/><br/>I will definitely go back here to try more dishes.

well on our way back to delhi this was the last meal that we had in London after visiting the gurdwara and it was the best one we had there...we were there for lunch and were treated to some great food...this restaurant is in southall where all the asian community lives...it seems you are in india...the manager was a friend of my friend so we were treated very well...the menu boasts of a healthy indian menu (without much ghee or oil) with amazing flavours..they have even written the nutritional value of the items( energy, fat and saturated fat ) what a brilliant idea..the spices were low but the flavours were right up there....we started the meal with an amazing coconut water and the roasted papadom with those amazing chutneys...in starters we had the most awesome melt in your mouth tandoori achari tikka ...in the main course we decided to have vegetarian and thereby ordered the dal makhni and the vegetable koftay (bottle gourd dumplings ) in light aromatic gravy...the gravies were not laden with cream and were very light and healthy...they were kept on these mini stoves so they were piping hot...brilliant concept and brilliant food at decent prices...they even have the indian portion sizes and the regular small portion sizes to choose from.it shows that indian food can be made flavousome without those heavy curries which make you have guilt after eating them..i will surely try the non veg curry dishes the next time i am there...the staff was the best and efficient...must visit when you are in london..the restaurant has got many awards the restaurant has got many awards and deservedly so..

Should you go all the way to Southall for an Indian dinner? Emphatically yes, if its to eat at Brilliant. The Brits flatter themselves that they have the best Indian restaurants in the world, but I beg to differ. Most Indian restaurants in central London serve overspiced dishes that yet manage to taste bland. Not Brilliant. The flavors at Brilliant are fresh, piquant and unswamped by an overabundances of spices. Try the properly grilled Tandoor Paneer Tikka. It is aromatic from the marinades & the Tandoor, crisp but tender & flavorful. Or the Chili Paneer, redolent of that authentic Indian aroma of onions, garlic, chili & cilantro. The Papri chat tingles the tongue, while the yogurt sauce cools it off, the tamarind sauce tantalizes & teases and the crispy topping mingles tastily with the soft potatoes & chick peas. Try the Macala Eggs for an unusual appetizer: eggs stuffed with spices & deep fried.<br/><br/>The fish dishes have fresh, clean flavors: the tilapia simmered in a rich brown sauce; the salmon flavorful from the tandoor oven; the prawns tossed with red & green peppers in a delicate masala. The meat dishes, whether tandoori or in a variety of curries are authentic & delicious. If you must have dessert, have the kulfi, an Indian ice-cream with the pistachios & almonds providing a satisfying crunchy contrast to the delicate cream.<br/><br/>Both lamb and chicken mains are £8, fish and seafood vary in prices while daal & vegetable mains are £6. In all, this will be an Indian meal worth the trip. & in case it interests you, this restaurant placed in Gordon Ramsey’s great British restaurant competition.<br/>

For real Indian food ask Indian people, and most in London will recommend this long-established fixture in the Asian community of Southall. The main dining room was completely refurbished in January 2007 and the look now is modern and tasteful. There is a pair of plasma TV screens that show Bollywood films, which is somewhat surreal but quite fun. The clientele is mainly Asian families, and portions are designed with that in mind i.e. large, but they will pack up whatever you can't finish. I have been coming to the Brilliant on a regular basis for two decades, and it serves consistently good Punjabi food. It has been running since November 1975, and long may it continue.<br/><br/>Amongst my favourite dishes are the chicken starters, e.g. butter or jeera chicken, the tasty bhajia mix or the lovely aloo tikki (chilli chicken is not for the faint of heart). I would suggest in particular trying the tandoori quail, a fairly recent menu addition, which can be superb. Fish pakora is another good starter, a tasty snack. For main courses the methi chicken is superb, as is just about any prawn dish. Owner/chef Gulu Anand has his own garam masala recipe made from forty ingredients, and the quality of the spicing here is very high. Breads have not always been their strong point, but this has improved with the addition of a romali roti hemisphere and a chef from India who knows how to make it properly. The romali roti is now superbly light and airy. Another highlight here is the kulfi, which is made from scratch (very few Indian restaurants in the UK make their own) and excellent, as is the halwa. <br/><br/>Service is extremely slick at the Brilliant, and would shame many a French restaurant. A nice touch has been the addition of some "healthy eating" menu options which are much lighter than the traditional curries, which use ghee. This has been at the instigation of Dipna Anand, owner Gulu's daughter, who has recently completed her degree in catering (she got first class honours as one might hope) and is actively involved with the restaurant. The food here is remarkably good value (though costly by Southall standards!).

Brilliant - not!. 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!!!!

Lives up it it's name. Excellent Punjab cuisine. Friday night very busy so service a little stretched at times. However waiter extremely helpful in balancing the style and amount of dishes in our order for 8 people. Final bill £35 p/h for a huge amount of excellent food and drink. Less than the cost of one small steak at HIX where I'd eaten lunch. Well worth a trip to Southhall.

For real Indian food ask Indian people, and most in London will recommend this long-established fixture in the Asian community of Southall. The main dining room was completely refurbished in January 2007 and the look now is modern and tasteful. There is a pair of plasma TV screens that show Bollywood films, which is somewhat surreal but quite fun. The clientele is mainly Asian families, and portions are designed with that in mind i.e. large, but they will pack up whatever you can't finish. I have been coming to the Brilliant on a regular basis for two decades, and it serves consistently good Punjabi food.

Been to this place twice, the first time was because of all of the rave reviews and my love of a good curry- on this occasion they ran out of draught beer and the waiter was ushered next door by management- soon reappearing with a completely different beer to what I had already been drinking... The second time, I was dragged here for a work dinner and found myself being completely ignored by the staff- personally I thought it was because I am Indian and they are largely trying to attract a white/ European type of clientelle. All in all, I will probably never bother with this place again. I found the food unadventurous and largely bland and to top it off, my worst pet hate- shameful customer service- come on guys- sort it out!