Restaurant review: Massala Lounge

Feb 5 2010 by Andrew Hirst, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Restaurant review: Massala Lounge

Rating

VenueMassala Lounge

Tel01484 680742

Websitewww.massalalounge.com

Opening hoursSunday toThursday 5.30pm to 11pm and until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays

ChildrenYes, very welcome

Disabled accessNo as it is up steep steps

The bill £46.80 (for two)

THINK of Last Of The Summer Wine thoughts of Compo, Clegg, Foggy and Nora Batty usually spring to mind.

A cliched thought and one that’s quintessentially English but you’d be hard pushed to think of those four forsaking their plain pork chops, boiled potatoes and soggy, overcooked veg to go for a curry.

But they do, sort of, as images from the much-loved TV series adorn the walls as you walk up the steps into the Massala Lounge right in the heart of the town.

And with chicken tikka massala now reputed to be Britain’s best-loved dish don’t forget that Indian restaurants are as much a part of Yorkshire as, well, Yorkshire puddings.

And that’s exactly what the owners of the Massala Lounge aim to tap into. The restaurant has been going for five months now and was set up by a family which also runs its own property maintenance group.

They say that’s their day job, but their evening job at the restaurant is their passion.

And as with any true family business they rate one thing above all else – customer service. You can sense that right from the start. It’s welcoming, very welcoming.

As we waited for the table the phone rang. It was someone wanting to book a table for 10.

The waiter asked if it was a special occasion. It was and it soon became clear he had something in mind – probably the restaurant’s free celebration special. Balloons and party poppers, a sparkling dessert and a photograph.