Review Bolliwood Indian Restaurant - Takapuna

Super delicious food with beautiful presentation. The manager named kulvinder always put extra effort to serve the customers. Highly recommend, one of the best restaurants🙂

My favorite Indian restaurant on the Shore. Service is great whether you’re dining in or takeaway. The butter chicken sauce and garlic & cheese naan is delicious 🤤

Food is great, a close match to food we have experienced in India. Normally I don't order paneer in NZ as it is never as good as you get in India. Though the paneer at bolliwood if perfect & fresh. Would order again, definitely worth dining if you have the opportunity.

Since the new owners took over, I can definitely see a difference! Food was delicious and the staff were very friendly. Will be back!

GREAT FOOD HIGHLY RECOMMENDED! YUMMY FOOD AND EXCELLENT CUSTOMER SERVICE! loved it!

Got a takeaway from here very pleasant staff and Kingfisher on tap. To the food I had a chicken Bhunna with a garlic naan lovely food full of flavour has a varied menu so bound to find something.0

Excellent Indo Chinese food. We took our mats and took the takeaway to nearby takapuna beach and food was perfect for the atmosphere. The spice level is good and dumplings were more than perfect. The chutney was great too. Overall good value for money. Would highly recommend. I would revisit for sure.

Food was absolutely amazing!! The staff are lovely to deal with - so friendly and obliging. Had a beautiful impromptu dinner with my daughter (who absolutely loves the food!) and it was a very nice setting, lovely decor - and the Garlic Naan - WOW!! Possibly the best I have had in a very, very, long time. Thank you to the lady who served us this evening (front of house manager) - definitely going again THIS week. Thanks team - compliments to the Chef and the Kitchen team. 5 x stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Great low-cost well served meals with a really nice service.

Tried this place on a recommendation from one of my friends. If your a big fan of indo Chinese cuisine then this place will not disappoint. Got the chicken fried rice and chilly chicken dry for a takeaway. Taste was just awesome. A bit on the pricy side and takeaway quantity is not great, but if it's quality and flavour your looking for, you will find it here. Lots of other interesting dishes on the menu...must try again soon.

Very nice Indian restaurant at a very convenient location. The food is really nice and tasty. The staff is very patient and attentive to one's requirements. The ambiance is nice and well maintained. The menu is well varied and decently priced too. Quality of service is great and always in acceptable time limits. Parking can be a bit difficult since there are only 2 parking spaces for the restaurant outside. Nearby on street car parks make up for that though. Overall very highly recommended.

Thoroughly enjoyed our meal, staff very friendly & best Indian food I've tasted

The service was a little slow but the wait was worth it. Simply the best naan I have ever eaten, stunning rice cooked to perfection. The 2 main courses were divine. And the sizzling platter for 2 was quite outstanding with chicken that melted in the mouth Will definitely be coming back.

We were expecting the old Indian restaurant we went to many years ago and got this newer, better alternative. Delicious food and fantastic service. Lovely, fresh flavours - the dishes don’t look or taste like they’re full of added colours. We’ll certainly be back.

Been here for lunch the other day. It was quite place. I ordered from special which was $15 which include curry rice naan bread and popadum. In curry I ordered panner (cottage cheese) tikka masala. Instead of ordering plain butter naan I went for garlic naan. It took 10 mins for food as it was an empty restaurant. Portion size was small as I ordered from lunch specials. This was informed by staff to me before ordering lunch specials. Tikka masala was good. Not too spicy not too hot. Paneer was soft and delicious. Rice was perfectly cooked. However I got the plain naan though I ordered Garlic naan. Service was good and friendly staff. However food was an average they should try some different variety of curries.

first of all service was so poor or i can say there was no customer service. I ordered vegetarian and they served me chicken. Later on I was waiting for my plate about 15 minutes and after eating we asked them to pack our rest of the food for takeaway and the girl she brought 3 takeaway boxes for us on the table asked us to pack by ourself and I was just shocked about the service that how come someone can say that if we paying money to them and they don’t even want to pack our food. I would recommend everyone not to go there please. I will share this whole incident with my friend and family.

The restaurant is nice, good seats and quite a cool environment. The food is good but not amazing, and they always get something wrong, or a wrong naan or they don't get the spicy to right. But they have a promotion for dinner from Sunday until Wednesday that worth it.

Decided to lunch here and we ordered a butter chicken and another dish from the lunch specials can’t remember the name.<br/><br/>Staff are friendly and attentive, food delivered quickly and tasted great! <br/>Decent portions and reasonable price, next time I’m craving Indian food I’ll be back here!

Ordered a few butter chicks and naans. Usually the go to for me and my friends. It was ok, nothing more nothing less. Will say I have had better else where but that’s my personal taste/opinion. The environment was about as ok as the food. No music or people around, dead silence.

Stopped in for lunch. Not fast at all. There was only 1 other customer when I arrived. Ordered from their lunch menu and it took over 30 minutes to get my food. No water refill. Terrible service.

Was so stuffed! Pretty good Indian restaurant. Ive only been to a couple so far and this would be right up there with the others :) definitely had some really nice food. Recommend. A shame they're tucked away in a little corner

Nice place for dinner / Dine in <br/>Food is delicious but they doesn't decorate it as you will see food art in other restaurants around in Auckland....<br/>Food looks simple but tasty . Friendly Staff <br/><br/>Must visit to have good dine in experience with family or friends as it's nice & quite place with delicious food.<br/>:)

Always amazed me sometimes by palak panner and at times by Korma.. lachaa paratha is superb...<br/>Love to go for late dinners...beautiful and quite sitting staff is really good

I have been there last night with my friend. Generally we go to Bolliwood often but in Takapuna it was first time. Not bad to say staff understand the timings and gestures. Food was delicious. Ambience was very quiet like, they must put some kind music on.<br/>We were late so tried to finish soon and leave, but duty manager said up to 10:30 it's fine no rush.<br/>Overall: Service5/5 S@taff approach and communication were good, but when you are in hospitality you need to be passionate about what you do, rather than you just do as a paid job.<br/>Cheers.....<br/>Thanks staff for good experience....

Such a pity service we use to go once every week . Been there last night around 9.45pm to order takeaway food the girl who took the order missed the Naan breads in our order . The guy served the beers charged us wrong price for the beers . And then there is no apologies for their own mistake . And trying to make deals for the breads which was there own fault . Sign saying beers are $5while u waiting for your takeaway . And they charged us $17 for 2 beers instead of $10 saying that the wrong sign .<br/>Never go there again . Thanks a lot for such a low standard service . Worst than fish and chips takeway.

This place has sensational food great levels of taste and flavour we had butter chicken and chicken saagwhala. Both were e cellent and they do not skimp on portion size for lunch.<br/>However it's filthy Carpet is only the start of the issues , staff are lazy , stand around talking to each other. The interior is dark and gloomy and needs a total repaint and refurbish . It's a shame as could be great but sadly looks very , very run down and tired .

Unfortunately I pity anyone that spends thier money at this establishment. When this place was Palace of India (a long time ago) it was my favourite Indian Restaurant. Now it has gone downhill and turned into an embarrassment. Where do I start... The Menu's covered in grease and food, plates put on the table dirty, not just one but we were all trying to clean our plates with serviettes before serving. Wine glasses covered in fingerprints. I wonder if they have any detergent in the kitchen. The main and the entree arrived within 60 seconds of each other. Some had main's arrive before the entree. The server didn't have a good understanding of the English language, The $15.90 for "crispy calamari" was 5 frozen deep fried squid rings, tasteless and sent back. The rice wasn't enough for the table, everyone waiting for rice for a longtime so we could serve ourselves. The lunch special for $10 was half size servings compared to the Main menu, It's not a special if your giving half the amount of food!! I'm trying to be positive here but there is nothing I have to say that is nice about our experience. Please do yourself a favour and go somewhere else.

Wow, Glad we found this place!<br/>Food is beautiful and fresh, Staff are friendly and check up on you often enough. Atmosphere is gorgeous also. We have been here a few times and each time is as good as the last.

Four of us went in and ordered takeaway. It was busy for a Tuesday night. They told us it would be 20 mins, 45 mins later and we're still waiting.<br/><br/>We saw our order come out and sit there for about 5 mins - had we not gone up and asked, it would have been sitting there longer. They were under-staffed and communication between kitchen and front counter was poor. <br/><br/>The curries were also average and not 'hot' enough for a Vindaloo.

I've been here several times, the food is good. But today, I was served "beef" instead of chicken when I ordered Bolliwood Special (Chicken). I'm really pissed off because being an Indian restaurant, they should know that an "Indian" customer would not eat beef! Horrible! Moreover, I hate the taste of beef!<br/><br/>I just hope they will be extra-careful now onwards.<br/><br/>Regards,<br/>Karan

Always a good value for money.  The Chicken Tikka Masala is my favorite.  The garlic naan is very fresh.  It is a good place for work/team lunch with your colleagues.

Dined here on a tuesday night. They were very busy. I used to come regularly for their luncg special.<br/>Their curries are decent with enough meat and tasty sauce.<br/>We ordered a butter chicken and lamb korma. One thing I can say is that I wish the lamb korma had more texture and wasn't as smooth. <br/>The keema naan is very good and tasty.

Yesterday I visited in your restaurant. There were just 2 tables including us but still the service is very very poor. And your resto is fine dinning but still ur staff don't take care of their customers....We all your very disappointed with resto staff..

This evening my husband and I ordered a Chicken Saagwala and naan bread for takeaway dinner. I am thoroughly disappointed with my dinner, I could barely eat it and would never recommend Bolliwood Takapuna to others. <br/><br/>The rice was not cooked properly, it flopped out of the container all stuck together and looked very unappealing. The saagwala was bland, it was completely tasteless and tasted worse than something I could have bought from a can. The chicken was dry. and rubbery. <br/>We regularly got takeaway from Bolliwood Takapuna and have noticed that the quality of food is slowly declining but this was definitely our worst experience. I would not recommend to anyone.

1. Booking: Made an online booking on the night BEFORE, got an email AFTER having the meal to confirm the booking. Glad that I did make a phone call to re-confirm the booking. It wasn't a busy night after all.<br/>2. Service: average, interesting to find absolutely no smile on a few staff's faces... they might have a bad day. We felt like being questioned by a policeman when we shared about the saltiness of the taste of the food.<br/>3. Ventilation: the smoke and smell from a few BBQ dishes made us uncomfortable, thankful that opening a few windows and a door helped.<br/>4. Food: The three mild curry dishes we ordered were truly salty. Fortunately, even approached by a waitress with an unpleasant manner (from our perspective), she suggested and gave us some yoghurt which did reduce the saltiness of the food. The waitress did apologise and expressed that the chef admitted it was his / her mistake due to the busyness of the night. The naan bread was a bit burnt (as shown on the photo).<br/>5. Time wait for the food: 40 mins (Do understand that there were many take-away)...<br/>We have been to the branch in BrownsBay a few weeks ago and really enjoyed the dinning experience.  This made us think that it would be worth going to try out at another branch... a bit disappointed obviously.<br/>Hope they may consider making some positive changes.<br/>Thanks for the meal.

They do a $10 main special on weekdays which is extremely good value for money. The food is always consistently good. Not very authentic indian but if you enjoy westernised indian food, this is pretty good.

Very friendly service. Lunch options limited but very nice. Quanity in the $10 Lunch menu is really limited. Best go for Upgrade. Butter Naan are excellent. <br/>The special curry was indeed very tasty and hot to my liking. Will come again.<br/>Full lunch menu available too!

Got a takeaway from here had heard a lot about their indo Chinese options ordered a chilly chicken and chicken munchurian couldn't find any difference between both dishes the rice were dry probably cooked ages ago not very happy won't be back

Well flavoured meals - I've used them for takeaways a few times and have never had to wait more than the time advised. Portion size was more than sufficient and generally the normal size takeaway containers.  Staff were welcoming. Added bonus is $10 mains on Monday - Wednesday at the moment - more than value for money as I definitely don't have a problem paying full price here. Set a little away from the main throng of activity in Takapuna, so finding a parking is easy.

Bolliwood is by far my favourite Indian eatery! I loved the food, have tried butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken, mango chicken and roganjosh (yes I'm a chicken fan :p) Loved all of them!! I loved the naan AND roti breads that they serve as well, prefers plain, simple butter naan and indian roti over the fancy spinach and cream naan etc. In addition, who can say no to their super value $10 lunch combos? One thing that I would recommend Bolliwood to improve on is its serving speed, I always found myself waiting for a VERY LONG time before my food is served. Otherwise, all positives for this place! :D

Great service, the waiters were very friendly and helpful. Food arrived fast and the curry was beautiful, good portions too! Only thing is we had to ask for more rice, everything was delicious though and the place is nice. Overall very good experience

One thing i hate the most about indian restaurants is that they advertise as authentic but still serve fake! I got dinner from her and and for the amount i paid, it definitley wasnt worth it. I placed an order on the phone and they said it will be ready in 10 mins. They took over 30mins to get my food ready. Argh and the taste was revolting . Definitley not recommending this one. And for the first time, even my puppy denied chicken!

Not sure where these recent reviewers have been eating but when I ate here I found the portion size and the service very acceptable.<br/>My partner ordered for me so I just had to turn up. Barely sat down beitfore my very tasty chicken Tikka Masala turned up. The dish was lovely. Subtle spices all perfectly balanced. I'd defiantly eat here again. If I had one gripe it would be the style of the water glasses. Very pretty but not practical when holding. Felt it slipping out of my hand

I've never had dinner on site but have used them for delivery a few times. <br/><br/>Good is what you would expect. <br/>Food flavored but I feel the portion size is quite small for the cost.

dissapointed with Bollywoof. Quality not as good as it used to be, the people always rush you, they have served the wrong meat we ordered on several occassions, and the naan bread is the WORST out of all indian restaurants ive been to, extremely small for the price! wont go back again despite going there for the last 3 years once a week!

Good people to host a restaurant. All good atmosphere and taste and quality of food. For the price. I think it's fair. Nice work.<br/><br/>I had the chicken korma  and it was delicious. Have been here I think 4 times now.

Bottom line - Great takeaway joint, Bad choice for a dine-in experience<br/><br/>Positives:<br/>- Tasty curries, nice thick sauces and good portion of meat, even with the $10 value meal on Mon-Wed<br/>- Crunchy naan, not too doughy<br/><br/>Negatives:<br/>- Not particularly inviting atmosphere, no music and bored looking staff<br/>- We asked for no kids menus as kids wanted curry.  Kids menus were delivered to the kids. Gave them back and asked for regular menus. Waitress disappeared and we never got the menus. Had to approach the staff  behind the counter for some.<br/>- While looking at the menus we noticed another table being cleaned. No spray was used and all the bits were pretty much wiped onto the floor. It didn't inspire much in terms of cleanliness. <br/>- Our order was taken without a notepad and had to be repeated 3 times until the waitress finally got it. Waste of time.<br/>- When our plates got delivered, two of them had large chips in the sides! <br/>- Water was not put on the table. Our glasses were filled after sitting down, but halfway through the meal when the kids were really needing some water to combat the spice, we once again had to approach the counter to ask the staff for some water. <br/>- After finishing our meal we asked for the remainder to be put in a take-away package for us to take home. The waitress cleared our glasses and then disappeared again. After a few minutes I saw her behind the counter serving some other customers while other waitresses lounged by the counter. We finally flagged down another waitress who took the food away. <br/>- I had put the remainder of the naan and rice together in the same bowl and explained we wanted to take everything home. However, when we got home the curries and rice had been put in the container but no sign of our remaining 3 pieces of naan bread! Not sure what happened to those, maybe the staff got hungry out the back. <br/><br/>Overall, we were happy with the food and really enjoyed our dinner. We would definitely go back there to get takeaways. However, the standard of service and dining experience left us feeling a little flat. We spent $70 for 2 adults, 2 children (4 curries, 4 naans and 2 drinks for the adults on a Tuesday night when they serve $10 meals)

Curry?? Yes?? It's Bolliwood then. The food is top notch. The ambiance is acceptable but those songs blasting are an ear sore. I understand that's the whole Bollywood atmosphere, but it does ruin the food vibe. An eg. is While I was eating, a high pitched singer screamed his lungs out. There are plenty of Bollywood songs that doesn't go annoying customers. Maybe, it's a personal preference. <br/><br/>The food is the main reason you keep coming back to Bolliwood. The prices are reasonable and the fat amount is comparatively reasonable too. I didn't have to use too many tissues to get fat stains off my fingers. <br/><br/>I've tried most dishes here and I have to say - go ahead, try them all. The cooks here know how to please you with the right amount of spices and covering them with cream. Yumm. <br/><br/>If not the somewhat annoying songs, I would have given the place a complete 5 stars.

The lunch special I had was good and worth $10. Food I give 7.5/10.<br/>However: when I asked if I could take advantage of the $4 topup with an Amstel light, I was told yes. And then they charged me $17.50 , i.e. meal + full price beer.<br/>They then proceeded to do the same with someone els's drink.<br/><br/>That left a bad taste in my mouth hence this review.

I love this place, it always feel like a home very welcoming atmosphere, the decor is exciting and the live Tandoor different to any place in Auckland, The service is always very professional and on same time friendly. And most important, The food here is full of flavor and delicious. Drinks list is good too. My favorite dish is the King Prawn Malabari and Haryali kabab!! It was very enjoyable and we will definitely be back<br/><br/>If you love food that has a kick and is full of flavour, then this is a must try!

We went here for lunch and all ordered the lunch special. The experience was worse than terrible. If I could give zero stars I would. I will never step foot in this place again.<br/><br/>Although the restaurant had only two other groups dinning, it took 15 minutes for someone to take our order and a further 40 minutes for our food to arrive. Two of us had to wait a further 10 minutes to get our meal which meant the others in our group had finished their meal before we started. <br/><br/>I ordered the beef vindaloo. It was was bland, 95% sauce with 3 small chunks of meat which was dry and chewy. Rating it as poor would be way to kind. The lunch meal included a soft drink which we were charged additional for.

Excellent food and brilliant service. The waiting staff were very attentive and made us feel welcome. The décor was nice and the place had a buzz of an upmarket Takapuna restaurant. <br/>The waiter recommended us to try Kadhai Paneer which despite of not being on Menu was cooked for us. It was simply delicious and all the masala was perfectly cooked and blended into a tasty gravy. We also ordered the Chef Special Chicken dish which was again a masterpiece with perfectly cooked chicken pieces and a mouthwatering taste. The breads were properly cooked and my personal recommendation would be Kheema Naan (Mince Naan). The quantity was sufficient and the portion of Rice was more than enough for 4 people to enjoy on the lingering taste. As we had coincidentally been there on a Tuesday evening, all the curries we ordered were just for $10. It is undoubtedly the best Indian restaurant that I had been to and would definitely recommend to all my fellow Indians and all Kiwis who would love to try the real taste of Indian food. Will definitely be there again.

As per usual food, service excellent.<br/><br/>As per Sharon's review my only comment would be the inflexibility of main choices. As I was full I tried to swap my curry main ($17) for a kids chicken nugget meal ($6.50) -$10.50 in their benefit not mine( we hadn't ordered at this stage). They wouldn't allow it (and also wouldn't let me order a<br/>cheaper adults main for takeaway) so I ordered both the meals and we took curry home as a takeaway.<br/><br/>Still a good voucher deal and we enjoyed the takeaway the next day but it didn't make financial sense for them and the flexibility would of been nice customer service.

Went tonight for dinner, was absolutely superb. Best Indian restaurant I've been to. Service was great, good atmosphere,the food was quick and delicious(the naan was superb). Highly recommend. Will be going back for sure.

Service was friendly and prompt. Food was very tasty and enjoyed by all of us. My only gripe would be that seafood is not regarded as a main even though the prices are pretty much the same as the other meats. I havent experienced that before at any other restaurant including Indian so it is something to consider if you are buying any deals as they are not directly excluded in conditions. However after pointing this out to the manager he did let me have a seafood dish, so I thank him for not making a bigger deal out of it than he could have. They have another deal for $10 mains (does mention in the offer that seafood is not included - no problem as long as its stated) that seems good value and the normal price of most dishes is not unreasonable either. I would be happy to go back and recommend to others.

My workmates and I often have this as takeaway and every time we comment on how good it is. Everything is very tasty and service is always great. A couple of times they have forgotten extra chutneys and sauces that have been paid for so just remember to check your order accuracy when it comes to these. Other than that the food from here is amazing.

My wife and I decided to treat ourselves to a restaurant meal on Anzac Day. We decided to go to Bolliwood, Takapuna (was Palace of India). <br/>We were pleasantly surprised that there was no 15% surcharge (it was a public holiday). Also, they only charged us $10 for each main. Apparently they charge this Mon to Wed.<br/>The service was excellent, with the staff coming around to ask how the meal was and if we needed help several times.<br/><br/>As for the meal, well it was one of the most tasty Indian meals I have had. The quantities were more than sufficient. We did not have to wait very long. I ordered the special curry and my wife ordered the lamb roganjosh.<br/>I would definitely recommend this restaurant and we will be going back. <br/><br/>Even the prices for the rest of the week were very reasonable when compared to other restaurants.

We ate here recently - family of 7 - and all thoroughly enjoyed it. Took the opportunity to order something other than the usual butter chicken! So we ordered a variety of chicken (including butter!), lamb, fish, prawn and vegetarian. Will definitely return.

We went there in a group of 12 for a friend's birthday.Food was great and so was the ambiance as decor is contemporary and inviting.<br/>It's great for a catch up with friends or a romantic evening.Staff is friendly and helpful as 1 of my mates was not sure what to order.Our food arrived in reasonable time despite the place being busy. Must visit for a tasty Indian food!!!

The food was extremely pathetic!! We ordered just 2 main dishes and 2 naan's. We waited for almost an hour and there was still no sign of the food coming. I had to call the waiter and ask when he was going to get the food. He said it will be ready in 5 mins. The food got there eventually, but the meat was undercooked, and so were the vegetables!!! In the curry we could taste the tomato puree. It shows that it was done in a hurry, just because we were complaining.<br/>Thanks to the entertainment book, without which we would have had to pay 25% more for this crap! This place doesn't deserve to be in the fine dining list.<br/>We are never going back again!

Came here for a large family dinner a few weeks ago. Great service, great food, and excellent value for money. Also cater very well for vegetarians/vegans and gluten free.

I've eaten here at lunchtimes a few times because they do a $10 deal which is good value. Went in for a dine-in experience - very nice.<br/>They let you choose the hotness of the meals, which is good cos my partner and I like proper hot food. He's a veggie, and the kofta malai (some sort of veggie meatballs in creamy cashew sauce) was absolutely gorgeous. Some of the tomato-based dishes are a bit sharp, so it's good to get a mix. The lamb cutlets I had as a starter were lovely and tender, and perfectly spiced. Plain naan was nice, peshwari naan a bit solid but tasted nice, and all made in house - you can see the bloke cooking them. Mango Lassi was good too, though the chai was disappointing. Has a kids menu (which offers mild curries as well as the ubiquitous chicken nuggets and chips, tho our daughter wasn't that adventurous), and very good for vegetarians<br/>I reckon it's as authentic as you're going to get in Takapuna (and yes, I've been to India a couple of times) - its Kiwi taste but definitely closer to real indian than anywhere else in Taka, maybe in the whole Shore. Not bad prices, good sized portions, though its done as single servings not as shared dishes. The woman who runs it is nice and helpful too.

Great restaurant, food and service. My girlfriend and I are both vegan and were given a special vegetarian/dairy free menu with plenty of dishes to choose from when we asked! :)

I would NEVER EVER recommend this place at all. VERY POOR QUALITY OF FOOD. Went for dinner over the weekend, with my husband for his birthday and we were there @ 5pm sharp, thought we will get the best service as no one was there...and yes service was great we had our dinner just 15 minutes after we ordered, we ordered Chef's Special for 2 people they served us one platter instead – misunderstanding maybe but lucky us, the food was horrible. I am sure it was leftover from the previous night and they just heated for us, the inside of the meat was cold, dry and not pleasing at all…

It is a great place to dine. Food is very yum, reasonably priced and with many options for different tastes. Tucked in a quiet street in busy Takapuna, you get great service from very friendly people. You would never hesitate to visit again and again!!

Guys if you are in Taka just go to this place. 10$ lunch special what a meal in a cheap deal. Ordered Chicken Tikka masala with garlic naan and free drink <br/>love it. one mean and done till evening lol.<br/>Good services, good quality - Strongly recommended :) <br/>My boss love it aye hahaha