Baranda Restaurant, Wokingham

 

Have you ever seen the television advert where the couple are arguing over breakfast in the kitchen and it turns out they are in an MFI showroom??  Well the Baranda is just like that without the bad acting.  You feel like you are eating in a bathroom showroom, minimal decoration, white washed walls and a fridge and freezer in the corner of the restaurant add to the sterile experience.  To add to the lack of atmosphere the restaurant plays their background music so quietly we had to wait for most diners to leave before realising that there was any music at all.

A very enjoyable pint of Bangla Beer softened the blow of the cutlery being laid on the table from an old ice cream tub, badly hidden beneath the serving trolley. Then the food arrived.......

...and what a revalation!!!  Lovely onion bhajee starters were followed by the two best tasting main courses this year. Perfectly spiced and well cooked, the chef must be commended for turning what could have been a culinary disaster into a memorable eating experience. Its not often you think that you ought to order another main course but the general standard of all the food served was excellent.


Fairly average service and a distinct lack of interest in providing more beer or dessert's of any description, left us asking the question "just how good, would this place be if they just tried a little bit harder???"


Finally the toilets brought you back to earth with the whole bathroom showroom feel.  Very clean and only lacking someone polishing your shoes while you use the facilities prevent them from being given an award in the loo of the year!!

 

Rich Rebrys (Guest Reviewer) gave this restaurant 72

Bret Myri scored this establishment 68

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