Al Frash Balti

we arranged a get together for around 30 people and hired the upper level of the restaurant. we were promised a high quality service for £600 and were told it was ok to have a party atmosphere although the reataurant was still opened to others. On the day all promises made to us as customers were not kept, service was disgusting as the workers were disputing against us about what they had promised infront of other paying customers. they did not value us as customers, ignored what we had to say and the chef had very short temper and had a threating manner. Our requirements were not catered for. i couldnt belive that they had no idea of how to treat a customer.
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Overall rating
Food 3 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 1 | Value for money 0
Thursday, June 11, 2009

Visiting Birmingham from Wales this weekend.

Went to the Al Frash as it had been recommended on internet sites.

Very happy with our choice.Tasty complimentary appetisers, excellent starters (recommend the Tandoori Fish) and excellent main courses. We really enjoyed the whole meal and were very satisfied. The staff were pleasant and attentive preparing the food exactly as we had asked. Service was quick despite the place being full as it was Saturday night .We were able to bring our own wine with no corkage.

We would certainly visit this restaurant again if in the area and would recommend it to others.
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Angela and Mike
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 10
Saturday, January 10, 2009

I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone, as despite it having received rave reviews in the past, I had an awful time trying to get seated for a nice quiet dinner with friends a few weeks back. My 3 friends and I went there for dinner at 8pm on a Saturday night. The restaurant was fairly empty downstairs, but we were taken upstairs to our table. The whole left hand side of the upstairs room was overtaken by a child's birthday party consisting of around 30 parents with young children, and there were little children running around and doing what normal 3 year old children do. We asked to be moved downstairs as we noticed there were at least 3 tables that could seat 4 people in the downstairs room, but we were told we couldn't move because the tables downstairs had been specifically booked for other customers. There were 2 couples waiting in the entrance to be seated and so we asked to see the manager, then were left in the entrance hall for 10 minutes while the 'manager' was located. The manager never arrived, and we were told that we couldn't change tables. We said we could not eat upstairs as it was too loud and we couldn't hear each other speak, but the waiter said he could do nothing about it and was not willing to move us on to another table. The waiters were rude, and the other customers clearly looked uncomfortable with the situation so we left.

My advice would be to go somewhere where customer service is a little more respected!
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Overall rating
Food 0 | Service 0 | Atmosphere 0 | Value for money 0
Monday, December 01, 2008

If this has been selected one of the UK's best top ten curry houses, then I'd say the expectations are very low in this country! Even before I stepped inside, I could sense we were in for a sub-standard food evening. I believe the best indication is the clientele i.e. a 'well regarded' Indian restaurant should attract Indian diners – there were no Indian diners to be seen except the servers. It was a mistake for not insisting to my friends that we do go elsewhere. The interior was modern and clean but lacking in atmosphere (upstairs where we were seated). The second indication was the lack of quality for a simple mango lassi. Not only was it watery but, more terribly, was the artificial colouring and taste. What a let down. To make matters worse, we waited exactly an hour before being served our meal. This may be excusable given the large group ahead of us but the couple who arrived later was served ahead of us. When our food finally arrived it was only acceptable. We ordered three baltis and a biriyani each with nans. The nans were acceptable but not the best I’ve had. The flavouring of the dishes was only good and the meat plentiful. However, all the meats in our dishes were over cooked and dry.

I would NOT recommend this restaurant because, again, I believe the best indication is do the local natives eat there?
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DKMY - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 4 | Value for money 4
Monday, December 01, 2008

Went to the Al Frash last week with a friend of mine and had a great meal. Had Aubergine pakora (sorry if spelling is wrong) for starters and fish masala for a main both were faultless, my buddy was impressed with what he had as well. Well worth a visit.
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

i visited al frash for my birthday party with a group of 9, as students we were welcomed well but the food service was a tad slow and the waiter became quite annoying at times, frequently asking if we wanted anything else. The food was served within around 40 mins of ordering which had seemed to fly by. All the meat dishes were very well cooked, spiced and served hot with each balti easily being split between 2 people. The bill came to a mere £90!! however the restaurant is not a 5* nor is it decorated at a high standard however for students , the food was good, the atmosphere was comfy and the evening had gone very well. overall i would say al-frash is good value for money, the place is often buzzing and the service is resonable
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amritpal
Friday, April 18, 2008

I have frequented the Al Frash Balti Restaurant for many years but now that they have refurbished it I don't think I will return. I found that the restaurant is now very stark in contract to the formerly very comfortable atmosphere. The starters are now presented on sizzling skillets which is very nice but I preferred the original cold, chipped plates and splash of salad. The food is pretty much the same but the service is overbearing with the staff asking us if everyhthing is ok every 5 minutes. The prices are inflated and when I suggested that I would share rice with my sister the waiter insisted that one plate between us would not be enough - that's ok for him to say but a very stingy plate of rice at the Al Frash is now £3.00! Al Frash means 'Butterfly'. There is ample space for some very nice art work to adorn the restaurant but no, the artwork is abstract with a dash of colour here and there. A missed opportunity if you ask me, the Al Frash could have adorned its walls with beautiful oils of butterflies. I found the whole experience of eating at the Al Frash a very intense with the waiter desperate for approval.
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Morgan
Thursday, January 10, 2008