Had dinner here with my partner a couple of months back on a Friday night. The restaurant appears traditional India and the menu retains a modern (or at least familiar) look to it which I quite liked that – a best of both worlds situation if you like. There were many diners in the night we went. Saying that, its open-plan design and bright white tablecloths with rich red top cloth probably made royal and the spaces more conspicuous.

Anyway, the food we ordered was delicious. The curry my Partner had she still talks about now, I wish I could tell you what it was! Regardless, my food was equally good and made better by some well chilled lagers.

Can’t remember what our bill came in at, but I remember thinking it was very reasonable especially given the location.

I am told there are two things all restaurants want their customers to do, come back and recommend the venue to others. I’d happily do both.

We enjoy meal at Heritage of India every time we hit or pass through Taupo. Every time we get better and better experience with taste sensation and fine dine in cuisine experience for great value. They have plenty of dishes with variation of cooking which I never seen anywhere else in New Zealand. I tried the Lamb Shank Curry for change this time and it was unique & authentic Indian. I love the ambiance with nice decor and mood with descent music and service by friendly staff.

Had a meal there yesterday night, thought nothing special – an appetizer, a soup, a vegetable/mushroom stew with rice and a jug of water and a beer. In the end, all I’ve had were burning tongue and mouth, practically empty stomach and a whopping bill for $68.50!!! Things started to go wrong with the appetizer – a few papadums with 3 dipping sauces, one of which I tasted just a tiny little bit (1/20th of what was in it) and then felt my mouth being slowly set on fire. Grasped the jug of water – hell, it’s tepid water straight from a tap with the characteristic whiff – ghrrrrrrrrr! I did have the beer, which the waiter suggested, as the one on the menu I asked for was not available, he only forgot to mention that it came in a bottle with a “free” glass to take home for a modest $24 (the price wasn’t on the menu – it was hand-written in the corner of promotional leaflet). At this point I could barely taste anything as the hot soup was adding to the discomfort. So, next comes the main course – a vegetable stew with a basmati rice and stuffed kulcha bread: in the stew I could mainly taste boiled button mushroom and the rice was pretty dry and hard looking. The bread was actually not bad, except there was enough of it for 3 people, so I managed just one piece, as I was already sick of my burning palate, disgusted with tap water and tasteless stew, so I just wanted out of there. Then there was the bill: “it’s 68.50 dollars” “Oh God, it’s a bit high, can you itemize it please?” “There it is” “I didn’t know the beer was $24″ “It’s Cobra” “Oh, it certainly strikes”. Basically, I’ve been made to look as a simpleton who came for a simple meal and instead has been ripped off for the kind of money on which an ordinary Indian family can probably live for a month. So, the next day, I went to see the manager, just because I thought 70 bucks for a bad meal is probably very high even in Monaco, let alone Taupo. So, the manager said: the hot appetizer didn’t have “hot” sign beside it, because one of the sauces was already listed as “hot” a few pages further down the menu (i.e. I simply should have looked up all 3 of them one by one). Secondly, the tap-tasting water was supposedly filtered – I said I know what filtered water tastes like (it doesn’t taste), so it definitely wasn’t filtered. Thirdly, the fact the dear beer price was not on the menu was OK, because of the “promotion” and small hand-written digits on the leaflet. Fourthly, the rice was dry – it’s “basmati” and stew didn’t taste much – no comment. Fifthly, he couldn’t do anything for me – I paid, he collected, it’s life. So, this is why I am writing this review. I have also asked for and collected the “free” beer glass, which I didn’t take the last night and the “promotional” leaflet (I wonder what the non-promotional prices will be like, or may be in India “promotion” means a rip-off of gullible people). It says “COBRA” (not a bad beer by the way), but be careful not to get bitten both in the mouth and in the pocket!!!

My huband and I had dinner at Heritage of India on Tongariro Street and the service was wonderful, very friendly staffs, There was lots of things in menu and we tried Calamari & Tiger Hill Chenin Blanc Indian Wine, that was very authentic. We found true Indian Cuisine with excellent food, sevice and traditional atmosphere at best price.

I ate here with a friend and thought the service was good and the food was nice but not the best Indian I have eaten. Not the worst though.