Ma Goa

By far the best Indian food I have had in London so far. Was fairly priced, service and atmosphere good. What more can you ask for?
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Wednesday, July 23, 2008

Ma Goa has a very westernised menu for what they say is an Indian restaurant. Don't expect to find the large selection of curries and such you would get at many Indian restaurants. There is a well chosen selection of starters and main courses which range across a number of different styles of Indian cooking.

It has the feel of a more modern restaurant although it would benefit from better lighting. The staff were polite and helpful but we did have to ask for the bill twice before it arrived.

No matter how much they claim they are serving real Indian food, I ordered one of the few curries on the menu, a pork vindaloo, which while the pork was very tender and overall it tasted great, there wasnt the faintest hint of heat (and that was after the waiter warning me it was hot).

If you like hot indian food that hasn't been toned down for western palates then avoid this place. Otherwise, the flavours they produce are fantastic and I would definitely recommend them. Try to make sure you go early (6:30-8:00) to get their starter + main for £10 deal as that appears to be the only way to get real value for money.
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David Lawrence
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Friday, June 13, 2008

We booked a table and were kept waiting for 40 minutes, the waiters/management didn't keep us updated, but we did get free poppadoms.

Despite the wait the food and service were good. The puri were tasty and the potato stuffed with paneer was great. My friend had some very sorry looking calamari, which were tasteless and overcooked. For main course we had lentils, aubergine, sag paneer and sweet potato. Only the sag paneer was a disappointment, the rest were spot on. I think the meat eaters enjoyed their meals judging by the clean plates.

We shall certainly be eating at Ma Goa again.
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smithy
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 7 | Value for money 7
Sunday, February 10, 2008

We have been frequenting Ma Goa for a few years now and love it. The food is wonderful, full of flavours and very different frrom the normal run of the mill Indian style curries. Each time we go we seem to enjoy it even more than the time before, which in itself it is quite incredible as we always think it cannot get any better! We have just returned from Goa for the 2nd time this year, and would say the flavours are totally authentic. Whilst there, we were privileged enough to be taken by our driver to have lunch prepared by his sister and mother in their home, so are fully aware of how home cooked Goan food should taste like, and Ma Goa certainly hits the spot.

I am confident that any discerning diner would really enjoy an evening at this very special restaurant, my very fussy partners' all time favourite.

Baz and Juliette
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Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 9
Saturday, December 08, 2007

Ma Goa has got to be one of the best restaurants of its kind in London. We have been regular customers for more than six years and have lost count at the numbers of people we have introduced to its exquisite cuisine.

We were extremely disappointed at some of the reviews submitted on your website, particularly from “The Goans” or should that read “The Goons”! What a load of absolute rubbish they wrote, particularly as we have taken Goan friends to the restaurant who have remarked that the food is like “home from home”. We really can’t believe that Goan friends and Goan staff would associate themselves with this restaurant if they felt it was an insult to their homeland.

We recommend that everyone who have discerning tastes in Indian cuisine to visit this restaurant – you can’t please everyone all of the time, but Ma Goa makes a damn good go of it!!
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Jules & Ali - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 9
Monday, December 03, 2007

I went here with some family recently after they came to visit me in London and was totally disappointed.

As a big fan of spicy/ hot food I found the dish I had chosen to be just chicken in spices with no flavour at all. The meal itself was of good portion, however the sundries and starters were extremely small.

The saving grace of this restaurant was its service, which was excellent however, at the prices you pay, you would expect this.

Overall, the meals arrived too quickly, they weren't the best quality and the prices were over the top for what it was.
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Anthony Daly
Overall rating
Food 4 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Friday, October 05, 2007

We were completely disappointed with this restaurant after reading all the nice reviews it had received. We had informed the Manager that we were Goans and he assured us of good food.

However, the food was anything but Goan. Plus they try to fake their customers; we got sardines when we ordered for mackerels !! And a coconut cake instead of the traditional Goan bebinca.

On filling the customer satisfaction card, Mr Kapoor Jnr. who runs the place and doubles up as a waiter almost confronted us saying we should not have expected anything authentic and that food was prepared according to his mother's recipes. We were shocked by this rude behaviour !!

And Mr Kapoor if it is not authentic, you cannot name a food authentically - for example, you can definitely not pass off a Cornish Pasty as a Steak & Kidney Pie.

We felt completely cheated of our money. Definitely NOT a place to go and absolutely nothing Goan about it - not the food, not the hospitality !!
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J de Souza
Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 1
Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Very good food - at a reasonable price.

Friendly staff. Small buy cosy restaurant.
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James Bishop
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 8 | Value for money 8
Thursday, February 15, 2007

Serviceable but over-rated. The restaurant is too small for the number of covers, and it really shows. At one point, the waiter (accidentally) shoved his bum in my partner's face whilst trying to reach over an adjoining table. The food is fine but does not live up to the extravagant claims made for it. Only the rice was noticeably better than in a decent high street Indian restaurant. The service was also erratice and we didn't love having to ask for the bill repeatedly.
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Nita Patel
Overall rating
Food 6 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 5 | Value for money 4
Thursday, September 28, 2006

Fantastic? No. Good, original,consistent? Yes. A restaurant that can always please as Ma Goa does is well worth knowing about. The food is hot - that has to be said - and it's tasty. The atmosphere is friendly and relaxed but it is not a particularly comfortable restaurant. The emphasis is on the food - and they can't be faulted. I have eaten there with friends once at lunchtime and had dinner there half a dozen times. I can tell you that it is clean, correct and good value. If you like Indian food, you'll like it. You do eat very well there.
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Mike
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 7 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Thursday, September 14, 2006