Gate of India

Really disappointed with our experience at Gate of India this New Year’s Eve. We booked a table for 12 by phone weeks in advance and were told the only available time was 8:30pm, which we accepted. We arrived around 8:20pm and were immediately met with a rude and confrontational attitude from a male member of staff, who insisted our booking was for an earlier time and said we’d missed it. There was a table clearly set up for 12, yet we were told it wasn’t for us. The restaurant was quiet, and it felt like they simply didn’t want to deal with a large group. The staff member made sarcastic comments and, along with another staff member, laughed at our group, which was embarrassing and completely unprofessional. To make things worse, the booking details they showed us were wrong — the name and time didn’t even match what we’d been given. In the end all 12 of us were turned away on New Year’s Eve and we couldn’t find anywhere else, so our night was ruined. This was especially disappointing as we’d had a great experience here last New Year’s Eve, but sadly we won’t be returning. Since then several people have commented that the restaurant's reputation has gone downhill and based on this experience, it's easy to see why. It’s a shame as we have recently moved into the area to be closer to my in-laws and would’ve made this our local curry house. We have since sought better quality and fairer priced food and service elsewhere.

Iv been going to this restaurant now for last 4 years.. I always have a takeaway about 2 or 3 a month and every single one as been absolutely amazing. Really gorgeous traditional full of spice and flavour.. I would recommend this place to everyone. In my opinion the best Indian around. Staff are all really friendly. Just a fantastic place for a really great meal.

An overall good restaurant Very nice ambiance Friendly staff Takes a long time to serve food but when the food was served it was fresh and piping hot. Bbq was a bit dry for my liking the rest was upto the mark Naan were fresh and flavour full. Very delicious sauce. Overall a good experience

Onion Bahji was rock hard and un-edible. I had to hit it to break it open. Korma was too sweet. Naan was ok. Won't be back

I am writing to raise a formal complaint regarding the way my party was treated at Gate of India on Gawber Road, Barnsley, on New Year’s Eve. A reservation for 12 guests was made by telephone several weeks in advance. During this call, we originally asked for a 7:30pm booking but were informed that this time was not available and that the only option was 8:30pm. We accepted this and planned our evening around that time. We chose to return to your restaurant because we had enjoyed dining with you the previous New Year’s Eve and expected a similar experience. Our group arrived at approximately 8:20pm, ahead of our agreed booking time, and were immediately met with an unwelcoming and confrontational attitude from a male staff member. He insisted our booking was for 7:30pm and stated that we had missed it, despite us clearly explaining that we had been given an 8:30pm reservation during the booking call. What made the situation even more upsetting was that a table set for 12 people was clearly visible, yet we were abruptly told that it was not intended for our group. The restaurant was quiet at the time, and the refusal to seat us appeared to stem from an unwillingness to accommodate a large party rather than a genuine lack of availability. Throughout this interaction, the staff member’s behaviour was dismissive and disrespectful. At one point, he made the comment, “There’s no point standing there, what do you want me to do, build a table?” Additionally, both he and another member of staff were seen laughing at our group, which was deeply humiliating and entirely unprofessional, particularly as we remained polite and calm throughout. Further adding to the issue, the booking details we were shown were incorrect. The reservation was listed as “CLARK @ 7PM,” despite the booking being made under the name Claire and for a later time, highlighting further carelessness in how our booking was handled. As a result of this treatment, our entire party of 12 were turned away on New Year’s Eve. Given the time and the occasion, we were unable to secure an alternative venue, and our evening plans were completely ruined. The situation was especially upsetting for Claire, who had taken considerable care to organise the booking for everyone. This incident was a stark contrast to our previous positive experience at your restaurant and has left us extremely disappointed.