MasalaCraft- Indian Street Food Restaurant and Bar

As a British Indian I certainly don’t expect 100 percent authenticity in Indian food in this country- certainly not. However, my experience at MasalaCraft was simply unacceptable, with arrogance, raw food and what I brand as mere theft We ordered drinks including Lassis and lemonade (fine), proceeded by starters of Achari Paneer Tikka and Onion Bhaji- of which the Paneer was doused in some sort of cheap lemon syrup (a common theme of this restaurant!), and the onion bhaji filled with raw gram flour- what we all know if consumed will give you a stomach ache for days. The table next to us, with locals, agreed that the onion bhajis that they ordered too were uncooked. The arrogant response from the staff was simply “that’s how we make it here”! I am sorry to say- if that is how you make it here, then you have zero right to serve your customers uncooked food and name yourself a “super quality Indian Tapas”. I guess that shows that it doesn’t take an Indian taste to find that something was wrong with the food! If you think that was enough, wait until the mains! Our mains of Chole Batura, and Pav Bhaji were merely unacceptable- the chole batura more than the pav bhaji. Naturally I get that you can’t nail the curries every time at an Indian restaurant- but the solution DEFINITELY isn’t to pour lemon syrup into your curries- as other customers have noted in their reviews too- overpoweringly sweet curries. The batura accompanying the chole was UNCOOKED. Yep, the inside was literally dough that I could press down with my fingers. I couldn’t finish my meal, nor could those accompanying me- merely due to the inedibility of the food. My feedback during the billing process, where I kindly pointed out negatives with the meal, was met with arrogance- the staff desperate to ignore any accountability. The waiter again insisted that this is how they make their food, but if uncooked food is their style, I am not entirely sure about why they are serving these dishes! My request to see the chef and inform him about this was met with an angry, annoyed time, where the chef did not seem to care in the slightest about these substandard food standards. Oh, that’s not all. The restaurant expects you to pay 18 pounds per head as a minimum for their substandard food- which with the awful food I had just had, left an awful taste in my mouth. You would expect typically, that you may get a sorry, or some sort of apology in sort- but not at all! The staff seemed so defensive and angry when confronted- that this is simply false advertising- you cannot call yourself “super quality”. As is a common theme with some of the review replies from the owner of the establishment- merely rude and confrontational, with zero accountability, I doubt this will get a reply. But I do write in absolute earnest, with the intention of ensuring you don’t fall into the same mistake as I did, seeing the name and a quick impression. Absolutely unacceptable, and horrid.

We recently visited Masala Craft in York and, unfortunately, our experience was quite underwhelming. The food did not live up to expectations — most dishes were bland and lacked the authentic Indian flavour we were hoping for. The chhole bhature, in particular, was especially disappointing — overly sweet and not at all what you'd expect from a classic Indian dish. We ended up leaving it unfinished. The ambience also left much to be desired. The restaurant felt dark and dull, lacking the warmth or vibrance usually associated with Indian eateries. On the plus side, the service was decent, and one staff member did try to make up for the food by either offering to replace it with a spicier version or waive the charge, which we appreciated. Overall, while the staff showed some courtesy, the food and atmosphere fell short, and we’re unlikely to return.

Really enjoyed the food here. The cauliflower and chaat starters in particular, and good chole chickpea curry with deep spice. Vegan options clearly labelled. Friendly quick service.

First time eating at the restaurant. It was close to our hotel and we’d checked out the menu online prior to going. It was a Tuesday early evening, so not busy, although their takeaway service seemed much busier. We tried “chaat booms” (delicious, fresh-tasting little explosions of flavour), chicken pakora with a superb sticky sauce (maybe with tamarind?), vada pav (tasty spicy potato patty in a roll) and chicken Jalfrezi with a keema nan and pilau rice. Absolutely could not fault any of the food - Lots of layered flavours. Cost wise, with two soft drinks and two alcoholic drinks came to just over £60. Really good value and left absolutely stuffed 😂

It was a place I've been curious about opening and its food for a long time. And finally we were able to visit. The food, service and venue were very nice. I especially liked the Punjabi Samosa Chatt. I have eaten Samosa in many places, but the service and taste of this one were incredible. It looks like it will be a restaurant I will visit often.