The Koyla

The Koyla reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. G

   Graham

   Surrey1 review

   4.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   It was lovely, service, staff, ambiance etc. We were not rushed like you are in some restaurants. We just found the food a little salty and not many choices for dessert.
   

   The KoylaResponded 3 days ago

   Thank you for your thoughtful feedback! We're so pleased to hear you enjoyed the service, ambiance, and overall experience, and that you felt relaxed and unrushed during your visit. We appreciate your comments regarding the saltiness of the food and dessert options—your input helps us improve. We hope to welcome you back again soon for an even better experience!
   

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2. L

   Louise

   Kent3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on May 21, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Highly recommend this place. Delicious freshly cooked food, and lovely attentive service.
   

   The KoylaResponded 3 days ago

   Thank you so much Louise, for the glowing review! We're thrilled you enjoyed the freshly cooked food and attentive service. Your recommendation means a lot to us, and we look forward to welcoming you back soon!
   

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3. N

   Nick

   Kent4 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on May 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   From the warm welcome, followed by polite friendly and professional service. I can recommend the Koyla beer for liquid refreshment, asahi on draft too. A full menu of tempting food both traditional and with modern twists. My son and I opted for soft shell crab and momo to start which were wonderful. Followed by mains of Goat and Chicken both were fragrant spicy and delicious, rice was perfect and the best sag aloo I have ever had. Naan bread and roti were obviously freshly baked and superb, sorbets to finish which are made in the restaurant and again the best. I thoroughly recommend this restaurant for the entire experience of food service decor and ambience. The kind waitress even delivered a complimentary cake with handwritten chocolate wishing him a happy birthday as I had mentioned this on entering the restaurant.
   

   The KoylaResponded 3 days ago

   Thank you so much Nick, for this incredibly thoughtful and detailed review. We're truly honoured by your kind words and thrilled that you and your son had such a memorable evening with us. From the starters to dessert, it’s wonderful to hear that each part of your dining experience hit the mark — and we're especially glad the birthday surprise made it extra special. Your feedback means the world to our entire team. We’re so pleased you enjoyed the food, service, and ambience, and we can’t wait to welcome you both back again soon for another unforgettable meal. Thank you again for choosing Koyla!
   

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4. A

   Alison

   Kent3 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on May 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   A really lovely meal and the service was fantastic.
   

   The KoylaResponded 3 days ago

   Thank you so much Alison, for your kind words and thoughtful tags! We're delighted you had a lovely meal and experienced fantastic service. It’s always a pleasure to host guests for special occasions, business meals, or just a great time out. We look forward to welcoming you again soon!
   

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5. A

   Alison

   London1 review

   5.0

   Dined on April 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious food. Excellent waiting staff. Recommend.
   

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   The KoylaResponded on April 20, 2025

   Thank you so much for your kind words! We’re thrilled to hear you enjoyed the food and had a great experience with our team. Your recommendation means a lot to us—we can’t wait to welcome you back again soon!
   

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6. k

   kevin

   London6 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on April 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   This was our first visit for a while and the first since the management changed. We were not disappointed - the food was amazing! Fresh ingredients, beautifully spiced and expertly presented. We thoroughly enjoyed every dish and will certainly be back. Highly recommended!
   

   The KoylaResponded on April 20, 2025

   Thank you so much Kevin for taking the time to leave such a wonderful review! We’re so glad to hear that your first visit back—and your first under the new management—was such a positive experience. It means a lot to know you enjoyed the fresh ingredients, the flavours, and the presentation. We’re especially happy we could help make the birthday celebration feel a little more special—thank you for letting us be a part of it! We truly appreciate your kind words and recommendation, and we look forward to welcoming you back again very soon.
   

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7. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   London1 review

   5.0

   Dined on March 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Highly recommended! We had goat biryani, chicken biriani and chicken tikka masala - all absolutely delicious - and the service was excellent.
   

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8. R

   Richard

   London2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on February 25, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Fantastic food. Can’t wait to come back. I recommend the biryani.
   

   The KoylaResponded on March 1, 2025

   Thank you so much Richard for your wonderful 5-star review! We're thrilled to hear that you loved the food, especially the biryani. We can't wait to welcome you back soon! Your recommendation means a lot to us. See you again soon! 😊
   

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9. s

   shaun

   Kent1 review

   2.0

   Dined on February 14, 2025

   1. Overall 2
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 1

   Valentine's 2025, only 3-course set price menu available (price bumped up for event), service was slow, took 20 minutes to order first drink and only got a waitress after walking up to reception to prompt them. Music was loud techno-pop, not appropriate for either romantic evening or Nepalese theme. Lighting was super bright spot lamps everywhere, like a jewellery store setting instead of intimate dining. Noticed other diners received the rice bowl accompaniment significantly later than meal, so I made a point of getting rice quickly after my meal was delivered - if one waitress cannot carry 2 meals and 2 bowls of rice together, use two people (there were plenty of staff standing at bar/reception). The Koyla was highly recommended by others so was really disappointed with our 'special' evening.
   

   The KoylaResponded on February 21, 2025

   Thank you for sharing your feedback, and I’m truly sorry to hear about your experience on Valentine’s Day 2025. We aim to provide a memorable and enjoyable evening for our guests, and it’s clear we missed the mark this time. I apologize for the slow service, including the 20-minute wait to order your first drink. This is not the experience we want to provide, and I will address this with the team to improve responsiveness. I also regret the awkwardness you felt with the staff, and I’ll ensure better communication moving forward. The music and lighting issues are also noted. We truly value your feedback and apologize for not meeting your expectations. I hope you’ll consider giving us another chance in the future. Thank you again for your comments.
   

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10. A

    Aimie

    London1 review

    2.0

    Dined on February 14, 2025

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1

    I made a reservation for Valentine's Day, but when we arrived, we were handed a 3-course set menu that wasn’t mentioned on their website when I booked. The prices were steep—£55 per person not including drinks—which felt especially unfair considering I usually spend much less. After checking the website, I saw the Valentine’s menu had been posted, but it didn’t indicate it was the only menu available that day, nor did it include any pricing details. The set menu offered only one vegetarian option for both the starter and main, and both contained paneer. The service was disappointingly slow; we waited an hour and a half for the starter and ended up spending around 3 hours in the restaurant. The waitstaff kept asking if we had ordered and how far along we were in the meal, which felt awkward as they should have known. Additionally, other tables seemed to get rice, but we didn’t, which might have been because it wasn’t included with the paneer dishes. While the food itself was good, by the time we ate, we were extremely hungry, which took away from the experience. My partner did not enjoy the techno music playing, as it clashed with the romantic atmosphere we were expecting. Despite our previous positive experiences, this visit has left us with a very sour impression, and we won’t be returning.
    

    The KoylaResponded on February 21, 2025

    Thank you for your feedback, and I’m truly sorry for the disappointing experience on Valentine’s Day. We should have communicated the 3-course set menu and pricing more clearly during your reservation, and I’ll ensure we update our website to avoid future confusion. I understand your frustration with the limited vegetarian options and the long wait for your meal. I also apologize for the rice issue and the music not matching the romantic atmosphere you expected. We’ll make sure to better align the ambiance in the future. While I’m glad you enjoyed the food, I regret that the overall experience wasn’t what you anticipated. We value your feedback and hope you’ll consider giving us another chance. Thank you again for sharing your thoughts.
    

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