I had lunch with my boyfriend on Saturday. The restaurant was enjoying a very good and brisk business with locals and tourists filling up most of the tables available. The first staff we met was this solemn-looking young lady who also was the cashier. She pointed a table for us - no smiles, no greetings at all.
We were given menus - again, there was no greetings. I began to feel that this restaurant is just interested to provide you food. Hell, even fast food restaurant staff are warmer than this. We ordered fish tikka, mutton briyani, deep-fried fish roe, and palaak paneer.
The fish tikka is a MUST ORDER. It was cooked perfectly - the fish was not dry at all, and still retained its juiciness. The mutton briyani, however, was a bit dry. A little bit of gravy would help a lot. The palaak paneer was absolutely delicious and I would recommend for people to order it, even if one is not vegetarian. :)
The food came in about 15 minutes' time. As the restaurant serves beers and alcohol, this is not a halal establishment, for Muslims who are very strict about this. The total bill for us came up to $53, which is mid-range when it comes to Indian food.
I think that for a restaurant that is one of the country's most popular Indian restaurants, they should really buck up in their hospitality standards so that people can enjoy both the food and also be given a warm service like restaurants should. A little smile would not hurt. The owner should take their customers' reviews seriously as I am sure I am not the only one who is dissatisfied with the service standards here.