Clay's Kitchen & Bar

Review summary

1. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   London

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on December 21, 2024

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

   Food is simply delicious !! The menu is limited so not for everyone who wants to eat an old favourite!! But defo for me !!!
   

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2. H

   Hannah

   London

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on December 20, 2024

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

   We had high expectations and they were met! Incredible food and fantastic service and recommendations. Best restaurant in Reading!
   

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3. M

   Mark

   Berkshire

   36 reviews

   5.0

   36 reviews

   Dined on December 19, 2024

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

   Clay’s is one of our favourite restaurant’s and we’ve been customers since 2018. Amazing dishes, full of flavours and great spices. Nandana and Sharat, the owners, are lovely people and make you feel like you’re dining in their home. If you like great food then go!
   

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4. P

   Paul

   Manchester

   1 review

   4.0

   1 review

   Dined on December 18, 2024

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

   Lovely food , great choose of beers , service could be better , little slow , worse point was the bill being dropped on the table by gentleman from behind the counter , but nothing said , felt like hurry up to pay the bill and leave , not the best way I would say , especially as it was nice evening apart from this .
   

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5. K

   Kenny

   London

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on December 18, 2024

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

   The best curry in Reading and for far beyond. Nandana and the service team remain unendingly welcoming, whilst Sharat and the kitchen team are wonderfully skilled in creating delicious, authentic and consistently brilliant dishes. I will never not recommend Clay's enough to anyone in the vicinity. Accessible levels of spice for those with lower tolerance, and satisfyingly warming for those who enjoy it, all the dishes are varied, homely and of the highest quality. Great local craft beer on draft too, always a bonus. There is nothing routine or similar here to so many other Indian restaurants you have no doubt frequented over time. The food is full of depth, variety, uniqueness and flavour and is unlike nearly anywhere else.
   

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6. J

   Jenny

   Berkshire

   6 reviews

   5.0

   6 reviews

   Dined on December 14, 2024

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

   Fantastic food, service was professional and friendly. Great to have authentic food and veer away from the average selection of dishes.
   

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7. D

   Dhirendra

   Berkshire

   1 review

   1.0

   1 review

   Dined on December 14, 2024

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

   I am compelled to share yet another disappointing experience at Clay's Kitchen, marking the fourth instance of poor hospitality. Despite the undeniably good food, the behavior of the lady managing the business has made it impossible to continue visiting this establishment. During our recent visit, we planned to share dishes as a group, which is common and reasonable in Indian dining. However, the manager insisted adamantly that we order five mains for five people, disregarding our preferences entirely. When we asked for clarification, she became hyper and defensive, making the interaction extremely uncomfortable. To make matters worse, she said, "You must order the mains. I don't care if you pack it or take it away." This would have been bad enough, but in a previous visit, they refused to provide take-away boxes even after multiple polite requests. Additionally, her attitude towards guests is noticeably biased. She shows preferential treatment to white-skinned customers, visiting their tables regularly, while ignoring guests of other ethnicities, including Indians. This discriminatory behavior is disheartening, especially in a restaurant that serves Indian cuisine. In a previous incident, a colleague opted not to pay the service charge due to unsatisfactory service. The manager made an unnecessary and loud fuss over this, further showcasing a lack of professionalism and customer care. The final straw was when we expressed dissatisfaction with our treatment and the manager dismissively stated that she "does not care" about our experience and that we were "not bound to come." Such an arrogant and apathetic attitude towards patrons is shocking and unacceptable. the manager has singlehandedly ruined every evening and occasion we’ve chosen to dine here. This place clearly does not value customer relationships or hospitality, and it’s simply not worth the stress and disrespect. Avoid this place if you value a welcoming and courteous dining experience. Pathetic overall.
   

   Clay's Kitchen & BarResponded on December 18, 2024

   Thank you for acknowledging our food is excellent. We use top-quality ingredients and take great care in cooking. We pay our staff well, and our overheads are very high, leaving slim margins. A table of 5 ordering only three mains, no starters doesn’t help us survive. We need each person at a table to order at least one dish—it’s fair and clearly stated on our menus and in the booking terms. We have ALWAYS offered takeaway boxes for leftover food for 6 years. When I explained this, you became aggressive and demanded proof which was shown to you. I was alone, facing five people refusing to understand or respect our policy. We treasure all guests but don’t tolerate misbehaviour. I felt too uncomfortable to return, but our staff checked on you regularly. I hope this helps in understanding.
   

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8. i

   iain

   Berkshire

   2 reviews

   3.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on December 12, 2024

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

   i have to say i was disappointed with my visit to clays because i am comparing it to the culinary event that a visit to your restaurant inspired when you were based in your other restaurant location in reading. i regarded the old clays as the best indian restaurant i had ever been to. the food was inspirational, extremely well presented and never failed to surprise. yesterdays experience was more mediocre. more like a standard Indian restaurant visit. still above average but a disappointment for the reasons highlighted above. service was enthusiastic, attentive and polite but staff didnt really know much about the food and had to check when we asked questions on the details. maybe i am being picky. i do hope you take this feedback to heart because what you used to provide in the other site was genuinely excellent.
   

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9. S

   Sarah

   London

   13 reviews

   5.0

   13 reviews

   Dined on December 6, 2024

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

   What fabulous fabulous food!! Absolutely stunning, everyone in our party loved all the dishes. I was lucky to have some leftovers to take home (i always over order!). Staff were so friendly despite the restauarnt being full, very reasonably priced we thought. Had heard people say the restaurant was echoing and lacked ambience but we thought it was fine, a noisy place but thats because everyone was enjoying themselves and having a good time. Would highly recommend and we will be back! Thank you!
   

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10. B

    Barney

    Oxford

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on December 6, 2024

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

    always great food. Good to see it so busy. Service excellent.
    

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