Farsley Curry Craft review: I visited a new Indian restaurant in Leeds that has made a bold statement

It is completely logical for restaurateurs to set up shop in the area given Farsley has a vibrant food and drink scene.

The suburb boasts an array of fantastic restauraunts and watering holes, making it a fantastic place for businesses to operate in.

What surprised me about Farsley Curry Craft is that it was opening right next door to Deeva, a popular Indian eatery that has been serving the area for years. Let’s be honest, that is a bold move.

I visited the new arrival with a bit of scepticism given I had enjoyed many visits to Deeva over the years. Was it going to be better? Worse? Much better? Much worse?

Farsley Curry Craft occupies the building that once housed Esis Bar & Grill and there has not been a complete revamp of the interior. It is tidy and stylish - as Esis was.

Service, first and foremost, was fantastic. It started to fill up quite quickly after we arrived yet we were never ignored. Staff waited on us as if we were the only customers in the building and were incredibly friendly.

After devouring poppadoms with the help of a pickle tray, we jumped straight into main courses. I went for the Curry Craft Special Blend, which featured chicken, prawn and lamb in a thick, smooth and medium-spiced sauce.

I love a dish so flavoursome that the meat does not need to do the heavy lifting and this was certainly the case. It was cooked to absolute perfection and paired well with a pilau rice and garlic naan.

My partner went for the chicken dopiaza, a dish both of us have ordered on a number of occasions over the years. She felt it was up there with the best she had eaten - and I agreed after pinching some.

The dopiaza was £11.95 and the special blend was £14.95. It proved to be fantastic value for money as the portions were incredibly generous and the food simply could not be faulted.

We washed our dishes down with pints of Cobra, which were priced at £5.50 each. Again, you just can’t knock it, especially with prices spiralling out of control seemingly everywhere you look.

The entire experience - from start to finish - was simply superb. I felt conflicted, with my admiration for Deeva colliding with my appreciation for Farsley Curry Craft’s excellence.

I left feeling like Rio Ferdinand. No, that isn’t a typo - the retired footballer who played for Leeds United in the glory days but is best-known for his exploits across the Pennines at Manchester United.

Years ago, while on punditry duties, Ferdinand weighed in with a succinct and balance view on the Lionel Messi v Cristiano Ronaldo debate.

“People try and make comparisons,” he said. “Just enjoy em’ man.”

I feel the people of Farsley can take the same approach when it comes to Deeva and Farsley Curry Craft. At the end of the day, what’s better than one fantastic Indian restaurant on your doorstep? Two fantastic Indian restaurants on your doorstep.

Factfile

Address: 54 Town Street , Farsley, Leeds LS28 5Ld

Telephone: +44 113 345 9706

Opening hours: Monday-Sunday: 5-11pm

Website: https://farsleycurrycraft.com/

Scores

Food: 9/10

Value: 9/10

Atmosphere: 9/10

Service: 9/10

Total: 9/10