"Other commitments prevent my wife and I from visiting the Nazma Tandoori frequently on Sunday evenings, which is the evening on which they offer (as an alternative to a la carte, which continues to be available) a buffet meal deal (from 5 pm to 8pm)...which consists of four starters, four mains, four sides', and a choice of different types of nan bread. The current price is £15. Luckily, we have had a chance to go back recently, and found the total experience to be as good as ever. The buffet works very well. The four starters are always interesting, and it is, of course, a help yourself and choose for yourself and come back a second time if you wish' arrangement. The same is true of the mains. Third courses eg kulfi ice cream (delicious) and at least one other are available as add ons'. So too is coffee (excellent, and plenty of it This buffet deal, by which we choose our own portion size, suits us both fine, as we are in the elderly' category these days and do not burn off calories as easily as we once did. Being able to select portion sizes for ourselves is a real bonus. Some younger folk than us were busy turning this aspect of a buffet into a bonus for them too, but in a different way from us. This is a well established restaurant that is very well managed. The manager is charming, as is the waiter. The service is excellent. Regular customers are given the warmest of greetings. Newcomers will have the nature of each dish on offer in the buffet carefully, patiently and (most important) accurately conveyed to them. The four mains dishes are also carefully graded from mild to not mild. The contents of the containers are not cooked to order', of course, but the amount in them is kept in line with the number of customers in the restaurant at the time and with the stage that they are at in the meal, with the result that all choices are very nearly always there, are fresh, and are hot. Nothing is tired looking', nothing is cold. If some dish has run out, it is replenished very quickly. The quality of the food is so reliable. On this recent visit, the lamb dish and the chicken dish contained high quality key ingredients very well cooked. That has always been our experience .. a key reason for our being so glad to keep going back. Flavours are subtle, not in your face'. We never wish we had chosen something else, because this restaurant has over 20 years of knowing what its customers like and want, and takes the view that it it ain't broke, don't go fixing it'. The Nazma also graces its tables with linen, not paper, the seats are comfy and the lighting ideal ............. I like to be able to see what I am eating. Background music is at a sensible level, and conversation easy to conduct, and it is the customer who decides the pace. None of the foods are skimped on when it comes to the ingredients they purchase and use. That includes the oranges they slice up as a final refresher. Always delicious. In short, in our view this place gets so many things right. We took two hours over our meal and, after a very tiring day, had a most relaxing, thoroughly enjoyable evening, it being a special day for the two of us. Such being the case, and it being a Sunday, which restaurant to select had been just so easy. We look forward to going back the next time we manage to get a Sunday evening off' from our other commitments. The oil industry slump has brought hard times to Aberdeen's restaurants. The Nazma is one that deserves to do well and is well worth patronising. It remains high up on our list, and for good reason. Stable staffing, very good meals and service, easy city centre parking and cheap parking of an evening. Highly recommended. It is city centre, and easy to find. It is, however, on a first floor, so you need to look for the lit sign up on a wall, as its frontage is not at street level. Is it romantic is a question asked below. Not sure what that means. Going there is romantic for us because of the many happy memories of family occasions we have held there, and continue to hold there when we can. Its ambience suits us very well. and we feel very well looked after there. It has never let us down."
Aberdeen City
