A Return Visit to Gurkha Dine, Pye Bridge
There’s never a dull moment in our flock! Our original New Years Eve plans saw us book a table for 6: Me, His Nibs, Mummy Bird, Fledge, The Beau and JoJo; however, as things do, this all changed. The young ‘uns bought tickets to a rave, so then there were 3 remaining. Thanks to seasonal colds and flu, when we went to pick Mummy up, she said she just wasn’t up to it; date night for 2 it was, then!
There’s never a dull moment in our flock! Our original New Years Eve plans saw us book a table for 6: Me, His Nibs, Mummy Bird, Fledge, The Beau and JoJo; however, as things do, this all changed. The young ‘uns bought tickets to a rave, so then there were 3 remaining. Thanks to seasonal colds and flu, when we went to pick Mummy up, she said she just wasn’t up to it; date night for 2 it was, then!
The Man Bird had booked the table nice and early (6pm), but Gurkha Dine was throng when we rolled up – nice to see a local venue thriving. A lively bubble of chatter and laughter met us as we stepped inside, its infectiousness instantly lifting our mood and giving us NYE feels. One of the team greeted us warmly and showed us to our table, swiftly sorting our drinks order out – pint of draught Cobra (£6.50) for The Man, and a large glass of NZ Sauvignon Blanc (£7.95) for me. We ordered the Poppadom Basket and Pickles (£5.95) to nibble at whilst we perused the menu, and these quickly appeared before us.
You can’t beat the crunch of a thin, crisp Poppadom, and this quartet were spot-on. Personally, I love a fiery, tangy Lime Pickle, so I dived straight for that, and His Nibs went for his favourite: the Onion, Cucumber and Tomato Chutney. A creamy, minted Yoghurt cooled the mouth nicely and its gentle tang provided the perfect counter to the sweet fruitiness of the smooth Mango Chutney.
Just as we finished up the last crumbs of the Poppadoms, one of the team presented us with a platter of Onion Pakoras: a gift from Chef to tantalise our taste buds whilst he set-to cooking our mains. How lovely was that? Jolly lovely, actually; the crispy spheres were crunchy on the outside with softer, spiced inners of shredded Onion that had our palates sighing with satisfaction.
Unusually for us, we skipped a starter (perhaps as well, given the surprise Pakoras!), opting instead to have a side dish with our mains. I fancied the [on the bone] Goat Curry (£14.95), with Chana Masala (£5.95) as my side, and The Man had Gurkha Fish Curry (£11.95) as his main, with Tarka Dal (£5.50) as his side dish. To go with our meals, we had a portion of Garlic Rice (£3.95) and two Tandoori Roti breads (£2.95 each).
Despite the restaurant being very busy and the phone ringing off-the-hook with takeout orders, we weren’t waiting particularly longer than usual before our food was being presented to us. Just ahead of the food arriving, one of the Gurkha team came with warmed plates that he wiped over before popping them down on the table – always a nice touch I think, don’t you agree? All I’m going to say regarding the portion sizes at Gurkha Dine is…go there hungry!
A metal bowl housed the plentiful chunks of on-bone Goat meat, and the aromas were intoxicating as I dug in with the serving spoon. Goat is a rich, musky-tasting meat that some like, others don’t; I really enjoy it, and the inclusion of the bones meant that the sauce had an extra depth to it. A more robust meat needs equally punchy partners, and the Cardamon, Ginger, Garlic and Chillies were doing a fine job, bringing some welcome sweet fragrance to the musky Goat meat was Cinnamon, and my palate savoured the spice’s distinct taste. This is a curry that kicks like a, well, Goat, though not to the extent that it leaves your lips and tongue tingling, but it definitely has more punch than you’d initially think.
Where my curry was deep and earthy, His Nibs’ choice of Fish Curry was lighter and sweeter in its profile. The Cod fillet was inherently sweet and Chef had cooked it with Fenugreek Seed, Bay Leaf and Spring Onion for aromatic impact, pairing it with an indulgent cream-based sauce. This was delightfully flavoursome and a new favourite of The Man Bird.
Although we’d ordered the Chana Masala and Tarka Dal separately, we did share them and both had a good ‘oomph’ to them that accompanied the curries brilliantly. The Chickpeas were nicely spiced, bringing multiple layers of flavour to the feast - and they contain a good amount of fibre, in case you are wanting a healthier side dish when you dine out. Not wishing to blow my own trumpet (but I’m going to, because I don’t do many dishes well, but this particular one I do), but I make a mean Tarka Dal at home; mine tends to be a thicker consistency than the ‘soupier’ ones you get at most Indian restaurants, though. His Nibs prefers it thicker, so he was very happy to discover that Chef at Pye Bridge’s Gurkha Dine also makes his this way, and it was ridiculously good.
The rice was nice and fluffy, with plenty of roasted Garlic punctuating the grains to provide a subtle flavour that went beautifully with our curries. I know I bang on about Rice, but badly cooked grains can impact the pleasure of a meal more than you perhaps think. Thankfully, these ones were perfect, having a hint of firmness to them and a tender nutty, savoury taste that lingered in the mouth. Rather than our habitual Naan bread, both of us fancied the thinner Roti bread – and it didn’t disappoint. Lightly glossed with butter on its surface for presentation purposes, the bread had charred air bubbles from being on the sides of the Tandoor, and these added a lovely burnt hint that balanced the soft, floury chewiness of the Roti.
For dessert, both His Nibs and I ordered the Honeycomb pot (£6.95). Now, I know this isn’t an authentic Nepalese dessert in any way, shape, or form, but it was still a great way to end our New Years Eve meal. As a surprise, right at the end, we were offered a drink on the house to welcome in 2026: I had a Bailey’s, and The Man had a liqueur Coffee. Thank you, that was lovely gesture, and one that was much appreciated.
Each and every mouthful had been delicious, matched by the service and atmosphere, so Hot Wings very happily awarded to Gurkha Dine at Pye Bridge. If you fancy trying the dishes for yourself, why not book a table on either a Wednesday or Sunday, when the team offer a special deal between 4pm-10pm of a four-course meal (starter, main, rice and Naan) at £17.95 per person? Some dishes, like King Prawn ones, are excluded from this offer, but there are still loads of choices to tempt you.
To book a table call 01773 475944, and to place a takeout order visit www.gurkhadineonline.co.uk Gurkha Dine is closed on Tuesday, open Weds-Thurs 4-10pm, Fri-Sat 4-10.30pm, Sunday 4-9.30pm, and Monday 4-10pm; delivery times are slightly shorter than the restaurant times, but full details are on their Facebook page: Gurkha Dine.
All Prices Correct At The Time Of Publishing
Some More Of Our Recent Reviews
We've pretty much completed another turn around the sun, which means two things: 1) it's the annual trip to Darwin Forest with the Bestie and her tribe, and 2) that
I can't believe the speed at which 2025 has whizzed by - it's very nearly over already! Each year we kick off our Christmas countdown with a visit to Darwin Forest
I am literally hanging my head in shame as I type this, so don't come for me, ok? In all honesty, I didn't realise that it had quite been so long since The Man Bird and I
Its no secret that I'm not the world's best cook and, if I can get out of it, in all honesty, I will! Thank the lord, then, that I have a very understanding husband that took pity
