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Food and I have a love love relationship; I love food, and food loves to help me pile on the pounds! My favourite cuisine and first option when ordering a takeaway or dining out is always Indian, and it was no different when I visited Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar situated in the hub,a prime location in the very heart of Milton Keynes, with A fantastic variety of bars, restaurants, hotel and lifestyle venues.
We walked into a street- level small entrance which leads straight to the bar. The walls were an assortment of grey, with wooden effect, there were 2 partitions with a translucent wooden mesh in flower shapes. This broke the room up and gave it a cosy feel considering the restaurant was large and open.
We were greeted warmly by the members of staff who seated us promptly.
across the other side of the restaurant were a large group of people sitting together in which we later found out was a birthday celebration.
As we sat in our comfortable seats, Grant noted purple napkins on the table and lights which hung down in balls adding ambience.
Music hummed softly as our waiter handed us our menus, mine a Braille menu, which we perused leisurely and practically salivating at the options given to us. We offered water which was served and poured swiftly.
Food at Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar
We munched on poppadoms as we waited for our meal to arrive, A selection of sources in small pots were also served alongside it: tomato and chilli, mint, and mango chutney.
Because we are the type of people to try a little bit of everything, Grant and I opted for the banquet. This consisted of a mixed starter- a large platter of Onion Garam Pakora,Vegetable Samosa, Murgh Malai Tikka and Tulsi Sheekh – each piece of food had 2 pieces per person, we gobbled it up, but in reality the food could have been divided between 4 people.
We both thought everything was delicious, both Grant and I particularly loved the seasoning and tenderness of the Tandoori chicken.
The main was a selection of different curries, with a large pot of rice to go alongside it, we also had naan bread for dipping. The curries were: Chicken Tikka Masala, Lamb Rogan Josh, Garlic Chilli Chicken, Bombay Potatoes , Mushroom and Vegetable Jalfrezi, served with Basmati pulao rice and assorted bread basket.
Every time I visit a new Indian restaurant I always try their chicken tikka masala, and I was not disappointed. However I couldn’t fault any of the dishes, with each new curry my tastebuds exploded and I couldn’t possibly choose a favourite. Grant on the other hand said that the Jalfrezi was his favourite.
Drink at Maaya Indian Kitchen & Bar
Whether it’s a bar or restaurant, if there is a cocktail drinks menu, you can guarantee that’s what I’ll be looking at.
Every Sunday Maaya kitchen and bar have a happy hour, except that it’s more like a happy day! 2-for-1 cocktails are created in front of you and finished within minutes… Or is that just me?
I always go for a sweet tasting cocktail, and the one that Grant chose absolutely delivered!v Shimla Passion Vodka, passoa, cranberry juice and orange juice.
I enthusiastically announced that although the food was delicious, I would happily return just for the cocktail menu, and I know a friend or two that would join me on that venture!
Chef’s table
When Grant popped upstairs to the bathroom, he spotted a private room called the chefs table. It sounds pretty swanky, but seeing as we were too busy talking about it, and forgot to ask the waiter, here is the information from the website”:The long Chef’s Table, overlooking the balcony onto the restaurant below, can cater for up to 14 people looking to celebrate a special occasion. Offering complete privacy while still within the ambience of the lively restaurant, the Chef’s Table includes a viewing window into the kitchen and comes complete with your own waiter for the evening.”
Hospitality: 5/5
From the moment we walked in, until the moment we left every member of staff made us feel completely welcome, relaxed and approachable. They were friendly, chatty, polite, courteous and efficient.
Without hesitation I would recommend everyone to go and experience the restaurant for yourself.
Quality of service 5/5
The restaurant was clean, comfortable cosy and extremely accommodating to my guide dog. Every person we interacted with made us feel welcome and The food was absolutely superb, it came out hot, brilliantly presented and tasted divine.
We will definitely return again!
Accessibility: 3/5
Getting into the restaurant and manoeuvering as a guide dog owner or wheelchair user is simplistic and I would go as far to say as comfortable, however, what sadly has let this restaurant down is the lack of accessibility to a bathroom.
There were no toilets on the lower ground, and no lift access upstairs to where the toilets are held. Even if there were alternative access, the corridors were quite narrow and sharp.
If people with mobility issues were to attend the restaurant for a quick bite to eat, for example lunch menu, I would definitely suggest attending because the food and service is impeccable.
Again, sadly, due to the chefs table Also being situated upstairs, those with mobility impairments would not be able to enjoy the experience with their able-bodied peers.
We would like to thank Maaya Kitchen & Bar for hosting us, we left very happy foodies, I mean fatties. We look forward to returning again very soon!
*We were invited for the purposes of this review, but as you can see all thoughts and opinions are our own.
