I ate my Christmas Day dinner at an award-winning Indian restaurant in Northampton – here’s what I thought
I swapped a traditional roast dinner for a three-course meal at one of Northampton’s award-winning Indian restaurants, and here is what I thought.
It was only earlier this year when the Tamarind Restaurant in Wellingborough Road scooped a prestigious county accolade – having been named ‘World Cuisine Restaurant of the Year’ at the Weetabix Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards.
I had the pleasure of speaking to brothers Rafi and Omi Rahman, who have supported their father Tipu Rahman from a young age and now run the business. They dedicated the win to their dad and their passion was clear to see.
The family has continued to offer authentic Indian cuisine over the decades, as well as supporting the community and welcoming well-known faces through the door.
When sitting down with my family and deciding what our plans were for Christmas Day this year, we knew we wanted something different.
No running around and making sure every aspect of the Christmas dinner was cooked to perfection for my mum and grandma this year, as we decided it was finally time to go out on the big day.
With traditional roasts at hearty pubs often coming with a hefty price tag, we took a look at the deals on offer from the Indian restaurants across the town.
Having remembered Tamarind’s award win from earlier in the year, and as they come highly recommended from other family members, we were gobsmacked to see a £29.95 price tag per person at this long-standing venue.
Before we knew it, we had made our reservation for five people on Christmas Day and no sooner had we booked it, the big day rolled around and we were ready to give it a try.
When we told people we were going to an Indian restaurant, we were either met with a confused face or them telling us how jealous they were – but eating a different cuisine on Christmas Day is more common than you think.
Upon arrival at the Wellingborough Road restaurant, we were met with a warm welcome and big smiles. Nothing was too much trouble from when we walked through the door to when we left with full stomachs a few hours later.
As a family who eats our Christmas dinner early, we were booked in for 1pm and were the first in the restaurant – but it was a matter of minutes before the place started filling up with other families eager to tuck in.
It was clear to see that the Tamarind has a loyal base of regular customers, with the staff members appearing to know many of the visitors by name and face.
Following our poppadoms, we all began with a mixed platter of grills and kebab. With a range of family favourites, such as an onion bhaji, vegetable samosa and a kofta, the size of this plate alone would have filled us up.
There were a choice of five main courses, including a traditional chicken tikka masala which three of us opted for. Tamarind’s special dishes of crispy duck and lamb shank were also two of the options, which the final two members of my family went for.
Each main course came with rice or naan bread, as well as a choice of bombay aloo or saag paneer sides. We had one of each to share among the table.
With an affordable price tag on such a special day, we did wonder what the portions would be like and had the picky bits ready for the evening just in case – but we were so pleasantly surprised.
The food was absolutely delicious and none of us could finish everything on our plates. Coupled with the attentiveness of the staff and the buzzing atmosphere of the restaurant – which was fully booked until they closed at 6pm – it was an amazing afternoon.
Though I had no obligation to publish my thoughts on the day as a paying customer, and had no plan to write this until after the experience, I had to share how wonderful it was.
I would definitely recommend booking your place at the Tamarind for Christmas 2025 if you are looking for something new to try, as this family-run business pulled out all the stops.