Review The Indian Bay Leaf Restaurant - Johannesburg

Very nice restaurant for some quick and tasty food. A mixture of grills ,curries and various other items. Food was good 👍 Service was excellent 👌. Definitely worth it and will go back again. Parking was a bit of an issue but it's okay. Restaurant is halaal too. Pricing was very good as well.

I have been coming here for almost 10 years now. There butter chicken is so good. The staff are friendly and very quick to get orders out without compromising quality. Definitely recommend 👌

I believe I'm somewhat of a connoisseur when it comes to a good curry and I've frequented Bay Leaf for a number of years. They have never disappointed me or any of my guests and their food is always delicious.

Excellent service and excellent food. You can suggest this place to anyone, they'll never be disappointed. They prepare the most amazing Tikka. The food is always delicious, whatever you order is good.

freindly environment, very good food, very reasonable price. neat and clean place.

This is my go too for perfect Indian food, the briyani and the mixed grill are the best in Joburg in my opinion.

We used to visit the market further down the street until someone recommended Bay Leaf... It’s hard to spot if you don’t know where it is, so just look for PizzaHut or Wimpy while driving through Mint Road... The food is awesome...do not, however, order the Hot flavoured items(rather choose mild) if you’re not a fan of spicy foods because IT WILL BURN YOU! My go-to’s are the Butter Chicken with Cashew Nut, Chicken/Mutton Korma, Chicken/Mutton Bunny Chow, and their Chicken Tikka... Their Bombay Crush is also pretty good...we were a party of 6 so instead of ordering 6 individual glasses of BC, we opted to get the Jug which filled all 6 glasses...that saved us R90... Pros: •The food is delicious •There is almost always seating(Fridays are busier towards the evening) •The food is served hot with a few extra sauces on the side (free of charge) •They’re affordable •They are opened til late •Food is prepared fast if you opt for a Take-away instead of Dining-in Cons: •Food May take some time to get to your table if you’re dining-in •There is not enough parking so you’re going to have to park in an adjacent street/alley...this gets worse on Fridays/Saturdays •There’s only 2 bathrooms (1 Male & 1 Female) so just be weary. A little side note: Please be patient with the waiters. English isn’t their first language so they’re not going to get your order correct if you talk fast, keep changing your mind, ask for something that isn’t on the menu(I’ve heard people ask for Deep Fried Ice Cream), etc. I rated it 4 stars because although the food is great, you somehow always have thoughts regarding whether your car is safe, should you find another place to park it, etc...

Very nice place. Food is tasty and staff friendly. Huge portions of food per serving. Salad is fresh.

Best Chicken Tikka in Johannesburg... I recommend a take away though, sit down experience isn't great...

The best Chicken Tikka I've tasted in Johannesburg, and the Chicken Tikka Masala is to die for, love it!

Great food, amazing atmosphere! We always feel extra welcome here. The best bunny chow with extra gravy to add to that extra yummyness!

I had the Chicken Biryani and it was so freaking good,as well as the Chicken Korma😍 I love this place. I'm coming back. The food doesn't take long. The staff are chilled and it's an equally chilled environment. Ofcourse there's cricket on the screens too.

I really enjoy the food here. They have the best aloo paratha I have tasted anyway in Joburg. I also really enjoy their tandoori chicken and butter naans, which has a huge dousing of butter compared to other places. I can also vouch for their chicken karai curry. I recently ate their mutton bunny, which is not bad at all, is quite tasty but, best of all, has tons of meat. The prices are not high at all, which, when coupled with the generous portions and very tasty dishes, makes this restaurant well worth the money (and a visit).

Been dining here for years, the food is always great

Excellent authenticated food... chicken and mutton are very nice

The food is excellent but the service needs improvement

Food was very nice, however the service was terrible, very unfriendly waiters with sour attitudes.

Nice casual restaurant very busy with takeaway orders so waiting for a while in restaurant Good Indian cuisine and good variety .my guests from Dubai enjoyed meal

Good indian food place. If you like cricket then they will always have it on tv<br/><br/>Butter chicken with cashews is good<br/>Chicken tikka BOTI masala is great with rogni naan. Make sure u tell them u want boti.

Really good Indian food. My favorite is the chicken tikka. The people are really nice with great, affordable food. Always my go to in fordsberg

Flavoursome food prepared fresh and quick. Sevice is good. The chicken tikka is a must. Also worth trying the lamb Kalia and Chicken Bhoti Masala

Tasty Indian restaurant. Wide selection of Indian food. Basic setup and not much ambience but def worth popping by for quick meal or takeout. Reasonably priced. Large veg selection. Not sure about vegan options.

The vegetable biryani, dhall and bhindi were delicious and the portions were generous. The portion and ratio of the meat dishes were disappointing for its price, the flavour combinations were great, just not enough meat ! There is a small language barrier with the staff, but good service overall

Pathetic service! Waiters are never around and always get the order wrong. Managers don't know the correct closing times and will rush you to finish in under 5 minutes. Washrooms are very unhygenic and infested with flies and cockroaches. Ladies please refrain from visiting the washroom alone as the manager is a pervert who will make unwanted advances and try to take a peek in the kitchen. You will be shocked at how unclean it is. This would explain why a burnt cockroach was also served as part of my meal. Food has no taste and they reuse those sauces that they serve. This has to be the worst restaurant I have ever visited.

The vibe is one which is very casual and not at all chic. It's not quite comfortable with it's plastic chairs and mediocre decor, but you certainly get what you pay for and the food is inexpensive. <br/><br/>The menu contains every dish you can expect to find at a Fordsburg restaurant and can be overwhelming if you're a noob and don't yet know what you like. The cheesy aloo paratha is tasty and I would recommend the prawn masala. Sadly, I didn't enjoy the butter chicken. Despite all of this, the food is consistently average and nothing is bad. <br/><br/>Service can't be complained about but is nothing fantastic. <br/><br/>Bay Leaf is a favorite of my cousin's and, so, I have frequented the establishment on more than one occasion. I certainly wouldn't make the trip out to Fordsburg myself, nor would I recommend it to anyone.

Samosas were okay. I would have visited them again and tried something else if it wasn't for their rude / racist cashier who was on his phone while I was asking questions about the menu.

We had the most delicious curries, not to mention the mango lassies! Authentic Indian meals in an easy going family restaurant, we will definitively be back.

This came highly recommended over the restaurants in the north of Jhb for good Indian cuisine. Located in Fordsburg on one of the busiest streets, location is definitely not ideal, but it was certainly worth the effort. Ordered a takeaway variety which included the usual suspects bryani and chicken Tikka amongst other dishes. All were flavourful and absolutely delicious. Definitely some of the best Indian food around. P.s. I don't think they have a mild/medium/hot option as all were quite spicy after asking for mild options. Would definitely be back when the curry crave kicks in once again.

In my quest for the perfect/most authentic Mutton Bunny, I am lured to Bay Leaf, becsuse of the overall high ratings and good reviews.<br/>I wasn't impressed.<br/>The curry has a sweetness to it that didn't sit well with me. The meat, although very tender, tasted a little off. The food in general is edible. I can't find any more complimenting things to add.<br/>After being ignored for a while, I had to wave to get attention from the waiter. He had a disinterested look and air. If I was rating service alone I'd be forced to give a 0/10. <br/>The washroom/toilet is infested with flies, which made my already disspappointed visit worse.<br/>It's a shame.

Did a takeaway of chicken tikka and butter chicken curry. Wow. Fantastic meal, full of flavour and worth the 40km drive. <br/>Now I know what butter chicken should taste like. Well done Bay Leaf.

Authentic Indian/Pakistani food at a fraction of the price paid in similar establishments. Great service and mouth watering dishes. I recommend the Butter Chicken- you'll eat more even if you are full!

The best chicken tikka in South Africa by far. The prices are next to nothing. Extremely good value for money! I go here every weekend and I crave the tikka throughout the week. I could literally eat it every day and not get bored.

A decent Indian/Pakistani restaurant with very affordable pricing. The biryani is superb, perhaps the best I'e had. Their Jalfrezi is more like a sweet-sour stir-fry. Location and parking facilities are not so great.

Clean and quick service. Food arrived fast which was a plus. Dhal was well prepared. Paneer and Palau tasty and fresh. Butter naan has just the right amount of butter. One of the best dining spits in the area. Priced just right for the offering.

The Bay Leaf is an Indian/Pakistan food influence. <br/><br/>The staff are so so friendly! They looked after is so well! <br/><br/>For drinks the best option is to buy a 2l and share that- yes a 2l!<br/><br/>The hot food was extremely hot! But divine. The butter chicken is extremely "buttery" so that's just a slight warning as it is more Pakistan based.

Wedding shopping at the Oriental Plaza works up quite an appetite! So our quick stop in for a Bombay Crush and small bite turned into a full meal. I had the Sheep's Brain Curry, which was delicious and perfectly cooked - although next time I will ignore my Indian friends' warnings and have Medium, not Mild! Tasting from other dishes, I liked the Lamb Karahi, Butter Chicken and Chicken Breyani. The Papur was fresh, crunchy, and not oily. All in all, I'll be back for more!

I am a regular here :) Best chicken tikka in Johannesburg! Food pricing very fair and the service is great, worth a visit. I highly recommend.<br/>

I quite like their spicy curries, and how they make their korma. They also make yummy naan bread, and there seems to be quite a few people on the floor so you get service quite rapidly.

One of my favourite restuarant in Fordsburg. They introduced me to Mutton Karahi and its getting tough to switch. If you love oriental chow you should check them out for sure

Indian Cuisine <br/><br/>Ah my life was made when I went to The Indian Bay Leaf! Portion size was amazing and so affordable! <br/><br/>Things ordered:<br/>Mutton Briyani<br/>Lamb Curry<br/>Butter Chicken<br/>Chipati plain, butter and garlic<br/>Bombay Crush<br/><br/>It was so amazing. Takes me back home to my heritage! Great service as well from the waiters. I loved the full flavored food that they offered! Mutton Briyani was amazing! The potatoes were so soft. Lamb curry, so nice and spicy! Makes my mouth water thinking about it! And don't get me started on the creamy butter chicken!! Heaven!

Was really good. But past two visits the service has really dropped. The staff seem unhappy to work there or to serve u. You only see ur waiter when u order. If u need anything after that you have to hunt down someone . Also the taste of the food has also took a drop.

One of the best restaurant in Fordsburg, which serves some nice Indian dishes. Worth trying is their weekend special dish beef nihari, which is one of the rarely found dishes in Johannesburg (though kind of common in India, especially Delhi). Its often very crowded during the day time, but kind of relaxed in late evening. Service can get bad at times, specially when its crowded, because the waiters are limited in number and not very professional. The ambience is very basic, nothing fancy about it.

I was hooked with their Beef Bhuna, whenever I go back to Bay Leaf I convince myself to try new dishes. Never happened because I know their Beef Bhuna is awesome. I could not just change my mind to order something else.<br/><br/>The food is good, quick service.<br/><br/>My favorite restaurant in Fordberg

If you like spicy North Indian food then this is a good choice of restaurant. The food is tasty, and made to your specifications - that means it won't burn your mouth if you don't want it to. The Aaloo cheese paratha is a great starter. The mango lassi and Bombay Crush drinks complement the meals beautifully and you can buy a jug for better value. We normally order a variety of dishes for 4-6 people and everyone tastes everything. For mains I recommend the chicken jalfrezi and the butter chicken. As you can see I was so busy eating that I forgot to take a photo of my meal until it was almost finished.

Just been to Bay Leaf for lunch. The decor is nothing to ride home about. HOWEVER the prawn curry was delicious and i highly recommend it. If you want a quick meal and don't really care about atmosphere and ambiance then this restaurant will do.

We had dal fry, aloo gobi bajji and chicken boti curry with naans. The chicken curry was too oily and had an overwhelming taste of some particular spices, the dal was not cooked enough and the aloo gobi was fried a bit too much. The naans were fine. Service was also a bit odd as we had to lookout for our waiter at times and it was not clear who was staff and who was a patron. Not a place I would recommend.

Yum! Yum! Yum! Every dish is a delight. Have never been disappointed at Bay Leaf, and have been there at least 30 times... it's our go-to spot when needing some comfort food.

Food is good but the complimentary salid they serve is worse. Service is good. They are quick in delivering orders. Prices are also ok compared to other indian restaurants in joburg.

What a disappointment... We've been buying their naan to accompany our homemade curries for years... And they make the best durban mutton curry (take away) <br/>But when hubby and I decided to meet my parents there for dinner 2 weeks ago we had no idea that it would be our last visit. My dad ordered the old favourite while hubby and i wanted to test their North Indian skills so I ordered the butter chicken and and hubby a mutton korma. <br/>The butter chicken was nauseating... Basically tasted like melted butter with chicken... No sign of spice or heat whatsoever. <br/>The Korma... My stomach turns just to think of it... My husbands went a little quiet after the first bite, when I asked him, he just said that it didnt taste right. When I picked a piece of meat from his plate and brought it to mouth a overwhelming smell of petroll/gas hit me. It tasted like rotten roadkill that had been marinated in paraffin.... When we complained about it we were told that all the meat comes from the same pot so if my dads curry was fine then so was his (which then meant my dad immediately stopped enjoying his meal).... Luckily hubby and I barely ate... But unfortunately my parents weren't that lucky and ended up bonding on their trips to and from the bathroom for the next day... Eeeuw. <br/>

We went to the Bay Leaf on a sunday afternoon as my in laws were in the mood for something Indian/Pakistani. The restaurant is basic and packed with tables. We had a shirt wait for a table but a very very long wait for the food. The waiter was pleasant enough but there were some issues with service. Our starter did not arrive though people at surrounding tables who had come in quite a bit later and received the same starter, our waiter told us (as he served or mains) that he didn't want to bring it for us because it wasn't fresh which is disturbing whether that's was the truth or not. My mum in laws food came ages after everyone else's so she ended up having to snack on everyone else's food as we were all starving by the time the good began to arrive. My hubby's meal was definitely the winner - chicken boti masala however my cashew butter chicken was so mild that it could probably be used as an introductory food for babies who are being weaned. The 'cashew' part was a light garnish of ground cashews. The food wasnt bad value for money but I'm not too keen to go back into that chaos. It's probably better to order as a takeaway.

We were quite a large group of ladies that decided to go out for lunch one day.<br/>Thankfully, it wasn't such a busy day, as it was during the week and it was relatively early.<br/>We ended up getting great seats towards the back.<br/><br/>Portion sizes are quite big, so we ordered just a few items and we were able to share amongst ourselves and eat to our fill. This also means that I was able to taste quite a few of the other dishes.<br/><br/>We ordered a lot of the different naans on offer. My favourite was the garlic naan. It was freshly made and hot! Yum!<br/><br/>We ordered the butter chicken with cashew nut which went really well with the roghni naan. Butter chicken is one of my favourite Indian dishes and I thought they prepared it pretty well.<br/><br/>I also enjoyed the Mansoorian beef. It was hot and the meat was tender and full of flavour.<br/><br/>The chicken chowmein was quite tasty and had the right balance of taste and texture.<br/><br/>This was my first time eating here and even though I tend to avoid eating at a lot Indian restaurants (as I feel I can do a better job at home or visit my mum or aunts for a good Indian meal) this was quite a pleasant experience and I will probably visit again.