We went to the Raj with some friends and even though it was pretty empty, it took a while for us to be seated. However, after we sat down, things moved much more smoothly. We order a variety of items and they all tasted authentic and amazing! The main meal was definitely the stand out of the evening. I would definitely go back!
The Raj never failed to impress , if you look for some spicy INDIAN food then go to the Raj , their vindaloo ‘s are really spicy
Food is not at par with the price. Food portions are small. The complimentary papad served here doesnt really taste like papad and is very sticky, chutney on the side is watery. Gajar halwa didn't taste like gajar at all. Aloo matar and onion pakoda are excellent here. Ambience is good and the music is soothing. Would have rated 3 stars but additional 1 star only for the good service by the staff.
My 3 friends and I ended up here on our first night out in Joburg. This is located right beside the huge Nelson Mandela Square mall. We had heard of Bukhara restaurant but found that it was shut. Eager for Indian food, we asked people working in the mall for any other venue. Everyone directed us to The Raj. The seating was like that of an upscale restaurant in a mall. Along with Indians, others too seemed to be dining there. We ordered both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Daal Makhni was a standout and quite well made. The naans were good while the Roomali roti was not as roomali (velvety) as it could have been. Service was done well, although it could have been a little bit quicker. All in all, it had enough spice to sate our appetite.
If longing for Indian food, would not mind going there again!
Visited this place when looking for some nice Indian food. This place is located in Nelson Mandela square. Good location and good ambience. Food taste was ok.
Had my birthday dinner here a few weeks back and the food was delish!! I had the lamb roganjosh with basmati rice.Service was great our waiter had tasted all the food on the menu and was knowledgeable and knew which wine to pair with each meal. Food came out fast. Overall had a great birthday dinner my new go to place for curry.
One of the few places to have some good authentic Indian vegetarian food, place is easy to find with friendly service.
Service: 5
Value for Money: 4
Food : 4
Ambiance : 4
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A royal experience at The Raj.
In India, dining is always an occasion and what an occasion this was. From the moment we arrived, we were warmly greeted by the staff and presented with their signature welcome drink – The Raj Rose Petal.
We were then escorted to the gorgeous Maharajah Private Dining Room by our hosts Nimita and Maalik. The evening was a journey of more than just taste as we were given insight into the story of The Raj. The Raj’s master chefs are all from India and bring with them at least seven proud generations of Indian culinary knowledge and traditions. Each course was testament to the more than 16 years of pride that goes into every dish.
We were certainly not short on choice, flavour or knowledge as were learned the story and significance of each dish. Our authentic North Indian experience started with Shuruat, stuffed papadum with fruity chutney. A great way to get our tastebuds ready for the feast to follow.
Next we were treated to a selection of Raj Tandoori Signature Kebabs. Tandoori Springbok, Murgh Malai, Paneer Tikka and Punjabi Samoosa.
The true spice of the evening came when mains were served and again we were spoiled for choice. Lamb Roganjosh, Butter Chicken, Prawns Madras, Methi Aloo and Dhal Makhni accompanied by Tandoori Breads, Peas Pulao and Raita Cucumber.
After such a decadent display, we ended off the night with delicious desserts, Saffron Kulfi, Halwa Samoosa, Gulabjamon and a customary cup of Masala Tea.
It’s clear to see the passion and heart in every moment of dining at The Raj and there is nothing left to say other than Namaste.
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What a superb evening of culture, good food and wine with friends! The Raj, having opened its doors as a brand in 1996 is still a family-owned business with a wealth of experience in the industry and it shows!
We kicked off the evening with a Raj Rose Petal cocktail and were then led into the Mahrajah Private Dining area where a table covered in rose petals and candles awaited us.
Onto the food:To start:
Shuruat: stuffed Papadum with fruity chutney.
From the Tandoor combination of Raj Tandoori Signature Kebabs: Tandoori Springbok and Murgh Malai. Paneer Tikka and Punjabi Samoosa.
Mains:
Lamb Roganjosh, Butter Chicken, Prawns Madras, Methi Aloo, and Dhal Makhni served with a Tandoori bread basket, Peas Pulao and Raita Cucumber.
Desserts:
Saffron Kulfi, Halwa Samoosa and Gulabjamon.
Superb, unique and authentic flavours!
*Recommendation: With dedicated master chefs from India (who have generations of Indian culinary knowledge) combined with spices handpicked and imported directly from India, you will struggle to find a more authentic Indian experience!
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I was told the food and this Raj was good, and I was not disappointed. The food was great, awesome service and welcoming staff, definitely will be back.
Simply the best Indian cuisine I've ever had! The lamb roganjosh was superb and medium was just the right heat. Tender meat and complex flavours, delicious 😋
I particularly like this branch of the Raj because it's much less noisy than the others I've visited. I've found the service and food to be better and the wait for your meal is minimal. Definitely try out the Chooze Ka Kurchan, it's quickly become my favourite on their menu.
Food 5/5
Service 4/5
Ambience 4/5
The Raj at Michaelangelo Towers has great service and good food. Their breyani, raita and curries are very tasty. I found their naans to be a bit 'rubbery' though. The Raj at the Michaelangelo Towers is generally not as busy as the Raj at Monte Casino.
A very well put together experience offering a variety of dishes. Always consistent and definitely the one to have when in doubt about where to dine. Not the most cost effective but deliver a gourmet experience for your money.
Went here for lunch. Nothing spectacular. Good food. Good service. Nothing that really pops. The curry was very tasty. Presentation was good and they have an amazing wine list
We visited this place last weekend..staff was good, pleasant..Indian veg food was very nice..their non alcoholic rose drink was awesome.. Paneer Tikka, Paneer veg was also very nice.. I have been here quite a few times and like to keep coming back due to their service, taste and sitting arrangements..it gives all in all a very nice experience for us.. Thank you!
I have reduced 1 star as they don't have much variety in veg starters..they could add paneer chilly/veg manchurian as per their comfort..
This is a find. Away from Uk I don't usually have good Indian food experience (unless in India). Not fantastic atmosphere it's in a mall but service is superb and they know wine. Food also stands up really well.
These guys would clean up in a more rural non mall location but maybe they do ok. Their chicken madras was outstanding and their choice of wines by the glass was wide ranging so you did not have to take the "house wine" as in normally the case if eating by yourself. When in Joberg I always drop in.
Great service generally, always happy to exclude butter and cream to veganise the veg dishes - and they are even more delicious as a result! Favourite is the potato and spinach curry, heavenly!! But every veg dish on the menu is perfection. Only disappointment is lack of good starters. And if you like proper hot, ask for good hot, as this branch serves the lighter palate as opposed to for example the Monte Casino branch, where hot is really HOT! All in all a much better option than Bukhara which is in the same area.
The Raj is one of the more classier Indian restaurant chains in SA. Their food is really good and the service is good but, ultimately, you're paying a good R20ish more a dish than many other Indian restaurants. However, the food doesn't stand out from the others and for that price I expected a bit more. That being said, their food is super yummy and they're bound to see me there again.
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This was the first indian restaurant that we went to - primarily because it was recommended by our realtor and that it was close-by. It can be reached by taking the door directly behind Madiba's statue in Nelson Mandela Square, take a right and then left turn.
The restaurant itself is well appointed and looks quite classy. The menu features some of our favourites from back home alongwith the usual suspects. Prices are a bit high compared to other places but I guess one pays higher for the location and convenience of Sandton City. We have also been to the Montecasino location and the taste is consistent across both these locations.
Amongst the starters, some of the better tasting ones are the Lamb Sheek Kabab, Samoosas (lamb & chicken, although lamb is better), Onion Pakora and the Tandoori Chicken. Note that the portion sizes here are a tad small and you might need to order two portions of the same starter to suffice. On occasions, we have also ordered from the "Game" menu. The ostrich tikka and the springbok tikka were both flavourful. However, the springbok was a little tougher to chew.
For the main course, you cannot go wrong with the Butter Chicken and the Murgh Madras. Ensure that you ask for a mild or medium hot at most for the Murgh Madras as the flavour of the curry leaves and mustard seeds can be quite over-powering. The Kerely Lamb too is a good choice with lamb shanks simmered in a creamy gravy. It is distinctly similar to one of my favourites curries from back home - Nalli Nihari. The only veg curry that I have tried here was the Daal Makhni and it was just ok.
Get the Garlic Naan to sop up the curries. Also, the Nizami Gosht Biryani was cooked just right.
For desserts, we usually get the Gulab Jamun. Our multiple attempts at the Gajar Halwa and the Kheer were not met with much success.
A minimum number of places which offer Indian food are available at the Nelson Mandela square.
The menu is same like any other restraunt available nearby, but the taste of food is different. The vegetarian options are minimum. Next visit will try some non vegetarians dishes as I can guess that will be better than vegetarian dishes.
If you feel like eating Indian food when you are in this area, then this restaurant is one of the two options. Ambience is very good and most of the dishes I tried here during multiple visits were very good.
As a vegetarian, you can never go wrong with Indian. The Raj is one of the nicer Indian restaurants in Jo'burg. Good service and great food, but we were disappointed with the paneer bhurji. A traditional paneer bhurji is a grated paneer curry which is dry. This is not what we got. Even after calling the chef, who knew exactly what we wanted, they could not deliver on this.
Else, great food. The cheese and corn samosas are still my favourite!
I have been to Raj a few times. The decor is really nice and inviting as a whole. The food is good and authentic (i went with Indian people that made this comment) but I feel that the portion sizes are small for the price you pay. Would recommend it for the food but as an odd occasion as it is expensive.
I was super reluctant to visit the Raj as I thought argh another Indian restaurant and it will just be crap. I was pleasantly surprised. I had the prawn breyani, hot and wasn't this flavorful, delicious, spicy and what a HUGE portion. It was served with raita which is yogurt and cucumber to soften the heat - if that's even possible:)
The other dishes on the tables was lamb chops in a delicious tandoori spice and a prawn curry. It was a delicious eve and i will definitely go back for seconds.
The Raj could do with a bit of a revamp in terms of decor and presentation; but then again traditional Indian is their vibe and the food is really good. The boneless tandoori was succulent and samoosas uniquely light and crispy 👍 Furthermore, the wine list is on point, served in a proper glass how good wine should 👌🍷
Michele Francesco Grech-Cumbo
+3.5
We occasionally get take away from here when in Sandton. The foods is consistent, flavourful and decent quality. It is sometimes very creamy and can be heavy. The presentation can be improved.
Got some take-aways here for dinner. The service was good and the food came out relatively quickly. The decor is too yellow for my liking but it does give this Indian authenticity feel to it.
The food was very good, but I feel like I got way too much sauce then there was chicken. This place is worth a try, expect a long walk to get there as it is away from all the popular stores and closer to where all the hotels are linked to Sandton City.
Good Indian fare. When I'm in the Sandton complex, I'd head to Bukhara as my favored choice, but am certainly very happy to make this 2nd choice. It offers the normal choices of N. Indian fare and naan/roti etc. Their lamb Rohan Gosh/chicken briyani & tikka Marsala r all good choices. It's in a hidden part of the Mandela Square, usually easy to get into.
Very good biriyani and naan tandoori..really tasty and delivery is quick, though price is a bit high.If you love the quality you must be coming to the Raj.
Excellent curry and naan bread. The dessert was delicious! Quite expensive wine list. The restaurant was quite expensive and the service was rather slow, but good. Many menu options.
Best butter chicken in town!!!
Love this place, never disappoints. Great service, great food, very posh and fancy, perfect for celebrations of any sort :)
Good location and excellent set up!
This is the BEST indian restaurant in Johannesburg. Worth the price. Full of varied spices for different dishes. Filled with fresh herbs in different combinations depending on the dish. Service is great - very friendly and waiters well trained. Cleanliness exemplary for an Indian Restaurant - many of them are abysmal in this regard. The fresh herbs and spices are so well chopped and blended that you can taste their traces without finding big pieces of herbs and spices in your mouth. It is quite a treat for me to try and identify each one as I eat. Avoid other options and go here as a first bet for your curry options. Great mild, medium or hot.
Nice place, authentic taste and nan/Roti's taste as close to taste that you would get in India. Curries could be better but they score full marks for service and attitude of their staff. Above all the extensive wine list is amazing.
I've been to The Raj many, many times over the last few years for both casual family dinners and slightly more formal events.. Service, either way, is generally pretty good. Food however, is always outstanding. Never have I seen anyone at any event I've attended have complaints about the food itself. The Raj has become one of my family favourites and I would recommend the restaurant in a heartbeat! For a more personal recommendation, a table favourite at any event is usually the butter chicken. A must-try restaurant for all!
Nice food and good authentic Indian taste. The decor and the service seems bland compared to other Raj outlets but above all its quiet and good to have a meal there.
The Raj always delivers a good curry! The menu is extensive and offers something for everyone. I had the chicken and prawn special which was very good, served with a naan bread.
I love Indian restaurants for many reasons but one of them is that they often have Cobra beer which is quite unique in its own right.
I am a huge fan of Indian food, especially a Rogan Josh...I have ordered it at many different Indian Restaurants but the one at the Raj is my favourite. They seem to hit all the right note with it - I think it's combination of spices and the hint of extra heat. The atmosphere and décor are what you would expect for an Indian restaurant in Sandton...the staff are friendly and service was good with quick responses to our queries and orders...which is always a plus in my opinion. The only down side if you could call it that, is that it can be difficult to find as it is tucked away in a corner of the Michaelangelo Towers. Having said that, I enjoyed the food and had a pleasant experience and would want to go back again.
Decided to eat out last night... ordered paneer tikka, paneer makhani and the mushroom and peas. Food was great... but did I get a shock or what when I checked the bill...
The 750 ml bottle of water costed R50!!!
Seriously... what the fudge???
That's a total rip off! Maybe there were gold particles in it that I had missed..
Anyway.. service was a little slow... I think the waiter had forgotten about us after a while after seating us in the room towards the back.. good food nonetheless...
Pic of the very pricey water attached... hehehe
I visited The Raj in Sandton on a business trip from Cape Town. Also my first time at The Raj - I walked out very impressed. We were three people and we all ordered different menu items, with various condiments like naan bread. All three dishes were very tasty and well prepared. Service was good and friendly. As soon as returned to Cape Town I made a reservation at the Camps bay branch.. In short, not such a good experience as The Raj in Sandton. Just too many small issues. My conclusion: Not a cheap place, but for a good upmarket curry experience you can't go wrong.
One of the finest Indian restaurants outside India. The biryani is amazing and so is the service. Checkout the corn and cheese samosa and the paneer tikki.
I've been to a few of the The Raj franchises and they usually strike me as just another North Indian restaurant. The Raj at the Michaelangelo Towers takes things up a notch because of their location. The restaurant, atmosphere, staff and decor all scream of opulence.
I decided to get out of my delicious dhal makhani comfort zone and tried the Goan-style crab curry - absolutely delicious! Just beware that it's a messy affair trying to get the meat out of the crab. It's probably the priciest menu item but definitely worth the cost and the messiness. My fiance ordered the murgh madras which was really tasty too. I also felt that the portions served aren't as massive as in most Indian restaurants.
It's a pretty cool restaurant for when you feel like dining somewhere fancy but still want some down-to-earth food.
Went here for a team dinner tonight (29 August 2013) and we sat in the private room. Private only because of the glass surrounding it tho. Almost feels like a fish tank that everyone can see into. However, this did not bother our team who still had lots of fun talking, eating and playing 30 seconds.
We had good service and mostly quick responses to our requests. I liked the masala tea, the veg starters and chicken tikka.
However, the quality of food at the Raj in the Michaelangelo is not as good as the Raj in Rivonia. The food was overly seasoned, and was overall not very tasty. The gulab jamun is served with ice cream instead of the syrup. It doesn't complement the sweet meat as much as the syrup. I would also stay away from the mince samoosas which leave a terrible after taste.
All in all the Raj is average and I would recommend going to the Raj in Rivonia instead. It's just 6km down the road, and worth the trip. It's generally not busy either and feels cosi
spent a leisurely supper here last night. not bad for an Indian restaurant. waiter was attentive and food arrived timeously. the crab curry was a real highlight! would definitely eat it again. also the chilli naan quite yum. probably nicest indian food in Sandon
Tucked away in the corner in the Michaelangelo mall. Raj is a one of the chain of Indian restaurants by the name.
Been there and order multiple times through Mr delivery. Bombay aloo, garlic naam, prawn malai curry, prawn madras are some of my favorites.
They serve a hearty portion of rice in every delivery order - which I felt was a waste at times.
Desserts are also good - try the pistachio ice-cream.
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