have to laugh when I read the reviews, he only seems to give a good review (regardless of the actual food quality) if the owners conduct some **** lickings. treat him like joe average and thats it 1 star matey!

I agree.

He said that the Bombay restaurant on Westfield Terrace just off of Division Street was the worst place he'd ever been to and that it was like something from the sixties. Two months later the fella who owned it had to sell it. The curries in there were fantastic and I've eaten curries all over the place.

Your right - too much licking.

Originally posted by Gazza
have to laugh when I read the reviews, he only seems to give a good review (regardless of the actual food quality) if the owners conduct some anal lickings. treat him like joe average and thats it 1 start matey!

By "anal lickings" do you mean good service? Because I'm afraid that a Joe Average like myself believes this to be badly lacking from restaurants in Sheffield. Dawes says it how he sees it without regard to reputation, and I applaud him for it.

lets be honest most stuff in the Star is just garbage. Want a laugh look at the cinema reviews.

I quite enjoy reading the Food & Drink column, and think the reviews are quite fair.

I've never heard of the Bombay restaurant - perhaps the reason no-one went was no-one knew it was there?

The Bombay was there for over 20 years and lots of people went there. I felt sorry for the people who did a good job there and had to read crap from some bloke who'd seemed to have made up his mind before he walked through the door.

Anyway I'm over it now. My passion for the old curry does make me defend certain places that don't deserve a bad name.

As the man who actually writes the column, perhaps I could have my pennyworth? It's a strange world some of your correspondents live in if I can't criticise a restaurant because it might go bust.
I'm on the side of the punter so when I go to a restaurant I book in an assumed name, eat my meal quietly, pay my bill and then say who I am or ring them later. If they recognise me, fair do's.
If there are things to praise, I'll do so and vice-versa. If you want a restaurant column where every week the food is wonderful, don't read The Star.
I'm on the side of the readers - after all, it's their money they will be spending.
Of course, at the end of the day, it's only my opinion but it's a consistent one (and there are people out there who make a point of going to restaurants I'm not that keen on but that's fine by me, ithat happens with a lot of reviewers).
Presumably what triggered it off was when I said a waitress at Ask was nice to me when I came in out of the rain. But isn't that all part of the service, to make people welcome?
For me, a restaurant review starts the minute I walk in the door. So happy eating!

Originally posted by LedZeppelin
The Bombay was there for over 20 years and lots of people went there. I felt sorry for the people who did a good job there and had to read crap from some bloke who'd seemed to have made up his mind before he walked through the door.

Anyway I'm over it now. My passion for the old curry does make me defend certain places that don't deserve a bad name.

OK, probably before my time or something.

I haven't read the review but of course it will take into account not just the quality of the food but the service, surroundings and price too.

Hats off to Mr Dawes for his frank response. I must admit to one or two occasions when I think he's been a bit harsh but it's like any review, it's actually a personal assessment. How many of us have been in a restaurant, had a great meal and then recommended it to someone else who has been and not enjoyed it? Or have gone back ourselves only to be disappointed? This happens regularly to me. I'll find a place and think, wow, this is it, only to return and find the food quite average.

It's like reviewing music! What someone likes someone detests.

And as for the Bombay, that's a real shame. I thought it was great and you certainly paid a lot less for a lot more than you do at the overrated Nirmal's. See, overrated, that's MY opinion! (Still doesn't stop me going.)

Just out of interest MDawes if you read this.
Did Bombay ever contact you about that review?

You're true that it is an opinion of one evening only and I respect that as much as anyone else. The bad evening you had resulted in a review which was negative towards a place that many people enjoyed and who's livelihood is affected.

However to give a more interesting column the following week you could print the opinions of people who disagree/agree.

That would then even things out.

This goes for if it was a good review but most people don't like it etc

Food for thought ha ha

The letters page of The Star is always open to people who feel aggrieved.

Originally posted by mdawes

Presumably what triggered it off was when I said a waitress at Ask was nice to me when I came in out of the rain. But isn't that all part of the service, to make people welcome?
For me, a restaurant review starts the minute I walk in the door. So happy eating!

It wasn’t actually - i was just trying to get a good debate going - I do read your columns - and sometimes agree / disagree

Nice one for participating though!

Bombay Restaurant I undrerstand(from some lads working there) has changed hands and is currently being fitted out. It will be openning its doors in the near future, maybe Mr. Dawes can try again. I do agree however with earlier comment that most people didn't even know it existed.

Wasn't the resteraunt formally called the Bombay Duck? I remember a particularly good service there about 10 years ago. I remember they were particularly good at serving people extremely fast who had been out drinking. It was a fast turnover place at night!

I thought the Bombay was nothing more than a bog-standard curry house with three varieties of spicy gravy and the usual lineup of beef/chicken/prawn dropped into each. Adequate to round of a West Street crawl, but little else.

Nirmal's overrated? Probably. Went once with the family - Nirmal sat at the end of our table and tried to make conversation. It felt very intrusive when we were trying to have a family gathering.

I stopped reading the Star a few years ago. I felt it had gone into a decline in the nineties and was getting steadily worse.
Martin Dawes' eating out section was the only thing I miss! Martin, I always felt you were fair and were simply trying to give an informed opinion to us, the regular punters!
Given that you are a member of the forum, why not post some reviews on here or indeed, set up your own 'eating out in Sheffield' website? That would be an excellent resource and a pleasure to those of us who enjoy your writing without having to put up with the sheer dross that is 95% of the Star!

Oh come on, the Star is only 32p, just buy it Wednesdays when the food & drink column is in it!

It's not the cost!! I often but three or four newspapers in a day...no, I just feel buying one that I really detest for one particular section is validating it somehow...

Originally posted by mullet
It's not the cost!! I often but three or four newspapers in a day...no, I just feel buying one that I really detest for one particular section is validating it somehow...

the section is ?

Originally posted by chillicat
I thought the Bombay was nothing more than a bog-standard curry house with three varieties of spicy gravy and the usual lineup of beef/chicken/prawn dropped into each. Adequate to round of a West Street crawl, but little else.

Nirmal's overrated? Probably. Went once with the family - Nirmal sat at the end of our table and tried to make conversation. It felt very intrusive when we were trying to have a family gathering.

The Bombay used to do a great mixed starter - better than anywhere else ive been for starters aside from Kashmir Curry Centre. But the main dishes were distinctly average. I do miss it tho so im looking forward to it reopening...

Nirmals is nice food, but i find it a little expensive...