Taste of Afghan image

Taste of Afghan

Restaurant Afghani restaurant

👍👍 Went in with a group of friends and the portion sizes were big enough to fill us to the brim! Beautiful food, lovely ambience, and we were sat in the little carpeted book but didn't feel forgotten. Recommend to anyone looking to treat their tastebuds People often mention restaurant, Afghan, chicken, lamb, recommend, nice, great, good, rice, grill,


Address

18 Selsdon Rd, Croydon CR2 6PA, United Kingdom

Contact

+44 20 3659 6521

Rating on Google Maps

4.40 (250 reviews)

Open on Google Maps

Working Hours

  • Wednesday: 12 to 11 PM
  • Thursday: 12 to 11 PM
  • Friday: (Good Friday), 12 to 11 PM, Hours might differ
  • Saturday: 12 to 11 PM
  • Sunday: 12 to 11 PM
  • Monday: Closed
  • Tuesday: 12 to 11 PM

Featured Reviews


Frequently mentioned in reviews: restaurant (17) Afghan (15) chicken (14) lamb (11) recommend (9) nice (9) great (9) good (8) rice (8) grill (7)
Reviews are sorted by relevance, prioritizing the most helpful and insightful feedback at the top for easier reference.
  • 5/5 Geraldine O. 2 years ago on Google
    Wonderful variety of flavourful dishes, really generous portions and everyone is super friendly. Their mantu dumplings are heavenly, other personal faves include the bamia and masala fish. I love this restaurant and highly recommend it.
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Steve M. 5 months ago on Google • 121 reviews
    Mmmmm! I saw that the people of Croydon were divided over A Taste Of Afghan. Well I’m a fan and here’s why. We were not encouraged to buy expensive drinks so we didn’t order them. We had decided that this needs to be a budget date. So that suited us. We went for a sharing grill thing. We’ve had a lot of these in other places so we know what we’re talking about. What was good here was the softness of the meat- very pleasant. And there was a lot of it. Our whole meal came in at about £35. So that’s less than half what we usually spend. No complaints!
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Masume H. 5 months ago on Google • 6 reviews
    Great food and excellent service from the owner and his staff. Borani, Chapli kebab and afghan rice were all excellent. We ate very early on a Saturday evening so atmosphere score a little unjust. It was starting to fill up with family groups which is lovely. Furniture is comfy .
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Hems P. 1 month ago on Google • 5 reviews New
    **Taste of Afghan: Culinary Delights in Croydon** Nestled in Croydon, Taste of Afghan offers a diverse menu reflecting Afghanistan's rich culinary heritage. The curries stand out with robust flavors and aromatic spices, from tender lamb to fragrant vegetarian options. Don't miss the mixed grill featuring succulent kebabs and chicken. And the massive naan bread is a must-try, perfect for savoring the rich sauces. With warm hospitality and an inviting atmosphere, Taste of Afghan promises a memorable dining experience that celebrates the vibrant flavors of Afghanistan.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Haris A. 4 months ago on Google • 85 reviews
    A very nice and small restaurant with a good quality food platters are good but I’ll recommend every one to try there chicken Karahi and charsi karahi I love that the taste is awesome I’ll definitely go there again and again only problem there is off parking there is no space for parking and you need to find space in streets near the restaurant that is very hard to find.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 4/5 SELIM AHMED S. 2 years ago on Google
    After reading some of the positive reviews I have just made a visit into the restaurant on a Sunday lunch with my children. Le me elaborate about my review for the 4 stars. 1 Star for the welcome from the staff. They were nice and polite. 2 Star for the clean and hygiene environment and decoration. I like the seating area particularly the way Muslims seating tradition. 3 Star for the menu and pricing. Straightforward and simple. 4 Star for the food decorations and the taste of food are very delicious and provides free containers to bring the leftover meals into home. I could not provide the 5 star because a criticism must need do highlight which is the restaurant doesn't have sufficient heating system. They have portable room heating which doesn't cover the entire seating place, therefore food gets cold very quick. I would love if the management improves that.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Omer L. 3 years ago on Google
    Delicious food and great hospitality! You must try the big naan and the chapel kebab! so delicious! Food is very homely and full of flavor! Their chickpeas and okra is also great! We will definitely return soon! Highly recommended!
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Syed Wajahat Ali S. 1 year ago on Google
    One of the best afghan cuisine. I usually go there with my friends
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Anju M. 1 year ago on Google
    Been walking past this restaurant for a few years now and one night myself, my partner and my toddler decided to eat here. The initial welcome was good, I think the guys name was Hazaard?? He was very friendly and took our order. We ordered a Mixed grill platter, chips and Lamb Karahi… not sure bout the spelling lol However the food came in good time and it was nice all three of us enjoyed the platter but the lamb dish was a bit tooo chewy. Overall it’s a nice restaurant and nice atmosphere, gonna try a takeaway next but we’d go back again.
    2 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 2/5 Yuri S. 3 months ago on Google • 67 reviews New
    I love Afghan food, and was hoping to have a great experience seeing the ratings. I went in happy and cheerful, and left very disappointed. The Mantu, a great Afghan pasta dish, had basically no meat inside ( to the point I thought it was a vegetarian version), but that's ok I moved on the Channa, but it was too salty, and I told the waiter I couldn't eat it. They bring it again... the same, I think they just diluted with more chickpeas but still really salty. So, I told the waiter that it just didn't do it for me. Feeling sorry for the (their) failure, I told him I would instead be happy to look at the desserts. Only ice-cream was available, and to add insult to the injury, it tasted off. My guess is that it wasn't kept at the right cold temperature, as in fact it was too soft and it smelled of rancid butter. Now in a complete disbelief, trying to not show my disappointment, I ate it anyway. When the waiter brought the bill, the Channa was there. I asked him if he really wanted to charge me for me and he said yes, in an apologetic manner. I had enough. I paid and they will never see me again in that place.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Sab B. 1 month ago on Google • 14 reviews New
    Nearly 30 of us visited The Taste of Afghan… and every single one complimented the food. The staff was very cooperative. We had a fabulous evening and are looking forward to visit again very soon .
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Davide De P. 5 months ago on Google • 3 reviews
    First time that we tried this restaurant and we've been very positively impressed. We had a mix platter for 3 and it was a great choice so we ended up trying a bit of of the main dishes in the menu. We loved all of it, very tasteful and nicely cooked. If I had to chose now, the best dishes would the lamb karahi and the rice with lamb, but that's a personal taste. I read other reviews complaining about the service. I can't really support that: the staff engaged with us when needed, and they actually were very helpful in assisting with the choice of food and drinks.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Bookie A. 2 years ago on Google
    I decided to try this out on a whim and I wasn't disappointed. Food very flavoursome..reception was warm and thr drink was ice cold. It was not too busy on a Tuesday evening. I am really looking forward to going back
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 3/5 Tetiana S. 1 year ago on Google
    The food was tasty and delicious. But the place overall was dirty. The sink area was dirty. The garbage can is not working. To throw away used paper after you wash your hands you need to touch it which definitely you don’t want to do it. The menu are all in greasy which doesn’t feel good. The tables in the order area where is the kitchen were dirty. They have to take care this place if they don’t want to lose customers
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 finn w. 1 year ago on Google
    Got the platter for 3 and shared between 2 of us. Safe to say we were stuffed but what a great selection. The lamb is a must try. The only thing that tops the food is the service.... And it's BYOB
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 W X. 2 years ago on Google
    We sat in the restaurant and had a huge Naan bread and the mixed grill. We also had a curry dish which was also fantastic
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Oz K. 1 year ago on Google
    Amazing rice, mixed grill, kebab and lamb Karai. Pleased with the service, the waiter was tentative to everything we needed. Will definitely come back.
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Chris W. 2 years ago on Google
    Lovely atmosphere, very relaxed. Wanted to try something different and was not disappointed. Sam was very informative and talked us through the menu. Went for chicken tikka skewer starter a traditional Afghan lamb curry, and a chicken dish with Reb peppers, coriander and yoghurt. The flavours were amazing, not too spicy but it's all freshly made so you can have it hotter if you prefer. I would definately give this place a try if in Peckham, even got a little bit of an Afghan history lesson from Sam after our meal. And it's BYOB
    1 person found this review helpful 👍

  • 5/5 Haaris B. 2 months ago on Google • 17 reviews New
    Great food, really, really recommend going and trying it. Won't be disappointed.

  • 3/5 Charan G. 1 month ago on Google • 15 reviews New
    Did a take away today for the large chicken briyani (serves 2) and chicken tikka that comes with naan. The food on collection was still hot which tilted my decision to start with the chicken tikka with naan. When I get home, I was disappointed to find out that the naan was completely missed!. I was upset but also was very hungry and wanted to control my annoyance with what just happened. I then decided to go with the briyani which added even more disappointment. Rice was cooked well and plenty, but the meat was very little in the dish. It had literally 4 small pieces of chicken tikka instead of chicken on the bone. It wasn't what I expected and made me feel frustrated with the thought that I paid for a rice meal only. Had this not happened, I would have given it a higher rating, so lets just say my hunger at that time calmed my frustration. However, it is going to take me some time to come back here to order my next meal. In hindsight I did like the food though but this blunder from the staff should have been looked into before the dish leaves the kitchen.

  • 3/5 Adeptales O. 1 month ago on Google • 7 reviews New
    The restaurant was empty for a Friday night on payday weekend which was a little suspicious. But nonetheless, my fiancé and I went inside as we love trying food from across the world. The place had a nice decor, but a little dated. Unfortunately the waiter had very dirty fingernails and my fiancé mentioned that she smelt a strong smell of gasoline when he took her order. We were seriously considering leaving due to the waiter not being the cleanest, as we were worried that the kitchen may not be clean too. But we decided to stay. We ordered a mix grill for 2 which was amazing. The rice was seasoned to perfection, the lamb, chicken and beef skewers were amazing too. Although the lamb chops were very dry and tough. We ordered the virgin mojitos which also went down a treat! All in all, we had a great experience, but I'd recommend that the waiting staff improve their appearance because that is a turn off for many customers.

  • 4/5 Jan B. 2 months ago on Google • 5 reviews New
    Have eaten here twice in the last 6 months. Both times excellent. I can see some one star reviews here, but from our experience, it was a five-star meal both times. Service is polite and helpful, but not quick so if you are in a rush be aware of that. For dinner, the restaurant was busy and the atmosphere was good. This is a modest restaurant, not fancy, but we will be back again as we enjoyed the food.

  • 1/5 Saman B. 1 month ago on Google • 3 reviews New
    Very low quality food and poorly cooked. Lamb sheesh and kebab smell so bad. I tried to give honest feedback to the manager but he was noding his head in a strange way (trying to make me feel stupid) looking least interested about the feedback. Over priced. Poor Service!

  • 4/5 EK gato BALAM n. 1 year ago on Google
    Nice food, good prices! Recommended!

  • 5/5 Ali S. 2 years ago on Google
    Excellent food, I ordered several platters for my son's 1st birthday and Taste of Afghan did not disappoint. We were so happy with the food, portions and variety of options. I recommend this restaurant to anyone as they have always delivered a great service and have tasty food. Thank you so much!

  • 1/5 Saqib K. 2 months ago on Google New
    Just had a big family meal here. Food took ages and I explained we’d like the chapli kebab and mixed grills as starters and to bring them out when ready but it all came at the same time as the Karachi’s. The grills and chapli kebabs were ok but the chicken and lamb karahi’s were awful. The meat tasted off and gravy was just thick tomato sauce! Same with the chicken karahi. No flavour at all. Such a disappointment. I complained and was told they won’t do anything except take off one of the karahis. The bill was still £230.. very poor service and food. Not sure how they have a decent rating but compared to namak Mandi it’s not even a comparison. Not even in the same league. Save your money and make the trip to namak Mandi.

  • 5/5 Zel 2 months ago on Google New
    We had a fantastic experience here. The food was very tasty and the atmosphere was welcoming. Highly recommend the chicken Karahi and the afghan rice!

  • 5/5 Azhiar “Aza” S. 4 months ago on Google
    Great place, with nice settings and clean environment. Spacious place with great hospitality and delicious menu that is reasonably priced, generous servings to match. Great for family and kids, friends or go alone for a treat.

  • 1/5 Abdul k. 1 year ago on Google
    Food was old, staff and communication was bad. Neither were worth the price

  • 5/5 Maria L. 1 year ago on Google
    Best kept local secret! Sizzling clad iron platter heaped with meat, moreish sweet Kabul pilau, zesty curry, fresh salad and the oven-fresh hanging Afghan bread — all fresh, and around £20 per head. I recommend booking the carpet area for a luxurious lie down between bites.

  • 5/5 grace m. 1 year ago on Google
    This place is a gem. Unassuming from the outside but a lovely atmosphere inside. The food is very well priced and really tasty. Meal cost around £35 (with wine corkage charge of £4) for two people and there was more than enough food! Definitely try this place if you're in the area.

  • 5/5 Shabir A. 1 year ago on Google
    This is one of the best Afghan foods in London that i have ever experienced. The guy who serves the food there is so nice and social. I regularly visit there with my family and friends for dinner.

  • 5/5 Ruqayyah H. 2 months ago on Google • 1 review New
    Went in with a group of friends and the portion sizes were big enough to fill us to the brim! Beautiful food, lovely ambience, and we were sat in the little carpeted book but didn't feel forgotten. Recommend to anyone looking to treat their tastebuds
    3 people found this review helpful 👍

  • 1/5 Mina H. 1 month ago on Google • 1 review New
    If you are Afghan you might want to try a different restaurant to eat at, I came here with my husband we ordered the Afghan grill for 2 people. Whilst we were waiting for 25 minutes, we were one of three groups in the restaurant. We heard the microwave go off many times during waiting and we were growing suspicious that the food was not going to be as fresh as it was supposed to be. And we would be right. The meat was very dry, the rice was also very dry, the presentation was extremely poor, and we couldn’t finish it as it just wasn’t that nice to eat. If you are Afghan you definitely want something delicious, authentic and worth your money, and this restaurant definitely wasn’t worth the car journey. I recommend you take yourself elsewhere. I would not recommend coming here and I am not coming here again.

  • 1/5 Amal A. 1 month ago on Google • 1 review New
    Honestly one of the worst restaurant experiences I have ever had. Came here with a large group to celebrate a birthday, we waited over 20mins to have our drink order taken. The starters took another 30-40 mins to come out and when they did (hummus and samosa’s) it was absolutely terrible. Bit into one of the samosa’s and the inside was completely cold, a few of the other guests had the same experience. The hummus was oily and literally slapped onto a plate. I wasn’t sure it could get any worse but then the mains arrived. We’d ordered 2 family platters plus various other bits. The lamb was tough and chewy, chicken rubbery, the rice was luke warm in some places and stone cold in others. Every single bit of food we had was either cold or luke warm, it also didn’t taste very fresh and like it had been cooked days before. Honestly don’t know if any of these positive reviews are real because my experience was awful. It also very expensive for the quality and the poor service.


Call +44 20 3659 6521 Open on Google Maps

Amenities


  • Payments
    • ✓️ Debit cards
    • ✓️ Credit cards
    • ✓️ NFC mobile payments
  • Offerings
    • ✓️ Wine
    • ✓️ Alcohol
    • ✓️ Halal food
    • ✓️ Small plates
    • ✓️ Happy hour food
    • ✓️ Healthy options
    • ✓️ Late-night food
    • ✓️ Happy hour drinks
    • ✓️ Free water refills
    • ✓️ Vegetarian options
  • Accessibility
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible seating
    • ✓️ Wheelchair accessible entrance
  • Dining options
    • ✓️ Lunch
    • ✓️ Dinner
    • ✓️ Dessert
    • ✓️ Seating
    • ✓️ Catering
  • Service options
    • ✓️ Dine-in
    • ✓️ Takeout
    • ✓️ Delivery
    • ✓️ Drive-through
    • ✓️ Curbside pickup
    • ✓️ Outdoor seating
    • ✓️ No-contact delivery

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