What’s on offer?
Al Rahman in Ranelagh is your classic neighbourhood Indian restaurant. It has a familiar line-up, hefty portions, and a tendency to do the basics well enough to keep you coming back. It’s built on reliable Indian and Pakistani classics. There’s a broad spread of curries – bhuna, madras, jalfrezi, korma, rogan josh, vindaloo – mostly in chicken, lamb, prawn or vegetable versions, with rich onion gravies, tomato-based sauces and the odd mild coconut dish.
It offers a small line-up of tandoori and grilled options too: sheek kebabs, chicken tikka, and mixed grills. For something more substantial, there are hearty biryanis in chicken, lamb or prawn, alongside basic pilau or boiled rice. Vegetarian dishes include daal tadka, saag paneer, vegetable curries and the standard fried starters such as samosas and onion bhajis.
What did we order?
Meat samosa, vegetable samosa, sheek kebab, daal tadka, garlic naan, prawn vindaloo with pilau rice, and lamb bhuna with pilau rice.
How was the service?
Ordering online was straightforward. The food arrived hot and in good condition. However, there were no dips for the samosas and kebab.
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Was the food nice?
The samosas were a highlight, particularly the vegetable one, which had proper chunks of carrot, peas, lentils and coriander seeds. It was more aromatic and complex than you’d expect from a standard takeaway.
The sheek kebab was another winner: nicely charred, juicy inside, but the lack of a dipping sauce to drag it through did detract.
The bhuna was the star – five chunky, tender pieces of lamb in a deeply savoury, slightly sweet sauce with good onion richness and curry leaves floating through. The vindaloo did its job, bringing the heat with a tomato-onion base and enough spice to make your lips tingle. The prawns were a bit sparse but fine. Next time I’d opt for lamb instead.
The daal tadka was the weak link: watery, bland and outclassed by everything else. Not terrible, just uninspired. The pilau rice and garlic naan did a good job of mopping up the sauces.
What about the packaging?
Everything came in foil or plastic containers inside a paper bag. They’re reusable, but, like most households, we’re not in need of more plastic containers.
What did it cost?
€68.85 for dinner for three people: meat samosa, €5.99; vegetable samosa, €5.99; sheek kebab, €5.99; daal tadka, €12.99; garlic naan, €3.00; vindaloo with pilau rice, €16.45; bhuna with pilau rice, €15.45; and service fee, €2.99.
Where does it deliver?
Open Mon-Fri, 4pm–midnight; Sat-Sun, 4pm–3am. Delivery within a 5km radius.
Would I order it again?
Yes, but I’d stick to the meatier options and include the vegetable samosa. The mains come with pilau rice, which makes the pricing decent.
