This post is based on a visit in September 2021. Always check details with venues direct when making plans as information may change over time.
We have three family birthdays in September and it is a bit of a tradition that we go out for an Indian meal to celebrate. This year, we booked Asmara in Blyth for their Thursday night banquet deal.
Asmara is a first floor venue and the entrance is easily missed. It is located just around the corner from the driving test centre in the heart of Blyth. There is a large free car park outside and it is a short walk from Blyth Bus Station. Use postcode NE24 2BA.
I wanted to visit Asmara as we had enjoyed a takeaway from here during lockdown (see my Facebook post below) and I vowed to go back to their restaurant when we could. Harry's (and the other September birthdays) seemed like the perfect opportunity to book.
One half of the venue is a beautiful cocktail lounge (see the first photo) and the other half is the restaurant. It is a fairly small venue so I would recommend booking ahead, especially on banquet nights.
They have various menus available at Asmara (which you can see here) and I really like that they have a dedicated kids menu which you don't tend to find in too many Indian restaurants.
Six of us dined from the Banquet Menu which is available on a Thursday and Sunday evening. I have dined from similar menus at other establishments before but this one stands out as offering plenty of choice and I also like that you get free naans too - not just plain ones either. The value for money feels excellent.
As mentioned earlier, Asmara is also a cocktail lounge and they have an extensive list of cocktails to try. I was driving so ordered an Apple & Elderflower Mojito Mocktail and it was delicious. So fresh and packed with mint and such a nice change from the coke/lemonade I would usually order. I definitely recommend trying a cocktail / mocktail if you visit.
Throughout the evening the staff were super attentive, checking on us and making sure our drinks didn't run dry. The manager/owner is hands on too and checks in on all tables too. There never seemed to be a huge wait between courses but it wasn't super speedy either. As Goldilocks would say, it was just right.
Poppadoms and dips to start with and there was a generous amount with extras brought out for Dee and Jack who weren't dining from the banquet menu. There were a few little touches like this across the evening that made all the difference.
I started with onion bhajis and honestly, I only expected one when dining from a set menu. They were delicious and we were all really happy with the portion sizes.
Onto our mains and just like our takeaway earlier in the year, they were delicious and really packed with flavour. I ordered chicken this time and it was so tender, just melting in the mouth and my sauce was beautifully spiced with plenty of heat without being overpowering.
The portions were huge and I think only 1/3 of our table managed to eat it all. My brother and stepdad ordered an additional side of garlic chips (above) and wow, they looked amazing. I am going to try these next time.
To finish we all ordered ice cream (we were stuffed by this point but could just squeeze it in) and our bill was brought in a little box with chocolates too. Cute!
Find out more here: https://www.asmarablyth.co.uk/
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