There are a large number of restaurants in the beautiful Barnard Castle area, as it is so popular with tourists. But there is a good reason why the delightful Bengal Merchant tops the reviews, we are passionate about our food, our restaurant & our service! Our camera shy Head Chef has a dedication to culinary excellence.
He works his magic in the kitchen, producing food to suit all palates. He offers subtle dishes for those who like things flavoursome but not too spicy, zingy, tangy meals for those in the mid-range, to fiery, explosive chilli laden curries for those who prefer things sizzling hot. We only use the best meat, fantastic fresh fish, flavourful seafood and superb vegetables.
He works his magic in the kitchen, producing food to suit all palates. He offers subtle dishes for those who like things flavoursome but not too spicy, zingy, tangy meals for those in the mid-range, to fiery, explosive chilli laden curries for those who prefer things sizzling hot. We only use the best meat, fantastic fresh fish, flavourful seafood and superb vegetables.
Services
Here we have maintained a classic menu based on traditional recipes, with an intrinsic understanding of the fine tuned tastes of the 21st century. The menu for the Bengal Merchant was devised by International Award Winning Chef Azam Khan, using his culinary secrets - to keep Teesdale's Indian food the best.
Treat yourself and your partner, friends or family (bring them all!) to a sumptuous, flavourful meal in our relaxed restaurant. We get a bit busy on weekends so if you want a table on a Friday or Saturday evening, please reserve your table as early as possible as we don't want to disappoint you. The peak period is from 7pm - 9pm.
The restaurant is situated in a mid 18th Century listed building, located on The Bank, within historic Barnard Castle's town centre, in the shadow of an octagonal building called the "Market Cross", built in 1747. The Market Cross served as the butter market as well as the town's jail, fire station, town hall and court house.
You will always get a warm and friendly welcome, from brothers Mufti, Chad, Naz and Mohin Choudhury, who own and operate The Bengal Merchant. This dedicated foursome pride themselves on their passion for fantastic food and great service. We are very quick to get to know people, but don't worry - we are not nosy and won't quiz you.
Reviews (9)
Jenny Ramezan
Dec 09, 2021
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I'm really sorry about this rating, if they take a booking for 8pm you arrive and they tell you they close at 9pm, that should be a red flag. No one said when we booked, however we sat down to receive the starters
Salmon tika looked like plastic strips deep fried, swimming in oily onions
Sent it back,
The poppadoms were the only item that didn't fail hence the 1 star.
We had sheek kebab also deep fried, which should have been grilled, very oily !! Absolutely awful..
The dips came served up in plastic tupperware pots with plastic spoons.
Are we at a picnic or a restaurant I ask myself....
Salmon tika looked like plastic strips deep fried, swimming in oily onions
Sent it back,
The poppadoms were the only item that didn't fail hence the 1 star.
We had sheek kebab also deep fried, which should have been grilled, very oily !! Absolutely awful..
The dips came served up in plastic tupperware pots with plastic spoons.
Are we at a picnic or a restaurant I ask myself....
Mary Louise Dodd
Sep 23, 2021
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Zed B.
Sep 20, 2021
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Steve Rumley
Sep 09, 2021
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Keith Baxter
Aug 08, 2021
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Alex Jones
Jul 12, 2021
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SPICYYYYYYY 😎 great food, great staff, nice atmosphere. Just remember that if you want crab you have to let them know a day in advance! I wanted crab and didn't know this rule, was disappointed when they said they had none in, but still, it gives me something to look forward to next time 🙂👍
Thanks for a delicious food coma Bengal Merchant!
Thanks for a delicious food coma Bengal Merchant!
Martin Wrigley
Jun 29, 2021
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Sandra M.
Oct 25, 2019
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Marilyn Hyde
May 28, 2018
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One of two Indian restaurants in Barnard's Castle. We didn't visit the other one but we were very happy with our choice. The welcome was friendly, the service prompt and the dishes from the varied menu were very tasty. Once again the toilets were on an upper floor so not for those who don't do stairs. Ample parking on the street.
