Yahoo News Bristol's TikTok famous restaurant wows national critic with 'silly, warm, magical' atmosphere
A restaurant in Bristol, known for hilarious, joyful TikTok videos and wowing celebrities with wonderful food has impressed a national critic from London. Reviewer Charlotte Ivers is the latest critic to be charmed by Urban Tandoor's food, atmosphere and 'magical' positive vibes.
The business, which has locations in Clifton and the Harbourside, has been open since 2013 but rocketed to popularity on the social media platform TikTok with staff member's restaurant-themed song parodies. Their latest hits include Seven Nation Bhaji and Sweet Lime Pickle - posted just before the England men's team made it through to the Euro semi-finals.
Writing for the Sunday Times, Charlotte said she went to visit the restaurant "because it was famous". And famous it is - the self-proclaimed "kings of the parodies" have amassed more than 200K followers on TikTok and garnered more than eight million likes on the platform.
Read more:
Specifically, Charlotte said she grew inspired after seeing The New York Times write about the Bristol establishment which is visited by folk from as far off as Texas. Urban Tandoor owner Sujith D’almeida said the restaurant has grown particularly popular with diners under 30 - the general age of the average TikTokker - and added his desire to inject a little bit of positivity into viewer's daily routines.
He told The Times he "wanted to get some positivity into people’s lives" in the form of silly, 60 second music clips. Though Charlotte writes that guests "don't really come for the food", Urban Tandoor has been branded one of the 'best restaurants in Bristol' with meals that leave customers 'dreaming' of their next visit.
BristolLive reviewed the Clifton location back in March: "We thoroughly enjoy the food, but the atmosphere in Urban Tandoor is what really makes the viral sensation stand out. They know what they are doing when it comes to making sure everyone is happy and having a good time."
The Sunday Times agreed with that assessment, with Charlotte giving the Indian restaurant five stars. She concludes: "What a wonderful thing he’s built here: silly, warm, magical."
