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RATINGS
Food
Service
Value
Atmosphere

Details

CUISINES
Indian, Bar, Asian, Pub
Special Diets
Vegetarian Friendly, Vegan Options
Meals
Lunch, Dinner
View all details
meals, features
Reviews (145)
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LanguageEnglish
Traveller rating
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20
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Reviewed 1 December 2023

My word what has happened to this place???I don't eat a lot, but portions were small, my meal certainly wasn't what it said it was, music was way to loud, everyone was shouting to be heard & on top of that noise the TV's were...also on. It's a shame the food used to be brilliant, certainly won't be going here again .More

Date of visit: November 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 17 November 2023 via mobile

Got a food delivery from The Downsman last night. The food was delicious! Just the right level of spice and the garlic nann was super tasty! The food arrived in under 40 mins and was piping hot!

Date of visit: November 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 2 September 2023

We had a takeout, food brilliant, chicken biryani and husbands balti was great. Food arrived warm and on time. First time we used this indian.

Date of visit: September 2023
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 25 February 2023 via mobile

Well, if you like burn your face off samosas, super hot curry or a huge amount of garlic with your noodles the this is the place for you. Personally, this is the second time we have tried the downsman and I have to be honest....There are better Indian restaurants out there. AvoidMore

Date of visit: February 2023
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 11 October 2022

The downsman is fast becoming no 1 for Indian food in crawley absolutely fantastic. I am a big critic of Indian food having worked in Indian restaurants many years ago and I have to say their food is top quality. The chefs special Desi lamb...on the bone is to die for perfect in everyway. The lamb s tender and the sauce oh my god it's Devine it really is. Well done downsman u surpassed urselves. Top class.More

Date of visit: October 2022
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Reviewed 6 February 2022 via mobile

I visited this place in April 2018 and food was ok,so I thought let’s give it a try again with my mates on Saturday.. Biriyani excellent well done.. Lamb Bhuna poor same rating as 2018 lamb stew in curry sauce.. Chicken madras absolutely awful.. Let’s...move on.. Kababs excellent and tasty .. Naan brilliant.. Chicken tikka very good.. This pace failed the curry test, Bbq dish were good.. But curry well disappointed with the way they were made stew in curry sauce.. Price bit expensive for the quality of food.. So my 2018 visit wasn’t a great experience and 2022 is no better.. Apologies for the honest feedback..More

Date of visit: February 2022
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Reviewed 5 January 2021

I ordered a selection of food on sat 2nd jan as it was my birthday . One of the meals I ordered was the burger fries and slaw all the food was delicious and piping hot when delivered the only thing was the slaw was...missing was disappointed but but like I said the rest of the food was amazing will defo use the downsman again .More

Date of visit: January 2021
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Reviewed 1 November 2020 via mobile

Probably best pub in sussex. Made even better by the barmaid Nicole, actually think I’ve fallen in love her 👌

Date of visit: November 2020
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Reviewed 18 August 2020

We ate at The Downsman this week. I have to say the staff were brilliant, they took our temperatures when we entered and took contact details. They then advised us how the layout of the venue worked and also the one way system and they...system they use for the toilets. A very detailed welcome and we felt safe in the venue. We sat ourselves, it wasn't that busy and they were happy for us to do so. We then had a little bit of a wait to order, they weren't too busy, just seemed to be waiting on food from the kitchen. What they don't tell you (not when I called to book a table, not when we arrived nor when we placed the order) is that your food arrives in a take out bag, you are given wooden cutlery and styrofoam plates to eat your dinner with. Had we not seen a table have the same experience when they received their food we would have been very confused! To be honest I see why they do this, however a bit of a heads up would have been nice, even the option to take my own (which you can do with glasses) which I would happily have done! There was a bit of a wait between courses, by the time the food came we didn't really mind using the disposable utensils as we were quite hungry. The food was good, piping hot and tasty, although then menu has changed in the past year with old favorites no longer available on the menu. When finished we simply put all waste in the bag it came in and put it in the large bin close to the toilets. Overall I was happy with the food and the venue and I'd happily go again. However as mentioned previously a heads up on the cutlery and crockery situation would have been appreciated.More

Date of visit: August 2020
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Reviewed 21 November 2019 via mobile

A work colleague suggested we ate here rather than the normal high street curry houses. It was fab. Nice to be able to enjoy real ale with great Indian food and sports on the tv - we really enjoyed the night and all reasonably priced...too. Staff friendly. This will now be a regular for me when I come to Crawley !More

Date of visit: November 2019
Helpful?3  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 6 November 2019 via mobile

A good pub to watch sports with friends, they have great Indian food and fairly priced as well. Highly recommend the place.

Date of visit: October 2019
Helpful?1  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 27 October 2019 via mobile

Visited this pub with my customers who recommended the food. From the outside, I thought we were just visiting a normal neighbourhood pub, however was very wrong when we walked inside. For a Thursday night it was very busy. Warmly greeted by the staff who...set up a tab for me, took our drinks order and then gave is the menu to look over. They dont do table service which is not an issue at all. The menu is loaded with great starters/bar snacks etc in addition to great mains. Very simple and traditional curry dishes aswell as a great tandoori menu and chef specials. Speed of service was faultless and the food was fantastic. If you are in Crawley, be sure to search for this hidden gem.More

Date of visit: October 2019
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Reviewed 19 October 2019 via mobile

My family and I have just had a delivery from you and I have to say that it was appalling, everything that arrived was so Spicey hot and the food was so cold, the madras we ordered only had 3 pieces of chicken in it...and the goat Biryani was mainly bones. We used to eat at the Downman on a regular basis, at least once a week and I have to say that the quality has really dropped, we will not be coming back either personally or delivery until things improve, another £45 wasted...... We had a delivery from you a couple of weeks ago which was not great which we thought was unusual as we have never had a bad meal with you in the past, so disappointing that quality has deteriorated so quickly. Same comments will be uploaded to trip advisor as we are so disappointed. Very sad......More

Date of visit: October 2019
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Reviewed 9 October 2019 via mobile

Have been ordering for years from you Ordered last night to be told you have new chef and some dishes not available now Prices gone up and really gone up. Picked food up and was worse curry we have ever had with you. Will never...order againMore

Date of visit: October 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Reviewed 27 September 2019

Been to this pub many times as the Indian food is usually great but unfortunately last night could be our last night!! They have introduced a new menu which started last night and none of the staff seem to know what’s going on! They were...actually printing off A4 copies of the menu as customers asked to see a menu! The evening started with me asking the barman for a pint of Kingfisher (Indian beer) and he asked if I wanted a single or a double!! After clarifying that I wanted a pint of beer not a spirit, I then asked him for a pint of coke and a half pint of lager. This little teaser had him totally flummoxed! He asked if I meant half pint coke and a half pint of lager? NO says I, I want a pint of coke with ice and a half pint of lager! It took him a good 30 seconds to figure out it was two separate drinks and he was thinking where could he find a big enough glass to mix a pint of coke with half of lager 🙄🙄. The evening continued along the same vein when we tried to order food. The order was written down three times before he got it right. The food turned up after 30 minutes but was immediately sent back as it was all cold 🙄. When the meals arrived the second time, they were all hot and very tasty. This was surprising given the Fawlty Towers experience we’d just had at the bar. So the management have clearly screwed up with the introduction of their new menu. There has obviously been no planning and no staff training. We saw several customers complaining directly to the manager. We will wait a few months for this place to either settle down or go out of business before we would consider trying it again.More

Date of visit: September 2019
Helpful?2  
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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Questions & Answers
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Ram0798
28 July 2019|
AnswerShow all 3 answers
Response from MickkJules | Reviewed this property |
You can keep the dogs outside of the pub only but they do provide waterbowls for them
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THE DOWNSMAN, Crawley - Menu, Prices & Restaurant Reviews - Food Delivery & Takeaway - Tripadvisor

Frequently Asked Questions about The Downsman

Yes, The Downsman offers takeaway services.

Yes, The Downsman offers delivery services.

The Downsman is rated accordingly in the following categories by Tripadvisor travellers:
  • Food: 4.5
  • Service: 4
  • Value: 4
  • Atmosphere: 4