Raai - Traditional Indian Street Food - (Near , South East)

5 /5 Kapil Varshney: Went to Raai in Basingstoke, and let me tell you… my inner Desi Dad was VERY impressed. And trust me, impressing a Desi Dad with restaurant food is harder than passing CA exams. First of all, the prices. Arre wah! Reasonable. Sensible. Pocket-friendly. For once I ate outside without calculating ‘yeh ghar pe bana lete toh…’ in my head. Now the food: • Pav Bhaji: Perfectly buttery. Spicy enough to wake your senses but not your ancestors. • Vada Pav: FINALLY, a vada pav that doesn’t taste like mashed potato pretending to be from Mumbai. This one had personality. • Masala Dosa: Crispy, golden, and made me temporarily forget I’m in Basingstoke and not wandering somewhere in South India looking for filter coffee. • Veg Thali: VALUE. FOR. MONEY. Portions so generous even my inner Gujarati approved. Everything tasted like it was made by someone who isn’t afraid of spices — God bless them. Service? Fast. No unnecessary attitude. No one hovering around waiting to snatch your plate the moment you take the last bite. Desi Dad approves. Overall: Good food, good quantity, good prices. If you’re in Basingstoke and want proper desi street-food vibes without taking out a loan, Raai is the place. Will I go again? Bilkul. Maybe I’ll even take the kids… if they behave.

5 /5 Explorer: 15 Nov 2025 Truly Impressed by Raai’s Improvements – A Wonderful Visit! We visited Raai again today after the restaurant kindly encouraged us to try their updated dishes — and I’m so glad we did! I have genuinely never seen a restaurant act so quickly and effectively on customer feedback. The improvements were clear, thoughtful, and truly impressive. What stood out this time: • Deluxe Thali: A complete transformation! The paneer tikka masala and rajma were full of authentic flavours, beautifully cooked, and absolutely delicious. • Sabudana Kheer: Light, tasty, and perfectly made. • Sambhar: Much improved from our last visit — the sweetness was well-balanced, and the tanginess was spot on. • Pao Bhaji: The star of the evening! Rich, flavourful, and so comforting — one of the best we’ve had. • Chole Puri: Our favourite from last time, and it continues to shine. • Tea: One of the best cups of chai you’ll find anywhere in Hampshire — truly delightful. Beyond the food, what makes Raai special is their dedication to customer satisfaction. They listened, acted, and delivered — that speaks volumes about their passion and commitment. We’re genuinely happy to see how much effort they’ve put into refining their dishes, and this visit has made us fans. Looking forward to coming back again soon! 8 Nov 2025 Mixed Experience at Raai Indian Street Food, Basingstoke We visited Raai Indian Street Food with family for evening snacks and dinner, and overall, it was a mixed experience. What we loved: • Chole Puri: Absolutely the best dish of the evening – the chole was superb in taste and perfectly spiced. • Momos: Nicely made and enjoyable. • Mango Lassi: The kids loved it! • Filter Coffee: Authentic and flavorful – a great way to end the meal. • Staff & Atmosphere: We really liked the staff’s friendliness and the overall atmosphere – good vibes and welcoming service. What didn’t work for us: • Deluxe Thali: This was disappointing. The dal was watery and lacked actual lentils, the mixed veg had a thick, oily gravy with very few vegetables, and the halwa had an unpleasant ghee smell but didn’t seem to be made with real desi ghee. Honestly, they might want to reconsider this item. • Masala Dosa: The dosa itself was good, but the sambhar was extremely sweet – almost as if sugar had been added by mistake. Overall: Some dishes were excellent, while others really missed the mark. We did enjoy the friendly service and nice atmosphere, and we’ll likely go back to try a few more items before forming a final opinion – hopefully, the next visit will be more consistent.

5 /5 LX F: I do not write reviews until and unless I am completely impressed ​with soemthing and here I stumbled upon this incredible street food spot named Raai, and it immediately became my new favorite stop in Basingtoke. Great atmosphere, staff and the owner very welcoming. The service is exactly what you need, fast, efficient, and genuinely friendly We ordered Dahi puri, masala dosa, pav bhaji, it was just awesome, especially in this part of the UK where its hard to find authentic Indian street food. But my all time favourite is chilled Sugarcane juice. For the price and the quality you get, this place is unbeatable. Definite 5stars

5 /5 Chandhini Bheemineti: Absolutely loved the food here! We tried dosa, dhokla, misal pav, and dabeli — all of them were so tasty and well prepared. The dosa was crispy, dhokla was soft, and misal pav was full of flavour. Great service and nice atmosphere too. Will surely visit again!