Saffron · sealed pot · 90 minutes
The soul of India,
slow-cooked for Guildford.
Hand-pounded spices, clay-oven theatre, and curries that simmer for hours. A takeaway crafted like a restaurant — packed for your table.
4.9 · 600+ reviews Open daily 5–11pm Halal · Vegan options
Crafted nightly in Guildford
Clay tandoor
480°C charcoal
Whole spices
Pounded daily
Family recipes
Three generations
Loved locally
600+ reviews
The menu
Signature dishes from the Shamshir kitchen
Overnight marinade · charcoal smoke
Tandoori Half Chicken
£10.95
Tomato cream · fenugreek · slow-simmer
Butter Chicken
£11.95
Our story
A spice route
that ends at your door.
Shamshir began as a single notebook of recipes — passed from grandmother to mother to son. Today, we grind our masalas at dawn, ferment our naans overnight, and seal our biryanis with dough so the steam never escapes the pot. Nothing is rushed. Nothing is shortcut.
We use only halal-certified meats, free-range where possible, and source whole spices from the same family in Kerala we have known for thirty years.
Read the full story
The tandoor
Cooked in fire.
Finished in smoke.
Our clay oven burns at 480°C — hot enough to char a naan in 90 seconds and seal a tandoori breast in three minutes. It is the heart of the kitchen, and the reason our food tastes the way it does.
A taste of India
Beyond the curry
Street food, drinks & sweets
Skip the queue
Reserve your collection slot
Pick a time, walk in, walk out. Hot food, no waiting.
Guest reviews
Loved in Guildford
What our guests say
"The butter chicken is the best I have had outside of Delhi. Genuinely."
"We've ordered every Friday for two years. Still the highlight of the week."
"The biryani is a religious experience. Sealed pot, saffron, soul."
Hungry?
Tonight's table starts with a tap.
Collection & local delivery across Guildford GU2. Most orders ready in 20–30 minutes.