We tried the Derby takeaway that serves delicious curry as quickly as a McDonald’s

I’m always in awe of Derby’s vibrant dining scene. With such a wide variety of places to dine out in the city, it’s arguably too hard to choose sometimes!

Having wandered out of Derbion shopping centre where I was having a mooch for books, I spotted the bright and inviting signage for Rikshaw Derby.

The restaurant’s journey in the city saw Rikshaw Derby spend two years at Derbion food court, take a short trading hiatus in August 2022 and reopen in July 2023.

Its current London Road location is home to the two-storey eatery that is the second branch under the Rikshaw banner.

The self-styled ‘urban kitchen’ boasts a wide-ranging menu with plenty of options catering for people of all hunger levels.

For those who fancy something light, they can try papdi chaat, crispy pakora salad or top up their protein with a sizzling grill of Rikshaw lamb chops.

Meals for the hungrier diner include dum biryani, masala fish and chips, daal, channa masala curry and more.

Children get good choices too, with deals such as chicken butter curry and chips for £4.95.

After reading the menu I realised it was gone 2pm and I was borderline hangry, so I made a beeline inside.

The fun decor with pops of ceres and aqua, along with practical seating in the form of sturdy chairs and high stools, gives this eatery a functional, fast-food ambiance.

There is a sit-down restaurant upstairs too, but because I was in the mood for fast food, I stayed on the ground floor section.

As I eyed the covered counter with ready-to-go, piping hot curries, I wondered how long it would take to be served.

The curry box meal deals caught my eye and after a quick conversation with waitstaff, I chose a medium curry box.

With this meal deal, you choose a base of either rice or noodles, top with a curry, and choose one side.

I have always been a rice girl, so I chose a foundational rice base, topped with highway chicken curry and a side of naan.

I’m not a fan of red meat, but as I was intrigued with the lamb ghost curry sauce, I asked if I could have a dollop of the sauce and less of the chicken curry.

That is the beauty of ordering in-person, because it would have been tricky to relay this order over the phone.

There was one person ahead of me who had ordered takeaway, and a couple had joined the queue a few seconds after I had ordered.

It is a popular restaurant, but despite its lunchtime rush, I was served in under two minutes.

From till to table, where I sat anticipating a meal to arrive in say 10 minutes, a hot dish of rice, curry and naan was served faster than you can say ‘curry in a hurry.’

I found this speedy time a little shocking, because apart from some sandwich shops, this is probably one of the fastest times I have ever been served lunch.

Of course it helps that Rikshaw has a counter of hot curries ready to be served.

However, it is also down to the ninja skills of waitstaff and front of house who got fresh food to me fast.

The long kernelled Basmati rice was fluffy and I could run a fork through it with ease which means it was perfectly cooked.

Highway chicken curry had a good hit of ginger, fragrant garlic and a silky curry base emulsion that is the stuff of dreams.

The accompanying naan was beautifully featherlight in parts and with a good swipe of butter over it.

To my surprise, I thoroughly enjoyed dunking naan into the curry sauce.

From the smiling waitstaff to the epic fast serve, plus that faultlessly cooked curry, Rikshaw Derby is now one of my go-to restaurants in the city.

Rikshaw Derby’s meal deals start from £5.95 for a small curry box of two items. There is a large curry box option of five items which consists of a base of rice or noodles, two curries and two sides for £9.95.

Curry in a hurry never tasted so good

Here’s a quick breakdown of how much I spent on my lunch at Rikshaw Derby.

A medium curry box deal is £8.95. This consists of rice base, highway chicken curry, and one side of naan.

I also went rogue with a few tablespoons of railway lamb gosht sauce but wasn’t charged for this ‘bespoke twist.’

Address: Rikshaw Restaurant, 3 London Road, Derby DE1 2NZ

For more information about Rikshaw Derby visit their website by clicking here.