Momtaz Indian Lounge

Momtaz Indian Lounge occupies the Indian-restaurant rooms of the Merrick Hotel on the upper run of King Street in Castle Douglas — a category-C listed building whose Georgian frontage is part of the protected King Street streetscape laid out under Sir William Douglas's 1790s planning of the town. The restaurant trades on the upper floor of the hotel up a flight of stairs from the street, which makes it less obvious from the pavement than the King Street independents at ground level. The current Momtaz branding succeeded the previous Merrick Indian Restaurant operation at the same address, with the same kitchen format and hotel-restaurant pairing. The menu is the long-format Anglo-Indian list — full starters and tandoori, biryanis, the curry classics, chef's-recommendation and Indo-Chinese sections, plus a small English-side list for non-curry eaters in a group — with both dine-in and takeaway service offered. Reviews across TripAdvisor and Restaurant Guru are mixed for a restaurant of this style, with the warm naan, lamb dishes and biryanis flagged as the things to order when the kitchen is on form. The Merrick's hotel rooms continue to trade alongside the restaurant. Castle Douglas markets itself as Galloway's Food Town and Momtaz is one of only two sit-down Indian options in the centre.