Review of Zeera in South Shields as it delivers to your door in lockdown

Saturday nights out in Shields aren’t what they used to be with Ocean Road closed for sit-in curries.
Zeera in Ocean Road has ramped up its delivery optionsZeera in Ocean Road has ramped up its delivery options
Zeera in Ocean Road has ramped up its delivery options

But many South Tyneside businesses are operating within Government guidelines and stepping up to the plate to bring your favourite dishes to your door during lockdown.

With ‘staying in’ being the new ‘going out,’ food deliveries are the highlight of the week these days and our order from Zeera was much anticipated.

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Although your living room doesn’t quite match up to the restaurant experience, no matter how much ambient music you put on and white cloth napkins you use, the food standard was as good as I’ve had when dining out.

Delivery order from Zeera during lockdownDelivery order from Zeera during lockdown
Delivery order from Zeera during lockdown

Their delivery and collection service runs from 5.30pm from Wednesday to Sunday. You can pay online so there’s no contact and for those collecting it can be brought to your car door, if you park in the bays, to further limit contact.

Ours was delivered to our doorstep, well wrapped to retain the heat, by a driver wearing PPE.

You still get plenty of choice too, with a large takeaway / delivery menu, as well as a special three-course menu for £9.95 and a vegan menu, with a better choice than most non-lockdown menus with options such as cauliflower cooked bhuna style and a medley of dhals, priced £8.95 for three courses.

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We ordered a tower of poppadoms between us, 90p each, with assorted dips and pickles, 80p each, while I ordered cheese tukra to start (£4.25) and chicken tikka tandoori (£8.95) and egg pilau (£3.85) for mains.

Chicken tikka tandoori from the Zeera delivery menuChicken tikka tandoori from the Zeera delivery menu
Chicken tikka tandoori from the Zeera delivery menu

The starter was a good-sized portion of lightly spiced chicken smothered in melted cheese. Indian takeaways can often be a greasy affair, but Zeera’s tasted much lighter and fresher than others I’ve had at home.

Mains-wise, the tandoori chicken was beautifully tender and still moist, despite its journey to my house, with that hint of satisfying smokiness you only get from the tandoor oven.

I couldn’t quite recreate the restaurant-level presentation at home, but the flavours were a true taste of Ocean Road.

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As well as keeping its restaurant regulars well fed, Zeera is one of the local businesses going above and beyond to offer a helping hand in the community.

Staff have been making weekly free deliveries of banquets to frontline workers at South Tyneside Hospital and also working with Hebburn Helps to support families in need during the healthcare crisis.

Deliveries, meanwhile, give us the chance to support our local cafes and restaurants who, as part of the hospitality sector, have been hit particularly hard by restrictions in place to limit the spread of COVID-19.

For a guide to South Tyneside restaurants offering deliveries and collections see here.