THE BABA, THE PROMENADE, WHERRYTOWN, PENZANCE

A fair large and well appointed restaurant seating about 60. It's a little way from the centre of town - almost halfway between Penzance centre and Newlyn -  but perhaps this gives it the advantage of customers from Newlyn. The menu (which must be the biggest I've seen in a restaurant - a heavy tome of about 2ft x 1 ft in pseudo leather) is not extensive despite its size, but it does have all the usuals plus a few different names. It is the sister restaurant of the restaurant of the same name in Truro, in which I've eaten and which provides a good curry, so it's got a good pedigree.

And so it proved. The Onion Bhajias (3 round type) were crisp and well spiced, and very attractively presented with 4 slices of cucumber and 4 slices of radish neatly arranged around the edge of the plate (In fact, all the plates were similarly artistically garnished). The Balti Dhansak was really no different from an ordinary Dhansak except that it was served in a karahi, but it had a nice flavour and was pleasantly hot. The Vegetable Bhaji was good, dry with a nice spicy/peppery flavour and contained a good selection of vegetables.

The service was good and friendly, the portions perfectly adequate, but the prices were distsinctly higher than average. However, it was a good standard formula curry, well presented in pleasant surroundings.