As far as I could discover there are five Indian restaurants from which to choose in Warwick town centre. The largest and what appeared to be the newest (although I discovered it’s been there for four years) was the rather modern looking and wide fronted Saffron in Westgate House, Market Street. It seats getting on for 100 and offers Goan dishes (the chef is Goan) as well as the more traditional Indian dishes.

Nearby in Market Place is the Shandar Balti, a more standard looking restaurant which offers Punjabi cuisine as against the more usual Bangla Deshi.

The remaining three are past the East Gate, the first two being in Smith Street. Going down the hill the first is Warwick Spice, which has been open just over a year although I believe there was an Indian restaurant there called Veranda previously. In this one the seating area was raised a few steps above the reception and bar area and a notice in the window offered 10% discount for visitors to Warwick Castle as well as local hospital and council employees and university students. On the opposite side is the longer established, but smallest looking (from the outside) Taste of India. This has been there or about 15 years and had the most standard ‘high street curry house’ appearance of the quintet.

At the bottom of the hill, (and just past the Posh Spices Indian take-away) at 11 St John’s, is the Castle Balti - a bright looking restaurant with startling blue and yellow tablecloths and tiled decor. This seemed to seat about 60. For take-away customers there was the Balti Hut in Cotton End, a little further along but this was getting a bit out of town.

All the restaurants looked enticing, but unfortunately I could only visit one. I was impressed to see that the Castle Balti was doing a very good trade at 6.45 pm when all the others were very quiet at that early hour. A good sign, and one which would normally have got me in but it was the furthest end of town from where I was staying. In the end I decided on either the punjabi food of the Shandar or the Goan of Saffron. When it came to it (at 9pm) the Shandar was packed (another good sign) so I looked in the Saffron. This was also packed but, as it was much bigger and therefore better for seat turnover I went there. I wasn’t disappointed, although from appearances I would have been happy to try any of them.

Malcolm Wilkins - January 2002