I first visited this restaurant in 1997 when it was called Nawab. It changed its name sometime later to the Curry Cottage and changed once more at approximately late 1999 to its current name, (although I was told at the time that it had not changed ownership).

Situated in an oak beamed Tudor building it looks attractive from the outside, but having now visited four times over the years since it was Nawab, it has looked a slightly scruffier (or perhaps well used is a better phrase) each time I've visited.  Not a large restaurant, seating about 40 in all in two dining areas, the front area being slightly the smaller. Menu is fairly standard, but does have a sprinkling of less common names.

I last visited six years ago, and the report was along the lines that the onion bhajis were crisp, chicken chat tangy, madras in fairly thin sauce and, like the dhansak, not as hot as expected, pleasant tandoori chicken and standard but rather oily vegetable dishes. My overall comment was that  it was an enjoyable meal but nothing outstanding. On this occasion another Indian restaurant (Curry Leaf) is situated opposite, and to be honest it looked brighter and more inviting, except that it on a Saturday night at about 9pm it had no customers! The Little Raj looked more dimly lit, but although more difficult to see inside did have a few customers (although again, surprisingly not many for a Saturday). Purely on the basis of not eating in an empty restaurant we opted for the latter, so I went in interested to see whether things had changed.

Well, what a curate's egg of an evening! We sere seated in the rear dining area and the low lighting, far from creating an intimate ambience, gave the whole place a dingy air. This was exacerbated by the fact that all the empty tables (only two were taken) were not laid up with cutlery etc., so the plain white unlaid table tops gave a lifeless appearance rather than that of a restaurant open for business. To make matters worse, the unsmiling waiter parroted "poppadoms, any drinks?" virtually as our bums hit the seats and before any menus had been issued (one of my irritations about Indian restaurants). When the menus came we sat in the gloom, rather wishing we had gone to the more welcoming though empty restaurant across the road, and not expecting the meal to be any better.

Well, thank heaven for the chef, as the starters gave us hope. The Onion Bhajis (four round) were crisp, light and flavoursome, while the Chicken Chat was an excellent example - small pieces of chicken in a hot tangy sauce and very moreish. However, the downside again was that no riata was served with the bhajis, and the garnish was simply a minute amount of shredded lettuce. Things looked up again when the main meals arrived, as the Chicken Jalfrezi was superb - the rich dark sauce full of flavour, and the chillis had been well cooked into the dish to give it plenty of kick. The Meat Madras was also excellent, the sauce not thin or relatively mild as in my previous experience, but hot and spicy, while my wife declared her Tandoori Chicken one of the tastiest she has had for some time. The Vegetable Bhaji was of good standard (and not oily this time), with the vegetables lightly cooked and pleasantly spiced, while the Tarka Dall was similarly of good standard. But once again the peripheral aspects let it down, in that there was no accompaniment served with the tandoori chicken - simply two (good sized) pieces of chicken on a plate with the sizzling onions. My wife had to ask for a salad garnish (maybe they had simply forgotten it), but when it came it was simple a pile of finely shredded lettuce with one thin slice of cucumber and  one thin slice of tomato!! Probably the poorest attempt at a side salad for a tandoori chicken I've ever come across.

The quantities of all dishes were quite sufficient and the prices very reasonable. The service, while not particularly friendly or welcoming, was not unfriendly or unwelcoming - it was simply functional (although if the lack of what could laughingly be called a side salad for the Tandoori Chicken had been overlooked by the waiter, then together with the overly prompt unsmiling initial enquiry about poppadoms and drinks, I would regard it in a less charitable light). The final surprise, given the poor accompaniments to the meal, was a good-sized plate of fresh orange segments accompanying the hot towels at the end, which was a good touch.

Well, what do I say overall. Everything that accompanies a good meal - service, table decoration, lighting/decoration, accompaniments and salad garnishes could be greatly improved upon. But all was saved by the food, which was excellent. As I say, a curate's egg of a meal, but thank heaven for the chef who saved the day, as overall I would certainly return just for the food.

Malcolm Wilkins -  2009