This restaurant opened in about 1986 as The Raj of India, and I visited and reported in 1999. I am told that it underwent a complete refurbishment in 2004, and re-opened under the current name. According to a local informant, the interior is now the polished modern, contemporary style, but prices have gone up to even higher levels than they were. It has not changed hands, and so presumably the chef remains the same, and as my informant is in general agreement with my original report and makes no comment on any improvement in the food (only to say that the portions are now 'meagre'), I retain my report below.

Yet another Indian restaurant which has a totally meaningless booking system. I called in on Friday to enquire about reservations for the traditionally busy Saturday evening. They confirmed it was necessary to book so I made a reservation for the desired time, which they confirmed as OK. However, I noted they didn’t write anything down and I had to prompt them to take my name! On arrival on Saturday evening there was no table free, no reservation list nor any sign of the scrap of paper on which they wrote my name, and it was the all too familiar story of waiting in reception until a table became available. I find this an all too common and extremely irritating failing with many standard high street Indian restaurants and it’s about time they either dispensed with a reservation system or did it properly.

Having got that off my chest what about the restaurant and food. 

Standard menu and standard popadoms and pickle tray. Onion Bhajia starters (2 flat bhajias) was OK - reasonably spiced with a decent amount of onion, but the Chicken Chat lacked any bite and was a bit too salty. My main dish of Chicken Jahl Frezi (sic) similarly lacked any strong flavours unless munching one of the numerous chillies in the dish! Unfortunately the chillies were raw and so had been put in just before dishing it up rather than being cooked in the dish. My wife’s Chicken Tikka Masala was poor, being far too sweet and sickly, and tasting of nothing but sweet coconut (which is probably what it was as the sauce was the colour of crushed coconut and had a gritty texture to match). Vegetable Bhaji was also without flavour and the Peshwari Nan lacked the sultanas ascribed to it in the menu (although it had plenty of sweet coconut paste!). It was also very much overdone being blackened and crisp on the outside.

Portions were sufficient although prices were higher than average, particularly as it seemed a fairly basic restaurant. Service good - attentive without being overbearing, but as already mentioned, the reception on arrival and table reservation system is meaningless.

All in all we both thought it a very poor meal (although perhaps the redecoration is having an adverse effect on the kitchen!). I noticed that it displayed a 1992/93 Curry Club sticker in the window, but also note that it hasn’t appeared in the Curry Club Guide in recent years. On this showing they probably deserve their de-listing.

Malcolm Wilkins - July 1999