RAJPOOT, 4 ARGYLE STREET

Visiting Bath once more, three of us decided to try the Rajpoot to see if it was as good as it claims to be. Approaching the door the doorman stared stony-faced at us, but at least he opened the door. Still no smile - not even a twitch - and I looked him in the eye and gave him my widest smile as an encouragement. He stared flintily back, almost like a bouncer eyeing up an enemy. Not much warmth of welcome there, and we descended into the basement restaurant already slightly put off.

Once downstairs a waiter ushered us to a seat in the reception area, where a few people were seated with gins & tonics or bottles of wine, and reading the menu. It was a comfortable, well furnished area, and the waiter handed us the menu and asked what we wanted to drink. As we didn't want a drink at that particular moment I asked if we could sit at a table, to be told we had to wait in the waiting area. When the waiter had gone I went to the restaurant to check whether or not it was full, only to see that the great majority of tables were empty. I asked the man at the till whether we could go to a table, to again be told that we couldn't and had to place our order in the reception area  "as the table needs to be prepared according to your order" ! I'm not sure what that meant, as the tables all had cutlery, napkins etc. already laid out. I'm afraid we all came to the conclusion that it was simply a ploy to keep people in reception drinking the expensive drinks and thus make more money, and none of us were happy at being told we couldn't go straight to one of the empty tables if we wished. That, and the unwelcoming features of the doorman, was enough and we all marched out to try somewhere else.

Therefore I can't tell you what the food is like, other than to say I've heard mixed views, and several comments about poor service. Perhaps I can understand it having seen it, and I think it unlikely now that I will ever try it. I just couldn't stand the gimlet-eyed menacing stare of the doorman again!

Malcolm Wilkins - April 2005