RAJPOOTH, 80 CLAYPATH, DURHAM

According to the head waiter/manager, this is Durham's first Indian restaurant being there for some 25 years.

A fairly typical Indian restaurant layout with a plain interior, plain walls with small pictures (none of which looked particularly Indian in theme), wooden floors, but plenty of room between tables. The menu is a standard high street Indian menu with all the usuals.

Popadoms OK, but I though the pickles weren't as good as most places - only three choices (lime pickle, diced onion & cucumber, which was very dry as though fairly old or left standing in the open for too long, and a mango puree, rather like a jam without lumps). It could have done with a fourth choice , say a raita or something similar. I had Dall Soup to start, which was rather thin and watery but reasonably tasty, mainly from the fresh coriander that had been sprinkled on top. The onion bahjias (two flat style) were a little disappointing in that they were rather solid, lacking in much taste and accompanied by a very tired salad. Not the best of starts.

After that things improved a little, as the Chicken Tikka Dhansak was good - well spiced and hot, in a rich sauce with plenty of onions. The Vegetable Dhansak (as a main dish) was flavoursome, although the vegetables were diced so small - almost mushy - that you couldn't define what was in it. It was also a very mild dish which had pineapple in it (unlike dhansak dishes in the south of the country, which tend to be much hotter and generally without pineapple). The Cauliflower Bhaji was about average. Pillau Rice was fragrant, but the Peshwari Nan - like so many Peshwari Nans in Indian restaurant - had no sultanas whatsoever in it despite the menu description indicating the contrary.

The portions were a good size and the prices average. At first I thought the service, while efficient, was unfriendly in that the initial waiter didn't smile or welcome us when we went in, and looked disinterested when he took the order. However, towards the end of the meal another waiter became quite chatty, particularly when I asked how long the restaurant had been there, so overall it was OK (and my wife's jug of water was served quickly - even before my beer, which is a good sign!) We were also given a complimentary brandy at the end, which was a nice touch.

Well, how do I conclude? I suppose that as it had been recommended by two people I was a little disappointed as I expected better. I also noticed (or rather my wife drew my attention to it) that despite sitting in the restaurant with a table either side being served their meal, there were no spicy smells wafting under our noses to provoke our anticipation. Having said that, it was a reasonable average. The thing I did notice, however, that for a Saturday night it was nowhere near full (and it's not a big restaurant), whereas the Capital up the road looked to be doing a better trade. But whether that's significant, I will never know unless I return and try it.

Malcolm Wilkins -July 2008