Opened in summer 2001 this new restaurant is tucked away in a lane just outside East Peckham (the village in Kent, not the suburb in South East London!) in a former pub (formerly the Addlestead Tavern for those who know their pubs). It has been extensively refurbished to provide a comfortable, modern and roomy reception area with a bar, separate dining areas including a conservatory style extension at the rear. All of this has created a stylish, large and roomy restaurant which seats 120 people in total. Pale wooden floors, good quality table linen and smart, waistcoated waiters complete the picture of the contemporary Indian restaurant.

The menu is extensive and, in addition to most of the usuals, offers a few less common dishes. The first time I visited we had Peshwari Chicken (chicken tikka cooked with onion and capsicum with spices and herbs) - which was a fairly mild dish despite the menu description of ‘medium’ - of chicken in a tasty, reddish and faintly sweetish tomato based sauce containing the onions and capsicums and was as much herbed as spiced. The Lamb Tikka Dhansak had more fire, with tender chunks of well cooked lamb in a thick, dark, full flavoured and spicily hot sauce, and although cooked with the necessary lentils, it wasn’t overwhelmed by them. The Chicken Tikka Pathia on a couple of subsequent visits was also reasonably spicy, with a pleasant sweet/sour balance, and the Tandoori Chicken was nicely marinated, if fairly standard.

The accompanying vegetable dishes each occasion have all beenl OK. Vegetable Bhaji comprised relatively small pieces of vegetable but nicely spiced while the Bombay Potato was a good example of the dish. Aloo Gobi also pleasantly spiced, and tarka dall fine on most recent visit ( although previously I have found it to be rather thick and creamy, rather like custard in appearance as well as texture). Therefore the vegetable dishes all good without being anything special - a reasonable average shall we say.

Prices are slightly above average, but then the restaurant is probably above average, being of the modern contemporary style. Portions sufficient and service efficient, welcoming and friendly.

All in all it provides a good, although not outstanding, formula curry in a very pleasant atmosphere and is a little above the average Indian restaurant. I did comment in my first report that it has to be above average to attract the trade to survive, as its rural location is not one for passing trade. On the first occasion most tables were taken, but on subsequent occasions (always Saturday evenings) not quite the amount of customers  it had, although always seems to do a good take-away trade. In any event, it is still going ten years after opening, so it is obviously a viable business.

Malcolm Wilkins -July 2011