Situated in an attractive Georgian building which has housed a number of notable persons in the past, including Dr Edward Jenner who developed vaccination. The entrance leads into a handsome wide hallway with an open fireplace (lit in winter) where customers are seated to study the menu and order, and encouraged to have a drink whilst doing so. This procedure is followed even when there are plenty of free tables in the dining area - you are not allowed to go straight to a table to read the menu and order (no doubt this might result in a decline in drinks sales). The restaurant has two separate dining rooms, each seating about 25 but only one room is used mid week when trade is quiet.

Despite the location, better than average accommodation and rather up market appearance the well produced menu contains the standard high street curry house selection, and the food doesn’t live up to the expectations aroused by appearances. Standard Popadoms, but the pickle selection was limited and a poor mix - a cloyingly sweet thin mango chutney, a hot lime pickle and another very hot pickle similar to the lime. No onion chutney, no raita and nothing between eye wateringly hot and sickly sweet. We selected Samosas and Onion Bhajias from the limited list of starters. The Samosas were disappointing in that they had a minimal filling (and that was almost entirely peas) with lots of air inside the casing, while the Bhajias had too much gram flour and too little onion making them very stodgy.

The main dishes were adequate formula curry although the Chicken Madras and Lamb Dhansak were much less hotly spiced than is usual or than the menu suggests, and both contained an unusually high amount of tomato chunks. The plentiful use of tomato was in keeping with the Lamb Rogan Josh which had a sweet taste to the sauce, very reminiscent of a thin commercial tomato ketchup. The vegetable side dishes were also very poor. The poshly named Sabzi-E-Sultan (a vegetable bhaji to most people) comprised almost entirely tomato and onion, with a single piece of aubergine (I wonder if this satisfies the menu description of "several fresh vegetables ....." ??), while the Gobi Bhaji was awful. The cauliflower was finely diced - almost mashed - with once again a liberal amount of tomato and very overcooked giving it almost the consistency of lumpy porridge. Rice standard stuff and Peshwari Nan lacking in filling.

Seating and decor comfortable, while portions and prices are about average, although a 10% service charge is automatically added to the bill. For this the service was only adequate - food served OK but waiter had to be reminded a couple of times for the jug of water we had requested.

All in all a very poor meal. I noted a 1992 Curry Club sticker in the window as we entered. If things are like this it’s no wonder they have been delisted.

Malcolm Wilkins - April 1999