This is definitely a curry house with a twist and you must book in advance at the weekends. You will be greeted by the traditionally dressed doorman and your coat will be whisked away from you as you are led to the bar for a cocktail. I can recommend the passionate bubbly couple, which is a take on a porn star martini. Expect vanilla vodka, passoa and passion fruit puree with champagne on the side. Be warned, prices are not cheap, they start at £9.95 for a cocktail.
After your drink you will be led into the dining room, either downstairs or upstairs. The atmosphere is busy and loud for a curry house but you won't be rushed through your meal. The options are amazing but for your starter you must try the chicken nilgiri tikka. The chicken is the most melt in your mouth moist chicken I have ever tried. You can't miss it as it's green and has been marinated in rum and spices, it's honestly amazing. The traditional king prawn puri is also very good as is the baked butter fish but the other stand out has to be the crispy soft shell crab with passion fruit and mango chutney. Although hubby is very partial to a lamp chop flavored with Amaretto.
If you love seafood then for your main you must order the chingri malai curry. It's a creamy prawn dish, it's not spicy and the prawns are gigantic. It's the perfect dish to soak up a naan bread. Another good one though is the malabar fish curry, which is a seabass served in a similarly creamy concoction. If you are a meat lover then there is only one way to go, the khyber pas raan, which is a lamb shank marinated in red wine and spices. The men in my life cannot get enough of this dish and no longer even look at the menu to decide!
In terms of sides the stir fried okra is an absolute must for the table as is the aloo gobi. The creamed spinach is an excellent addition and order naan with extra butter. We eat a whole naan each, it's so good. The black lentils are also very delicious and buttery! One rice is enough between two people. I have only ever finished with dessert a couple of times as usually I am stuffed but I would choose the orange and chocolate fondant if I were you!
Now, for the extra special touch. You must try (providing you are not the designated driver) the Tamasha coffee. The coffee is £7.50 per head and is coffee flambeed with cognac, kirsch and Cointreau served in a caramelized glass. There is a man whose job it is to make these coffees. He will wheel his tray into the middle of the restaurant for everyone to see. He will start by heating the coffee in a copper kettle on the open flame. Next he melts the sugar and caramelizes the glasses and then pours liquor down an orange to get the flavor before adding a large glug of cream to the top. Honestly, these are amazing even if you aren't a coffee lover!
Finally make sure you head to the Kama Sutra inspired bathrooms before you leave! A meal here with alcohol and coffee is going to set you back a minimum of £50 per head. Curries start at about £14.95 plus sides and starters. So this is definitely a treat restaurant. However, it's spectacularly good and worth the splurge when you can afford it.
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