Restaurants

Housed in a grand, red-brick corner building, this two-floor eaterie is large but crammed with tables and chairs. It is quiet, impersonal and formal: ideal for a business lunch. The open kitchen means that things can get smoky; ask a waiter to turn on the extractor fan (and hope he isnt as surly as ours). We sampled the set lunch menu, which offers an impressive selection of medium-sized dishes over three courses. Gilafi seekh kebab (lamb mince wrapped in seasoned peppers) was a colourful but unremarkable starter. Our other appetiser, murgh kalimirch, proved a better choice: tender pieces of delicately peppered chicken. To follow, macher jhal deya, a Bengali tomato-based curry made of fish pieces marinated in mustard and fennel, was insipid and watery. More satisfying was the murgh kulka makhanwala, a creamy tomato concoction dotted with well-prepared pieces of chicken. The surprising delight of the meal, however, was dhal makhani, which along with nan and rice, comes gratis with the set menu. Indulgent, buttery and delicious, its worth kissing any diet goodbye. Dessert was a simple scoop of chocolate ice-cream, but the set lunch leaves room for little else.

Time Out Eating & Drinking Guide 2008