Meera's Village

Furnished with a riot of kitsch Indian fittings and fixtures, this neighbourhood community restaurant is anything but subtle in looks. Expansive painted murals depict Gujarati village life, with bunches of plastic flowers, velveteen seating arrangements, bamboo tables and weighty statues filling any gaps. Never mind. The kitchen produces first-rate, sensitively spiced vegetarian Gujarati dishes. We chose the affordable Gujarati thali for a taster of regional staples, and marvelled at the delicacy of broth-like kadhi, made with roasted gram flour and tart yoghurt, spiced with cloves and fried fennel seeds – perfect with fluffy basmati rice. A simple smooth-textured Gujarati dal, sweetened with jaggery and sharpened with tamarind, made a good match with thepla (soft chapati-like breads). Classic touches include farsan (snacks) – perhaps balls of fried crushed potato dumplings flecked with aromatic curry leaves – served alongside main dishes. Staff were utterly charming. Portions are generous and unlimited refills a bonus. Drink like a local and order churned buttermilk (chaas) with the meal – it’s a marvellous digestif.