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Indi's restaurants Westbourne

10:56am Saturday 28th March 2009


IT seems that from the first day it opened in autumn 2002 the public took Indi's to their hearts.

The restaurant's concept was simple: To serve good-quality contemporary Indian cuisine in tasteful surroundings with exemplary service.

Well, they achieved all this and more.

No wonder it enjoys the outstanding reputation it does today.

When we visited on a recent week night, almost every table was full - a most telling sign considering the recent economic climate. As soon as people walked in, the beaming staff (headed by an equally cheery Aktar) made everyone feel instantly relaxed and comfortable.

Just from the snatches of conversation, it was obvious that many of the diners had eaten here before. "I'll have my usual," I heard several times, and on a nearby table a man gently encouraged his wife to try something new on the menu. "No, no. I know exactly what I want," she was adamant.

Mind you, I would imagine similar tussles would occur almost nightly, but in people's own heads: Do I go for one of my tried-and-trusted favourites such as Korma, Bhuna or Ceylon? Or do I try something completely different such as the whole crab garlic Balti infused with medium spices or the Begon salmon with aubergine (a dish unique to Indi's).

Or how about the whole lobster platter, Indi's signature dish, complete with scallops, prawns and mixed vegetables infused with herbs and light spices?

Unlike many Indian restaurants, this one prides itself on having an individual curry paste for each of its dishes. As a result the team of highly experienced chefs have created a good range of textures and flavours using only the freshest ingredients.

I chose prawn puree (£3.95) to start. True, you'll find this in most Indian restaurants but I defy you to find one as good as this. The bread itself was light and not at all greasy and there were loads of prawns in a lovely condensed lightly spiced sauce.

My friend immediately decided on the Tandoori langoustine (£4.95) to start - jumbo prawn marinated in mild spices and cooked in the clay oven. Not only did it have that wonderful chargrill' flavour, but it was meltingly tender.

To follow he had the garlic chilli chicken (£7.95) simply because it looked a bit different and he wasn't disappointed with his choice. He loves a bit of heat, but he was kindly warned not to eat the green chillis. I always err on the side of caution when it comes to spiced food, but I was pleasantly surprised that, while this dish was indeed reasonably hot, in no way did this compromise all the other flavours going on.

I, too, went for something I'd not tried before - the Grammi Maas (£7.95) which is described as a traditional fillet of white fish with a garlic and lemon sauce. I was surprised, therefore, when the sauce was tomato based. The whole dish was light and delicate but full of flavour and I didn't have to bother with any fiddly bones. Lovely.

We shared a portion naan bread (£2.10), pilau rice (£2.30) and some garlic mushrooms (£3.95) fried with onion and with an irresistible nutty flavour.

While there were a handful of desserts to choose from, we rounded our meals off with coffees and a slab of Indi's dark chocolate. For non-drivers why not have a tot of something warming in the coffee, or go for a bottle of wine specially selected to complement spicy food?

The contemporary menu was enhanced by the understated but very pleasant décor incorporating cream furniture, natural wood finishes, fresh artwork and unusual lighting.

The ambience had a relaxed yet discerning feel, owing to the fact that larger parties are happily catered for, but in a separate function room.

What also made a difference to the evening was the wonderful hospitality by a bunch of absolutely charming and professional staff.

Three years ago, Indi's celebrated their achievements with an extensive refurbishment which doubled the size of the restaurant.

A good job too, because the chances are, once you've sampled the dining experience at Indi's you'll want to go back - and take a good few friends.


Indi's, 25 Seamoor Rd Westbourne, BH4 9AA; 01202 759200; indis.uk.com


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