Rara Kensington

A bright young offshoot of long-serving Rara in South Ruislip, this restaurant follows the same path as its elder sibling. Inside, it puts on a rather sophisticated, elegant face with stylish furnishings and table settings providing a suitably classy backdrop to the food. Given that its name references the largest lake in the Himalayas, it’s not surprising that the menu is a tasty mix of North Indian and Nepalese specialities: in the former camp, you’ll find a strong contingent of tandooris, tikkas and kebabs, plus curry-house staples ranging from chicken dhansak and lamb bhuna to king prawn jalfrezi; in the latter, there are around 20 authentic items including spicy steamed momo dumplings with chutney, dry lamb sekuwa and chicken bhutuwa loaded with fresh green herbs. Express lunchtime thalis are great value, while a 30-dish, all-day buffet (£8.50) is the star attraction on Sundays.