Cafe Spice Namaste

‘Spice master’ Cyrus Todiwala MBE has come far since opening this high-profile Indian restaurant in the early 1990s, but his kitchen continues on an iconoclastic path. With ‘skill & wizardry’, it applies Asian flavours to British produce: samosas are stuffed with Cheltenham beetroot & coconut; Denham Estate venison is fashioned into kebabs with dates & Hunza apricots; Buccleuch beef is given the tikka treatment; & organic British Lop pork is the basis for a classic Goan ‘vindalho’. Todiwala is a Parsee, so you can expect his dhansaks to be exemplary. The wine list aims to take the fear out of matching spice & grape, with plenty of sub-£20 choice. Sceptics should stick to Cobra or Kingfisher beer. The venue is a former Victorian courthouse, transformed into a capacious, colourful & classy dining room. In fine weather, take advantage of the Ginger Garden with its own mosaic bar & alfresco menu.