The Clifton

Paraded as Brick Lane’s original Bangladeshi eatery, The Clifton is ever salubrious, if ‘utilitarian’ in terms of cuisine: an airy corner site with an open kitchen that allows passers-by to peer in & see the chefs at work. The menu offers what it calls ‘old favourites’, such as korma, jalfrezi & chicken tikka masala (made, says the menu, without artificial colouring), but also Pakistani curries, Goan dishes such as lamb xacuti, & Bangladeshi specialities. Shatkora curry is sharpened up with a citrus fruit grown in the Sylhet region; whole baked rupchanda fish comes topped with fried onions; & ureebisi gatta dishes are flavoured with the seeds of Bangladeshi runner beans. There’s also plenty for vegetarians. If the tiled floors & naff modern chairs are standard enough, the wooden relief along one wall, featuring fish & elephants, is charming.