Yak Yeti Yak

Follow the yeti footprints on the wall down to this modest little basement restaurant & you’ll find yourself a world away from touristy Pulteney Bridge above. The aim is to transport you to Nepal & the high Himalayas, in spirit at least, & they don’t do half badly – with various Nepalese artefacts, traditional floor cushions for those who want them & a kitchen team that originates from Nepal. For anyone expecting something akin to a provincial British curry house, the food is a revelation: light, fragrant dishes, with subtle but distinctive spicing (no macho vindaloo posturing here) & a menu that runs from fried cheese balls (as served in the trekkers’ bars round Kathmandu) to kukharako thukpa, a chicken noodle soup that’s the national dish of the Sherpas. Starters such as pork or vegetable momos come with fresh stoneground chutney, while imaginative vegetarian mains, including a vibrant spinach & watercress stir-fry, receive equal billing with meat. Round off with spiced tea ice-cream or Freak Street apples – a gently spiced apple tart inspired by the hippies of Nepal. For added authenticity, drink Gurkha beer.