SquareMeal Review
Bronze Award
“As authentic as it gets without being predictable”, the original Westminster Terrace branch of the Mother India empire still rules the roost, despite fierce competition from its tapas-style siblings. Deceptively accommodating, it operates on three floors – a contemporary-styled cellar for intimate get-togethers, a small ground-level space and a larger, Dickensian-retro dining room upstairs, complete with rich wood panelling and leaded windows. Canoodling couples and office parties can happily co-exist here. There are no generic “one-size-fits-all” sauces either, whether you’re nibbling on a prawn, crab and ginger pickle dosa, tackling poppadom-crusted halibut with chickpeas and roasted fennel or gorging on a robust dish of clove-smoked lamb with broccoli and green chillis. Vegetarians do particularly well here, weekend lunch is especially good value and bespoke fixed-price deals are worth discussing. You can even bring your own booze (corkage £2.50). In short, this is a top call in a city that “prides itself on its choice of Indian restaurants”.