Mother India

“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”.