Food & Drink 4
Service 3.5
Atmosphere 2
Value 4
With around 9,000 Indian restaurants in the UK, how is a consumer to know which are good and which are bad? One simple solution (beyond reviews) is to rely on local recommendations. A recent night out ended in Fortune Green, north west London. My comrade for the evening had lived in the area for a number of years and highly praised Bombay Nights. We (or more precisely, my comrade) were greeted profusely – like locals – on our arrival, although the enthusiasm of the waiting staff may have been partly due to the palpable lack of atmosphere and other guests on the evening in question. According to Bombay Night’s website (where it is said they serve ‘morden’ – sic – Indian food), the restaurant and has been open since 1993 and the décor proved sad testament to this fact, with the place arguably in need of a refurb. Nonetheless, despite these criticisms, the food was excellent, perhaps the main reason for going anyway. We started just with poppadoms, although the texture and consistency of the obligatory lime pickle spoke of quality. Onto the mains, and I opted for their ‘Lal Mirch’ speciality chicken, a wonderfully spicy dish accompanied by mixed peppers. My comrade’s choice of Goan lamb masala, while very different, was also a success, rich and intense, in a creamy coconut sauce. Our vegetable sides of spinach and aubergine both pleased, with the vegetables not over-cooked and the dishes highly flavoursome. For £40 (with drinks and service as well as free digestifs thrown in at the end), the price was also very fair. And, the place did gradually fill up. So, if in Fortune Green, then this is a good place to consider visiting.