The restaurant looks to have been fairly recently refurbished with subtle downlighting and neat use of coloured highlighting of pictures. Bob was pleasantly surprised as it was not how he recalled it. It was fairly quiet - by the time of our main course we were the only ones in there - but looking at the layout it could a little overcrowded if all the tables were full.
The Papadums were warm and fresh when they arrived and seemed somehow a little thicker than most. Only three pickles - no lime pickle but a very tangy mango chutney. Bob thought the raita was excellent. The Cobras were wonderfully cold.
The curries were served nicely hot and remained so during the meal - so often the hot plates don't do their job - with generous portions. Bob decided to vary his curry so had a butter chicken (a trip down memory lane) and was very happy with it. Phil stuck to his Dhansak and was not disappointed.
The vegetables and rice were equally hot and we were pleased to see a second hot plate to keep them warm too. The Muttar Panir was creamy and sweet and an excellent counterpoint to the Dhansak. The Sag Aloo was a little bland though - could have done with a more salt.
The service was excellent. It is little things like the plates being arranged with the pattern synchronised, the hot plate for the vegetables, the napkins after the meal and the door being held open as you leave that make a real difference to the experience.
Area
|
Phil
|
Bob
|
Beer
|
9
|
9
|
Papadum
|
8
|
8
|
Curry
|
9
|
8
|
Rice & Vegetables
|
8
|
8
|
Service & Ambiance
|
9
|
8
|
In total 84 - which puts them joint top of the leaderboard
Having had a disappointing experience the last time out in Faversham we walked away wondering why we hadn't thought of India Royal before and Phil was trying to work out if a takeaway would still be warm and as good given the distance home.