INDIAN restaurants usually conjure up images of long tables, with rowdy groups drinking beer and seeing how spicy they can go. Or at least for me they do. But tucked away on the corner of Gloucester Road, South Kensington, is a real hidden gem.
You could almost walk straight past the Bombay Brasserie without noticing it, but you would be making a big mistake.
I met an old friend there for dinner, and as we walked through the narrow entrance, I wondered if we would face a curry house cliché.
But to my surprise an expansive, light restaurant opened up in front of us, and we were taken through to the large conservatory at the back.
The atmosphere was something that makes this restaurant unique, because while there were large groups of people on some tables, out for a post-work meal to wind down or celebrate, there were also plenty of couples on dates, enjoying intimate parts of the restaurant.
As we looked through the exhaustive wine list, we decided to opt for an Indian sauvignon blanc, simply because we'd never had Indian wine before.
And it was deliciously crisp and light, and easy to drink - perhaps too easy to drink on a 'school night'.
The choice of starters was almost as lengthy as the wine list, but after thorough deliberation, I went for the chargrilled spiced asparagus tips, and my friend chose the chicken tikka doodhia.
My asparagus was crunchy and the spices worked really well, although I did have a glass of water close by, while I tried some of the chicken, which was tender and had a delicious garlic dressing.
Then came the main courses.
I picked out the chicken tikka with vinegar shallots, and when it arrived, the portion was larger than I expected - not your usual size when you're out for dinner in Kensington. And it had a bit of a kick to it, but was creamy and rich, with tender chicken and crunchy shallots, all piled up with basmati rice.
My companion opted for the home-style chicken curry, which looked amazing, and when I tried some, it was mild and rich, really lovely.
This was fine Indian dining, truly at its best.
We were pretty full, but had just managed to save enough room for dessert, and decided to share a fruity, sweet mango sorbet, which rounded off the meal nicely.
The thing about Bombay Brasserie is that there is more to it than just good food - and believe me, it is good.
The prices are reasonable and you certainly get good value for money,
but its location, just a stone's throw from Gloucester Road Tube station, should make it a popular choice, especially if, like me, you realise that you should not have worn such high heels if you were going to be drinking!
