Restaurant review: The Indian Streatery

A couple of days after restaurants reopened, following on from a successful trip to Terre à Terre which had set my mind at ease about eating out in the new normal (read about it here), I paid a visit to The Indian Streatery with my sister, Tia, to celebrate my graduation from uni. Although it was a Monday night, we booked in advance as we didn’t want to miss out on a table should they have reached their full capacity.

Subtle protective screens between tables

It was our first time eating here, and upon arrival I was instantly relieved to see hand sanitizer by the door, mask-wearing staff, and protective plastic screens between the tables, giving them a booth-esque feel. In the middle of a pandemic it’s important to be seen doing the right thing, and it automatically sets me at ease when a restaurant is following the guidance, so this was a great start.

The Visionary

After being seated by a friendly staff member, we ordered two of their deliciously fruity “The Visionary” cocktails to start off with. The waiter recommended we order one larger curry each and then at least 2 or 3 smaller dishes, so we ended up ordering the House Black Dhal, Homestyle Chicken, Cannon Hill Park Picnic, and Masala Fries, as well as sides of rice and roti. This was definitely plenty of food for the 2 of us, but there was so much on the menu I wanted to try that I’ll have to go back!

Cannon Hill Park Picnic

There were two clear stars of the show – the Masala Fries and the Cannon Hill Park Picnic. The fries were coated in a sweet-but-tangy sort of chutney and a yoghurt sauce, distributed so well that not a fry was left uncovered. The combination of flavours was phenomenal, the fries were crispy and not at all soggy, and it was just generally a stellar dish. Perhaps even better than the fries was the Cannon Hill Park Picnic, a potato dish which essentially just consisted of potatoes, peas and spices, but was so well put together that it set of a flavour explosion in your mouth. The menu says the dish brings back “memories of long summers spent in Cannon Hill Park”, and all I can say is if their picnic food is that good then I want to join their next picnic in the park.

Masala Fries

The one minor downside was the lack of dessert menu as Tia fancied something sweet to round off her meal (I opted for a glass of wine), but she subdued her craving with a classic lassi in the end, so it didn’t take too much away from the meal.

As I’ve said before, supporting our independents is so important, and this is definitely a fantastic place to do that. They’re a family-run business, they’re reasonably priced, and their food is delicious – what more do you need to encourage you to pop in for a meal there? I’ve heard their Grab & Go lunch menu is equally amazing, so I know where I’ll be going next time I’m in town for lunch.

8.5/10