STEPHEN-DAVY-OSBORNE visits two restaurants at Regent Circus in search of an Indian takeaway to banish the January blues

STAKING out the corner of two of the busiest roads in town – flanked by two imposing lions – is PappadamS Indian restaurant.

Many a time when stuck in traffic – when I haven’t quite been quick enough to get through the lights on the junction of Groundwell Road and Regent Circus – I have made a mental note to pay this rather stylish-looking restaurant a visit.

Well, that time finally came just a couple of weeks ago as my train from the far West pulled in to Swindon station. Not tempted by GWR’s onboard sandwich offering, I decided that was the night to give PappadamS an outing and quickly teed up a friend who lives nearby for a quick dinner.

Ordering as I walked out of the station concourse, and hanging up as the green man appeared for me on Station Road, my order was near enough ready by the time I arrived at the restaurant, so their offer of a quick drink while I waited from the very attentive staff would have been wasted on me.

My dining companion for the evening had WhatsApped me her order of Dal Tadka (£4.95) with plain rice (£2.75), while I had gone for the lamb korma (£8.15) with pulao rice (£3.15). The menu deserves special mention for its huge variety of vegetarian dishes (proudly sourced from the restaurant’s vegetable garden) with no fewer than 25 dishes to choose from. Considering they offer a similar number of meat dishes and a further nine fish dishes they are spoiling customers with choice.

The vegetarian dish hit all the right notes, although the picture probably doesn’t do it justice as my dining guest had already mixed her rice in with the vegetables before I could snap a picture. The lamb was also a great dish, cooked well and with a delightfully fragrant and creamy sauce. I did feel the portion was maybe a little small for a dish that cost more than £8 when there are other restaurants nearby offering similar dishes for considerably less. But as the menu alludes to butcher quality meat perhaps it's worth paying the premium. It was certainly a very enjoyable meal, cost aside.

PappadamS only has one terrible rating on TripAdvisor which was left almost three years ago, and even that one was over something rather trivial. Not bad going that then that they have been delivering top-notch service ever since then. A common theme running through all reviews is the impeccable customer service that appears to be delivered consistently.

Though I do hope someone can shed some light on to what has happened to one of their poor sentry lions, who appears to now be legless – and I don’t mean due to the restaurant’s extensive bar!

PappadamS

1, Empire House, Groundwell Road, Swindon SN1 2LT

www.pappadamsswindon.co.uk

01793 488333

Adver Ratings

Food: 8/10

Choice: 9/10

Waiting time for order 15 mins

Price range

Starters: £2.95 - £13.50

Mains: £4.95 - £10.95

Trip advisor rating: 5