A whimsical THOMAS HAWORTH visits the Indian restaurant at the top of the hill and questions a profundity

WHEN U.S. satirist P.J. O’Rourke remarked: “The C student starts a restaurant. The A student writes restaurant reviews,” he was, if I do say so myself, spot on. I don’t mean to brag, but I thought it worth a mention.

Moving on. Last Tuesday’s visit to Indian restaurant Spice, located atop Swindon’s Everest (or Victoria Road, if you prefer), was a distinctly tasteful experience.

The Adver’s political scribe Chris Humphreys and I had whiled away a pleasant evening in the bowls of The Victoria pub, glued to an intriguing film about lesbians, gays and striking miners and became distinctly hungrier as the night progressed.

One thing Old Town is not short of is restaurants, so deciding upon a late-night eatery is never an easy task.

However, after much deliberation we opted to pop along to Spice, just a few doors down; neither of us had been before.

We were greeted at the door by a friendly, though somewhat idle, waiter (it was a Tuesday night, after all) who seated us by the window.

Before I progress I have to say this: the service was exceptional. Granted, we were the only ones there and the poor chaps were probably glad for something to do, but I am sure they would have been just as attentive had the place been packed out.

They were dutiful without being obsequious and charming without being saccharine.

The menu was very appealing and included all the classics you’d generally expect to see. Appetizers included a Chicken Malai Tikka (£3.50), King Prawn Butterfly (£4.95) and, of course, Onion Bhajis (£2.95).

As for the main course, I was almost swayed by the Garlic Tandoori King Prawn (£12.95) and the deliciously sounding Dhall Bukara (£6.95), which was described as a “rich delicacy of slow cooked black lentils with ginger and tomatoes finished with cream and fenugreek”.

After changing our minds at least half a dozen times (the sign of an excellent menu) Chris opted for the Nilgiri Chicken (£7.50) and I the Lamb Biryani (£7.95).

The food arrived in no time at all and, what’s more, we were allowed to eat it without constant harassment from overzealous waiters too eager to please, or perhaps hoping to extract a sizeable tip.

I am reminded of a cartoon I once saw in a magazine that showed a couple getting ready for bed, with the man taking a call and keeping his hand over the mouth piece. "It's the maître d' from the place we had dinner. He wants to know if everything is still all right.”

We ordered a couple of vegetable samosas to accompany our meal and were thus rather surprised to find they had brought us ones filled with meat by mistake. A slight faux pas on their part, perhaps, but believe me when I say they were absolutely delicious.

The poppadoms were, well, poppadoms. I don't think they require further explanation. But they were nice and crisp and the toppings were tasty and beautifully presented.

I thoroughly enjoyed the Lamb Biryani. It came with succulent pieces of lamb and vegetables cooked perfectly. It was beautifully seasoned and came with a sauce that added a certain sweetness to the dish.

Chris usually opts for the familiar safety and distinct lack of fiery flavour offered by the Chicken Bhuna, but decided instead to take a step out of his comfort zone with the Nilgiri Chicken dish.

He thought the chicken was nicely cooked, not over done or chewy, but that the sauce – a sort of greenish, brown creation – lacked any real excitement.

He placed it towards the lower end of the spice scale, but suggested it might be better suited to someone who finds a fiery mouth more congenial.

The bill, in the end, came to £34, which we both thought perfectly reasonable.

It was, in all, a very enjoyable meal. Perhaps old P.J. had it the wrong way round.

Spice

90 Victoria Road, Old Town, Swindon SN1 3BD

Phone: 01793 521114

spiceofswindon.co.uk/oldtown/

Parking: No

Disabled access: Yes

Adver ratings:

Food: 7/10

Choice: 9/10

Decor: 7/10

Customer service: 9/10

Main course prices: £4.95-£12.95

TripAdvisor rating: 4.5