MOST days I’ll drive past The Burj at Foxhill, and most days I’ll ponder how it’s possible to run a business on the corner of a junction that connects Baydon to Swindon or Chiseldon to Bishopstone.

Unlike town centre restaurants, The Burj relies entirely on the quality of its food. You could of course get a taxi out to this beautifully placed venue, or take a rare bus from Swindon.

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The alternative is to drive, and sacrifice having a drink or two to accompany your meal. All of this combined doesn’t exactly make The Burj the easiest option.

But, if you’re keen on curry, I can assure you that you are missing out. Living ‘out in the sticks’, there are only a couple of restaurants on my list where combining food with drink is possible.

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And The Burj fits the bill perfectly. Booking a table is short and sweet – you can either call or book online. We went on a Sunday evening, and there was a calm and relaxed atmosphere – half capacity.

Staff were friendly and welcoming upon arrival, despite England seeing off India by 31 runs in the Cricket World Cup earlier that day! We were quickly shown our table and the menu followed.

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It’s a packed menu – choices and variation in dishes seems endless. Sticking with the seafood theme, I chose the garlic king prawn starter (£8.95).

The dish was small was exploded with varying flavours. The prawns were marinated in garlic, coriander and mozzarella – giving them a great kick when combined with the accompanying salad.

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It wasn’t the biggest starter you’ll order, but the dish seems a classic case of ‘quality over quantity’. Another two or three of those prawns would’ve gone down very nicely – but that isn’t such a bad thing!

Curry isn’t exactly top of my list when it comes to eating out. But the mains that followed did a series job to shift that stance.

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I’m not a fan of overly spicy food, so chose the lamb passanda dish (£9.50) with Pilau rice for main. My partner went for butter chicken (£11.95), and also ordered the vegetarian option aloo palak (£4.50).

There was no requirement for my knife throughout the eating of this dish, the lamb simply fell apart when you pinned it down with the fork. It was beautifully cooked and went exceptionally well with the mild passanda.

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Cooked with fresh cream, cashew nuts and butter, the passanda mixed well with the rice and lamb – making for a mix of wonderful flavours.

There were raving reports too from the opposite side of the table and the butter chicken. I was too indulged in my own plate of food to try the chicken, but it looked as equally delicious.

Lastly, the aloo palak was a surprise treat. Spinach and potatoes combined are two of my favourites. Mixed with the rich spices that The Burj offers proved to be money well spent.

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On a final note I’ll mention the opening papadums, which were accompanied by four delicious sauces (£4.60). A delightful way to start what was an enjoyable, tasty and worthwhile meal out.

To say The Burj is ‘out of the way’ is understandable, but also stinks of excuses. A 20-minute drive from Old Town and you are there, or five minutes from junction 15 of the M4.

For one night, forget the drink – and delve into some quality Indian food.

FACT FILE:

Where:

The Burj, Foxhill, Wanborough, Swindon SN4 0DR

When:

Open: Mon-Sun, 12pm-2.30pm & 5.30pm-11.30pm.

Our rating:

Food 9/10

Service 8/10

Ambience 8/10

TripAdvisor rating: 4 stars

Parking: Plenty