Does the centre of Bristol really need one more Indian restaurant and will this one be any different? This was the question in our minds when we walked down Welsh Back to the Namaskar Lounge which has opened up in Riverside House. Although we weren’t travelling particularly hopefully, when we arrived we found the answer was there is, it is different, and we really liked it! The entrance is very impressive, a bar on the ground floor hosts a wide sweeping staircase to the upper floor where the restaurant is housed and passing by the open galley kitchen with its line of chefs standing smartly to attention, we were shown to a table by the window looking out over the water. Comfortable cream leather furniture, soft lighting and muted tones of gold, orange and yellow, good cutlery and fresh flowers on each table, coupled with a bit of gentle ’lounge’ music in the background, this was a very good start indeed.

The wine list has an amusing and exciting cocktail section - who dares try an "into the tiger’s mouth" featuring Hendricks gin, lime, chilli and curry leaf controlled with coconut milk - plus they carry wines from a vineyard in Bangalore which is something I’ve not seen before. The menu has traditional, tandoor and grilled dishes and is reassuringly short which surely could mean everything is cooked to order. To start we shared a Namaskar mixed BBQ, chicken tikka, lamb tikka and seekh kabab, and to follow I chose chicken ’Adrakh’ a medium dish cooked with whole spices and ginger, and my dinner companion took a half tandoori chiken, with pulao rice and a portion of sag aloo.

The mixed starter was excellent; the meats were mixed together with a delicious spicy dark sauce and served on a large long white plate with a crisp side salad, the only thing missing being perhaps some naan bread to mop up the last of the sauce which was a sin to leave aside. My main course arrived in a copper dish topped with the whole spices, curry leaves, star anise and several I couldn’t recognise (I did ask but no-one was willing to give up the secret!) and it was one of the best things I’ve eaten for a long time; full of the perfume of the spices and each mouthful a different delicate flavour. And there were more pieces of tender chicken than a body should eat in one sitting. The half of tandoori chicken was beautifully served and with its side dishes, a delectable meal.

We loved it, the staff are friendly and welcoming, watching the chefs at work was interesting and if you want an upmarket experience with Indian cuisine this is the place you’ll find it.

Jacquie Vowles