When I looked at Saffron Desi's menu I thought I had been transported to an Indiana Jones film set.

Lamb's brains and trotters (didn't know they had them but wasn't going to test my theory by ordering the dish) were listed among the restaurant's delicacies.

Fortunately, for the less adventurous, there was also an extensive array of tempting curries including a good selection of vegetarian specialities.

Recipes containing nuts are all identified on the menu for people with an allergy and all the dishes can be prepared milder or hotter on request.

The name Desi is derived from the word Des meaning a specific space or homeland.

The welcome you receive at Saffron Desi is exactly like the one you would receive at home - so the name is more than apt in this case.

All the staff are extremely friendly, helpful and in the case of our waiter very entertaining. The chefs even come out of the kitchen to serve the food they had lovingly prepared.

Saffron Desi has achieved a special mix of tradition and innovation by combining a modern, contemporary restaurant with traditional home-cooked recipes.

The restaurant downstairs seats about 150 people and there is a large function room for hire above the restaurant. It even has a closed off VIP area for diners who require privacy.

All areas of the Saffron Desi are beautifully decorated and spotlessly clean.

The atmosphere of the restaurant is lively as the staff mill busily among the tables.

We ordered drinks first and sat in the bar area which was very comfortable and the only place you can smoke in the restaurant.

Once at the table we ordered our food and then generally indulged in the service and atmosphere.

Our poppadoms and pickle tray were complimentary, a nice touch and beautifully presented with a choice of four sauces.

We had the Saffron mix starter to share. A selection of starters for two, four or six people are available in either vegetarian, non-vegetarian or mixed.

A good choice - we enjoyed the mouth-watering dish consisting of selected meat and vegetarian dishes, some hot and others quite mild.

We washed the meal down with a bottle of well-chilled Pinot Grigio, at a good price of £10.95.

When choosing our main courses the fact that my friend has little experience of eating curries meant that she was after a milder dish and I prefer a medium spiced curry.

Luckily for us there was ample choice on the menu and after further guidance from our waiter we both selected dishes we were happy with.

I had their prized dish the Saffron Delight - diced chicken breast marinated with yoghurt, spices and a special masala sauce, cooked with tomatoes, ginger, onions, a blend of spices and fresh double cream, and garnished with cashew nuts and fried onions.

I was tempted to eat the menu after reading the description and thankfully it lived up to it.

My friend had chicken tikka garlic and requested it be cooked on the mild side. The chicken was marinated in yoghurt, herbs and spices, then cooked over a charcoal grill and finally roasted with a large helping of garlic.

My friend said that it was very tasty.

The presentation of food at the Saffron Desi is a major selling point because it all looks so appealing.

Despite sharing rice and ordering what we thought was a small naan (the standard sized naans are enormous) we both failed to finish our dishes, not because they weren't delicious but because for us the portions were more than ample after popadoms and a starter.

We left the restaurant promising that we would certainly be going back again.

WHAT WE ATE: Starters, 2 x Saffron Mixed Starter - £8. Main course, Saffron Delight - £6.90, Chicken Tikka Garlic - £6.50, Naan - £1.60, Pilau Rice - £1.70. Drinks, Pinot Grigio - £10.95. Total cost - £35.65.

VERDICT: Food - four stars; service - four stars; atmosphere - four stars; value for money - four stars.

Parking: There is ample parking across the road at the car wash.

  • Our writers comment on what they find during a single visit. They accept standards vary from day to day. In the interest of fairness, they do not reveal their identities, and they pay for their meals in full. Each venue is judged against other restaurants of a similar type.