The first visit of the year got off to a great start. We went to Saffron Ivy, the latest new Indian Restaurant in Syston. Handy on road parking right outside. Great evening and certainly one that will take some beating this year I’m sure. Follow the link below for the full review and score.
The Leicester Curry Club award night for 2018 was celebrated by a return visit to our highest scoring curry house restaurant of the year. As our avid followers will know we visit a different restaurant every month and we award points following the visit based upon our enjoyment of the meal and service predominately, but also taking into account the surroundings and the facilities.
This month’s pick was Gurkha Embassy in Syston, this restaurant situates in the centre of the town and one of two new Indian restaurants to open recently in Syston. The restaurant has had a full refurbishment and is very clean and smart however if we were to be picky, may be a little too bright and could do with being a little warmer. What we did like is there is plenty of room between the tables and you are not all sitting on each other’s table as happens so often these days.
We had a little trip out to Narborough for our November curry experience and we enjoyed a pleasant evening at The Cardamom Lounge in Narborough. The reputation for this curry house had been built up by our host, yours truly, based upon one previous visit and the excellent lamb chops that I had enjoyed there.
Octobers visit was to the University town of Loughborough and to a Nepalese & Indian restaurant on Churchgate close to All Saints Church. The restaurant was selected due to its excellent reviews on Trip Advisor, and I found the online ‘Reserve Table’ easy to use and was confirmed the following day via both an email and a very polite text from the manager Kumar.
Septembers pick was 7h Spices on Coventry Road in Hinckley which according to the current trip advisor scores surely was destined to take the 2018 crown. It specialises in South Indian cuisine just like our August choice so would serve as a great comparison.
My first turn organising having rejoined the Club after several years as a guest I found a hidden gem. Only twelve reviews on TripAdvisor (all good) and doesn’t have its own website. I’d seen the sign having driven past and hoped it would be a good one.
The July curry night was my turn and for the first time I tried to take us to a restaurant we previously visited 6 years ago, so a lesson learned as we near 100 Indian restaurants – check your score history before you book! So, we quickly decided we must change the venue and headed out to Ratby as a couple of the guys had heard good reports about a place called Harrisons Spice.
Last night was another little gem if you don’t mind a take your own alcohol restaurant, that’s on the possibly negative side a little basic and not dissimilar to a café, but on the positive side newly refurbished and sparklingly clean. The air conditioning was on, keeping it cool and comfortable, which although not strictly necessary last night, will be a boon if our long-awaited summer ever arrives with any sustained sunshine! However, we’re not here to talk about the weather, so on to the important stuff!
The restaurant is well situated in the centre of the village on Main Street (opposite the Co-op) and there is a free carpark 50 metres away on Bradgate Lane.
There is a feeling of spaciousness when first entering the restaurant with a seating area and a well stocked bar.
Just a few miles along the A607 North East of Leicester is the village of Asfordby where you will find The Empress of India which opened in 2010. The village was the site of a modern deep coal pit which was built between 1984 and 1993 but closed in 1997 due to numerous geological difficulties and the low price of coal at that time.
The restaurant is well situated in the centre of the village on Main Street (opposite the Co-op) and there is a free carpark 50 metres away on Bradgate Lane.
There is a feeling of spaciousness when first entering the restaurant with a seating area and a well stocked bar.