Aprils pick of the month was Eastern Spice in Loughborough; this restaurant was called Goa back in 2014 when we visited last. The score in 2014 was 31 so this could be interesting to see if the new owners can improve. The location is very good, and there is lots of free parking across the road. On arrival, we were instantly met by a waiter who showed us to our table. The restaurant was extremely busy for a Wednesday evening and clearly it is very popular, a testament to its latest trip advisor scores. I also downloaded a voucher for 20% off all food which was a bonus.

The restaurant is fully licensed. We browsed the menu and ordered the mandatory Curry Club poppadoms to start which were not oily and the usual pickle tray.

Mains included 2 Bringle Ghust, Chicken Thawa, Chicken Naga and a Chicken Tikka Balti. Sides were Mushroom Rice, Pilau Rice, Boiled Rice, Peshwari Nan, Garlic and Coriander Nan and one Plain Nan.

The lamb in the Bringle Ghust was extremely tender and all dishes came hot (in heat) although the strength of the chicken Tikka Balti was a little low for me and my Peshwari Nan was also a little underdone for my liking. The Thawa was a little odd as the chicken was just cubed tandoori chicken.

It is very hard to really criticise anything as on the whole most things were above average

The bill with the 20% reduction was £107.25 and represents fantastic value for money for five members. We were also offered a complimentary spirit and we had brandy which is a very nice touch.

Everyone was very obliging especially the owner who clearly knows his stuff having worked in the trade for 40 years. He was extremely friendly and I’m sure if anything was a problem he would have sorted it for us. The decor is much improved since our last visit and clearly there has been a refurbishment programme.

In summary, the only thing that we consider could be improved was the quality of the mains. Of course this is only our opinion and possibly not the opinion of everyone. The friendliness and the value for money was excellent. Two of our wives went the day after and were very impressed. If you want good service friendliness and a good meal then this may just be your ideal Indian restaurant.