I’ve been struggling to find a decent Indian restaurant near me for a while, so when Asif from the newly opened Rupsha on Clifton Village’s Regent Street invited me to come for dinner, I wasn’t going to say no…
The restaurant joins a throng of other places in the Village selling Indian fare: Thali Cafe, Bombay Spice and Posh Spice to name but a few. As with most others, it offers diners the chance to eat in, take away or have food delivered, with free home delivery and a 20% discount on takeaways as standard.
On the night, we ate in. The restaurant is divided into two, with a few tables and the counter downstairs and a small upper level. The whole place only seats about six or seven tables of diners, giving it an intimate feel which is enhanced by the rich decor and soft music.
Looking at the main course menu, you’ll find all the familiar names. So-called “traditional dishes” such as Korma, Vindaloo, Balti and Rogan Josh can all be ordered with chicken, lamb, vegetables, prawns or king prawns, and are priced at a reasonable £5.95 each (surcharges of £1 for prawns and £3 for king prawns apply). The list of starters is extensive and priced between £2.95 and £5.95, and side dishes such as Bombay Aloo and Tarka Dal at £2.95 each.
Rather than starters, we opted for a couple of poppadums each, served with mango chutney, salad and raita (50p per poppadum). You can’t really go wrong with poppadums and we hoovered them up, but my dining companion was disappointed not to see an accompaniment of lime pickle.
We avoided the list of traditional dishes when it came to the main course, and instead both chose a curry from the “house specialities” list (picture below), priced at £7.95 each including pilau rice. This menu is divided into “medium and spicy dishes” and “exquisite mild blended dishes”…and we both went for the former. Next time we have to take someone daring enough to try the Sholay, which is cooked in a ginger sauce and flamed with Sambuca!
I chose a Chicken Kara Masala: a medium-spiced dish packed with onions, coriander, various spices and root ginger. The chicken itself was beautifully cooked and lovely and tender, while the sliced red chillies and fresh ginger packed a punch without overpowering the underlying flavours of the dish.
Nick, meanwhile, went for the Chicken Kerala Chilli (on the left hand side in the picture below), described on the menu as being “cooked with coconut flakes and kerala spices and having the strength from some finely chopped green chillies”. After seeing the words “finely chopped”, he was a little surprised, when his curry arrived, to find that it contained whole green chillies! His verdict? Nicely cooked and full of flavour, but maybe slightly too spicy…the heat grows the more you eat!
We accompanied our meal with perfectly cooked pilau rice and a naan each: again, no complaints here, the bread was lovely and fluffy and well worth the £2.45 that you’ll pay for it.
We’ll definitely be heading back there again with a bigger group…possibly on a Thursday night – Banquet Night – when a starter, a main, a rice or naan and a glass of wine will set you back just £9.95. Students can grab themselves a bargain on Wednesday nights, when they can get two main courses for the price of one…and the weekend lunch special of £5.95 for a curry and rice is also worth bearing in mind. Definitely recommended.
Rupsha South Asian Restaurant
Address: 3a Regent Street, Clifton, BS8 4HW
Telephone: 0117 973 9937
Open 7 days a week, 6pm – 11pm