India Gate, Turton

Phone number: 01204 853300

Bolton News review by Andrew Mosley from October 25, 2008.

EVERYTHING about the India Gate is pleasant the service, the food, the restaurant itself and the wonderful views over the countryside.

Outside, a spacious car park overlooking farmland gives way to an equally sizeable restaurant, in which you are immediately made to feel welcome.

The chances of perusing an Indian menu while taking in the expansive scenery of the west Pennine moors just outside Hawkshaw would have seemed unlikely when the Willows pub closed down a number of years ago.

But it seems the India Gate, which was also the Turton Heights restaurant in a previous incarnation, could be the answer to the problem as to how to make a success of this wonderful building and location.

The sign outside proclaims "a touch of class" and this is no shallow boast.

On arrival we are taken to a "welcome area" and given a short history of the building while we choose our wine. Sometimes Indian restaurants fall down in this department, but there is a very good choice of European wines as well as a "connoisseur's collection", including one bottle at just under £200.

We decide on this occasion to leave the posh stuff and opt for a house red, which is priced around the £10 mark and excellent value.

We are then led to our table and a tasty and complementary plate of pappadums with onions, chutneys, a hot and spicy sauce and yoghurts.

While choosing our starters, we took the chance to have a look round the restaurant, which has a soft feel with some areas bedecked with leather sofas, upholstered chairs and coffee tables.

It is bright and spacious, which makes you feel instantly relaxed.

There are three dining areas surrounding the restaurant bar.

One is for large parties, another for family groups and the third is the more intimate conservatory, where we are seated.

The menu is extensive and we are some way down our bottle of wine before we have made our choices.

For starters we go for some onion bhajis and mushroom puri, both of which are sizeable portions and extremely nice, leaving us anticipating a tasty main course.

Other possible starters included Malai chicken tikka (chicken pieces marinated and barbecued, topped with melted cheddar cheese); garlic king prawns and ambasari fish pakora (fish deep fried in batter).

There are many breads and yoghurts to choose from, but we thought we had better save ourselves and it was a good job we did too.

The menu has a main choice for everyone as long as you like a curry and includes poultry, lamb, fish and vegetarian dishes in whatever style you like, be it a massalla, biryani, korma, dhansak, dupiaza, bhuna, karai, palok, rogan josh, samber, madras, jal frezi, vindaloo or garlic special balti. As I said, something for everyone.

There is also a large selection of chef's recommendations and tandoori royal dishes.

After much deliberation my partner chose the chicken tikka massalla, while I went for the vegetable jal frezi.

We also ordered a peshwari nan, sag aloo and muttar panir.

My partner pronounced her dish, which she ordered with pilau rice, "absolutely divine", and the sag aloo (spinach and potato cooked in spices, tomatoes and herbs) and muttar panir (curd cheese with peas) "to die for".

The jal frezi was sensational lots of green chillies and herbs, which made it very hot, but not uncomfortably so.

We were too full for a sweet, but the generous owners brought us chocolate and a brandy (for me) and Bailey's (for my partner) to finish.

All in, our starters, mains, side dishes and a bottle of wine came to around £45, which we considered very reasonable for one of the most enjoyable meals we had experienced in some time.

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