Oriental Bar Restaurant, The

Sarb Khela (12 December 2006)

A truly wonderful dining experience! Having travelled the Far East and India I had high expectations of the food which proved so delicious that we couldn't stop eating! The service to was exemplary, and the setting, opulent and imitative of a French colonial style, absolutely beautiful and elegant. In a town where there is little character left in dining, this was a real treat, it was like taking a step back in time.

Simon (16 August 2006)

So you get in the door, off the waterfront - we’re at the Mailbox Level 7, Penny Black’s that way, the new Don Salvo’s the other. Great place to be with the weather coming on fine. View up the canal towards the Worcester Barr. Canada Geese keeping the grass short over the water.

So in the door. We’re by the bar. Yes, it’s an eclectic décor, and it has its charms but rumour has it there’s a refurb on the way they’re making the reception area more amenable to casual drinkers who don’t want to sit down for a meal but enjoy the relaxed atmosphere and ambience of restaurants. And once they get that done this’ll be a place to be.

Staff wear cream silken tunics with black trimmings and loose trousers. Their racial origins bring an instant touch of the East, the far-off, the exotic, and already you’re keyed into a culinary experience, and you haven’t reached your table. There is atmosphere here, particular to this place, the padded walls, floral ceilings, portrait chairs, and chandeliers each contribute to the appeal of the décor, though one or two elements could be removed or toned down for a more uniform feel.

I’m not saying it isn’t charming, or that thought hasn’t been put into designing the interior, the floor space is divided into a lounge area, with plush leather chairs and low tables, and the dining area, which is L-shaped, and seats about 80. Smallish, I guess, but that makes for intimacy. The Cube development is on its way, so when that’s finished, and this end of the canal is pretty much kitted out for the discerning drinker and diner, there'll be no excusing finding out what's going on here.

It’s easy to settle in here. The music is low key with an Eastern slant, at least you can imagine there are oriental influences in the tracks, the sounds are unobtrusive and flow on behind the activity so you don’t get the urge to leave your chair and start cutting some carpet. I was told by a gentleman I met while I was having a drink at the bar some weeks