Voujon - Stamford

Voujon at Stamford is representative of the rather overdue trend for Indian restaurants to shake off their slightly down at heel image, or trying to recreate Bombay in every other community of more than 1,000 souls in Britain. Not that I have a problem with those propositions, but I do share the feeling that restaurants like Voujon are giving a new face to Indian cuisine which can only be for the better.

Taking the fairly customary view that Indian starters are a waste of time we went for the jugular, in the form of a duck tikka massala, backed up by murgh tikka jalfrezi with a prawn dhansak to fill in any gaps in the conversation.

The coconut rice was supplemented by some tarka dall, aloo chat, poppadums and a nan or two, one of which was certainly a Peshwari, and some plain boiled long rice.

Seated in the restaurant converted from two dwelling houses in Stamford Broad Street, with a distinctly modern décor, involving the plentiful use of directed lighting, with dark surfaces supplemented by discreetly toned wooden counterparts, we began to feel that Indian cuisine in Stamford was certainly on the move.

A good little wine list did its best to struggle with the eternal debate over wine or not to wine when eating Indian and had we decided to go down the former route we'd have been alright. As it was we didn't and some well kept Kingfisher helped to keep at bay a day that had been both windy, cold out of the sun, and dehydrating when you found it.

It would have been difficult to fault the food. Everything was exactly what one would have expected it to be, there were no moments of doubt, it was well served at the right degree of warmth, with spices deployed by an expert hand.

Stamford has a bit of a reputation for not being too kind to restaurants in the above average category, and yes, I am speaking of prices. Voujon is above average, but has every right to be so. Our little splurge cost £70 with service and drinks, and frankly it was well worth every penny. I recommend it without reservation.