Full of flavour at the Dower House

There is nothing finer than a delicious spicy curry when the cold, dark nights are drawing in.

And after a busy week at the Guardian, an Indian feast was certainly what I needed on a Friday evening.

With that in mind, my partner and I headed for the Dower House after hearing rave reviews about the cuisine it serves.

We thought we could be the only ones eating in the restaurant, situated in the heart of Bawtry, as we headed to there for its 6pm opening.

However we soon realised this wouldn’t be the case when we drove into the car park and saw people waiting for Dower House doors to open.

As soon as the clock struck 6pm, we walked into a well presented restaurant, which felt slightly more upmarket than other similar eateries I have been in.

We were shown to our table next to a window, which was originally set out for four people but was quickly changed to seat two, with plenty of room for the main dishes I was planning on ordering.

We both ordered soft drinks and we waiting to be asked to order poppadoms and a pickle tray, but unlike the other diners who were tucking into them, the offer never came.

After missing out on these I decided to order two starters from the extensive menu - chicken tikka (£4.50) and tandoori lamb chops £4.70) - which we ended up sharing.

It wasn’t long before two well presented starters arrived at our table, with side salads and a jug of mint yoghurt sauce. The chicken tikka pieces were impressive in size and extremely tasty. The three lamb chops were also delicious, but sadly as often found with chops, there wasn’t much of the tasty meat on them.

Minutes after our plates were cleared our main courses arrived. After much deliberation I decided on chicken jalfrazi (£9), boiled rice (£2.85) and plain naan (£2.50). My partner, who is less adventurous when it comes to Indian cuisine, ordered his usual chicken korma (£8.70) and chips (£3).

My jalfrazi was full to the brim of the dish with lots of pieces of chicken and a delicious looking sauce. The side dishes were also of good proportion. The jalfazi sauce was just the right mix of spice and full of flavour and I enjoyed every mouthful. The rice was fluffy and the naan perfectly cooked.

My partner’s korma was as equally filling and tasty and he cleared his plate. The only fault was the sauce was a little too runny for his liking.

After eating everything that was put in front of us, we left the restaurant suitably stuffed, happy and unable to eat a dessert. The flavours in Dower House dishes are some of the best I’ve ever tasted and, with the bill coming to £42.24, they are affordable too.

By Sam Chetwynd

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