This weekend we went for dinner with Dave’s parents at Chutney Ivy in Leicester – groupon vouchers clutched tight, we ran in the wind and the rain from the car to the restaurant.. stylish, understated and lit up against the dark, cold night. Its a few years since I’ve been to the ‘cultural quarter’ in Leicester and I was pleasantly surprised. Situated next to the Curve theatre and Athena, the restaurant is in a prime position to catch passersby both during the day and at night.
On first appearances, the restaurant looks great. High ceilings and exposed brickwork lift Chutney Ivy from the conventional ‘curry house’ and the open kitchen fills the room with fantastic aromas. The restaurant is Michelin recommended and this is certainly reflected in the prices – with al a carte £9.95 – £18.00 for mains and between £4.95 – £9.95 for starters or set meals starting at £22.95 per head.
Our groupon voucher allowed us to have a starter, main, rice and naan to yourself, plus a side between two. This is a huge amount of food, more than any of us could manage!
To start I had the Chilli Paneer Shashlik which was very nice. It was a large portion but I managed it (ahem!!). For my main I went for Chicken Haryali which was nice but not exceptional. Dave had Lamb Harrey Massala ka Gosht and I have to say that the lamb was beautiful – very tender and delicious. I definitely had curry envy!
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| Chilli Paneer Shashlik £4.95 |
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| LEFT: Harrey Massala ka Gosht £10.95 RIGHT: Chicken Hariyali £9.95 |
I went for a garlic & coriander naan and keema peas pilau rice, both of which were pleasant. For the sides between the four of us we shared Subzee Milloni (vegetables in spinach) £4.95 and Makhni Daal £4.95 (black lentils cooked in the tandoor with ginger, garlic and cream). The Makhni Daal was really lovely and not something I’ve tried before.
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Overall – the food was really nice quality and there was certainly plenty of it but I don’t think it was special enough to warrant the prices. There is a 10% service charge which is automatically added to your bill and overall for four of us, it should have been around £85.00. I know plenty of Indian restaurants in Loughborough and Leicester where the decor may not be as nice but the food is just as good if not better and at a more reasonable the price.
