Kebab Mahal

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 – in the shops now or buy online.

It's easy to see why Kebab Mahal has been such a success for almost 30 years, handily placed as it is for student land. It's basically a takeaway with seating for those who fancy eating in, and its relaxed feel perfectly suits a late-night clientele who want more than chips and cheese. Despite being short on descriptions of some of the more obscure dishes, the menu offers standard fare such as korma, bhuna, madras, palak, vindaloo or tikka. It's the quality of cooking, however, that stands out. The mushroom pakora comes with a spicy salad rather than the ubiquitous dipping sauce, while the shammi kebab consists of grilled meat with cooling raita, ensuring that neither taste buds nor stomach is over-exerted. The chicken jalfrazi is succulent, cooked on a skewer and topped with fresh ginger. One quibble may be the dearth of vegetarian options – a tasty biryani is rather isolated in the mains section – but, happily, a full course could easily be constructed from the solid range of side dishes. Diners may even find room for dessert from a decent range of admittedly bought-in ices but portions are generous enough to mean that, combined with very reasonable prices, Kebab Mahal is a great place whether for late night munchies or a meal to set you up for the day.

• High point: Good, reasonably-priced cooking at great value for money
• Low point: Don't expect them to get out the best china for you