The Raj on the Shore

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £5.95 (set lunch)
   £17 (evening meal)
• House wine: £9.95 per bottle

• High point: A window seat offers a rewarding view
• Low point: A small gas fire is barely enough to heat a corner of the room
• Food served: Sun-Thu noon-2.15pm, 5.30-11.15pm; Fri/Sat noon-2.15pm, 5.30-11.45pm
• Delivery: Free within 3 miles; £1.50 up to 4 miles, £2 up to 5 miles. 5:30-11pm, www.curry-in-a-hurry.org
• Private dining: Up to 40 covers
• Open since: 1986
• Also offers: Childrens portions, Take away

The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2008 is now in the shops.

This review is from the 2007 edition.

Worthy of a visit not least for the fine view overlooking the Water of Leith, the Raj on the Shore is also notable for a fine selection of diverse meals, each of which is cherry-picked from current Indian and Bangladeshi trends by owner and self-styled 'Banglachef' Tommy Miah. A large corner building, the Raj is bright and spacious, although its classic burgundy-tinged interior doesn't offer enough warmth to keep the temperature from dropping of a cold evening. To keep the heat up, a good tip is to order the chicken-based frango no espeto peri-peri, a dizzying combination of Goan, African and Portuguese flavours which lives up to its spicy billing. For those with a more sensitive palate, the chicken chacuti also includes chilli, but this time is complemented with mustard, a lime marinade for the meat and a hint of cashew nuts in the sauce; each flavour is finely balanced so as not to be too overpowering. As the organizer of the International Indian Chef of the Year contest, it is of course in Miah's best interests to ensure that his own fare is up to scratch - and, by and large, he succeeds.