Neelim

This review appears in the The List's Eating & Drinking Guide 2009 – in the shops now or buy online.

Although located amongst a parade of shops in deepest Scotstoun, Neelim fully deserves to be on the map due to its fresh flavours and serious take on traditional Indian fare. What it may lack in its no-frills décor, it certainly makes up for in its flavoursome menu. The restaurant largely keeps a local clientele – while dining, a reassuring amount of takeaway traffic flows through. The menu has plenty of choice, with a diverse selection of house favourites and specials being supported by all the usual kormas, tandooris, vegetarian dishes and the like. A starter of channa poori – a rich sauce given fire from some wicked chillis – has flakes of white fish throughout, all served on a freshly cooked flat bread. It is a meal in itself, but then the generous main courses are served with a nan bread so large it falls off the serving plate. The chicken tikka pardesi has spinach blended through the sauce, to give it a rich, earthy flavour, complemented by prawns with bite. The good food has the added bonuses of Kingfisher on draught, and helpful, welcoming staff who are more than happy to accommodate to taste.

• High point: Fantastic quality for a local restaurant
• Low point: Dining room is a little drab