Kama Sutra

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

Despite its theme being based on the eponymous book on love and pleasure, this Harlequin Group restaurant manages to avoid being tacky and kitschy. Gone are the previous saucy innuendos. What remains are more innocuous wood carvings and artworks adorning the two-floored restaurant, which has a lively, sumptuous ambience and is full of colour and decorative flourishes. The menu includes much that is common to other Harlequin restaurants, with pakoras, samosas and spicy fish making appetising appearances. Less familiar starters include massala waali chops – a trio of meaty lamb chops with a tasty spicy coating. Traditional mains such as rogan josh, korma, jalfrezi and sizzling tandooris feature alongside 'regional classics'. The south Indian chicken massala dosa is a well-executed example, with two lentil and rice pancakes containing spicy chicken accompanied by a coconut chutney and a generous helping of sambar – a soupy dhal-based curry. The garlic chilli chicken is another regional dish, but suffers somewhat from being light on the promised chillis. The restaurant feels welcoming, thanks to friendly staff, although its popularity with business customers is perhaps the cause of slightly inflated prices compared with similar establishments.

• High point: Selection of regional specialities
• Low point: Some dishes are quite expensive