Bonoful

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• What are these?

• Average price 2 courses:
   £7.95 (set lunch)
   £16 (evening meal)
• House wine: £9.95 per bottle

• High point: Super-fresh ingredients
• Low point: Bit slow on week nights
• Food served: Mon-Sun noon-2pm, 5-11.30pm.
• Delivery: £1 charge for orders under £20
• Private dining: Up to 32 covers
• Open since: 2005
• Also offers: Vegetarian options (at least 25% of menu), Childrens portions, Wheelchair access, Take away

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

This review is from the 2007 edition.

The first thing you notice when you step inside Bonoful - which means 'flower forest' in Bengali and is located just off the main drag of Portobello High Street - is just how bright and light it is. Both sides of the dining area gleam with rows of spotlights, stainless steel chairs, neon-lit mirrors and modern art prints of seascapes, flowers and even the Brooklyn Bridge (although the hanging Scottish flag and plasma telly do give it a bit of bar-like air). The menu is bright and cheery too, with a healthy wine list and a fair selection of traditional Bangladeshi and Indian dishes served up by efficient staff. Starters arrive swiftly - a zesty murgh chatt of chicken, tomatoes and cucumbers and a croquette-like spicy cashew nut roll are both interesting and tasty. The garlic naan is light and crispy rather than doughy, and the bhindi bhaji is packed with chunky, fresh okra. For mains the karahi chicken has a real green-chilli zing, offset by a yoghurty smoothness, while the lamb kazi babu combines lentils and potatoes flavoured with coriander and fenugreek. Despite a slight letdown with the uninspired bought-in desserts, this bright young thing is definitely one to watch.