Bonoful

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

If first impressions are anything to go by, Bonoful – meaning 'flower forest' in Bengali – certainly lives up to its name. Its bright, inviting frontage is an oasis in the grey, just-off Portobello High Street location, and, inside, the clean, contemporary décor and pale wood furniture help create a laid-back ambience. Drinks from a well thought-out wine list are swiftly served by polite, attentive waiting staff, along with a mixture of plain and spicy poppadums. The largely conventional menu shows that Bonoful can do Anglo-Indian favourites well: served with crisp side-salad and a selection of sauces, a mixed kebab starter of mixed kebab provides well-spiced, tender meat, and charcoal-roasted, ginger and mustard-marinated lamb chops are gratifyingly succulent. For mains, king prawn sag is a well-executed classic dish packed with fresh spinach, ginger and coriander. A house special of lamb garam fry – lamb marinated in cider vinegar, then cooked in garlic, ginger, coconut milk, green chilies, chopped tomatoes and coriander – is piquant and flavoursome, demonstrating the kitchen's more adventurous side. Sadly, desserts are the usual bought-in suspects, but, luckily, Bonoful's bountiful mains, served with fluffy pilau rice and a thin, deliciously chewy garlic naan, will leave even the hungriest diner satisfied. Look out for an expansion in size over the summer of 2008, though during this time the restaurant will operate as normal.

• High point: Fresh, lively cooking
• Low point: Lacking in atmosphere on week nights