Gandhi, Fishergate, York

I HAVE a theory about Indian restaurants. You can go for a posh nosh in the most palatial of surroundings, but if you want the genuine article, the Taj Mahal of curries, you are most likely to find it behind the most unassuming of exteriors.

It was with this pleasant thought that I pointed myself in the direction of the modest surroundings of Gandhi - a small, but I hoped perfectly formed, Indian restaurant that opened this summer in York's Fishergate.

Joining me on this jaunt were my brother, John, and his fiance, Christina, both curry connoisseurs having spent three years as students in Britain's capital of Indian cuisine, Bradford.

Inside the restaurant, we were greeted warmly by a beaming waiter and ushered to a table next to the window, giving us a view of the city walls.

It was 8pm on a Thursday, but there were only two other diners. However, thanks to the diminutive scale of the place and the piped traditional Indian music, this did not make us feel uncomfortable.

There was also a steady stream of takeaway customers and you got the impression that this was the sort of place that would be at its most lively during post-pub hours.

John and I were impressed to see that the Indian beer Lal Toofan was available - we had only rarely encountered this in previous curry houses - and decided to sample a bottle each, while Christina got stuck into a gin and tonic (each drink was around the £2.50 mark).

It quickly became apparent that the 'waiter' who had greeted us was in fact the only person working front-of-house - taking orders, providing food and drinks, and answering the phone.

Had I not heard the rattling of pans from the kitchen while he was taking our order, I would have sworn that he was cooking the food as well.

Despite this burden of responsibility, he was not rushed off his feet and was always attentive, chatty and friendly.

As traditionally the case in Indian restaurants, the menu was extremely wide-ranging.

For starters, we decided to share, and, from a list of roughly 20 dishes, chose a vegetable roll (£2.50), a chicken pakora (£2) and, pushing the metaphorical boat out, the Ghandi special thali (£5.50).

Each of the dishes arrived with a limited amount of salad, but also with a sizeable chunk of lemon. The vegetable roll was crisp, without a hint of grease, though I was most impressed with the chicken pakora - tender pieces of chicken covered with a soft, bronzed batter.

The Ghandi special thali was apparently designed to act as a taster of a number of classic Indian dishes - seekh kebab, chicken tikka, samosa, onion bhaji and tandoori chicken. John polished off most of this and declared himself highly impressed with the variety on offer - possibly a little too much for a starter.

The choice of main meals ranged from a selection of traditional dishes, such as rogan josh, bhuna and korma, priced from between £3.10 to £5.95, to a list of house specialities, which were slightly more expensive.

Christina asked for a king prawn jalfrezi with mushroom rice (£7.45) which was not actually on the menu. Our genial host was more than happy to oblige. The dish received top marks, Christina describing it as being awash with different flavours and interesting herbs, with a real spicy kick to the taste.

However, I could not help but be disappointed with my choice, a lamb balti, madras hot, with pilau rice (£5.75). Despite a terrific slow-acting heat to the dish, the lamb was relatively poor, being tough and chewy, while the rice had, in places, formed itself into blocks which were rather hard.

John opted for the Gandhi special, madras hot, which was made up of chicken tikka, lamb tikka, mushrooms and prawns, with pilau rice (£6.75). The chicken was tender, as it had been with the starters, the prawns were adequate, but again the lamb was tough. At nearly £7, this was not particularly "special", John remarked.

We finished off by sharing a tropical mango and coconut ice cream (£2.95), which was sweet and refreshing, and also sampled two very generous cups of coffee (£1.10 each).

Adding on a couple of pappadums, dips and a cucumber raita, the bill came to £53.40 (£38.50 excluding drinks), which was not excessive.

Despite the sometimes disappointing food, our trip to Gandhi was, on the whole, a pleasant one, and its deficiencies were, at least in part, made up for by our host/waiter.

Gandhi is unlikely to be the best Indian restaurant you will ever experience, and my theory of the unassuming curry house providing out-of-this-world food could not apply in this case.

However, if you have visited a few city bars of an evening and are feeling peckish, you could do worse than show your face at Gandhi.

Food: mixed

Service: attentive

Value: acceptable

Ambience: quiet

Disabled facilities: No

Gandhi, Fishergate, York. Telephone: 01904 654616.

James and co visited the restaurant on September 18, 2003.

Updated: 08:41 Saturday, October 25, 2003