STEVE NELSON enjoys a new eating-out experience in Easingwold.

Jaipur Spice, York Road (A19), Easingwold. Tel 01347 823370.

My first visit late last year to the Jaipur Spice restaurant was laced with chaos. Cars churned the newly-laid turf as their drivers searched desperately for a parking space, and I was greeted at the door by a woman who informed me that there were no seats left and, anyway, she was about to dash off to a ladies darts match in Easingwold.

Inside, the place was so packed that it took a full five minutes to find our dining companions. About two-thirds of the diners were eating their food standing between tables or scattered around the bar area, which was brimming with revellers taking advantage of free drinks.

It was opening night, when the local media mixed with the great and good from Easingwold in a frenzy of complimentary eating and drinking rarely seen in these parts.

I decided to return when the dust had well and truly settled and I might get a much better flavour of the cuisine and ambience on a regular evening.

This time the car park was barely half full, and my partner and I waited for a downpour to subside before dashing for the entrance.

We received a warm welcome and were asked to take a seat at our table rather than at the bar because that area tended to get busy with takeaway trade.

How different it all seemed now. There was an atmosphere of calm enhanced by pastel colours of mauve, green, blue and salmon pink in a contemporary decor.

The crooning of soul divas, rather than a cacophony of sitar music, drifted harmlessly in the background. And flock wallpaper was definitely out.

The bar would not have looked amiss in a Star Wars set.

It all seemed slightly odd as we gazed out through plate glass windows on to the green and pleasant farming land just south of Easingwold while chomping on poppadoms and wrestling with a pot of hot lime pickle and the ubiquitous triple-dish stand containing mango chutney, mint yoghurt and an onion salad.

Our attentive but not servile waiter dished up a piping hot and tasty Aloo Palak Pakora for starters I pondered why the place was only half full.

Reasons might include the awful weather that night, the reluctance of people to travel outside York because the city is so well served by Indian restaurants and the emergence of similar large establishments on the outskirts of the city.

Anyway, I digress. The dish - one of 15 on the starters menu - consisted of spinach, sweet potato and fenugreek, and was deep fried to perfection.

For our main course we both plumped for the Jaipur Spice Special (£8.95), which - strange as this may seem - is a sort of Indian equivalent of the Chinese house special chow mein.

Chicken tikka, lamb tikka, tandoori chicken, prawns and mushrooms were dotted around a thick curry sauce that also featured fresh fried garlic, onions, green peppers and medium spices. Diners are invited to state how they would like this dish but we took it as it came and were not disappointed.

The fish and meat flavours burst through the tasty sauce, and a dish of basmati rice proved to be a great partner.

We added a couple of deliciously light and warm peschwari naans to complete the main course, and enjoyed every mouthful - although my partner had slight reservations about mixing prawns and meat in the one dish.

Our choice had been a good one, and believe me there is plenty to choose from. There are several specials, dozens of curries and lots of side dishes, together with set meals for two or four people.

We skipped desserts because neither of us has ever been enamoured with Indian puddings.

As we retired to the now-empty bar for last drinks and After Eight Mints, I reflected on the fine cuisine we had enjoyed so much.

Food: great choice and quality

Service: attentive

Value: good

Ambience: pleasant surprise

Disabled access: Yes