Tikka Chance on Me
Where's the best balti in Brizzle? The cheapest chapatis? The most righteous raita? To answer these burning questions, Itchy stocked up on breath mints, fireproofed our gullets, and headed out to give you the skinny on the nice and spicy. The city's hottest curry:Old India
34 St Nicholas Street
(0117) 922 1136
Slap bang the city centre, Old India is a far cry from your standard wipe-clean, local curry house. Authenticity is the name of the game here, where the owners purport to offer the 'real cuisine of the Mogul kings'. The resulting nosh is absolutely top-rate, and hotter than a fireman's Calvins. Itchy isn't sure what spicy Arhar lentils are (perhaps they allow you to sing Take On Me through your posterior?), but they're damn tasty. Naturally such posh nosh comes at a price, but not as much as you might expect. Royally good.
Open: Mon–Sat, 12pm–2pm & 6pm–12am
Recommended dish: Lamb chops in pomegranate juice, £12
House wine £12Best late-night opening:
Ahmed's Curry Café
1e Chandos Road
(0117) 946 6466
Okay, so it's about as classy as a cackling hen party, but the food from the open kitchen at Ahmed's Curry Café is gorgeous and is available well into the post-pub hours, making it the perfect end to a heavy night out (or a cackling hen party). Despite not looking like anything special from the outside, it's cheap, cheerful, chilled out and particularly good for those of a veggie persuasion. There's plenty to choose from, but if you can't make your mind up, Itchy recommends the chilli garlic chicken - just don't expect anyone to kiss you afterwards. Takeaway and delivery services are also available.
Open: Sun–Thu, 6pm–11.30pm; Sat, 6pm–12am
Recommended dish: Vegetable and paneer curry, £5.95
House wine: £8.75 Best modern curry:
Oh! Calcutta!
216 Cheltenham Road
(0117) 924 0458
Involving considerably less nudity than the Broadway musical of the same name, Oh! Calcutta! is one of the new breed of sleek, modern curry houses; it's all trendy chrome and low-level mood-lighting with silent Bollywood films projected onto a screen. More importantly, the food is fresh and tasty, and the place also has its own smart, well-stocked bar for a post-curry bevvy or two. And, unlike most Indian restaurants, there's a good selection of fish dishes on the menu longside the usual suspects, just to keep things interesting. A Calcutt-above.
Open: Mon–Sun, 6pm–11.30pm
Recommended dish: Red snapper balti, £9.90
House wine: £9 Best value for money:
One-Stop Thali
(0117) 942 6687 The décor is frankly terrifying, with purple leopard print, life-sized mannequins and gilt bird cages positioned at just the right height to wallop your head on, but Itchy still loves the One-Stop Thali. The food is delicious, and there's an excellent takeaway service. For a mere 20 quid you can get your own tiffin (a stack of four reusable, interlocking tins) that you can refill over and over again for just £6 a pop. Not a bad price for enough curry and rice to fill even the echoing, caverous Batcave that is Itchy's tum, and the tiffin keeps your grub nice and hot on the way home.
Open:Tue–Sun, 6pm–11.30pm
House wine: £11 BYOB fave:
Al's Tikka Grill 33 Ashton Road
(0117) 985 3016
British greasy spoon café by day and BYO Indian restaurant by night, Al's Tikka Grill is an old Itchy favourite. The prices are a steal, and the vegetarian menu is a virtual allotment of green goodness. Some of the more exotic options won't be to everyone's tastes (curried banana and pineapple, anyone?), but bring along enough beer and they'll probably seem like a fantastic idea. The only real downside is the lack of an indoor toilet, but take along an umbrella in case it rains when nature calls and you'll be fine.
Open: Mon–Fri, 5.30pm–10.30pm; Sat, 5.30pm–11.30pm
Recommended dish: Chicken tikka masala, £5.95
HOUSE WINE: IT'S A MOTHER-FUNKIN' BYOB!
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