Emni Restaurant

There are 2 main points to get across here - (1) the prices are not overly cheap, certainly more than you would pay for your standard takeaway (2) but you certainly get what you pay for, the food here is nothing short of superb.

I may not be the biggest foodie in the world but I know what is proper Indian cuisine and what is not. My wife is Indian, my mother-in-law cooks probably the best Indian food I've ever tasted, and since I've known my wife I've come to realise just how much slop we are served up in the so-called 'Curry Houses' in this country. In fact, from reading the review at the bottom of this page I can only assume that the author has grown up with this type of 'Indian food' and doesn't particularly welcome positive change.

Every dish I've had in here has been excellent - the Karahi Chicken, Bengalore Chicken Chops and Pasliyen Lamb Chops in particular are all sensational. The mixed platter is a must have starter, and I'd also recommend ordering in a Dal (probably the Makhani) with the mains. All delicious and thoroughly authentic - my wife, who has sampled true Indian cuisine many more times than myself, is in complete agreement!

The atmosphere is also spot on - laid back enough for a meal out with your mates, but romantic and stylish enough for a special night. I have never found fault with the service either - polite and prompt. Because of the slightly higher than average prices (although not outrageous - £9 to £13 for a main dish) it's not somewhere you'll be going for an impromptu Tuesday night out, but if you want delicious, authentic, imaginative Indian food in a stylish setting and prime location you cannot go wrong with this place.

In fact, we know from chatting to the very friendly owner, the week the restaurant opened, that the chefs were flown in specially from India and in fact previously worked for the country's former Prime Minister. So a pretty decent pedigree!

In short, VERY highly recommended. Do try it, you won't be dissapointed.
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Nick
Overall rating
Food 10 | Service 8 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 7
Sunday, November 16, 2008

The layout gives a bit of cramped and dark atmosphere.

But the food makes up for it - interesting and tasty with some nice surprises.

Service is just fine, but nothing special.
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George C
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 6 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 6
Sunday, November 11, 2007

My wife and I have eaten here twice and tried a number of dishes. I have found them all to be excellent.

I have found the service to be patchy and not worth paying the charge referred to.
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The Galloping Gourmet - View all reviews by this user
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 4 | Atmosphere 6 | Value for money 7
Wednesday, July 04, 2007

Great restaurant. Took my workmates for dinner and this was the right restaurant to do it. Very comfortable and stylish surroundings. Starters and mains were excellent. Pasilyan chops in particular were brilliant. Everyone was raving about dinner the next day at work. Would recommend it.
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Phil Webster
Overall rating
Food 9 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, June 30, 2007

We had dinner at Emni restaurant on New Years Eve and we were so impressed that we came back for a Birthday.

Atmosphere:

If you want to get away from your everyday typical Indian restaurant, this is the place to be. The atmosphere in this restaurant is intimate and almost Zen-like. Its clean, modern and sophisticated. You could easily walk pass this restaurant on the busy Upper street not knowing this is an Indian restaurant. Once you're inside, you lose the busy crowds outside, despite the big glass windows.

Service:

Service is excellent. Staff are courteous, smiley and very approachable. Friendly yet professional.

Food:

The atmosphere and presentation can fool you into thinking the food will be westernised and bland compared to your typical curry house. But its not like that at all. Not only is the food beautifully presented, but its cooked to perfection and flavoured wonderfully. If you are a starter person, I recommend the platter. The monkfish tikka is delicious. The Doora Kebab and Tandoori Duck were are also very tasty. I personally liked the variety of poppadom dips. Check out their full mouth-watering menu. Bare in mind, the food here is about quality more than quantity.

Value for money:

If you're looking for a cheap curry after a night of heavy drinking, this is not the place. But if you want quality food, great service and atmosphere, then it's definitely good value for money.

Give it a try. You won't be disappointed.
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Shum
Overall rating
Food 8 | Service 9 | Atmosphere 9 | Value for money 8
Saturday, June 09, 2007

Nice decor, but the food was mediocre. Moreover, be warned - you are charged an extra quid for poppadoms and another extra quid for the chutney that accompanies the poppadoms. Also be warned that a service charge of 15% is automatically added to your bill without reference to the fact that a service charge should be discretionary. All in all, definitely worth a miss. You are better off going to your local takeaway.
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Overall rating
Food 1 | Service 3 | Atmosphere 3 | Value for money 0
Wednesday, June 06, 2007