THREE things make a great Indian dining out experience - delicious food, a friendly atmosphere and a knowledgeable waiter who can help you navigate the menu.
Thankfully Tandoori Nights, on High Street in Amesbury, had all of these in abundance when I visited for lunch on Sunday, November 12.
Guests are greeted with a warm welcome from the manager, Burhan Uddin, upon arrival before being seated in the proper traditional, cosy curry house.
Decorated with paintings and a mural of what appeared to be a clay house, Tandoori Nights tells the story of the tandoor oven, a cooking method made popular roughly two decades before the family-owned restaurant opened in 1995.
Shortly after sitting down, we were handed an unprompted bowlful of poppadoms and our orders were taken.
The menu is extensive offering tandoori, traditional, chef's recommended and 'exclusive unique specialitiy' dishes to name a few.
I kept it simple for the appetiser, ordering vegetable samosas (£5.50) while my guest had onion bhajis (£5.50). These were an instant success, full of flavour and set us up nicely for our main meal.
All of the recommended dishes are marinated before being barbecued in the clay tandoor oven before being cooked in the 'chef's special sauce'.
Eager to try a tandoor main, I went to order chicken shaslick (£18.95) with pilau rice (£4.50) but Mr Uddin helpfully explained how the chicken tikka korai (£15.95) would be better suited since it was a similarly prepared dish just with sauce.
My guest chose a chicken tikka massala (£15.95) and was keen to try the garlic and cheese rice (£5.50). It must be said that there is a huge range of rice available.
The korai came out sizzling - always exciting - and I was pleasantly surprised by the portion sizes. They are massive, as agreed by our neighbouring table, so I don't think you'll feel shortchanged.
Simply put, everything tasted amazing. My curry had the perfect mix of chicken, green pepper and tomatoes although for a 'medium' spice dish, it was quite tame.
Our garlic naan (£4.95) to share was a brilliant compliment to the main dish.
Since we visited on Remembrance Sunday, the restaurant was rather busy with former Amesbury mayors, veterans and bikers but staff were attentive and quick to bring out our food.
Just as we were preparing to leave, feeling completely stuffed and satisfied, Mr Uddin brought over two spongey dumplings soaked in syrup.
These were Roso Gullah which I wasn't particularly keen on but I always appreciate trying something new.
Tandoori Nights is offering guests who quote the Salisbury Journal when booking £10 off their dine-in meals, with a minimum spend of £26 per person, every day of the week.
Likening the promotion to the 'eat out to help out scheme', Mr Uddin said: "We're trying to do something for people who can't afford to go out."
Tandoori Nights was voted the number one best restaurant in Amesbury from 2021 to 2022 on TripAdvisor.
For bookings and more information, visit tnights.co.uk.
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