Indian Fine Dining in Cheltenham: Prithvi

Prithvi is one of those places that's on every local food lovers bucket list. It's the swish Indian restaurant that won't fill your letterbox with takeaway leaflets, won't give you shoddily made curry, and certainly won't let you order chips as a side for your main (not that I'm a chip-o-phobe or anything).

Despite being so unassuming, it's the place that everyone in town talks about. The place at the top of most Cotswold based 'best restaurant' lists. The place in all the national food guides. The place that is notoriously hard to get a table at on a weekend... Essentially, it's the place.

Although I've been on a handful of occasions (see my post from '14), every time I walk past I find myself peering in at the lucky diners sitting in the window, desperately trying to see what they're eating. It's no good. I never get there at the right time. I only ever see empty plates - sigh - or people casually quaffing their wines - jealous - and the blinds are always drawn to the perfect height so I can't see any further in - humph. Still, it makes the green-eyed monster in me hungry for another visit and at the end of last year my luck came in.

You've probably seen all the posts from various local bloggers about 'Lunch with Prithvi' already - I hope you're not bored of reading about it - but because I couldn't attend the event, I did get an invite to return for dinner at a later date. Side note: Tuesdays and Wednesdays often have availability if you want to avoid the wait.

Prithvi has had a spruce up since our last visit - new furnishings, jazzy carpets, classy wallpaper - and it feels much better for it. Greeted by the owner Jay as you walk in, it all just makes sense. He's young, softly spoken but sharply dressed. There's not a thing out of place - both on him and the restaurant - with all the staff moving like clockwork. Seamless and suave, not stuffy.

The Chap and I hastily ordered a glass of the Brut Rosé fizz from Luxembourg (£8) recommended by the guys over the road at The Grape Escape (best place for pre dinner drinkies FYI), and then decided that we'd splurge on the wine flight to accompany the tasting menu. The only way to do it, right?

Appetisers arrive. A Quaver-like rice cracker with crispy kale and a cinnamon, mango and chilli gel, followed by panipuri; hollow chickpea puffs filled with spiced chickpeas and a fresh chutney. A tart tamarind sauce was poured in then down in one (as instructed). A whole host of textures and tastes, I'd order more if I could.

First course was pan-fried sea bass, white truffle oil, smoked tomato and mulli salad paired with Fess Parker Santa Barbara County Chardonnay, California 2014. The truffle hits you first with the spice creeping in after - an interesting combo which gets revisited later - but we couldn't help but feel that the fish was overcooked. Crispy skin, yaaaasss, but as the piece of fish was so flat, it was just a little dry. The wine match was the redeeming feature, no surprise considering my love of Cali Chards; the smoked tomato hit it off with the oakiness and the flavours lingered long after the last mouthful.

Next was tandoor Welsh lamb, cous cous and legumes with another USA wine, Smoking Loon Old Vine Zinfandel, Lodi, California 2013. Blushing lamb, so tender, with a green coriander sauce to add extra oomph. The dark berried wine was another good pairing, soft with subtle cedary notes bringing out the nuttiness of the cous cous.

Upping the game, Newent chicken, wild mushroom, whole coriander, anise sauce with sultana and almond rice. So succulent, and with the jewelled rice and glossy sauce it actually felt richer than the lamb. Never underestimate the chicken dish.

As for the wine, Jay tested us out with a few. Firstly, Domaine Roger-Joseph Belland Les Champs-Gains, Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru, France. An absolute beaut Burgundy, big with complexity, and with the buttery chicken alone would have ticked all the boxes. However, as soon as the fragrant anise made itself known, then it all got rather lost. It had spice, just without heat, yet we still agreed that it craved a wine with some sweetness. Jay then brought us over the Charles Sparr Gewurztraminer “Tradition”, Alsace, and the Werner ‘Annaberg’ Riesling Kabinett, Mosel, to try side by side with the dish. Styles you'd probably find us drinking on a weekend anyway, and like choosing children it was a tough choice. Both awesome, but the sweet spice and floral notes of the Gewurz did it for me. Save the Riesling for something hotter.

The star attraction was venison, butternut squash, ginger and cinnamon reduction served with a truffle oil naan bread. Indian and truffle aren't a likely coupling, but having it twice in one night has made me think otherwise, and truffle naan breads should definitely be a thing. Definitely. Chunks of rare venison and squash scream Autumn/Winter, and with a generous pour of the punchy ginger sauce, they'd well and truly been given the Prithvi magic touch. My one qualm would be the fact that our meat portions weren't quite even. I got the better deal with two thick pieces, but The Chap had one thick and one thin. Ah well. Quickly forgotten about whilst sipping the Pacifico Sur Carmenere Reserva, Curico Valley, Chile 2015, full of blackcurrants and black pepper.

The Tour of Prithvi ended with Passion fruit cream, mango gel, coriander and honey crumble. I think we're all more accustomed to an After Eight being brought out with the bill, but here we had an assortment of sweet treats. Fresh and fruity, with cream to soothe those taste buds and coriander to add a herbal citrus note; we're still in an Indian restaurant after all. Lenz Moser Prestige Beerenauslese, Burgenland, Austria, was our final wine of the night. Equally sweet with velvety honey notes to tie in with dessert. Happy endings.

Whilst we're not short of fine dining options in The Cotswolds, nor places to scoff a Ruby Murray on a Friday night for that matter, the unique line that Prithvi draws between the two certainly is something rather special. The food and service sure have gone up a notch or two since our last visit, so it's no surprise that tables are still so sought after and the dishes remain memorable.

Jay's pride beams throughout, making it an utter joy to experience everything that is Prithvi. Let's just keep our fingers crossed for more truffle naans when we return.

Prithvi is open for dinner Tuesday - Saturday and lunch on Thursday and Saturday. The tasting menu is £53pp, and they reopen from their annual holiday on January 19th. Get booking!

#ShareRamadan with The Curry Corner Cheltenham

A couple of weeks ago, after being hooked up by a mutual friend, I met Monrusha. We'd spoken just once over the phone a few days before, but it instantly felt like I'd know her for ages, and with the event that was about to unfurl, that instance was just so fitting.

Monrusha is the daughter of Shamsul Krori (Sam), and together they head up The Curry Corner in Fairview. It's "the oldest and most highly regarded Bangladeshi restaurant in Cheltenham," having never changed hands in the 40 years it has been open. You might remember seeing them on Gordon Ramsay's The F Word quite some time ago, and they've clearly been keeping up their standards with Sam winning Cotswold Chef of the Year at The Cotswold Life Food & Drink Awards 2016 and boasting 2 AA Rosettes.

Being situated in a residential street, The Curry Corner finds itself at the heart of the local community and is the epitome of a neighbourhood restaurant. So in light of recent events - Manchester, London Bridge, Finsbury Park Mosque - Monrusha felt their should be an event to bring everyone together and break down the barriers of cultural division, promoting love, unity and positivity. Cue #ShareRamadan.

"I have always believed it is down to each of us to shape our society," she said, and with a whole host of Cheltenham dwellers invited - the mayor, MP, regular customers, neighbours, strangers (like The Chap and I) - it was set to make a statement. The First Cheltenham & Gloucestershire Ramadan Banquet.

If you're not up to scratch on what Ramadan's about - I wasn't - it takes place during the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, the month in which the Quran was revealed, and consists of 29 or 30 fasts. It's a time of spiritual reflection, improvement and increased devotion and worship. All Muslims take part around the world, and from sunrise until sunset no food or water can be consumed (must be a killer when it's hot). 'Iftaari' is the name of the meal that breaks the fast - home cooked food designed to nourish the mind, body and soul - and when Imam makes the call to prayer at sunset, it's time to eat.

We arrived at The Curry Corner at 9pm, warmly welcomed by Monrusha and her family. I'll hold my hands up and say that I didn't fast during the day of the event, and can probably guarantee that neither did any of the other invited guests, but it was still pretty hard waiting until then for dinner. It also felt a little strange not having any alcohol; we've become so used to having welcome drinks to get people relaxed and ready to mingle, it was actually quite refreshing!

The tables in the restaurant were lined with various Indian dishes and at 9:45pm we sat down, gazing longingly at them. The little radio in the corner was blaring out crackly white noise, then there it was; the call to prayer.

The fast was traditionally broken with dates and water, followed by Khichuri; a comforting rice dish, delicately spiced and creamy in consistency. It's kind of like a risotto-cum-dhal and after a day of not eating, it's designed to gently ease you into your meal.

There were a variety of samosas and addictive lentil and onion bhajees alongside a spicy chickpea dish (Chaana Biraan). Then we had a bowl of aromatic cooked veg and a fresh cucumber salad to accompany the only meat dish of the night, and star of the show; Cotswold Lamb Biryani. Wowzas. Monrusha pointed out that this was a family Ramadan banquet with the ethos of The Curry Corner, rather than the restaurant's usual offerings, but I'd certainly be happy if I received something like that as a customer.

The meal ended with watermelon wedges and some Jalebis made by Monrusha's mum, Saleha. Swirls of deep fried batter which have been soaked in sugar syrup might sound heavy and stodgy, but freshly made they were light, crisp and sweet... I can see why Saleha was proud of them.

With a lot of tension surrounding the Muslim community of late, #ShareRamadan (which takes place globally) is a wonderful way to bring people from all walks of life together to share stories whilst sharing food. We're all guilty of putting ourselves and other people into different classes and categories, so this event was not only to open up our eyes a little, but to also promote being #OneCommunity, or more specifically #OneCommunityChelt.

"My hope is that others will follow the example we set and organise more events like this to open channels of communication. And of course we will enjoy good food, in good company!"

Well said Monrusha. I can see this being a much bigger thing next year.

Cookery Class with East India Café Cheltenham

Easter Sunday is usually the time where you and your family get together over a hoofing lamb roast, stuff yourself full of Easter eggs and watch some kids film on the telly. This year I strayed from tradition because I was invited to a cookery class at Cheltenham's East India Café.

The Anglo-Indian place on the prom has been on my radar for quite a while; word of mouth, I've only ever heard good things, so it was great to be able to get in on this lunchtime experience (cheers Honeybourne Line!).

Truth be told, The Chap and I were pretty hungover after a few too many bank holiday beverages on the Saturday night, but boshing a hot cross bun and a pint of tea for breakfast sorted us out, and off we went.

East India run their 'Cookery Masterclasses' on the last Sunday of every month, with the themes and menu changing each time. Their general cooking style is a bit different to your average Indian, with their inspiration coming from the years of the British Raj (1858 - 1947). The lifestyle - particularly the dining - of the British Raj was said to be incredible, prompting East India to dip into the recipes and creations of that time, giving them a slightly more updated twist.

The class that we attended was all about the colonial dishes that originated from the kitchen of Dak Bungalow - guest houses erected by Indian rulers. With four courses to make (and eat), we started swiftly.

Non-alcoholic Shorbot drinks in hand - a herbal concoction originally used for medicinal purposes - we took to our seats. Although brightly coloured, it was actually delicately flavoured with rose and lemon, and it had added texture with soaked chia and basil seeds floating around in there too.

The set up was different to other cookery classes I've been on (here), this was much more like a demonstration as opposed to a hands on kind of thing... Though I did fry some onions like a pro! An induction hob on a table was the makeshift kitchen, with eight of us observing from our tables - all facing outwards, it was a little like being an X-Factor judge for the day. Prep work was fully explained and shown for each course, with the kitchen team assembling the full dishes behind the scenes. You're basically guided through the foundations of the recipe before being presented with the finished article to tuck in to - no lengthy waiting around for things to cook. Plates cleared, then onto the next one.

Dish 1: Samosa Chaat. The ultimate street food snack, it's essentially a deconstructed samosa, or a sort of scrambled samosa, mixed with extra filling and veg. It makes it a bit healthier than just munching on the deep fried goods alone, and looks much more appetising than a few beige triangles on a plate. With a combination of fresh ingredients, herbs, spices, and the most amazing mint sauce I've ever tasted, it felt like a great way to start to an Indian feast, and is something I'll definitely recreate at home.

Dish 2: Grilled Yellowfin Tuna Steak. A super easy recipe that would be perfect for a summer BBQ (if the sun ever gets a look in). All that's required is marinating the fish overnight in a mixed pickle and mustard-y sauce, then searing both sides on a grill, and you're done! They tarted the plate up with a parsley and coriander gremolata, tartare sauce, and mango, along with a few strewn leaves. It was probably my favourite course of the day, and it's on their a la carte menu if you fancy it too.

It was at this point we had a palate cleanser of Mango Sorbet with Lemon Jelly, and I ordered myself a White Negroni. This was nothing like any White Negroni I've had before; less boozy and more sweet than usual, I presume to pair up to the spices in the food better? It certainly gained points on its beauty nonetheless.

Dish 3: Chicken Jalfrezi. A classic, made with both chicken drumsticks and breast strips, along with a healthy amount of peppers. Taste-wise, amazing (and definitely kicked out our hangovers), but my only qualm would be on the presentation. It came in a cabbage leaf bowl, which we were instructed not to eat, and then had three little buckets on the side; one with a fragrant lemon rice (yes), one with a bengali spice salad (double yes), and one with extra jalfrezi (huh?). I can see that East India are trying to be a bit different, but it just felt clumsy to eat, especially trying to cut chicken off the bone in a cabbage leaf.

Dish 4: Chilli Chocolate Truffle. Chilli and chocolate are a dream team, and when you throw in some rose flavoured jam and a handful of chopped nuts... Now you're talking. I've already hunted down some of the rose spread they used; I expect I'll be making these truffles a lot. We had a mini cup of Chai made with soy milk too just to round things off.

So, not only did we enjoy four courses of Colonial Indian food, we also got the chance to learn about Indian cookery and intermittently don an apron.

The classes at East India Café are priced at £49.95 and it lasts about 4 hours. I'd maybe say that it's aimed more at people who dabble in cookery, or those who love Indian food but never attempt to make it at home - the long lists of ingredients can be quite daunting! I feel that adventurous cooks would probably be familiar with a lot of the processes that were explained, but they'd still gain some exciting recipes and get the chance to eat some lovely food with a group of people too.

Our hosts were incredibly funny, though I'm not sure it was always intentional, and couldn't have been more welcoming. The Chap and I left with our recipe sheets, goodie bags containing spices and chai tea, and a new motto;"be your own chef".

Check out Lewis Loves blog post of the event too. 

Prithvi: The Bath Road Gem

It was The Chap's birthday last week; given the freedom to choose whatever and wherever he wanted to eat - my treat - he predictably chose Indian. You could probably put the most expensive cut of steak in front of him, but next to a plate of curry, he'd always go for curry.. I've given up.

Anyway, we'd been desperate to try out 'Cheltenham's Number 1 Restaurant' (on Tripadvisor) for ages, Prithvi on Bath Road, and as luck would have it, it's Indian cuisine. Two birds, one stone. I'd heard it was pretty tricky to get a table on a weekend, so having an excuse to go out mid week for dinner, because of a birthday, worked out perfectly. What with it being race week, Cheltenham was heaving, and as flocks of people were making their way through town, we quickly darted over the road into Prithvi. The serene environment, with murmurs of people eating and relaxing after a lengthy day at the racecourse, was a far cry from what was occurring on the other side of the door.

The restaurant, just 2 years old, prides itself on being 'all about the detail', offering a sophisticated approach to dining Indian, and upon entering, you immediately get these vibes. Decor is minimal, no ghastly gold printed, tacky/ornate stuff hanging on every inch of the walls (those things have their rightful place in many other Indians, just not here); tables are well spaced out, so even though it's a small restaurant, you don't feel as though you're on top of anyone; it's low lighting, very moody, and the wine glasses are a decent size - hooray! It's probably my biggest pet hate when going out to eat/drink; small, stubby glasses, with thick stems, are just horrible to drink out of. End of.

We went for the tour of Prithvi, a five course tasting menu of a selection of their favourite dishes, which at £39 per person, was such a good deal; in reality, with all the little in between nibbles, it was more like a 9/10 course dinner. To go with it, we chose a bottle of Viognier, which our waitress said was the perfect match; fragrant foods with lots of spice generally go best with white wines, and it's best to avoid ones which are very sharp and acidic. So whilst Viognier is predominantly dry, it has a much smoother, fuller finish. (.. see, I'm learning!)

In true Indian style, our dinner began with poppadoms; first, a tiny 2 pence piece sized one, which was presented to us on a slate, with a dollop of spicy chutney spooned on by the waiter table-side, then out came the big guns with a selection of dips that we demolished pretty quickly.

Our 'amuse bouche' was a cube of marinated chicken, served with a swipe of coriander sauce; there are a lot of swipes, splashes, smears, blobs, edible flowers and micro herbs here, which I wasn't really expecting, but I love all that jazz, so I was in my element.

Next was the first dish off of the menu, a cayenne pepper coated scallop, a tandoored butterflied prawn, with a coriander and mint coulis. If I were to be picky, I'd have liked my scallop to be a bit caramelised, as it was it had a very raw texture; but eaten with the charred prawn and herby sauce, the textures and flavours balanced out well.

Following this was The Chap's favourite of the night, a piece of smoked lamb fillet, sauteed okra, fried onions, with a coriander and chilli chutney. The lamb looked a bit unfamiliar, I don't think I'd seen a thin rectangle of meat like this before, at least not one which hasn't been processed within an inch of it's life, but it was super tasty despite appearances. And as for okra, I've had it way too many times where it's been flavourless and a little slimy - gross - but Prithvi has converted me, and I'll not bad mouth it again.

Another in-between-er came out: a crisp like puff, filled with something that I really cannot remember, but, it was brought to us in a little tear drop shaped bowl, a sauce was drizzled in by the waiter, and we were to instructed to eat it in one. It was kind of like eating a non-oyster.

The next course was one of two 'mains'; a plate of monkfish, potato juilenne, and fried purple sprouting brocolli; 'whole mustard jus', as they called it, was poured over at the table, and it was served with lemon saffron rice. I think this was probably my favourite, maybe the addition of edible flowers swayed my judgement, but there was something so delicate about it, and the citrus scented rice was the perfect accompaniment.

Having had our glasses topped up throughout, and being fed pretty much constantly, I didn't have a clue where we were up to on the menu, so the other main came as a bit of a surprise - we were getting full! Braised duck breast, cumin and honey crust, and chantenay carrots, in a creamy coconut 'jus', served with the most melt-in-the-mouth nan breads I've ever tasted. Though the duck looked a bit grey and dry and, it was actually really succulent, and it basically fell apart as soon as you got near it with a knife. The sauce; sweet, spicy, and if I'd have had any more bread, I'd have mopped up every last drop.

Our dessert was a saffron scented doughnut, saturated in syrup and served warm, with pistachio kulfi and a lime-y sauce. It was sweet vs sharp, and warm vs ice cold, the only thing missing was perhaps something crunchy to counteract all the soft elements. I tend to associate doughnuts with 'stodge', and would definitely not choose one after an lengthy meal, but this was just the right size, and the saffron infusion made it an interesting dish.

In all the theatrics of dinner, we'd not noticed how busy and noisy the restaurant had become; champagne was popping at the big table at the back, and tweed-clad gents were sinking beers with their curry behind us. The fact that we were unaware of the stream of people that had come in says a lot about the food; it was stunning. We asked for the bill, and in a sneak attack style, out came a couple of truffles; milk chocolate and hazelnut, and white chocolate and raspberry; a deliciously creamy ending to a spice-tastic dinner.

A late night curry feast takeaway - where you've over-ordered massively, and you spoon as much of each thing as you can on your plate - will always have a place in my heart, but for something fancier and more refined, I'd recommend Prithvi. The Chap was happy, and no turmeric stained plates for me to wash up either. Winner.