I had the pleasure of revisiting one of my favourite St Ives Indians tonight, PR Masala.

The service here was absolutely excellent. This could have been down to the fact that the place was nearly empty because of the scorching hot weather but none the less, they were attentive and helpful and deserve credit.

The menu had all the basics you have come to expect, such as vindaloo, biryani, and a selection of tawa.

We had quite a few drinks already, so we decided to go for the usual vindaloo and biryani. I was really pleased to see Kingfisher and Cobra beer on tap. So many pubs in the UK now are lacking a good lager, so I’m grateful to see that I can at least get one in here!! Is it me or are Indian restaurants becoming better places to drink than pubs these days?

The papadums came with a selection of side sauces which were a mixed bag, such as a very ordinary quality mango chutney and onion salad which was poorly chopped. This was quite disappointing but the lime pickle really stood out as excellent. I find lime pickle to be most important so it managed to salvage the experience.

The yogurt was also excellent. So thick and flavorful. This is useful to have on a hot day with a vindaloo coming, so I was very grateful.

The mushroom rice was pretty good. The portions were average but the texture was all on point. The saag aloo side I had ordered was very good too. No complaints on the dishes so far.

The vindaloo was ordered extra hot and arrived very spicy, which was a good sign. So many times I ask for this extra hot and it comes out mild in other restaurants, it was good to see that they were listening.

According to my father the biryani was excellent. He does seem to be a bit of a connoisseur on the dish so I’d take that as a real win!

We were given a microwaved wet wipe and an After 8 mint after our meal, which was really good to see. Another example of how PR Masala gets it absolutely right while many other restaurants seem to cut them out to save costs these days

Could this be one of the last of the dying old school Indians?

PR Maaala executed everything well with very little to criticise. It isn’t going to jump out as a gourmet restaurant but I’m very confident it will serve the good people of the area really well for their standard Friday night curry. All the iconic extras you have come to expect from an Indian meal such as an Indian beer on tap, a hot towel, and attentive polite service are all here.

Never change PR Masala!

Website: https://www.prmassala.com

Phone: 01480 493222 —