I had the pleasure of being treated to a meal at the new (old) Rajbelash on Hills Road.

Aka the Saffron Basserie.

Despite popular belief, the restaurant IS NOT closed. Just changed……Though not by much.

Other than a new sign and logo, the restaurant is pretty much the same, and that’s no bad thing. The interior is still the same, the menu is not much different, and the staff are still friendly and eager to please.

Everything here is as you remember it (if you have visited before). No thrills or gimmicks, but good quality and good value.

The service here is excellent. Each member of staff took the time to chat with us. During that time they explained that they were working on a disabled toilet, which was fantastic news for any wheelchair users.

Not only that but they have upped the staff count in the kitchen. So things should only get better than before.

I thought the bar at the back was very striking and vivid when lit up, especially with Cobra and Kingfisher on tap.

Make sure you ask for lime pickle with your papdum’s as it doesn’t come out unless requested. It tasted fantastic tonight, so don’t forget!

Their saag aloo was really decent, as was their chicken tikka masala. The chicken was tikka’d really well and tasted incredibly creamy. They executed it perfectly. I was pleased to see that my vindaloo had some backbone to it!

Very spicy! As it should be!

I very much welcome the hot towel (wet wipe) and chocolate at the end of the meal too.

There isn’t much else to say about the Raj. It’s a good restaurant for a good price with friendly attentive staff.

I look forward to coming back!