We had just left the Abbey Stadium after watching the mighty Cambridge United stuff those Oxford louts in the first game of the football season. It was a miserable rainy day, so we decided to brighten our spirits and celebrate our win with a visit to Pipasha across the road.

Pipasha has an almost cult-like following in Cambridge. Many years ago we did a Cambridge Curry Community poll on our favourite Indian restaurant and Pipasha absolutely ran away with it. People love it here and are frequently raving about its customer service and great food. It is easy to understand why, as not only is it a great restaurant but it is always at the forefront of its community too. If there is a natural disaster across the other side of the world, Pipasha is collecting donations. During the pandemic, they were donating food. Not only that but they have won numerous awards for their excellence.

There is a lot to love for Pipasha out there but shamefully, it has been a few years since my last visit. In fact, it was all the way back in 2019, so I was excited to be back, catch up, and remind myself what I have been missing.

I remember holding one of our events at Pipasha back in 2014. Back then it had a very minimalist design, which consisted of mostly white walls and was a little rough around the edge, but since 2017 they have had a completely new refurbishment and the place has looked excellent ever since.

We requested some papadums while we decided what we wanted. This came with a mixed pickle tray. Lime pickle was not included but they were more than happy to provide this on request.

We were treated to an off menu dish called the ‘samosa bhaji chaat’. This was a bit of a mismatch dish that I get the impression was improvised but it was great for sharing between the four of us.

We ordered a few drinks. The boys had a mango lassi each and I had a 650ml bottle of Kingfisher. There are also Cobra bottles available but no draft options. Bottles come to approximately £6.50.

Looking at the menu, there was a wide selection of dishes. I was tempted to go for my usual vindaloo but was pulled in by a recommendation by Abdul himself – the ‘Korahi Gosht Acharia’. This is a stunning lamb dish in a acharia massala with peppers, yogurt, and is described as sour. This was absolutely lovely and one of the highlights of the evening. The lamb was very tender and the dish had a nice spicy warm glow that built up the more you ate it. I highly recommend it!

My step dad had a lamb jalfrezi. He considers himself a bit of a connoisseur when it comes to the jalfrezi curry and he said that it was executed very well. I never got to try any myself but I thought the presentation was good.

The boys both had a chicken tikka massala which was accompanied with a pilau rice each. Their silence spoke volumes throughout the meal as each plate was thoroughly licked clean. I managed to try some myself with a keema naan and a peshwari naan that I used to dip in their sauce. I thought it was a perfectly respectable example of a chicken tikka massala.

Speaking of the keema naan. This thing was absolutely packed. It was borderline a main course! My step dad has a keema naan religiously and says it was up there with the best examples he has had. A bold statement indeed!

I was delighted to see some hot towels at the end of the meal. How many places have cut these from the Indian dining experience over the years? Not at Pipasha! This is a restaurant that holds true the traditions that originally set Indian/Bangladeshi restaurants apart from their rivals back in the day. Not only do they still present these at the end of their meal but are also some of the biggest and thickest wipes I have had in years. Marvellous!

We were presented with a few chocolates and a couple of lollipops. I think it’s these extra touches which may seem small on their own but actually make a big difference to people. It holds a certain level of nostalgia but makes the dining experience that little more enjoyable.

A big thank you to Abdul and the team at Pipasha. I have been firmly reminded why I need to pop back more frequently. Great food, attentive service, and all the bells and whistles you expect from a curry house!

Thanks for reading!