Mela

Mela, which had been named the Evening Standard Indian Restaurant of the Year award for 2001, was a logical choice situated near to theatre land on Shaftsbury Avenue.

The brightly painted walls (azure, dusty pink and red) are decorated with traditional spangly rugs and artifacts, while the modern wooden furniture hints at a curry with a difference. The menu , created by celebrity chef Kuldeep Singh and his team of home grown cooks, celebrates Indian country style cuisine, and many of the dishes wouldn't be found in the typical high street curry emporium.

We ordered a selection of starters, as well as main courses from the list of traditional, tandoor and tawa (traditional street cooking) dishes. A few adventurous souls tried the cocktails - the margarita was deemed a disaster, and red and white house wine made an appearance.

Enjoying a glass of very good French Merlot. My starter of Gurdaspuri whitebait (

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