Lunch at the Mint Room Bristol

The Mint Room Indian Restaurant is tucked away down a residential street in Clifton. From the outside, it looks compact. But we soon discover there are actually two entrances, and the restaurant is very spacious.

Bikes on the wall — The Mint Room, Clifton

Decor is modern with black bicycles mounted on the walls. We didn’t discover whether there was any particular reason they were there, but they are a neat discussion point.

Whilst we could have plumped for a tasting menu, but the set menu caught our eye. It was difficult to make our choices. We plumped for different dishes so that we could sample as much as possible.

Our waiter explained that the set menu was devised with lunch in mind featuring lighter-style dishes.

Gone, thank goodness, are the days when you visit an Indian restaurant and the same old staple dishes appear. Here at Mint, the chef has a deft hand with flavours and with presentation.

Our Lunch at the Mint Room

I started with Indian Street Chaat. Originally a snack, this dish seems to have many different interpretations. Here it is wheat pastry filled with chickpeas, turmeric and ginger topped with yogurt and mint sauce – a lovely fresh dish to start the meal. A dish of naan and soft drinks accompanied our meal.

My husband tucked into Galouti Kebab: minced lamb, with garlic, ginger and fresh coriander. Galouti means melt in the mouth and this certainly did. It was originally created for the Nawab of Lucknow who apparently could only eat soft food. On re-reading the menu, I discover that the pink sauce was smoked paprika mayonnaise. It was very mild and the only element that needed a little adjustment.

KasundhiJhingha - Tandoori prawns — Kasundhi Jhingha – Tandoori prawns

For my main course, I thought prawns cooked in the tandoor oven would be good to try. The prawns were particularly succulent basted with the mustard (Kasundhi) sauce. I would definitely eat these again!

My husband chose Tulsi Murgh – or basil chicken. The chicken is marinaded with the herb and the result was very flavoursome. He particularly appreciated the extra serving of sauce!

And so on to dessert. We could have had kulfi which is included in the set meal price, but instead chose two dishes from the separate dessert menu. I continued my tandoori theme, and chose Tandoori Pineapple. Imagine ripe pineapple grilled – delicious.

The star dessert was a beetroot halva. If you love cardamom, this is the dish for you. It is deeply comforting. We got quite a taste for halva when we visited India, this was an excellent version which we almost fought over!

Our verdict

A great place for lunch and good value for two courses including soft drinks and naan. Our desserts were from the a la carte menu. An ideal way to sample the food and anticipate a return visit in the evening.

Give yourself time to park, there are places around but you might have to take time to find a space.