London House Restaurant, Eccleshall

finds high-class Indian cuisine served in pleasant surroundings by a team of friendly staff.

You don't get a lot for £50 these days. A decent pair of jeans, a nice quality shirt maybe, perhaps a tank of petrol – if you drive a Fiat Panda that is.

Back in the 17th Century, £50 went further – a lot further. Take, for instance, London House Restaurant, a rather princely looking building situated in one of Staffordshire's prettiest towns, Eccleshall.

This now Grade II listed building dates back to the 1600s, built originally for a mercer for just £50. Okay, that may have been a lot of money back then, I can't say for certain as I wasn't there – but I was there the other night.

These days, the building is home to one of the area's most highly regarded Indian restaurants, attracting customers from Staffordshire, Shropshire and further afield.

Arriving just before 7pm on a gloomy Friday night, I parked the car in Eccleshall High Street.

Even on a bleak, chilly winter evening, Eccleshall is a pretty, warming vista.

It is somewhat Dickensian in its charm, with many historic buildings housing independent businesses that appear to be doing well in the face of such Hard Times – no pun intended . . . well okay, you got me.

I'd last visited the restaurant more than 10 years ago and remember being impressed back then. So, with Great Expectations (okay, okay, enough already) we entered.

Now, I have been to a lot of Indian restaurants over the years and rarely is there a need to book early evening.

Let's face it, you are pretty much guaranteed a seat in most establishments before 9pm, until the beer has been flowing and the belly growls.

On our entrance we were asked if we had a reservation. I looked around and all seemed pretty quiet, but soon discovered we had got in by the skin of our teeth.

Around five minutes after being seated, the place was full, and I mean full.

My dining companion and I, plus Maddie, aged six and Jasmine, seven, were seated towards the back of the L-shaped dining room. This was to be the girls' first experience of any restaurant and naturally, being so young, took things in their stride.

It wasn't long before the dining table was strewn with Scooby-Doo colouring books and pens – a worthwhile distraction for anyone dining with little 'uns.

As with many Indian restaurants, the theme these days has moved away from flock wallpaper to muted tones of cream, set off by fairly classy seating and wooden floors. Is it just me that misses the lavishly garish interiors of old?

Luckily, with such an historic building, this homogenised feel actually works – an elegant look, for a sophisticated old girl.

And sophisticated appeared to be the theme for the evening, with many diners dressed to the nines.

The restaurant has a great atmosphere – managing to walk the tightrope of feeling special, without being overly fussy.

With the girls in tow, we opted to go straight onto the main course, following poppadoms (50p each) served with chutneys and onion salad.

I opted for a chicken Ceylon (£5.50) while my companion and Jasmine chose the chicken tikka masala (£6.75), the latter being a smaller portion more suitable for a child.

Maddie, unsure of Indian food, was pointed, of course, towards a kurma – what else?

The girls enjoyed their meals and not just because of the food.

"I like the restaurant because everyone is so friendly," said Jasmine.

"I like it because the knife makes a good noise on the food warmer," said Maddie.

Yes, it did Maddie! Bless her cotton socks.

My partner and I shared a pilau rice (£1.75) and Maddie and Jas shared boiled rice (£1.50).

Seeing as we had skipped starters, we indulged in a number of side orders, including tarka dall (£2.50); sag aloo (£2.50); Bombay aloo (£2.50) and garlic nan times two (£1.95 each).

All dishes were well-presented, mine being garnished with more fruit than I've seen in some fruit cocktails.

The sag aloo was probably the best I have had, with its large melt-in-the-mouth potato, and buttery spinach being a particular highlight for me.

Service was good and everyone at our table agreed it had been a most enjoyable experience.

With drinks, the bill came in at a reasonable £55.25, not much more than the building cost all those years ago.

So, it appears that £50 does go a long way after all, all the way to London – well London House, Eccleshall that is.

And unlike Oliver Twist, you won't be asking for "more" after such a fabulously filling meal.

ADDRESS

London House Restaurant, 28 High Street, Eccleshall, Staffordshire ST21 6BZ

Tel: 01785 850055

Web: www.londonhouserestaurant.co.uk

MENU SAMPLE

STARTERS

Tandoori fish (£3.95)

Chicken tikka pakora (£2.95)

King prawn shashlick (£4.50)

Nargis kebab (£2.95)

MAINS

London House special dinner – marinated chicken, lamb and king prawn, barbecued and cooked with garam masala. Decorated with green salad, medium dish (£9.95)

Jinga garlic mushroom – king prawns, mushroom, green peppers, tomatoes and onion, flavoured with garlic, medium (£11.95)

Chicken chessy – chicken marinated in a delicate sauce, barbecued and cooked with mushrooms, white wine and a touch of cream, mild dish (£8.95)

SUNDRIES

Aloo gobi (£2.50)

Chana bhaji (£2.50)

Sag paneer (£2.50)

Keema nan (£1.95)

Cheese and garlic nan (£1.95)