Went for Lunch for two at Papaya. Probably was a bit early but the restaurant was empty, though initial impressions were good because of the modern contemporary decor and cleanliness. This being my first time in an Indian restaurant, and having heard some distasteful rumours regarding Indian restaurants, I have to say Papaya really does raise the standards. Ordered the Malu Miris for starters, and had 3 Main courses of the Deviled Chicken (Spicy), Aubergines (Medium) and Fish Curry (Medium) plus Rotti and Paratha. The waitress advised not to go for spicy as it might be too hot but being a chilli addict, I wasn't too afraid and in the end, the Devilled Chicken was very impressive, not too spicy and had a nice garlic taste to it. The fish curry was very nice and a reasonably generous amount of fish. Aubergine curry apparently wasn't as good as what my companion had last time but for me it was still quite delicious. The let down for my companion was the Malu Miris which was to be honest, quite hard and might be slightly overfried but for me it was ok, not perfect. The price for both without drinks was £24 (not including tips) so it wasn't too bad though portions for the curries could be slightly more, though would definitely recommend the Devilled Chicken and will probably go back again.
Food 8/10
Value 7/10
Location 6/10
Atmosphere 7/10
Service 8/10 read more