The Delhi Restaurant on Finchley Road is a fairly small, unassuming little place. But it has clearly made a sizeable impression on the local population – the place already had customers and steadily filled up during our tea time visit.

The manager Sagar was friendly and welcoming, and happy to recommend things off the menu.

For starters we had a very tasty chicken chaat and an excellent garlic prawn and mushroom dish – both had plenty of good flavours competing for attention.

As our mains came out I had to do a double take – the tandoori mixed grill was a sizzling platter piled high with every kind of meat you can think of. It was impressive and delicious in equal measure and I am assured dry dishes are kinder on the wasteline.

Then my garlic chicken, which was as expected; a robust tangy garlic sauce with succulent pieces of fowl. Finally, worthy of special mention was the yoghurt dip that came with the poppadoms – minty, refreshing and uncommonly good.

Delhi Restaurant is better than your average Indian, and with mains for less than a fiver, it would take a stronger will than mine not to check it out.

Jon Dean