Duke of Wellington, Darlington Rd, Neville’s Cross
2:25pm Friday 29th August 2008
The right spice at the right price.
FOR a pub that sits at the crossroads to an array of housing estates, both new and old, the Duke of Wellington is more hostile than hostelry when it comes to junior visitors.
The blue sign beside the front door is almost triumphant in its proclamation that children are most definitely not welcome. A concession is grudgingly given to those aged 14 and over that they can cross the threshold - but only if they are with an adult and there to eat.
Despite its visual presence, this sign had clearly been missed (intentionally or otherwise) by the family beating a hasty retreat from the bar area with a young lad in tow grumbling about how unfair life was.
One can understand their frustration.
Thursday night is curry night - £5.99 for one of Asia's finest exports and a drink thrown in to boot. Any parent looking to feed a family on a night out in the current cost-conscious climate would leap at the opportunity.
But, regardless of the Duke's no kids policy, it didn't appear to be affecting trade. Customer after customer (including ourselves) did the loop around the restaurant, getting ready to pounce as soon as a table became free. We didn't have too long to wait and settled into comfy leather chairs against a pleasant backdrop of red and gold wallpaper.
A quick skim down the menu showed plenty on offer for the price. There were the usual favourites - chicken tikka masala, chicken jalfrezi and korma, alongside lamb kashmiri and a vegetable masala for the non-meat eaters. All dishes, it said, would be served with pilau rice and naan bread. For an extra £1, you could choose from a poppadom, onion bhaji, vegetable samosa or naan bread. Alternatively, for an extra £2, you could boost your order to a half tandoori chicken or the tantalisingly sounding salmon tandoori.
The drink included ranged from a bottle of Indian lager, Cobra, to wine and soft drinks.
But what would the quality be like? Surprisingly good. My chicken dhansak was given a mediumhot rating and came in bang on the mark. The spinach, lentils, tomatoes and onion worked well together to give an overall pleasantly hot feel rather than one of distinguished flavour. The chicken was juicy and there was a moderate amount for the price.
Likewise, Lindsay's lamb kashmiri had plenty of meat which was tender to the taste and not too fatty as some lamb dishes can be. The North Indian sauce looked suspiciously similar to my chicken dhansak but a taste test proved them to be quite different.
Lindsay's was milder than its medium-hot rating but tomatoey and equally flavoursome. Both saffron-coloured rice accompaniments were light and the naan breads, although crisp, were perfectly good. But then we turned to the sad-looking little bhajis, huddled miserably in a white dish, all greasy, overcooked and rather small. They tasted as disappointing as they looked and came with a tiny portion of yoghurt (although the waitress gladly returned with extra after we asked).
For dessert, at £3.25, I opted for the apple crunch tart. In essence, it was apple crumble on a pastry base with caramel sauce liberally sprayed over before a topping of custard. All combined pleasantly enough to round off the meal.
Lindsay had the banoffee pie, which arrived looking a little grey and laden with aforementioned caramel but faired well on the taste test.
Overall, the curry night at the Duke proved good value for money and, aside from the beleaguered bhajis, the food was plentiful and tasty. Even though the pub was busy, the staff were good and responded speedily when called upon. Nothing was too much trouble.
But, like the empty streets of Vulgaria in the film Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, there were no children in sight. While children shouldn't be scampering about the pub at night, it seems a shame to bar families from eating there during the day or at least up to a reasonable time in the evening.
Judging by the full tables, however, its no kids policy may just be its selling point.