Rooburoo, Angel

A friend chose Rooburoo as a last minute venue for his birthday meal and so five of us turned up at 8pm on a Saturday night, hoping we could get a table.  We needn't have worried - there was noone else in there.  Not a good sign.

However, the staff were very friendly and we were seated in front of the unusual (read as difficult to follow) menu within seconds.  There are roasts, cooked on the tandoor and served with salad, stir fried noodles and 'lite bites' amongst the mixture of more standard offerings.

The poppadoms were light and crispy and fresh, served with a selection of tasty pickles in modern glass jars - a refreshing change.  We skipped starters and went straight for the curries.  I was glad I had selected a medium strength option as, despite the fact I am not a hot curry fan, my lamb rogan josh had a bit of spice to it - as opposed to the fairly bland chicken korma kashmiri that Tom had. Other chicken and prawn curries along the table were well received and the meat was tender and plentiful but the sauces were fairly watery and nothing was above average. On the plus side rices, in pots to share, were generous and service throughout was exemplary.

Two courses and a beer: £19 per head

Value: 6/10

Service: 9/10

Atmosphere: 3/10

Food: 5/10

SCORE: 23/40

Rooburoo, 21 Chapel Market, London, N1 9EZ.  Tel: 020 72788100.