There is no shortage of Indian restaurants in London.  They span from dodgy looking eateries all the way to fine dining establishments like the Michelin starred Benares. Mr.N and I have been to Benares and we were both left feeling distinctly underwhelmed and unimpressed, but this blog is not about Benares. In the middle of this spectrum is the mid range curry house and a serious heavyweight in this category is The Regency Club. This popular restaurant in Queensbury has been attracting crowds for years, crowds who will queue up even on weekdays.

Mr. N and I live close by to the restaurant and whenever we are feeling lazy we head over to Regency. Back when he started courting me, Mr.N told me that he knew the head honcho of Regency. When I say head honcho I mean Mr.P. You’ll often find Mr.P guarding the front doors like a nightclub bouncer. He also feels no shame in booting diners off their tables before they’ve even finished munching on their last lamb chop if it means he can squeeze the next herd through. I have been a bootee, I would know.

You walk in and there are TV screens usually showing football and there are cosy booths to the left. Here is where you need to pay attention, friends. There are small tables crammed together in front of the bar and no matter how much the waiters insist, avoid being coerced into sitting in this cattle class seating at all costs unless you are an Eskimo and you enjoy a good draft. I certainly don’t. The ratio of men to women is on average 3:1 but rest assured that it is not sleazy.  Walk across the bar and you’ll see the army of chefs working hard in the semi open kitchen, the curries simmering away and phone orders coming through quick and fast. There is a palpable buzz about this place.

Mr.N has a theory which I fully endorse and the theory is that you can usually judge how good an Indian restaurant is by their mixed grill. The Regency Club mixed grill consists of kebabs, chicken tikka pieces and lamb mushkaki. It is relatively pricey at £14.25 but it would be criminal to not to order it. The chicken is flavoursome and the kebabs are cooked just right (believe me, a lot of places get this wrong and feed you rubber). The lamb mushkaki is super succulent and easily my favourite in the grill offering. We also usually order the garlic mogo. Mogo means cassava which is a woody shrub native to South America, a bit like a potato but healthier.  These addictive deep fried bites are crispy on the outside and soft in the middle.

In my opinion Indian starters are almost always the climax of a meal with the mains never quite living up to expectations. One of the only exceptions to this rule is the grand biryani. Biryanis are the lasagnes of the Asian culinary world. They take a lot of time and effort to prepare because each component is cooked separately and then layered together at the end to create something truly mouth watering. A Regency chicken biryani features coloured rice, curried chicken, thick curry sauce and boiled eggs topped with crunchy onions. Just to be polite, we also order the kheema with naan. Rumour has it that there are certain ‘off the menu’ dishes like the Bombay kheema which I am warned will guarantee a few uninvited visits to the toilet aka the delhi belly. I think I’ll pass.

You will and should leave Regency feeling like you have eaten enough for a week, it’s just that good. What makes me choose this place over its less credible rivals in the area is that food is consistently impressive. Consistency is so underrated.

In an age where Indian restaurants are trying to cater to the masses and are becoming increasingly Anglicized, Regency for the most part stays true to its authentic roots. The restaurant has introduced burgers and chips to its menu but these Western items have been given a desi twist in true Regency style. So, if you are looking for a lamb pasanda and a peshwari naan, you should probably keep walking.

Tips: try and get there before 7pm to avoid the queues, well, it is either that or get chummy with Mr.P.

Food: 10/10  Atmosphere: 7/10  Value: 8/10

If this restaurant were a fictional character it would be….Veeru from Bollywood classic, Sholay- popular, reliable and masculine.