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RAVAL

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This top-quality refurbishment is the new word in Indian cuisine

GREAT! I NEED SOME NEW SHOES
Raval is not Ravel pronounced with a Geordie accent: it's the Punjabi word for 'elite'. Near the Sage music centre and Baltic art gallery, this new Indian restaurant occupies a £1m revamp of the old Snowball's department store.

SO WE'RE TALKING BOLLYWOOD STUNNER?
Out go flock wallpaper and swirly carpets, in come three chic dining areas – including a light-bite lounge bar – that can accommodate 100 people.

NOT THE PLACE FOR A CURRY IN A HURRY,THEN?
The chefs have been brought over from India's top hotels to cook subtly spiced food that's a world away from the Day-Glo offerings of the traditional curry house. Start with baby corn bezule – crispy baby corn marinated in a Mangalorean masala (£5.50) – ahead of malai halibut flavoured with mace and cardamom (£15). Finish with white chocolate kulfi (£7).

AND TO DRINK?
The days when lager was the only accompaniment to Indian food are long gone: Raval's wine list runs from aromatic whites, such as a South Australian riesling (£26), to light reds like Nuits St Georges pinot noir (£56).

FIND IT:
Kent House, Church Street, Gateshead Quays (0191-477 1700, ravaluk.com)

MORE MODERN INDIANS
Amaya Halkin Arcade, Motcomb Street, London (020-7823 1166, real indianfood.com). Go star-spotting as you graze on kebabs and biryanis.

Mint Leaf Suffolk Place, London (020-7930 9020, mintleaf restaurant.com). Cocktails share top billing with elegant cooking.

Lasan James Street, Birmingham (0121-212 3664, lasan.co.uk). Modern menus prove there's much more to Brum than balti.

Review by Words by Philppa Ronald. Illustration by Clare Mallison

Release date: Tuesday 24 July 2007

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