Background
The Rajah is the longest established Indian restaurant in Inverness - it first opened its doors to the Highland people way back in 1982.
Where Is It?
Deep underground, only accessible from a secret passage….well not quite, but it is just off a small lane at the ... Read review
Advantages: Excellent Food, Exemplary Service, Good Value. Disadvantages: Steep Stairs to Access.
...
The Rajah is the longest established Indian restaurant in Inverness - it first opened its doors to the Highland people way back in 1982.
===Where Is It?===
Deep underground, only accessible from a secret passage….well not quite, but it is just off a small lane at the back of the Post Office, down a flight of stairs below street level. It is slap-bang in the city centre though ... .../>
Because the Rajah is down a steep stair, it is not readily accessible for pushchairs and I was unable to verify whether they had a lift for wheelchair access. If this is of concern to you, I would suggest phoning ahead to check the situation.
We usually eat here at the weekends and we always book a table. I would recommend making a reservation regardless of the day of the week to avoid disappointment as it is always very ... more
Background
The Rajah is the longest established Indian restaurant in Inverness - it first opened its doors to the Highland people way back in 1982.
Where Is It?
Deep underground, only accessible from a secret passage….well not quite, but it is just off a small lane at the back of the Post Office, down a flight of stairs below street level. It is slap-bang in the city centre though and handy for the taxi rank, not far from the bus and train station. There is on-street parking close- by too, or you could do what we did and get my Dad to drop you off…
The Restaurant
There is a small lounge bar area, where you can wait for your table and have a drink. It is also used as a waiting area for those collecting their takeaway meals (so you don't have to fight your way past them to get in the door!)
Upon arrival, you are warmly greeting by the immaculately-clad waiters in their white jackets with gold braid epaulettes. Your jackets are whisked away and hung up for you (I hate having to hang mine on the back of my chair only to have every passing sod going to and from the toilet treading on it, grrrr!)
And so through to the Restaurant. It is deceptively small. Lots of mirrors make it appear larger than it actually is but to my calculations it probably only seats about 60-70 diners at any one time. There are comfortable padded chairs and banquette seating round the periphery of the restaurant.
**Warning** watch your head on those lamps hanging above the table - it's easy to bash your head on them when trying to nab the prime seating position with your back to the wall (all the better to people watch). If you just wait 2 seconds the waiter will pull the table out slightly and hold the lamp to one side with a "Watch you head, now Madam" (Not that this happened to anyone I know, obviously….)
I'm not going to go into great detail describing the décor, you'll be glad to know. If you really want to know have a look at their website (details at end of review); suffice it to say, you're underground, there are no windows and no view other than your fellow diners.
The Food
I have eaten here regularly over the past year or so, most recently at the end of last month. I have never been disappointed with the food and I have never left hungry!
We normally just share starters, sometimes papadums with the generous chutney and pickle tray, sometimes the delicious and tender Chicken Pakora, with the spicy accompanying sauce and on the last visit we sampled the Tandoori Mixed Kebabs. I am not a fan of lamb in any form so my husband was delighted to have my share on this occasion - he fell silent while he savoured it, before reluctantly offering me a taste. His relief was evident when I declined, and he fell silent again while he savoured the remaining pieces. Tasty, tender, succulent, delicious - just some of the words he came up with when I asked him to describe the experience (for review purposes - he knows the script). The Chicken Tikka Tandoori was certainly very tasy and tender, the yogurt sauce alongside adding a piquancy to the taste experience.
I advocate showing restrain as far as starters are concerned as portions are more than generous at the Rajah. Of course we could pass on the naan bread, paratha or pilauo rice - but we don't…..
And so to the main act. There is the usual selection of Tandoori, Balti, Biryani and popular curry dishes with options of chicken, chicken tikka, beef, vegetable or king prawn on most dishes. Something for everyone, certainly.
We usually find ourselves tempted by one of the dishes on the Chef's Specials section. The Mahonwala with its unusual sauce incorporating cream, yogurt, almonds and cheese is probably not one for the calorie conscious (yogurt's healthy though, isn't it?) is a deliciously creamy and mild contrast when teamed with a spicier curry.
On our last visit I plumped for a chicken Jaipur, a medium-hot dish with lots of onions and green peppers and generously strewn with cashew nuts. My lamb-guzzling other half went for the Balti Garlic Chilli Chicken Tikka, which is a very hot, but still extremely palatable dish. The accompanying rice, naan and paratha were tasty and hot (lukewarm food is a pet hate of mine).
They do offer the bog-standard Continental Dishes of Sirloin Steak, Chicken Maryland, Omelettes and chips, but quite frankly, why anyone would order these in an Indian Restaurant is beyond me…..
I have never had a dessert here and so can't comment fully, but as far as I can remember there were a couple of Indian ice-cream-type desserts and then a card of those bought-in ice cream dessert (orange sorbet inside half an orange and the like). I have had a liqueur coffee though and it hit the spot!
I can also confirm that the House Red and the draught Kingfisher lager went down extremely well…..
The Service
The service is superb here. I particularly like the fact that the main courses are served using a wooden trolley which is wheeled to your table, thus your curry, rice, bread and any other accompaniments all arrive at your table at the same time.
The waiters are professional, courteous, experienced, friendly and attentive without being in your face. Some of them seem to have been there since the place opened! They don't get sniffy when you ask for jugs of iced tap water either.
They provide food warmers on your table to keep your curry piping hot and give you little hot towels after your main course to freshen yourself up. There are proper linen tablecloths and cloth napkins, the cutlery and glasses are always immaculate. (It's often the little things that make me happy!)
The bill is brought promptly when requested, but you never feel like there is an urgency to leave should you want to linger over your wine or coffee.
The Filthy Matter of Lucre
As a rough guide: Starters: £3 - £6 Curries: £6 - £14 Side Dishes: £4 Chapati, Paratha, Naan & Rice: £1 - £3
On our last visit we had a starter to share, two curries with Chicken Tikka, rice, naan, a paratha and a half litre jug of house red. Our bill was under £40.
Other Details
I can personally vouch that the Ladies' amenities are clean and well appointed, albeit on the dinky side (but then it is not as though you are going to have a party in there). I absolutely love the tiles in the toilets which have really cute elephants on the border. My husband confirms that the Gents are also clean and on the compact side.
Because the Rajah is down a steep stair, it is not readily accessible for pushchairs and I was unable to verify whether they had a lift for wheelchair access. If this is of concern to you, I would suggest phoning ahead to check the situation.
We usually eat here at the weekends and we always book a table. I would recommend making a reservation regardless of the day of the week to avoid disappointment as it is always very busy of an evening.
Takeaway is available with a 10% discount on the sit-in menu price. They also do a business lunch.
The Rajah has a loyalty card scheme - in the month of November, holder are entitled to 20% off all orders placed before 6pm.
Conclusion
We love the Rajah; it has become our regular eating out haunt when we are up North. I would recommend it to anyone looking for good Indian food in the Highland capital.
Other Information
Rajah, 2 Post Office Avenue, Inverness, IV1 1DN 01463 237190 or 711525 www.rajahinverness.co.uk
