Starting out at Lloyds
Being conservative folk at heart, we started our expedition last night... at Lloyds.
There are different sorts of Curry Houses in the country, the extreme examples are bare wood and only seem to open when everyone sober has gone to sleep. Knowle is blessed with several more civilised establishments: Lloyds is one of these.
With the Friday Night peril of dropping off the offspring at Sea-Scouts being adapted to an earlier visit to PJs in Dorridge, tonight was going to test the punctuality aspect of the venue.
We all arrived more or less on time - drinks were promptly served and the table was ready and waiting. Lloyds has a less inviting upstairs, but downstairs is comfortable, tables reasonably well spaced, and the furnishing keeps the conversations to within a couple of tables! Those who remember the original Lloyds Restaurant, and the Noor more recently, will remember the stark interior which made it noisy and intimidating; if it was quiet you could get that St. Pauls effect of thinking the person at the other end of the room was talking to you on the same table. The current management have massively improved the venue.
Food was ordered, once people stopped gossiping and concentrated on the menu: a varied menu with some unusual choices, the sort of menu from which you are happy to try something different.
So rating to set the standard:
Food quality : 3.5
Service : 4
Atmosphere : 4
Golf talk : 5
Computer talk : 4
Poppadom rating : 5
Jippy tummy rating : 3.5
So bonus marks for zero mention of golf; PC talk restrained and limited to some opening business. Much to our surprise, this was the first Friday night where we didn't meet someone we knew there, otherwise the place was reasonably full. A happy buzz of chatter kept the place lively.
Food marked down for slightly undercooked rice, and perhaps the wrong choice of main course on my part, chicken mathi (if I've spelt that right), which contained fenugreek, but I did not feel there was anything special here. The chicken in the stuffed pepper starter was somewhat tasteless, I've enjoyed this dish far more in the past. To put the criticisms in context, it was still an enjoyable meal, just that I know they have done better in the past.
Draft "Indian" Cobra lager is quite reasonable drink.
Total cost per head, starter and main course only, including a couple of pints, around £20 including tip.
We escaped in good time to collect the children, leaving with a friendly goodbye from the staff.
There are different sorts of Curry Houses in the country, the extreme examples are bare wood and only seem to open when everyone sober has gone to sleep. Knowle is blessed with several more civilised establishments: Lloyds is one of these.
With the Friday Night peril of dropping off the offspring at Sea-Scouts being adapted to an earlier visit to PJs in Dorridge, tonight was going to test the punctuality aspect of the venue.
We all arrived more or less on time - drinks were promptly served and the table was ready and waiting. Lloyds has a less inviting upstairs, but downstairs is comfortable, tables reasonably well spaced, and the furnishing keeps the conversations to within a couple of tables! Those who remember the original Lloyds Restaurant, and the Noor more recently, will remember the stark interior which made it noisy and intimidating; if it was quiet you could get that St. Pauls effect of thinking the person at the other end of the room was talking to you on the same table. The current management have massively improved the venue.
Food was ordered, once people stopped gossiping and concentrated on the menu: a varied menu with some unusual choices, the sort of menu from which you are happy to try something different.
So rating to set the standard:
Food quality : 3.5
Service : 4
Atmosphere : 4
Golf talk : 5
Computer talk : 4
Poppadom rating : 5
Jippy tummy rating : 3.5
So bonus marks for zero mention of golf; PC talk restrained and limited to some opening business. Much to our surprise, this was the first Friday night where we didn't meet someone we knew there, otherwise the place was reasonably full. A happy buzz of chatter kept the place lively.
Food marked down for slightly undercooked rice, and perhaps the wrong choice of main course on my part, chicken mathi (if I've spelt that right), which contained fenugreek, but I did not feel there was anything special here. The chicken in the stuffed pepper starter was somewhat tasteless, I've enjoyed this dish far more in the past. To put the criticisms in context, it was still an enjoyable meal, just that I know they have done better in the past.
Draft "Indian" Cobra lager is quite reasonable drink.
Total cost per head, starter and main course only, including a couple of pints, around £20 including tip.
We escaped in good time to collect the children, leaving with a friendly goodbye from the staff.
posted by Ian Spencer at 5:50 PM
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