Some places are just solid choices for a good feed. Indigo, at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi, is one of those.
The fine-dining restaurant is not one of the more contemporary in this category ― dry ice and fusion flavours don’t make their way into this menu, but nor is it old-fashioned or stuffy. It’s just the right side of formal.
Staff are excellent and make us feel welcome from the greeting at the door to the final goodbye. The venue is fairly quiet on the weeknight we’re dining, but the atmosphere is fine.
There’s a small bar near the entrance, but we go straight to the table, eager to see what’s on the menu this time. Most of the dishes are classics, but there are some with modern twists to keep things interesting.
Firstly, the grape menu has plenty of choices, but we’re not going down that route, and instead order bottles of Indian hops.
There are mixed drinks, too, and lots of short measures. Mocktails and soft drinks are also present and correct.
To the food, then, and we try the Bombay potato fritters to start. They’re deep-fried sandwiches, filled with spicy potato.
There’s nothing not to like about that description.
They come out with a tamarind drizzle and mint raita and are perfect post-pub snacks. As a starter they’re a little heavy, but there’s no messing with the flavours. We would order again.
Some bread and dips come out with the fritters. An unexpected treat, but a tasty one.
We go for a classic for one main course ― the butter chicken curry. It’s creamy, rich and has a great depth of flavour.
Our other choice, xacuti prawns, comes from the specials menu. There’s a chicken version available usually, but there’s something about seafood and Goan curries that we can’t resist. We’re warned its spicy and it certainly is, but we definitely don’t mind that. Our only niggle is that three prawns in a main course is a bit stingy. They’re delicious, and they’re hardly small, but they’re floating in a sea of curry.
The rice that comes with the curries is fine, but we prefer the garlic and butter naans that we order to drag through the sauces.
Is there a better way to end a night than a good curry?
