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The Dinner Detective dines at: Shimla Pinks, Crown Square, Manchester city centre

The Dinner Detective
25/ 8/2005

UNLIKE restaurant reviewers on some newspapers, the Dinner Detective eats out incognito and always pays for the meal. That way, the Dinner Detective gets the same treatment as the readers, giving an honest review of the service you might receive.

SHIMLA Pinks is set in uninspiring surroundings right opposite the Crown court amid a skyline dominated by cranes.

But get away from the grey and step inside the restaurant and you are met with a colourful scene which combines the rich hues of the subcontinent with clean, modern décor.

My dining companion and I were welcomed with a plate of poppadoms - just one each, which was great as we managed to hang on to some appetite for the rest of the meal - and set to work on the menu, which is extensive and contains some unusual specialities as well as more conventional Indian fayre.

We each ordered a small bottle of Cobra (£2.85) and took advice from the staff to help us choose our dishes, as there were several neither of us had ever encountered before and we wanted to try something new.

We opted to share a raunaq-e-seekh (£4.50) which was one of the best seekh kebabs I have ever sampled, and the tandoori jinghe (£8.50) which consisted of three enormous and delicious king prawns cooked in spices.

The waiter proved his worth again by offering us a break before our main course arrived, something that happens all too rarely but which can add volumes to the experience of dining out.

For the main event, I went for a lamb nentara (£8.45) with a plain naan (£2.25), while my opposite number tried the chicken kerala molee (£8.45) with basmati rice (£2.25). Both were tasty and enjoyable, without being outstanding.

The dessert menu was pleasing in that it steered clear of offering the range of ready-prepared ice-cream based fancies which let so many curry houses down at the end of a good dinner. We decided to share a gulab jamin (£3.95), which was sweet dumplings in a rose syrup with cream.

This provided an exceptional end to the meal, both because it was delicious and because the staff, realising that we were sharing, added an extra dumpling for us free of charge, which made a nice touch.

They were also happy to serve us coffee in the lounge area, the only place in the restaurant where smoking is permitted.

I cannot praise the staff of Shimla Pinks highly enough. The food was good, but not amazingly better than the best of their competitors, yet the good service left us feeling we had enjoyed an exceptional experience.

On the menu

Starters: Cheapest - vegetable pakora £3.75;most expensive - tandoori platter £8.95

Main courses: Cheapest - various vegetarian dishes £6.95; most expensive - tandoori salmon £14.95

Telephone: 0161 831 7099