Restaurant Review: Rani

By admin on October 15, 2010 in Food

Newcastle quayside may be awash with cheap curry houses catering to the happy hour crowd, but one eatery that foregoes such gimmicks whilst still offering a quick and affordable meal is Rani, situated on the corner of Sandhill and Queen Street.

With a décor that’s suitably grand whilst remaining light and airy with its high ceilings and white walls, the restaurant offers a first class dining experience without that all too common feeling of being imposed upon.

If you’re dining with a companion – or if you have a particularly large appetite – the mixed platter (£7.90) is ideal as a starter, offering a selection of mini bhaji’s, mixed kebab, desi tikka and lightly spiced prawns with puree. Also recommended is the Machli Masalla (£5.90) featuring fresh strips of Bangladeshi fish marinated in spices.

Whilst sensibly catering to those who refuse to deviate from their usual Madras or Dopiaza with a good selection of standard dishes priced at £6.90, the chef’s specialities at a few pounds extra are well worth the added expense. Amongst them are the Hariali Chicken (£9.90) – a lean chicken breast cooked with crushed garlic, ginger, green chilli, coriander, cream and spinach and, our personal favourite, the Patrani Mach (£10.90) – fresh fish marinated in herbs & spices, glazed with a specially prepared achar sauce wrapped in foil and steam cooked with an onion, tomato and mustard seed sauce.

Although sadly out of action on our visit, another plus point for Rani is their free taxi service which picks you up and drops you off anywhere within a five mile radius of the restaurant. It may sound like a marketing gimmick, but it’s a pretty handy one once you’ve worked your way down the restaurant’s impressive wine list…

[googleMap name="Rani Indian Restaurant" description="2 Queen Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 3UG, 0191 231 2202" width="500" height="350" directions_to="false"]2 Queen Street, Newcastle upon Tyne, Tyne & Wear, NE1 3UG[/googleMap]

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