THERE'S no shortage of Indian restaurants in Winchester, but the Palash should not be overlooked.

Tucked away off the main drag in Parchment Street, it offers a warm welcome and superb food. Like many other Indian eateries space is at a premium but sensibly used - and the large window at the front is a nice feature.

Beware, though, the stairs down to the toilets if you've had a drink or two.

Dining on week night, we did not have that problem and almost had the run of the restaurant.

The menu offers a wide variety of food for all tastes and even the most fussy eater will find something to take their fancy.

For starters we went for chicken chat and an onion bhaji. The portions were just right and neither were too substantial to compromise the main course.

There was barely a wait between courses and my chicken tikka gets top marks for presentation and taste. The barbecue flavours from the chicken - cooked in a clay oven - were superb and the side salad and boiled rice provided the perfect accompaniment.

If a light dish is what you are after I would recommend it. My partner opted for a chicken korma - a mild, creamy dish - with boiled rice and garlic naan. The dish was very saucy but went down well.

The dessert menu was fascinating - but we were too full to even think about exploring it.

The bill came to a very reasonable £26.

Reservations: 01962 844409.