This week's Pub Grubber heads for the Agrah, in Cleethorpes, where he and a friend enjoy the great atmosphere, top service and mouth-watering food.
ON a cold, dark January evening in Cleethorpes, the lure of some subcontinental spice to take off the chill was always going to be hard to resist.
There are, of course, plenty of quality Indian establishments to choose from in the resort but, on this occasion, a friend and I were drawn towards the welcoming delights of Agrah.
Being a Friday night, we were expecting the Sea View Street eatery to be as busy as Mumbai rush hour and, though it was indeed somewhat bustling when we walked in, we were quickly found a table.
Aside from the restaurant's inviting south Asian-themed ambience, what immediately struck a chord was the superb service.
Menus were swiftly whisked to our table and, before we'd had a chance to delve through the array of delicacies on offer, the drinks we had ordered on entry were with us.
Throughout the evening, the service was never less than textbook – friendly and attentive without ever becoming overbearing.
Getting stuck in to the menu, the number of starters to choose from alone was almost overwhelming. Shik kebab (£2.80), vegetable samosa (£2.50), meat samosa (£2.50) – and so much more.
We both went for the onion bhaji (£2.50) which, presented with a small salad garnish, was a Delhi-cious opening to proceedings.
As is often the case at Indian restaurants, picking a main course can take almost as long as it does to eat it. Though I usually opt for a chicken tikka masala, an intriguing "special sauce" along with ginger and garlic flavours pulled me towards the chicken bahar while my friend took my usual place and went for the masala.
When it comes to sides, you're well catered for too. Agrah do stuffed paratha (£1.80), peshwari (£1.95) – the works.
Both of our meals, accompanied with pilau rice, were soon on the table and we were not disappointed.
My chicken bahar was well cooked and had plenty of meaty texture to it along with just the right amount of heat that the underlying flavour wasn't overpowered.
Meanwhile, my friend was just as enthused by Agrah's "Banga-lorious" masala, adding it was a "naan out of ten", presumably because a suitable pun for the top score proved elusive!
After finishing our meals, we were feeling more than a bit full but an unexpected surprise still awaited.
The hot towels were a nice touch for the now necessary finger cleansing, but it was the free shots of liqueur that rounded things off brilliantly. I've never left an Indian restaurant feeling a tad light-headed before but, after the beer and both shots (my friend was driving), I certainly walked away with a smile on my face.
Even better was that all of this came in at just £31.10 between us, making it one of the best value meals out I've had recently.
We left on a high and, as such, the jovial puns kept coming – our night at Agrah was not forgotten with a rupee-t visit definitely on the cards!
See www.facebook.com/pages/The-Agrah-Indian-Restaurant for details.
