A quality local restaurant – Bombay Nights

“WE’RE still here,” boasts the proud owner of Bombay Nights, a much-loved Indian restaurant in West Hampstead.

It’s true – and sad to say – that many local restaurants have closed around this neighbourhood in the last few years.

In Finchley Road, recent losses include the Italian Terra Terra and Ye Olde Swiss Cottage pub, which pulled its final pint last month.

But Bombay Nights in Fortune Green Road is still going strong – proof that quality cooking will still draw in the customers.

The owner Abu Bokor is a young man and veteran of the restaurant trade. He grew up in Bombay Nights, which has been in the family since 1993, and now also runs Bombay Flame just off Kilburn High Road. “I was doing it from my childhood,” he explains, with a smile.

His chef at Bombay Nights hails from Goa, which explains some of the specialties on the long menu. This region of India is known for its coconut and seafood.

The restaurant itself is a simple space. The small terrace out front twinkles with fairy lights and the dining room has been painted a deep red.

We tried a mix of starters. The “Akbari-E-Bagan” was new to me. The chef cooks an aubergine until soft, scoops out the flesh, mixes it with spices then replaces it in the aubergine skin before grating over cheese and heating it until it melts. This was indulgent and addictive.

“Amritsari Grilled Mushrooms” was a clever idea you also could try at home. Marinade button mushrooms in a curry paste then roast or grill until charred on the outside.

The “Kathi Lamb Kebab” was memorable, too: chunks of highly spiced lamb tikka served in a chapatti roll filled with onions and sweet chutney.

It didn’t take long for us to realise that the quality of this cooking was a cut above.

Abu explained: “We cook everything from fresh. We use uncommon spices – some that other restaurants never use.”

For the main dishes, the Goan lamb curry was sensational. The tender meat is bathed in a subtly spiced sauce of coconut milk spiked with matchsticks of fresh ginger, mustard seeds, other secret spices and curry leaves. One dried red chilli floated in the sauce and the chefs adds a sprinkle of dried coconut on top for texture and crunch.

The menu at Bombay Nights is huge – spanning around a hundred dishes.

Abu also recommended the egg curry and a dish of king prawns cooked with fresh coconut, fennel seeds and mango. There are plenty of vegetarian and vegan options, too.

If you prefer a takeaway, customers receive a 20 per cent discount on online orders and delivery is free.

Bombay Nights is a quality local restaurant with reasonable prices – around £6 for starters and £10-15 for the larger dishes.

Thankfully, it feels well supported by locals who realise just how lucky they are.

Bombay Nights
90 Fortune Green Rd, NW6
020 7435 0163
bombaynights@live.com
www.bombaynightsrestaurants.co.uk