The Woburn Fort, Woburn Sands
Friday, 21 April 2000
restaurant factfile

When we booked a table at the Woburn Fort we were told they had two sittings, one at 7:30pm and the second at 9:00pm. Realising that we'd be starving by 9:00 we opted for the earlier sitting. We arrived a little early at about 7:20 to avoid the rush and found the restaurant empty and the staff somewhat bewildered to be caught setting the tables. Regaining their composure admirably, they showed us to our table at the rear of the dining area. There are 30 seats altogether, with booths of 4 on the left hand side and a more flexible layout on the right. The decoration is minimalist for an Indian restaurant with none of the usual fake plants but plenty of Indian works of art - including a study of a semi-naked woman on the wall above our table (ask for the back booth!). The booths are a bit cramped but as there were only three of us this wasn't such a problem. In the past, up-market restaurants with up-market prices have disappointed us so it was with some trepidation that we placed our order.

For starters, we were obliged to order onion bhajis and we also opted for some sheek kebabs. To say that the bhajis were good would be a gross understatement. These were by far the best we have sampled in our curry-eating lives. Two balls per portion, excellent in both texture and taste they were slightly crispy on the outside with an expertly spiced filling. The sheek kebabs were just as good - two large thick and very spicy sausages. The side salad was just the usual onion, lettuce and tomato affair but even that seemed to be a cut above the norm. The splatter was also very good but top marks have to go to the red onion chutney - even SteveB had a second helping.

The main courses were heralded by the arrival of the plate warmers. These were giving off so much heat that the Chicken Dupiaza and Chicken Roughon Josh bubbled and boiled for the couple of minutes delay before the Chilli Chicken Masalla was delivered. Even after 5 minutes, PhilS managed to barbecue his fingers. The Roughon consisted of a medium spicy and very tasty sauce with an abundance of tomatoes and chicken pieces that just melted in the mouth. The Masalla had a very tasty sauce but it was, perhaps, a little runny. It also had nice tender pieces of chicken. The dupiaza was sublime, just the right combination of onions, chicken and spices and lots of coriander for garnish. For all three dishes, the portions were a bit on the small size but that did not detract from the quality. We ordered three nans to soak up the gravy. A peshwari (like a normal peshwari nan but without the sultanas); a kashmiri (like a normal peshwari with a few sultanas) and a keema nan. These were also a bit on the small size but their taste and texture was again excellent.

We finished our meal with kulfi and coffee. The kulfi itself was the usual standard fare, but arrived sprinkled with hundred & thousands with a parasol planted in the top. Although we'd ordered two pistachio and a malai kulfi, the malai turned out to be almond flavoured so was sent back in preference for a third pistachio. As a goodwill gesture, this came with a chocolate flake - the first time we'd had a kulfi-99. Coffee was nice, and included extra refills if desired.

As we have already mentioned, in the past, expensive restaurants have been disappointing but this one was different. The Woburn Fort promotes itself as a first class Indian brasserie and lives up to that description! The service from the waiters was fast, friendly and courteous - and even when a mistake had been made they were extremely quick and pleased to rectify it. The quality of the food was outstanding, and there were plenty of little touches that made the dining experience more pleasurable. The portion of red onions with the starters, the hot plates that actually cooked the main courses and the parasols in the kulfi. Little touches, but ones that separate this restaurant from the others. For once, an up-market Indian restaurant that actually justified the prices. We'll be back!

(NOTE: We must have misunderstood about the two sittings for dinner as other diners were coming and going throughout the evening, perhaps the times we were given were the only ones available when we booked.

The Scores

Which gives an overall rating of 4.5 bhajis.

The takeaway
We also ordered a takeaway from the Fort. Our order was taken at the same time as the restaurant order but the meal was prepared as we ordered our desserts. The onion bhajis could have been spicier but were still good. The chicken shashlick was good but a bit on the mild side - it was well marinated and the onion and pepper had obviously been cooked on the skewer. The tandoori roti was just like a plain nan and the kashmiri nan was very good although bigger would have been better. At £14.00 (after the 10% discount) it wasn't exactly cheap and probably didn't justify the expense.