Eat My Words: We review Everest Inn, Grantham, during Diwali celebrations

Having dined at Everest in Grantham many times before, the opportunity to come and celebrate Diwali there was far too good of an opportunity to pass up.

Diwali —the Festival of Light — is celebrated in the Hindu faith and symbolizes the triumph of good over evil, or light over darkness, and we were met by a cacophony of colour when we arrived on the day itself Monday October 20.

The whole restaurant was beautifully decorated with flowers, lights, and prettily patterned table cloths as well as garlands and wreaths — as well as a few elephants here and there, and we felt like we were transported into the heart of India.

We were met by general manager Gagan Bhauhan who greeted us like a member of the family, and we were promptly dressed like family as well as I was given a beautiful bindhi, and Adam received a traditional men’s Indian scarf.

Our host then passed us a glass of Prosecco each, and we were given our menus to peruse.

I was impressed with the choice on a set menu, with three courses on offer. I went with the crispy chicken wings to start and Adam chose the lamb boti (marinated lamb chunks cooked over charcoal.)

I must apologise to our gracious hosts as it’s impossible to eat chicken wings in a delicate, ladylike manner — I did try! But they were delicious with a crisp batter with a hint of spice, and Adam said that his lamb was “sensational”, which Gagan was thrilled to hear.

Then it was on to our mains. After a chicken based starter I decided to go with a veggie curry, the Veg Kurchan which was asparagus, cheese, and other veggies in a red plum tomato sauce with aromatic spices. Adam went with the chicken version, and oh my goodness, it was hands down one of the best curries I’ve ever had in my life. No exaggeration.

I normally go for medium-hot curries and this one wasn’t particularly spicy, but the flavours were absolutely incredible and it was so tasty. We also were given a portion of Aloo Tuk (crispy fried potato slices) each, as well as a choice of either rice or a naan each. It was quite a feast, and we were both so full when we finished.

But it wasn’t over yet, as we then had dessert — gajar halwa with ice cream — which I had no idea what it was until the lovely waiter popped it on the table, and is actually grated carrot cooked with milk, sugar, and cardamom.

I was a little apprehensive if I’m honest, but it was delicious! The creaminess of the milk diluted the carrot flavour and made the whole dessert very pleasant and light after such a big meal. I even googled the recipe after we left to see how easy it would be to make at home.

I can’t speak highly enough of our whole experience at Everest. Gorgeous food, lovely staff, incredible ambiance, and we left feeling full, but full of light — very fitting for a Diwali celebration.

Out of five:

Food: If I could give the food 1,000 out of five I would. Everything was cooked to perfection and you could tell it was made with love, if that makes sense? The portion sizes were just right and the various accompaniments were spot on too. And who would have thought that carrot would work so well as a dessert? *****

Drink: We were treated to a complimentary glass of fizz each and a glass of red wine after our mains as well, and no Indian meal is complete without a Cobra, so there was plenty of choice. ****

Decor: The restaurant is normally incredibly cosy and with a welcoming ambiance, but on this occasion team had really gone all out for Diwali, with so many colours and beautiful flowers everywhere. It was like stepping into a Bollywood dream. *****

Staff: The staff treated us like royalty and like were part of their own family celebrating one of the most important days of the year with them. I loved that the ladies were dressed in traditional sari and all looked incredibly beautiful. *****

Price: Our meal was complimentary, but £24.99 for a three-course meal, plus sides, was very reasonably priced and I would not hesitate to pay it on any other night. *****

Have you had a great meal? Share your own Eat My Words reviews or tell us where to try by emailing: news@newarkadvertiser.co.uk