Coconut Lagoon, Stratford

If you love Indian food and thought you'd tasted it all, be ready for a rare treat. Coconut Lagoon has brought the first Indian restaurant to Britain that specialises in the subtle and special cuisine of southern India, it is a revelation! Here are the 'flagship' dishes of the four southern provinces of Goa, Kerala, Karnataka, and Andhra Pradesh, each very different and influenced by European traders and colonials. If you can, bring three more friends and enjoy one of the Feast menus, but even on your own you'll be delighted by dishes like starter of Hyderabad chicken drumsticks, marinated and cooked with cashew nuts, main courses like Nizam pepper chicken or fennel flavoured lamb. The service is knowledgeable, to help you find new treasures. And the surroundings are lovely, wood floors, jade-coloured walls, comfy upholstered chairs, and soft lighting. No wonder the Coconut Lagoon has won awards among curry restaurants!