I'm back!
I used to go into Stephanie's such a lot and haven't been back since it closed so it felt strangely familiar but different.
When we went in, at about 7.30, it was half full. By 9pm it was full. Nice atmosphere, comfortable, maybe a tiny bit too bright.
The management and staff are exceptionally good. Really friendly, polite, efficient and keen to look after you. The manageress looks like a Bollywood film star.
When you sit down they bring you a platter with mini popadoms and beautiful homemade chutneys. Then you wrestle with the menu, which the waiter has to reassemble for you. The novelty menus probably won't last long.
There were four of us. Three carnivores and me. My food was definitely the best Indian good I have had in Stafford. My husband said his was "As good as Narvana. One friend pronounced his the best he had eaten. He had a neat dish which was cooked and served in a bowl sealed with a bready-pastry lid, the idea being that the food steam-cooked in its own juices.
My other friend had the lamb shank. She struggled to get the meat off, found it tough and gristly and was generally unhappy.
Four of us had starters and mains. The blokes had a couple of beers each. My friend and I both had a small glass of wine and a diet coke. The bill when it came, worked out at £28 per head including a tip. That is considerably more than we would pay in Narvana etc and didn't include some of the pricier dishes on the menu - my husband had been tempted by the scallops and sea bass for example but decided against as he felt that would be unfair when it came to split the bill at the end of the meal.
We had a fab evening, much of which was spent pointlessly arguing about Tom Selleck. My fault. It turned out I had confused him with James Garner. Neither of whom were in Fantasy Island.
I would definitely go back. My friend would take some persuading and I suspect we'd probably go to Narvana.
