Arti, Leeds

We arrived at the restaurant on a cold Monday evening after work. The clocks had recently gone back an hour and the dark nights had certainly set in, so my friend Barry and our own Nicola had decided to opt for a curry to warm us all up!

Arti is situated out of Leeds along Roundhay Road. It is an Indian restaurant who specialises in cuisine from the great cities of India, the food of South India, Punjab and Gujarat. ‘Arti’ started his restaurant a few years ago with the idea of making each meal a delightful gourmet. It began with a dream to create a restaurant with great style, ambience and above all, gracious Indian hospitality. I think he’s achieved it.

When we arrived, Nicola was already seated and enjoying a glass of Indian beer. Our waiter introduced himself and brought a complimentary selection of popadoms and chutneys.

We perused the menu, which was vast, with many dishes that I hadn’t even heard of, which is a refreshing change, as once you have read an Indian menu in most restaurants, you’ve read them all. However, I must confess, they were really wasted on me as I am very mundane when it comes to Indian food!

Arti is acquiring quite a following with many different cultures choosing to dine here. There are also ‘Indian Chinese’ style choices on the menu with dishes like Pani Puri (crispy fried puris filled with potatoes and chickpeas, served with tamarind chutney and coriander) and Stir Fried Lamb with Vegetables (a combination of tender lamb and vegetables sautéed with Chinese Indian sauce). There really is something to tempt everyone.

Although the menu looked wonderful, with intriguing dishes like Arti Special Jhinga Mali (prawns simmered in a rich creamy gravy), a speciality of the house and Murg Rara (a combination of chicken pieces and selected herbs and spices), I already knew what I was going to order!

Starters:
Spicy Lamb Chops, Onion Bhaji, Vegetable Samosa and Arti’s speciality starter, Dhosa (spicy lentil pancakes).

Mains:
Chicken Masala, Chicken and Keema Masala and Chicken & Spinach Bhuna.

Sundries:
Chapattis & Mushroom Rice.

The atmosphere was really nice, there was a large Asian party having a birthday celebration, but it wasn’t noisy, just comfortably ‘buzzy’. The décor here is contemporary with special lighting which changes colour from blue to pink to give a nice atmospheric feel and the waiters were very pleasant and attentive throughout our visit.

The food is prepared in view of the restaurant and was served quickly. Our starters arrived and Barry was quite surprised as the Lamb Chops were ‘Tikka’, not ‘Spicy’ as ordered and unfortunately, Tikka is not a favourite of Barry’s, but he did his best. The Onion Bhaji and Vegetable Samosa were shared between us and were really very good.

The Dhosa spicy lentil pancakes were a first for us all and were really delicious. Arti is gaining a bit of a reputation for their starters, and with this one, I can see why.

The mains arrived and Nicola’s Chicken and Keema Masala was very well received. Bhuna is my usual dish when dining out at Indian restaurants as I like a ‘dry’ curry. The Bhuna here had lots of spinach and tender chicken pieces, but also lots of sauce, which I wasn’t expecting. I suspect this is because they specialise in different regions of India, rather than the more usual ones. The taste however, was very good.

Barry’s Chicken Masala was a tad over salted for his taste and the chapattis were also different. I think we ordered ‘butter’ chapattis by mistake as they were too ‘moist’ for us. The Mushroom Rice, however, was absolutely delicious, a perfect accompaniment to all the dishes.

A selection of traditional Indian desserts is available including Rasmalai (a cool and refreshing milk rice dish) and Kulfi (homemade Indian ice cream) available in a variety of flavours. We opted just to finish our meal with a ‘proper’ filter coffee and the opportunity to chat, chill out and catch up on events.

All in all I think Arti is an up and coming restaurant. It is very good value for money and if you are out that way on a cold winter night; do call in to get warmed up!

Category: Under £20

Review Summary

Atmosphere ♦♦♦♦
Food ♦♦♦♦
Service ♦♦♦♦♦
Value ♦♦♦♦♦

Contact Details

Arti
285-287 Roundhay Road
Leeds
LS8 4HS

Tel: 0113 249 0999
www.artirestaurant.com