A friend was coming home for the first time in months and a catch up was way overdue. But where to go in Great Yarmouth that caters for a vegan, a guy with a large appetite for anything spicy, and me, who wanted vegetables and tender-cooked fish?

We found what we were looking for in the heart of Great Yarmouth’s King Street. Jaipur Restaurant offers classic dishes from India, Bangladesh and the Middle East. The place has a 4.5-star rating on TripAdvisor and is hidden in plain sight among mini-markets, pubs and restaurants in the town centre.

We began with three pints of Kingfisher (£4.90 each) and nibbled on poppadoms (70p each) with classic mango chutney, yoghurt and a spicy onion and tomato condiment.

Food

I ordered a vegetable samosa to start (£3.70) while my friends each had an onion bhaji (£3.70). We chatted and chewed while we examined the menu feeling spoiled for choice.

The samosa was crispy and soft in the middle.

For mains, my friend James ordered the lamb balti (£8.20) with plain boiled rice (£2.70) and peshwari naan bread (£3.20), while my vegan pal John went with the vegetable korai (£6.90), pilau rice (£2.90) and a Peshwari as well.

I went with the medium-spicy fish masala (£9.20) from the 'specials' menu.

My masala came served on a cabbage leaf and contained succulent chunks of white fish in a tangy tomato paste. It tasted authentically Goan and was generous in its offerings of tamarind offering a tang which cut through the rich sauce.

The pilau rice was warming and well-formed - always nice as a palate cleanser – and the peshwari was sweet and bursting with coconut. The bread was doughy in the middle with a nice crunch at its edges.

John said his korai had “tonnes of flavour” and rivalled similar dishes from Manchester’s Curry Mile.

While John and I chatted, James remained silent throughout his main course. He mixed the lamb balti with the rice and had a plate full of a deeply-coloured paste. Between sips of Kingfisher, he spooned more and more of the curry into his mouth and chewed slowly. He was transfixed on his meal.

James looked up and said: “I think I have died and gone to balti heaven.”

Setting

Inside, there is a nice, relaxed atmosphere with enough seats to sit about 45 diners. Quiet Indian music was playing from a speaker.

Accessibility

The restaurant is on the ground floor with one small step to enter. However, toilets are upstairs.

Toilets

The toilets are spacious and have recently had a fresh coat of paint.

Value

The bill came to just over £83 and for a two-course meal for three people, along with six pints, it was well worth that and more.

Drinks

Jaipur Restaurant had other lagers on draught and a small bar offering wines, spirits and mixers as well as soft drinks.

Service

Our waitress, Eva, was attentive, friendly and not invasive.

Summary

Jaipur Restaurant is not the only choice for people looking for a good Indian meal on King Street. However, this was my first experience and I would rank it among the best places I have been for food in Great Yarmouth. I will be returning and I will be having the balti!

If you like that, try these...

Bombay Nite, also on King Street, is a much larger Indian restaurant known for its friendly service and speedy takeaway options.

Planet Papadum on Marine Parade offers tasty Indian cuisine, a large menu and service with a smile while overlooking Great Yarmouth’s seaside.

Planet Spice, Ormesby offers a tranquil meal in a small village setting. It is renowned for its helpful and efficient waiting staff and its friendly manager.

Disclaimer

Our food reviews are always independent. They are the opinion of the reviewer based on their experience of the venue when they visited. The establishment is not aware of our visit, is not informed we intend to write a review and bills are paid by the reviewer. The choice of places reviewed is also independent and is not based on venues which do or do not advertise in our publications.