Restaurant review: Stonehaven's new-look Tandoori Haven

When folk in Stonehaven keep asking “have you seen the new-look Tandoori Haven yet?” you know you really have to go and check it out.

After all, when your cherished local Indian restaurant – your go-to place when you want a fine curry feast, no less – has had a makeover, it’s incumbent upon you to take a look.

Especially so when it has become the talk of the town when “have you seen” is invariably followed by “oh, you should”.

Tandoori Haven

Strolling along Allardice Street the changes wrought are obvious as soon as the place hoves into view. The old Tandoori Haven signage, all traditional lettering, has vanished replaced with a more eye-catching Sanskrit-style script. So far so funky.

But for first appearances mattering, that becomes obvious as soon as you open the door to go in.

The lush interior of Tandoori Haven in Stonehaven – a mash-up between the Hanging Gardens Of Babylon and David Tennant’s Doctor Who-era Tardis. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

There’s a flower wall there – a flower wall, I tell you – that just shouts: “Welcome to something different”.

Step further inside and there are dangling vines and blossoms the length of the dining room Tell you what, the Hanging Gardens Of Babylon is a bold theme to go with, and it works.

We were still lifting our jaws off the floor when the super-friendly waiter came across to greet us with a huge grin and show my wife and me to our table. One thing hasn’t changed in Tandoori Haven and that’s the warmth of the welcome, always second to none.

We nestled into our booth-style table for two but hesitated a bit before picking up the menus. That’s mainly because we were still gawping at the revamp.

Flowers and soft lights create a relaxed atmosphere in Tandoori Haven in Stonehaven. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Soft hanging lights and intricate fretwork lit up from the inside with the softest of red lights, it was both exotic and welcoming. Although my inner geek was jumping up and down busily pointing out it also had a David Tennant Dr Who-era Tardis feel about it. Trust me, that’s a wonderful thing.

There is, however, only so long you can gaze around the décor. Food is the landscape after all.

Cracking open the menu I had a wee sigh of relief. The transformation hadn’t extended to the dishes on offer.

All our loved and often turned-to favourites were still there. Phew.

The food

When you’ve been stuffing your face with curry for as many years as I have, you know not to stuff your face on the starters front.

Sure, they are tasty as get out, but go wild as you go in and you can guarantee you’ll be gazing at a plateful of half-finished mains, pouching as you try to get another forkful of pilau down.

Trio of delights with the mixed kebab starter at Stonehaven’s Tandoori Haven. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

So, we eased ourselves into our Tandoori Haven treat by sharing a mixed kebab starter.

This trio of morsels was a delight. The chicken kebab was tandoor-seared and had a lovely texture with a subtle spicing which was more of a hint than a wham-bam. The lamb upped the spice front and was nicely rich with a depth of flavour. It was left to the shikh kebab to do the “oi, you!” honours.

This sausage of ground lamb was laced with all manner of flavours but it brought the heat to the party. I could have stuck into a plateful of that – which is why we always share our starters.

First course done, we had time for a wee chat, mostly about what a great job they’d done on the refit – “oh, look, the fretwork on the ceiling lights is cool….”

Our conversation was interrupted by that most magical of sounds; the trundle of a trolley bearing your main courses to your table.

A table laden with fine curries, rice and naan, is one of life’s great pleasures – and done superbly well at Tandoori Haven in Stonehaven. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Now, of life’s many pleasures, surely chief among them must be a table laden with a choice of two curries, and a big bowl of fluffy pilau rice, sitting right alongside a garlic naan with its cratered golden surface giving off heavenly aromas of garlic. Mmm-mmmm.

Time to get to work with the spoons, with a wee mound of pilau on to which the chicken sagwala is ladled. Not, though, before you appreciate the appearance of this dish, all green and glossy with spinach with a heady nose that promises you here lies garlic and ginger and other treasures your tastebuds will thank you for.

And thank they did, because this was an earthy delight, with a spectrum of subtle spices ranging from dark cumin to bright coriander with aniseed notes of fenugreek. Healthy big chunks of onion and garlic added texture, but the soft melting spinach stole the show.

It all lifted the healthy chunks off chicken tikka to a new level.

The glossy delight of the chicken tikka sagwala at Stonehaven’s Tandoori Haven. Image: Kenny Elrick/DC Thomson

Now, I never got into the whole balti thing that was massive back in the day as curry cuisine shifted out of the “korma, madras or vindaloo” days. But Tandoori Haven’s lamb hasna hena balti made me think I might have missed a trick.

Mainly because one of the ingredients is rosewater. What, I pondered, is that going to bring to the party – a hint of Turkish Delight or a reminder of that great-aunt that used to come round the house when I was so wee it’s on the outer edges of memory?

Neither, it turned out. What it brought was the slightest of floral suggestions in the first sniff of the bowl, then a lingering note throughout the dish that was like an echo of rose garden on a summer’s day.

What was astonishing was the way that suggestion survived the full-on flavour assault of the balti, chockful of tender lamb. My word, this was a dish that wasn’t pulling its punches. In fact, it was in the bare-knuckle arena. Bang… here’s a smack of onion. Bosh… big hit with the garlic. Bing… a cheeky wee burst of fresh coriander to make you drop your guard. Wham…. How do you like that chilli then? Knockout blow.

It was a miracle of culinary engineering that through all of that, the rosewater was still there, kind of walking round the edge of the ring holding a card aloft with the number of the round on it.

Aye, I’ll be going back for more of that too.

In fact, I’ll be going back for more of Tandoori Haven full stop.

Next time I might not even let decorum stop me licking the bowls clean.

The verdict

An old favourite has been given a modern and eye-catching makeover – but the kitchen is still working its magic. Tandoori Haven has always been one of the best places for a stand-out curry in the north-east and it still is.

Which means that, yes, I’m now one of the coves chatting to folk in Stonehaven saying: “Have you seen the new look Tandoori Haven yet? Oh, you should.”