Restaurant/ InnsThe Valley

[serendipity, 20.06.2007] All Aboard the curry train!

Every month or so, we take it in turns to decide on a venue for a meal and this time, 10 of us were off on the "curry train", or the "Passage to India" train.



GETTING THERE

No parking to worry about. The staff meet people under the clock at Newcastle Central Station, and you are free to collect your menu and then go back into Centurion Bar until the train leaves at 19:10.

The train is the normal Newcastle to Carlisle service and once on board, if you haven't taken your own drinks along, red or white wine can be bought at a cost of £10.45. Expensive, but the bottles do come with special Valley Junction labels and they have a captive audience.

After about half an hour, the train arrives at Corbridge and it's off the train and onto the restaurant. During the half hour journey, there is no time to get bored as there is drink being served, and it is at this stage that you place your order so that they can phone orders straight to the restaurant.

The restaurant is a short walk across the railway bridge and then there it is, on the night we went, looking very inviting as it was snowing outside.

THE RESTAURANT

The restaurant sits alongside the railway and is an old stone building, accessed by a path.

Once inside, you are straight into the bar area, which is the only smoking area in the place. This has a small bar, a roaring fire and cosy seats and tables dotted about. It was a Saturday night and packed, so when we first went inside, this was all I could see.

Once your table is ready, you are taken upstairs where there are a series of smaller rooms, tastefully decorated and with a predominance of large tables or small round tables put together. This, I suppose, is because the very nature of the experience lends itself to parties rather than couples.

THE MENU

With the "Passage to India" package, guests get to chose from the a la carte menu- 4 courses for £28.50, including train fair!

The menu has a good selection, with starters ranging from "2.75 for Pakura to £6.50 for the King Prawn Bhaji.

Main courses include Chef's Recommendations, Tandoori Oven, Tikka curries, Biryanis, Mild dishes (Korma, Malayan, Shahe, Kashmiri), Medium Hot dishes (Rogan, Karai, Bhuna, Dupiaza), Hot Dishes (Madras, Vindaloo, Dhansak, Jalfrezei, Ceylon, Pathia) and Vegetarian Specials. There is also a selection of Sundries and Rice Dishes.

There were 10 of us, so a good selection of the food was ordered, and it proved to be well prepared and tasty. The meal came complete with poppadoms, naa breads, pilau and vegetable rice, so there was something for everyone and plenty of it!

After the main course, we were all brought Cointreau ice cream in those nifty little plastic bottles, reminiscent I think, of the eighties.

There wasn't one person who left that restaurant feeling as though they still needed feeding or feeling disappointed with the food.

GETTING HOME

At about 10pm, customers are advised to start to think about leaving as the train leaves the station at 22:19. So, down to the station, and there it is, the train, ready to take people back to Central Station, although you are free to leave the train at any station more appropriate.

OTHER BITS OF INFORMATION

TOILETS are clean and located at the back of the restaurant, although a bit too close to the eating area. I seemed to be straight out of my seat and into the toilets.

A TAKE AWAY service is available at 20% cheaper than the restaurant prices.

OPENING HOURS Monday to Saturday 6pm-11pm, closed Sunday

WEBSITE www.valleyrestaurants.co. uk for more information including details of the other restaurants, one being in the signal box and vintage Great Northern railway Carriage at the Old Jesmond
VERDICT

All in all, this is a really fun night out.

As stated by the Curry Club of Great Britain "Most original Indian Restaurant in Great Britain". This is a good description of the restaurant, because if you choose to pay for the whole package, what you actually get is an experience rather than merely a meal.

The staff are helpful and efficient and things ran very smoothly, although when we first went into the bar area, there were obviously lots of people clamouring for drinks. However, the staff were equal to the task and we didn't wait around for ages waiting to get served.

It is certainly an excellent choice for parties of people and for celebrations if anyone is looking to do something a bit different. I don't know that it would be a good choice for a romantic dinner "a deux" because from what I saw on Saturday night, it was groups of people, and I certainly would not have enjoyed being there as one of two. However, one of our party said that he often goes on a Thursday which he claims to be the better night- quieter but still with a fun party atmosphere.

I would recommend this restaurant for anyone wanting a good curry in clean surroundings with efficient staff, and a good laugh along the way.