THE Gandhi has been feeding Winchester's curry habit for years.

Situated in the Broadway, opposite the historic city's Guildhall, it is packed on a weekend night, with a healthy turnover the rest of the time.

One of the top selling points of this unpretentious restaurant is the sheer friendliness of those who run it.

Even when we rolled in just before 11pm after seeing Miss Saigon at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton they appeared pleased to greet us.

The waiters are neither too clingy nor invisible.

Food arrives speedily and is, unfailingly, of a high standard.

Poppadoms are something I've tried to make at home, usually with quite disastrous consequences.

But they remain a personal favourite, especially when they're so piled high with onion and relish that they start to resemble a high-rise building.

The main course - chicken sag - was melt-in-the-mouth perfection. There was spinach everywhere and the battle over the last spoonful of rice was quite memorable.

I've been going to the Gandhi for years and have never had a bad meal.

Their onion bhajis are, frankly, the stuff of dreams.

In the specialist field of the British form of Indian cuisine, they've really got it cracked and Winchester's lucky to have it there.

However it will no doubt come as a huge disappointment to you to hear that "the dining companion" (for it is he) still tries to eat and smoke at the same time.

His accuracy in levering rice into his mouth is also slightly questionable.

This time he was waffling on about Miss Saigon (and occasionally humming the tunes) in between digging into his chicken rogan josh.

Sadly I can't tell you what that tasted like as he polished off the lot and jabbed me with his fork when I tried to reach for a mouthful.

You don't want to know how he knocked back his glass of (delicate and flowery) Sancerre...

Reservations: 01962 863940