Lalon
Radcliffe Road, Nottingham, NG12 2LF. Tel. 0115 9816030

If ‘location, location, location’ is the key to your choice of fine dining venue then you may have overlooked Lalon. Perhaps you have passed by on the A52 towards Radcliffe from Nottingham and merely noted that someone has bravely/foolishly taken over the site of the old Little Chef next to the Esso petrol station, refurbished the derelict and dismissible building, strung some rather attractive twinkling lights in the trees at the side of the road, put up an eye catching sign and started praying for custom. Does the work of Lalon Shah, the Bengali poet-philosopher and inspiration behind the name, lend itself to the hopeful soul? While the enticements of a well-presented establishment in a lovely setting are obvious, put aside aesthetics for the moment and face it: you could be missing something of a treat by taking things at face value. Certainly, from the outside Lalon is not an immediate winner. Yet the interior belies that first impression. A good job has been done here. The dining and bar areas have been refurbished with some skill and a pleasing attention to detail: modern and tasteful, with just the right amount of atmospheric ethnicity in the decorations and music. Windows at the back of the restaurant open up to give views of the beautiful Holme Pierrepont Lake while glimpses of the busy A52 are wisely kept to a minimum. Now there is a realistic alternative to going all the way into Nottingham and worrying about parking, hassle and extra cost, a convenient no-fuss location boasting excellent Indian cuisine with free parking. Now that is a positive way to view Lalon.
The area south of the River Trent, from West Bridgford all the way to Bottesford, is blighted by Indian restaurants that are simply not up to scratch, depending on brash flavours, an unsubtle use of spices, too much artificial colouring and dishes swimming in grease. This is just about excusable for a post-session night, fine with taste buds dulled by drink and belly rumbling, with critical faculties deadened. I’ve tried and tested many and left feeling guilty for wasting my money, a little angry at the lazy cooking of chefs catering for the post pub demographic and sadly knowing that I will doubtless do it all again. I cannot think of a decent place (other than for a so-so takeaway) closer than Nottingham’s obvious and award-winning venues... until now. This is a welcome newcomer and certainly not marketed for a quick bite after the boozer (although a takeaway menu is offered). Lalon delivers authentic cuisine inspired by recipes from its team’s diverse heritage – Bengal, Hyderabad, Madras and Nepal. The menu offers pleasing variety and some notably different dishes with some tempting fish courses like Bemisal (char grilled tikka or simply grilled Scottish salmon in a characteristic mild to medium sauce, where the smoothness of the buttery tomato, coconut milk and lemongrass sauce is complimented by sautéed brown onions), Goan Fish Curry (a traditional speciality where lean fillet of Telapia is fire cooked in green herb sauce with tamarind, coconut, onions, fresh tomatoes and curry leaves) and Monk Fish Shashlik (with chunks of fresh monkfish, peppers, charlottes, lemon grass, tomatoes and mushrooms, marinated in a special Tandoori sauce barbecued over charcoal, served on a hot sizzling skillet with roasted coriander and lime). I began with the poppadoms served with a selection of freshly made dips (the coriander and lime is a zingy winner). The Tandoori sharer platter for a starter gives a good idea of the quality of both the chefs and their fresh ingredients with its assortment of green herb lamb tikka, malai chicken tikka and salmon supreme tikka (the lamb is melt in the mouth, tender and succulent and the salmon sympathetically cooked, its distinct flavour well-served by the spices). A main of lamb shank stood out with the pre-baked lamb slow cooked over night in a rich and complex melange of fresh garlic, ginger, turmeric, star anise, cloves and pepper corn plums, the meat falling from the bone.
Not exactly cheap but given what you would be charged in the centre of Nottingham and giving the shameful lack of a decent rival in the immediate area, combined with the distinct quality of the food, a comfortably smart dining area and efficient staff, the bill is reasonable and, let’s face it, having Lalon on the scene might make others raise their game.