Clifton Brick Lane

It takes great things for a restaurant to defy the standard East End curry house formula and stand out. The Clifton has triumphed with a modicum of class and a raft of outstandingly unique Bangladeshi dishes. Inside, the restaurant is wonderfully spacious and bright. A striking stainless steel ventilation unit snakes across the whole of the ceiling, while a huge, pine mural preserves that oriental flavour. The open kitchen is also a fun addition. The menu is vast and varied. Offering all the mandatory curry treats from Tandoori Chicken to Tikka Massala, there are also a number of wonderful regional specialities. For starters the very succulent Kebab Tikka Delight or Vegetable Kufta are both very tasty, if served a little sparingly. For mains, the Chicken Tofa is perhaps a little too hot, but the chicken and sauce are bursting with flavour. We'd highly recommend the Manchurian Chicken - one of the tastiest Indian dishes we've ever come across and worth visiting for this alone. Wonderfully absent of artificial colourings, it's a scrumptious sweet and sour creation infused with Indian spices and herbs. The wine list is fairly comprehensive, if a little banal. The house white is drinkable but we'd recommend splashing out for something a little more refined. The prices are very reasonable and the staff faultless in their attentive service. For a lively ambience it's best to eat a little later, around 9pm or so. The Clifton is an exclusive, affordable curry house that is recommended to those who don't want to tackle the clamour of Brick Lane.