The funny thing about this Indian restaurant is that there are absolutely no Indians whatsoever. The waiters are all white guys, the bar staff are all pretty blonds, every diner is Caucasian. It probably doesn’t say much for the genuine ‘Indian-ness’ of the food here. Good thing I’m getting a chicken schnitty then!
The restaurant here is quite good, and the Rikki Tikki Tavi Bar is ok, although they’ve just tried a bit too hard with the whole Indian, jungle-themed décor. It’s a unique venue though, and there certainly is a novelty factor to this place. I could probably buy the whole Indian jungle theme if they at least had some Indian music playing, but instead there is a juke-box which is blasting out copious volumes of Britney Spears and Rihanna, at the request of the buffoons at the table next to us. The overall experience is further ruined by our meals (there are seven of us) being brought out to us over a fifteen minute period. Since mine was the last one to arrive, and I’m writing the review, they will be shown no mercy.
Enough about the boring stuff though, let’s talk about the schnitzel. At $18.90 plus an extra couple of dollars for gravy, it isn’t cheap. It is impressive in size – not Alehouse-standard, but certainly up there with the largest I’ve seen. The taste is slightly bland, given its processed nature, but the gravy is good enough to make up for that. The crumb coating holds together well, and has good texture. The chips and salad are pretty good, although nothing extraordinary. Chips hidden under the schnitty yet again, but that seems to be the norm at most places. Salad and gravy each served in a separate dish, which is nice.
Across the table, Liam has ordered a tandoori parmi (pictured), which looks, smells and (apparently) tastes fantastic. “Why don’t they have these everywhere?” I hear him ponder. There is a large variety of toppings on offer – pretty much any combo of cheese, bacon, Worcestershire sauce, ham, pineapple, bbq sauce, chilli, Napoli sauce, pepperoni, tiger prawns, onion and cream cheese. Impressive.
The extensive range of Indian meals and pub classics on the menu ensures that the Bombay Bicycle Club should be able to please pretty much anyone who would be likely to eat in a bar. And although the schnitzel quality wasn’t through the roof, you get a pretty good feed.
The Verdict: Quantity over quality perhaps, but a good feed nonetheless.
Taste: 3/5, Size: 4.5/5, Value: 3/5, Sides: 3.5/5, Dining Experience: 3.5/5
Overall: 70%
