This weekend saw my first kayaking trip for a while, so on Sunday evening several others and myself were feeling rather famished and decided to head to the all-you-can-eat buffet that Miah's in Swansea has every Sunday. However when we got there it was a disaster, the place was closed, so we needed a back-up plan. However, with several of the nearby Indian restaurants not quite matching our high standards, coupled with several members of our party being 'unwelcome' at certain establishments due to a number of misdemeanors over the years, this severely limited our options. We decided to walk along St Helens Road into town to see if anything took our fancy.
While walking along we came across the Viceroy of India, and decided to check out the prices. The manager, on seeing a group of about fourteen of us outside decided to come out and tempt us inside. The restaurant was not offering the buffet that we all decided, however the manager offered us a deal. The deal included a starter, a main, rice and a naan bread, all for just £10, with the promise of more food if we were still hungry, after managing to also get some free poppadoms and chutneys thrown in, we decided to head inside.
The poppadoms and chutneys were very good, and I must admit I was rather full after these alone. For my starter I decided to have the chicken tikka, this was rather good, being both moist and flavoursome, however was not the main attraction. For my main I ordered a lamb vindaloo, this turned out to be one of the best vindaloos I had ever eaten, being just the right spiciness to enjoy the flavours, with the meat being very tender. I also had pilau rice and a naan bread, the pilau rice being of the standard you would find in most curry houses. The naan bread however was just about perfect, not being doughy or too stiff like some naan breads can be, and having that light crispness to the base of the naan bread which made it almost perfect. The other members of our party also seemed to really enjoy their meals, which included a wide range of curries as well as a tandoori mixed grill.
The size of the portions we received were very generous, with none of us having to take up the managers offer of more food if we were still hungry, with only a handful of us managing to finish all our food. The service we received was substantial, with any empty plates quickly being cleared away, however we did seem to wait a substantial amount of time for our food, though this is understandable due to the large number of us, and the actual time may have been amplified by my ever-increasing hunger.
All in all, we had incredible value for money, with a meal that would have normally cost around £15 or more setting us back only a tenner. The atmosphere in the restaurant was pleasant, and we were made to feel very welcome. To summarise this review I would say that I think I have found my new favourite curry house in Swansea, although we had a deal and may have to pay a bit more for our meal the next time we visit, however it would be worth it.
Star rating (out of 5):-
Food: ****
Atmosphere: ***
Price: *****
Overall: ****
