Indian Summer.

I grew up and went to college close to Brighton; I know all the good places. I've had amazing lunches at Infinity, fallen in love with Terre a Terre and stuffed myself with the odd Red Veg.

So since moving to Brighton, I'm trying to discover new places- and not just vegan places, but authentic and traditional and delicious places which offer vegan delights.

For my birthday Mr T took us for dinner at Indian Summer. Situation close by to Terre a Terre and opposite Aloka, it's very tempting to pass it by. But don't! Indian Summer has a contemporary take on traditional Indian cuisine. The courses pass by with interesting and thoughtful touches; before your starter you are treated to a small espresso cup of spiced soup, with a small double baked snack. It is strange not having the traditional poppadoms with a selection of raw onions (yummm) and chutneys, but the starters more than made up for this.

To start I had Bhel Puri:

A sumptuous mix of puffed rice, gram flour sticks, potatoes, onions, chickpeas & tomatoes. Served with tamarind & date, coriander & chilli & yoghurt chutneys

This was a strange little dish- a little like having a savoury bowl of rice crispies, with a little curry on top. Sorry, that doesn't really do it much justice, but it just wasn't my kind of dish. Mr T's did not disappoint however, and he chose wisely- Masala Dosa. Always a brilliant choice, this savoury pancake filled with tenderly spiced potatoes was beautiful.

In between the starter and main course we were treated to a shot- fruity and clean with a hint of vodka. Delicious!

For my main I chose Subz Miloni. This was a beautifully cooked dish of sweet potatoes, parsnips, broad beans and peas. A fairly small portion, but together with the starter and complimentary pieces, it's more than enough. It is served with a portion of rice and roti.

My partner had a brilliant tasting platter, choosing Vegetarian Thali. This featured small bowls of a variety of curries, ranging from quite mild to piping hot! We finished the meal with a cooling plate of sorbets, fantastic!

Everything is labelled as vegetarian, gluten, wheat or dairy free, and the hostess was very clued up on what we could order. We also chose a fantastic bottle of red which she recommended- I seem to recall her saying it was an Indian wine, if this exists?

Not the cheapest Indian meal you will find, but Indian Summer is a beautiful restaurant with an inspiring menu. It has a different take on the cuisine, and the nature of the meal is very relaxed and thoughtful, something which is often lacking in authentic restaurants.

Indian Summer

69, East Street, Brighton, BN1 1HQ

01273 711001

http://www.indian-summer.org.uk/