ON A cold winter's night, nothing's guaranteed to warm the belly than a fiery curry.

So as temperatures plunged over the last fortnight, my friend, Mary, and I headed to the Bengal Brasserie, in Goodramgate, York, to escape Jack Frost.

While York has many Indian restaurants, it's fair to say the Brasserie sees itself as a cut above: a few years ago it was a finalist in the national curry awards.

And our visit came not long after the restaurant's master chef, Mohan Miah, was named as one of five British chefs to be chosen to show off his curry-cooking skills at the fourth International British Fusion Food Festival.

He travelled to Bangladesh last month for the four-day event organised by Curry Life magazine.

So the place has good form.

When we arrived, at about 7pm on a Saturday, we were greeted at the door by a friendly waiter.

Although we didn't have a table reserved, he managed to find us a slot provided we wouldn't stay beyond 8.15pm - something Mary and I were happy with.

After taking our seats and ordering drinks, we looked at the décor.

The Brasserie's furnishings are, if anything, understated and rather what you'd expect from a British Indian restaurant. There is a row of tables on either side of the room, separated by ornate hardwood blinds. Salmon-coloured flock wallpaper and a brightly illuminated tropical fishtank are stand out features.

Our pickle tray (£1.20) and poppadoms (45p each) arrived promptly and we tucked into the good quality chutneys and salad.

The Brasserie's menu is extensive and easy to navigate around. There are a good range of unusual, delicious-sounding starters including Morich Bahar (£3.95), fried whole green pepper filled with potato, chick peas, herbs and spices; Murg Bunda (£2.95), deep- fried chicken in a pastry roll; and the huge mammoth Bengal Special Combo (£7.90) consisting of chicken tikka, onion bhaji, lamb chop and prawn chapatti. It is definitely one to share.

I went for the Nehar-E-Kebab (£2.95), little potato cakes with crushed lentils and coriander covered in breadcrumbs and deepfried. The cakes held together well, were not crumbly and had a lovely taste infused with the coriander.

The texture, however, was a little dry for my liking.

Mary opted for Paneer Pakora (£2.95), deep-fried cottage cheese, which was a safe choice, but the chunks were crisp and tasty, with a generous serving of cheese. Both starters came with a fresh side salad, although large leaves of lettuce it was balanced on were rather tricky to handle.

The Brasserie has a wide variety of main dishes, with a special selection of fish dishes including Macher Salan (£7.95), spiced cod and Golda Methi (£10.95), and king prawns cooked on fenugreek leaves.

There is also a large selection of vegetarian and Tandoori dishes available, as well as a huge number of house specialities. These range from Bahar-E-Chicken (£7.95), barbecued with a creamy sauce; Special Handi Cocktail Curry (£9.95), a "fruity mix" with lamb, chicken and king prawns, with a massala sauce; and a special mixed Tandoori featuring different meats (£12.95).

I went for a white fish dish - Macher Mac (£6.95) - that was quite spicy and sizzling on arrival, but with generous portions of fish that were wellcooked and succulent. Despite its initially fiery appearance, I found the dish quite refreshing.

Mary chose a staple from the vegetarian menu, Shabji Korai (£6.95). The chunks of vegetables still maintained their flavour, even though the dish was strongly spiced, while the garnish of fresh tomatoes and capsicum was delicious.

We shared some pilau rice (£2) that was a cut above what's on offer at most curry houses, with fresh cloves and bay leaves, and a fluffy texture.

Our Peshwari Nan (£2) held together well and was full of flavour, while a refreshing green salad cooled things down.

The service was excellent throughout and Mary and I spotted plenty of dishes on the menu we'd like to try again on a return visit to Goodramgate, or to one of the Brasserie's two sister restaurants in Poppleton and Market Weighton.

The total bill added up to slightly more than £33, which we thought was excellent value considering the quality of food and the size of the portions. Moreover, the restaurant was donating 20 per cent of its takings towards relief for victims of the Bangladesh cyclone.

Regardless of the curry awards and the high-profile recognition, the Bengal Brasserie indisputably remains one of York's finest Indian restaurants.

Bengal Brasserie, 21 Goodramgate, York, YO1 2LW. Tel: 01904 613131.

Sam and Mary visited the Bengal Brasserie on Saturday, December 8.

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Food: CraftedService: FriendlyValue: GoodAmbience: UnadventurousDisabled loos: NO