Symryn's Restaurant, 6 Saxon Place, Heworth, York

Why not step off the beaten path to your usual haunts and spice up your palate by checking out Heworth's best kept secret.

Tucked away on Saxon Place off Dodsworth Avenue, Symryn's Restaurant's white, unpretentious exterior hardly screams out for attention.

And hungry customers piling into the family's neighbouring take-away show that the longer established business has a lot to live up to.

But once inside the stylishly simple surroundings, with fresh roses adorning tables and faux leather chairs to sink into, its menu is definitely worth drooling over at length.

The restaurant was opened as a legacy to Yusuf Majothi or "Mr Symryn" who set up the family business in York in 1978. His dream was to turn their thriving Heworth takeaway into an authentic restaurant but his sudden death, aged 72, in 2004 meant he never realized that vision.

Instead, the dream was taken up by his family who officially opened the restaurant on his birthday in August and dedicated to his memory.

It is an ideal destination for those looking for an unhurried place to dine away from the night-time crowds, however, more subdued lighting would make it a more intimate experience.

Specials abound, with dishes from around the Indian sub-continent.

The fish kara, stir-fried cod with green peppers, fried onions, mushrooms, spices and coriander, looked worth a shot, as did the kofta curry, meatballs with fresh green chillies, onion, garlic, ginger and spices with "mum's special sauce".

The menu explains how the proprietors hope to create an experience visitors to a traditional Indian home would enjoy. Imagine an extension of a family dining room and you won't go far wrong.

It is a smoke-free zone with no alcohol. Not even the "bring your own and we'll uncork it" kind. We checked.

Forced to be more adventurous than our usual pint and a half of amber nectar, Gary plumped for the yoghurt drink, a strawberry lassi (£1.50) - other flavours were salted and mango - while I chose the refreshing home-made lime juice (£1.50).

Our host, who added a personal touch to our experience by making a point of talking with all her guests, later told us that her mother painstakingly hand-pressed the limes and had refused several offers of a machine to help.

We munched on crunchy plain and spicy popadoms while perusing the menu.

After much debate, we chose to start with the special mixed platter (£6.50). It came on a bed of salad and included tender chunks of chicken marinated in a massala coating, tasty vegetable pakora - definitely one to order again - and lightly-battered slices of aubergine and potato, another winner. We also indulged in a reshmi kebab (£3.50) - lightly spiced, compressed minced lamb covered with a fluffy fried egg.

For my main course, I was seriously tempted by the acar kaju - tender chicken or lamb with cashew nuts, mushrooms and pickle with a rich, textured sauce.

But I couldn't resist the Symryn special (£7.90) - with king prawns, prawns, lamb and chicken buried under a tomato-based sauce. This had a subtle blend of flavours so as not to detract from the delicate-tasting prawns which were in plentiful supply.

It wasn't at all hot which is just how I like it, and the succulent chicken fell apart at the slightest touch while the lamb had a strong contrasting flavour.

Gary fancied the voorooga, a corn and peanut curry, which was said to go well with naan.

But he chose the arken gosht (£6.90), "an extremely hot dish" from the hills of south east of Bangladesh. It was a lamb dish with fresh garlic and fiery hot, green chillies - the numerous seeds packed the punch.

I bravely ploughed my fork in for a taste and immediately regretted it as an intense burning sensation numbed my mouth.

My chilli fiend of a husband pronounced it the hottest dish he had ever tried. And full of flavour to boot.

Both portions were generous and fresh. And the accompanying pilau rice - mushroom for me, and the somewhat overpowering garlic for Gary - were plentiful and moist.

We couldn't manage more than a naan bread from the side dishes which included sag aloo (£2.80) and chapati (70p).

There were two pages of "old favourites" ranging from £4.90 to £10.90 including karahi, dansak, passanda as well as bindia - cooked with sweet mango, garden mint, fresh lemon juice and sweet and sour sauce.

Vegetarian options were available on most dishes.

The dessert menu was mainly ice-creams and sorbets ranging from £1.90 to £2.90 but I could not manage another morsel.

That was just as well because we belatedly learnt the card payment machine was playing up.

We quickly cancelled a traditional Indian tea to round off our meal, and ended our evening slightly red-faced, scrabbling together pennies to cover our bill which came to a very reasonable £36.60.

Nadia visited on Friday, November 4, 2005

Symryn's Restaurant, 6 Saxon Place, Heworth, York.

Tel: 01904 423242

Updated: 16:46 Friday, November 11, 2005