THERE are people who steer clear of restaurants that do not sell wine or beer, claiming the establishment must have little pride if it cannot afford or be bothered to get an alcohol licence.

I'm not one of them, but I was a little taken aback when we first ventured into Balti Ghor, a Bangladeshi/Indian restaurant in the centre of Copmanthorpe, to be told they only sold soft drinks.

The good news, however, was they do allow customers to bring their own refreshments, and the even better news was there was a late-stop Co-op just over the road. (The best news, mind you, came at the end - but we'll get to that. ) Armed, thus, with red wine and a few bottles of Asian lager, Louise and I, and couple of friends, Lou and Jonathan, headed inside.

It was a warm Monday evening and, given it was a small restaurant in a village out of town, we were not surprised to be the only people dining. There were a couple of takeaway collections while we ate, but it was otherwise a quiet night all round, unlike weekends when, as you would expect, there is far more turnover.

The place is not much to look at from the outside and reasonably simple inside, but it was cosy and clean and did its job.

It was silent when we entered and we were shown to a table by the window, but the staff quickly put on a CD of Indian music and the waiter brought over menus and, crucially, a bottle opener.

We shared five popadoms (35p each) to kick off, with the standard pickle tray (£1.50), and they set the meal in motion. We also tried some starters.

My royal mixed kebab (£2.80) was tasty. The lamb tikka was a little chewy, the chicken tikka spot-on and I saved the best, the sheekh kebab, till last, with its mixed flavours resting on the tongue.

The two Louises shared an onion bhaji (£1.70) and mushroom pakora (£1.70). The bhaji was a tad brittle, perhaps a sign it was a little overcooked, but other than that fine, while the pakora had plenty of flavour.

Jonathan had the chicken chaat (£2.50), which came in a very generous portion, although still leaving room for the main course. The puri on which it was served was perfectly done, not too crispy round the edges and not too soft.

The chicken itself was nicely spiced and served in a tasty rich sauce.

For the main meal, I liked the look of some of the dishes on the chef's specialities list (20 in all).

There was also a host of traditional options to choose from, but I was tempted by the balti options and chose a chicken tikka garlic (£5.50).

Again the chicken was excellently done and the thick sauce was medium-to-hot and so pungent I could still taste it 24 hours later, not that I was complaining.

There was plenty of choice to keep the two female meat-dodgers happy, with all the traditional dishes having vegetarian, prawn and king prawn options.

Louise chose the chana bhuna (£3.95) from the list of vegetarian main dishes. The chick peas had a good consistency and the thick sauce, while neither hot nor spicy, supplied ample favour.

The other Louise had the prawn saag (£4.50) from the balti list and thought it an excellent choice. The dish was not at all oily, which saag can be, and she said the prawns were nicely cooked and that she could really taste the spinach.

Jonathan probably had the best main dish: chicken tikka shashlik (£5.50) - marinated skewers of chicken with capsicum, fresh tomatoes and onion. It was a big portion and was served sizzling away on the dish. The bite-size chicken pieces were expertly cooked, with the delicate flavours impossible to ignore.

We all shared mushroom pilau rice (£1.70) and eight chapatis (50p each), while Jonathan also foddered on chips (£1.10). We were all too full to have pudding.

Now for the best news. The total price for four people came to £38.20, less than a tenner each.

Okay, you have to add on your booze from the Co-op, but that is a fraction of what you'd pay for wine or beer in a restaurant.

It's effectively eating out at takeaway prices and, although on this occasion it was rather like eating a takeaway in someone else's living room, you could imagine there would be a cheery atmosphere with more people around.

To sum up, if you want a cheap and cheerful night out with good Indian food at the helm, then - if Balti Ghor is anything to go by - you'd be well advised to ignore those alcohol licence snobs.

Balti Ghor, Main Street Copmanthorpe, York 01904 778585.

Peter and friends visited on Monday, June 4.

factfile

Food: TastyService: No complaintsValue: Very economicAmbience: Slow