As somebody who’d rather ask my cat for an opinion on Bristol restaurants than rely on most unverified online reviews, I didn’t know Blue Ginger was still so popular. The long-running Indian restaurant in Whitchurch, which I last visited more than a decade ago, is currently number ten out of 1,166 Bristol establishments - who knew there were so many in the city? - with an impressive average score of 4.5 from 478 reviews.
Part of its enduring popularity may well be because it’s one of the few Bristol restaurants still offering diners the much needed money-saving option of BYO (bring your own alcohol). It was certainly packed on the drizzly Wednesday evening when I turned up with my bulging carrier bag of bottles.
Sandwiched between an estate agents and kebab shop on Gilda Parade, Blue Ginger is a contemporary Indian restaurant devoid of the usual trappings. There are no pictures of Indian temples, no sitar-based pop in the background and I didn’t spot any tealight food warmers.
READ MORE: New Lebanese restaurant plans to open at Finzels Reach
There’s a twinkling spotlit ceiling, sumptuous black leather banquettes and a lime green-lit wall with black lines that wouldn’t look out of place at a Chemical Brothers gig. At the far end, a glass box of a private dining room has a moon-like chandelier and glittery black walls ideal for parties.
And it’s not just the decor that is thoroughly modern. It’s the small details, too, which are far removed from the flock-wallpapered Indian restaurant template of yesteryear.
Even the lemony ‘Freshness’ hand-wipes given to me after the meal - with the obligatory Blue Ginger chocolates - were more like hermetically sealed warm baby wipes. They were far more fragrant than the sandwich bags of microwaved vintage nappies handed out in many old-school curry houses.
This Bengali-run restaurant serves all the usual curry house favourites to keep everybody happy. As well as eight different biryani dishes, there are ‘traditional favourites’ like bhuna, vindaloo, dhansak, korma and balti - all available with a choice of chicken, ‘meat’, prawn, king prawn and vegetables.
There are the standard starters like onion bhaji, chicken chaat and a trio of samosas, but also several appetisers you don’t often see on Indian restaurant menus. These include Hash de Modu (strips of crisp, pan-fried duck breast drizzled with honey and roasted with sesame seeds) and the intriguingly named ‘Slay of Dragon’ - strips of honey-glazed chicken tikka cooked in the clay oven and then a wok before being mixed with caramelised onions and pineapple chutney.
Prices are kind to the pocket, too. A no-frills chicken Madras, for example, is just £9.45 and pilau rice is £3.75 so you’d still get change out of £14 before service for a substantial solo meal here if you took your own beer and wine.
I started with the traditional sheek kebab (£4.95), which arrived with the standard-issue salad of crisp, shredded iceberg lettuce, slices of tomato and cucumber and soft fried onions. The two minced lamb kebabs were a startling red colour - presumably from the amount of paprika and cayenne pepper in the mix - and they were medium-spiced with a touch of coriander and a strong lamb flavour.
As with the starters, the main courses include several less common dishes. They include minty lamb aloo, coconut sea bass curry and Bengal murgh (chicken and meat cooked with onions, pepper and tomatoes in a sweet, spicy sauce with a boiled egg and fried potatoes).
One of the best-selling new chef specials had already sold out due to its huge popularity, according to the waiter. Called ‘white chicken curry’, this dish of diced chicken cooked in yogurt with garlic, ginger, cloves, fennel seeds, star anise, cinnamon, cashews, green chilli and bay leaf definitely warrants a return visit.
Instead, I went for another new chef's special, a ‘semi-dry’ curry called shahi jeera gosht (£12.95). A rich dish of impressively tender, slow-cooked pieces of beef, it was heady with fresh herbs, cumin and a hint of cloves.
Served with pungent and buttery garlic fried rice (£3.95) and a seriously good cauliflower bhaji (£4.75) with plenty of bite, it was a belting main course. Belt-straining, too, as portions are certainly generous and the friendly staff are happy to provide containers and plastic bags so over-stuffed diners can take leftovers home.
Blue Ginger may not shout as loudly as some Indian restaurants around the city but it serves great food at fair prices to its loyal customers who also save money by taking their own beer and wine. It’s simply one of the best in Bristol and I certainly won't be waiting another decade to return.
Blue Ginger, 36-38 Gilda Parade, Whitchurch, Bristol, BS14 9HY. Tel: 01275 837865.
