Cinnamon Court, Walsall

I was ever so slightly anxious about this week's reviewer,

. There were a few reasons.

For a start, the chosen venue was situated on a retail park, and my previous experiences of eateries on such concrete jungles have been largely uninspiring occasions.

A couple of times I've visited chain restaurants in these hotbeds of entertainment, only to be served over-priced, bland fare by equally jaded staff.

I was hoping Cinnamon Court, just a stone's throw from the Showcase Cinema and Grosvenor Casino in Bentley Mill Way, Walsall, might change my opinion.

I was also a bit perturbed at the reaction of my friend when I'd told her where we were going.

"Won't it just be full of loads of noisy teens going to and from the cinema?" she asked. I said I really did not know, but secretly wondered if that might be the case.

My main area concern, however, was that the last time I'd dared to say a visit to an Indian

restaurant in Walsall had been thoroughly enjoyable, I received hate mail.

Well maybe that's exaggerating it a bit – there were no threats to kill, no warnings concerning pets in microwaves or inky scrawls of "wE KnOw wHerE yOu LiVe". It was more sneer mail. Mock mail.

I'd been sifting through my Monday morning emails, which included a number of interesting

suggestions from readers, but one response stood out.

Its exact contents have slipped my mind, but it went something like this: "Dear so called Insider. Why don't you just get a life? If you really think a backstreet curry house in Walsall is the best place to eat then you really should get out more."

I took comfort from the fact my critic had been urging me to get a life at precisely 11.45pm on Saturday judging by the time it landed in my inbox.

Regular readers of this column will have noted I have indeed got out more, and visited some very nice places. But it had been a long time since my last foray into Walsall's large array of balti houses, so off up the roadwork-ridden M6 we went.

Cinnamon Court is opposite a branch of Mexican chain Chiquitos, which through its steamy windows looked pretty busy and judging by the large groups walking towards it from the Showcase, seemed to be the venue of choice for many cinema goers.

We pulled into a big car park which had plenty of spaces, and walking in the restaurant found it to be around a third full.

It was much larger than expected. The room is split into three sections a raised carpeted platform on either side with wellturned out tables scattered close to the large windows, while more seats are arranged on the wooden flooring in the centre of the room.

Dominating the far side of the restaurant is a large, curved bar, which is well-stocked and nicely lit. Two trees flank the main walkway into the room and leaves are entwined around the rafters, giving it a rather exotic feel.

Easy-listening tunes played in the background before being replaced by some relaxing Asian beats.

A stylish spot which on the face of it did not resemble a typical Indian restaurant, it exuded a real warmth that was matched by the attentiveness of the staff, who greeted us as soon as we walked in the door.

Instead of the sweet-throwing yobs my companion may have expected to find, around us were three young couples enjoying cosy dates and a group of lads who I imagined had downed tools shortly before on the Manor Hospital development, while across the room there were three families enjoying a feast and an older couple just getting up to leave.

In the first five minutes of sitting down we were tended to by two very smartly dressed waiters all in black. The menu is huge, with more than 30 choices of starters, ranging from the traditional such

as onion bhajis and chicken chat to a range of vegetable dishes and a mini tandoori menu.

My friend, who was by now very pleased with her surroundings, chose chicken pakora but was actually served chicken tikka. She'd ordered chicken tikka for a main, and while she's a fussy eater, she's not so bad to have ordered the same meal for both courses.

After a minor discussion it was rectified within minutes and she enthusiastically wolfed down the many pieces of crispy, hot chicken.

My tandoori basket selection was a deliciously soft array of chicken tikka, lamb tikka and shish kebab. It was lucky I was famished, as on a normal day it would have filled me up.

Our main course was delivered more seamlessly. A sizzling hot griddle of chicken tikka arrived at my friend's place, while I was served an interesting meal I'd never tried before – khairabadi lamb.

It was barbecued lamb, marinated and cooked with curried potatoes, onion, garlic and coriander.

The lamb was cooked to perfection – rich and tangy, while the potatoes, of which I had three, were soft and spicy. It was absolutely delicious, and my companion counted 12 hunks of chicken tikka on her plate which she too enjoyed.

The bill came to £40 with a tip, and four glasses of house white wine.

So at risk of inciting more hatred towards my inbox, Cinnamon Court was a lovely place and we had a very enjoyable night indeed. The service, even despite the minor hiccup with starter, was exceptional.

My only criticism would be the lighting – it was far too bright, and lowering it would have created a much more intimate atmosphere in a large restaurant.

Nevertheless, it's a great setting and one which I imagine would be good for group bookings and disabled visitors due to the space.

Since visiting Cinnamon Court and writing this review, a couple more readers have been in touch to suggest other curry houses in the Walsall borough, which I intend to visit soon.

So while variety is the spice of life – and although "backstreet curry houses" might not be to everyone's tastes – if like me, you're interesting in learning more about Walsall's curry hotspots, add this to the list.

ADDRESS

Cinnamon Court, Bentley Mill Way, Walsall WS2 0BP

Phone: 0121 568 6665

MENU SAMPLE

Starters

Sag paneer, £3.50; Bindi bhaji, £3.50; Chicken Kachori, £3.50; Tarka Dhall, £3.50

Main courses

Shabzi Chamon Bahar (v) – specially prepared vegetables cooked with fresh cucumber, tomatoes,

cinnamon and spices, £7.50; Achari Chicken Garlic - barbecued chicken cooked in pickle, chilli, coriander and fresh garlic topped with crispy red chillies, £9.00; Red Fort Chicken – exotic chicken cooked in rich buttery sauce with specially prepared red fort spices, £8.50; Chicken Tikka Mossamon – slightly spiced, cooked with green beans, dressed with eggs and fresh tomatoes, £7.50