Old India is a fine restaurant on Saint Nicolas Street, Bristol that belies its name by serving avant-garde Indian cuisine in an atmospheric former stock exchange. It's been a staple on the Bristol dining scene for over a decade, with food that's worth travelling for, a fine wine list and impressive service.
Set on one of the city's most central streets, Old India boasts an imposing exterior and is close to many of Bristol's sights and attractions. The building itself is a converted Grade II listed Edwardian building, with gorgeous period features. Inside, the mahogany panelling and rich red carpets make for a colonial ambience and heady sense of class.
Old India restaurant is proud to offer its diners the sort of food that would have been served to mogul kings and princes of old, with indulgent flavours and indulgent sauces. Head chef Mojrul Haque leads the kitchen in creating unexpected dishes that delight the palette, making use of a mogul slow cooking technique: pukth.
In practice, Old India's focus on innovative cuisine plays out in the restaurant's highly distinctive menu, which is less about curry house staples and much more to do with subtle and aromatic modern dishes like the anari chops (lamb chops tenderised with pomegranate juice and warmly spiced) or the dal-ki-tak – a lentil-based curry with lots of flavour and a fresh edge. Adventurous diners should try the zafrani jhinga – freshwater jumbo prawns in a saffron and almond sauce – or the hot chicken jaipuri, simmered with red chillies. Complement the complex spices with a glass of draught Kingfisher or a wine selected from the international list.
Such a fine dining experience in awe-inspiring surroundings is reminiscent of the colonial grandeur of the nineteenth century. Transport yourself to another time and place at Bristol's Old India.