Jaipur Restaurant Malahide

This chic new-wave Indian restaurant was completely refurbished recently and is one of six in the Jaipur group - the others are Jaipur Dublin 2, Jaipur Dalkey, Chakra Restaurant Greystones, Jaipur Ongar and Ananda Restaurant Dundrum (see entries); although Malahide is particularly well-served with interesting eating places, it has earned a loyal following.

This County Dublin restaurants in the basement of a fine Georgian terrace, accessed by a built up pavement high above the road, which gives it a sense of calm and exclusivity - and, seen from the pavement above, the warm lights and décor are very inviting.

Here, head chef Anughau Srivastava creates colourful, well-flavoured dishes that have a lot of eye appeal, and the cooking is crisp and modern - a contemporary take on traditional Indian food that suits the setting and is typical of the Jaipur group.

The range of dishes offered is wide but tandoori cooking is a specialty and, particularly Tandoori Jhinga - large prawns marinated with Indian spices, cooked in the tandoor and served with a citrus salad; variations include Jaipur Jugalbandi, a combination dish of prawn, chicken, lamb and fish cooked in a tandoor.

Another favourite with Irish diners is a Kashmiri dish of slow-roasted lamb shank flavoured with aromatic spices, and there's also a good range of appealing vegetarian choices (highlighted on the menu); Shakahari Thaali, for example, is a combination of lentils, greens, potatoes and vegetables, served individually with rice and bread.

Many of the traditional Indian dishes take well to contemporary treatment, and even desserts - not usually a strength in ethnic restaurants - are worth leaving room for here.

And, as at all the Jaipur restaurants, special care has been taken to offer a range of wines to complement the subtle spicing of the food.

Good service from friendly and well-trained staff complete the picture.