MY local Indian restaurant falls into the traditional British curry house category, complete with flock wallpaper, red velvet-lined booths and loud patterned carpets.

But just around the corner in Westbourne is Indi's - one of a new brand of contemporary Indian eateries - chic and minimalistic with funky fusion food, crisp white tablecloths, laminate flooring and modern pop music.

The last time I was in Indi's was to review their new lunch menu early last year and it was as close to gastronomic heaven as you could get.

The Indian tapas and healthy lunch selection were out of this world.

So I had high hopes for their evening menu too and arranged to meet a friend for dinner one Tuesday evening.

I got a warm welcome as soon as I set foot through the door and was heartened to see that it was busy - always a good sign on a mid-week night.

My friend, who had arrived earlier, was already seated at a table, sipping her drink with menu in hand.

This place prides itself on attention to detail. All the waiters wear smart, matching, monogrammed suits and big smiles. One took my coat while another sat me down and took my drinks order.

Normally I like a bottle of Kingfisher or Cobra beer with my curry, but I found myself ordering a glass of dry white wine instead - must have been the posh décor!

Within a few minutes my drink arrived, along with a couple of poppadoms and pickles which we nibbled on as we perused the menu.

There is an Old Favourites section including kormas, bhunas and dhansaks, and an Indi's Superior Selection with a range of exotic-sounding dishes like fresh swordfish jal and langoustine tikka korai.

For my starter I opted for paneer chicken cooked with capsicum, olive oil and onion and served with a generous portion of fresh side salad.

The chicken was succulent and the cheese had a lovely, subtle flavour and was rather like tofu in consistency.

My friend ordered crispy coated mushrooms - described as Indi's own recipe - served with a sweet chilli sauce and salad.

She was a little disappointed though as the mushrooms lacked flavour and were a bit over-cooked.

For the main course I ordered Aroma Lamb Sag Sizzler from the superior selection which was served in a sizzling dish.

The meat was cooked to perfection and surrounded by dark green mounds of tender spinach.

My friend's biryani was tasty, although her side order of vegetable curry was rather bland and the pilau rice was a tad dry.

On the whole though it was a good meal - everything was well presented although I felt it didn't quite live up to the lunch menu.

The service was superb and we were offered a free Bailey's nightcap after the meal.

Our bill came to just under £48, which included two glasses of wine, a couple of glasses of mineral water and a side order of sag aloo.