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• Phone: 020 7278 6881
• Address: 59 Marchmont St, London WC1N 1AP
• Locale: Bloomsbury
• Nearby Tube stops: Russell Square / Euston / Euston Square / Goodge St
• Opening times: not sure

Vegetarian Paradise is a South Indian restaurant in Bloomsbury, serving absolutely fantastic food at remarkably small prices. It's quite small, but pleasant (the decor didn't make much of an impression, so was presumably inoffensive), and the service was fine. It is, unsurprisingly from the name, vegetarian, and happy to accommodate vegans as well.

The food was the best Indian I've had in this country, without doubt. I had the 3-course thali for £6.95 - dal soup and a poppadum as a starter, then 4 different curries (all excellent), pilau rice, 2 bhajis, 2 puris, and raita. I particularly liked the dal (which too often tends to be watery rather than lentily in some restaurants), and enjoyed the okra dish despite not actually liking okra! My sister said the dessert (fruit & rice - not sure what it was exactly) was good, although I'd run out of room (quantity of food was pretty large!). Main courses generally were around the £2.50-£2.95 mark, with rice I think around £1.50. They're not licensed, but may well do BYO - I didn't check.

Strongly recommended, for quality and value - I'll definitely be going back.

Now, I am utterly baffled. I (think I) went there this lunchtime (June 2003) and had the lunchtime buffet (£4.50 for all you can eat). The poori was good, but the dhal was far too salty and the cauliflower and aubergine dishes were just average, and watery. I didn't try the other vegetable dish because it looked to have been made with frozen chopped carrots, peas and beans. I tried one of the chutneys and it tasted so strongly of jar that I couldn't work out whether it was meant to be coriander or mint or both. This really doesn't sound like the same place at all. Bhel Poori vegetarian place opposite Alara?

If it is the same place, then opening hours are noon–3pm and 7pm–11pm. Takeaway boxes available for the lunchtime buffet at £2.50 for regular or £3.50 for large. Seats around 20, I'd guess. --Kake