At 9pm on a Saturday evening you could be forgiven for assuming that a restaurant in a small North Wales town would be winding down for the night. Lucknow Lounge in Kinmel Bay isn't just any restaurant however.
Situated just over the bridge from the summertime hustle and bustle at Towyn, Lucknow has built a fierce reputation as one of the finest Indian restaurants in the area. I and two of my friends arrived at the venue around 9pm and there were still plenty of customers inside - in fact, staff were more than happy to accommodate us.
The restaurant also doubles up as a cocktail and shisha bar, with ample seating in both the bar and dining areas. On arrival we were shown into a quiet corner of the impressive restaurant and we sat down with a beer whilst we browsed the menu.
Now I am admittedly a little bit one-dimensional when it comes to Indian food and whilst I have tried different dishes in the past my clear favourite is chicken tikka masala with naan bread and a few chips - not very exotic I know. On this occasion however, I pushed the boat out a bit (said with straight face) by going for a peshwari naan instead of the usual garlic.
READ MORE: Family face demolishing four holiday chalets they built in their Welsh garden
And no visit to an Indian would be complete without starting with a few poppadums dipped in whatever sauce in the rotating chutney tray lands in front of you - and we weren't about to break with tradition. The assortment of chutneys were absolutely delicious and, along with my pint of Cobra, provided a pleasant opening act to the meals yet to come.
The main courses arrived fairly promptly and we were more than happy with our lot, which filled our table. Without hesitation I got straight into the masala with my peshwari naan and it was well worth the (relatively short) wait.
Creamy and delicious with succulent tender chicken, this was some superb tikka masala and the peshwari naan proved to be an inspired choice - definitely my new favourite. The chips were decent enough as well, nothing to write home about in truth but when combined with the masala this was a very tasty treat
Have you ever visited Lucknow in Kinmel Bay? Leave your thoughts in the comments section
Price-wise, it was no cheaper or dearer than most Indian restaurants but I think what perhaps sets Lucknow apart is the impressive restaurant and cocktail bar combo. My two friends also waxed lyrical about the quality cuisine - one also enjoyed the tikka masala whilst the other was thoroughly impressed with his chicken dopiaza.
With the summer holidays now upon us I expect Lucknow to be overrun with customers given its proximity to the coastal tourist hotspots. Given the superb food I enjoyed on this visit I expect to be back here in the very near future.
Prices
6 poppadoms with chutney tray: £8.50
Chicken tikka masala: £10.50
Peshwari naan: £3.50
Chips: £2.95
Pint of Cobra: £4.00
Total: £29.45
Opening times
Tuesday to Sunday: 4pm - 11pm
Monday: Closed
