Lizzie Wood - Freelance Journalist

The Lancer - Newmarket

'The Lancer more than meets the benchmark set by Newmarket’s other Indian Restaurants. The food is both fresh and well spiced; the curried sauces that accompany the fiery Tandoori or Tikka meats is thick and pleasingly free from oil; and the differing flavours and choices are clearly defined on the well-structured menu, which contains both traditional and contemporary Indian cuisine.'

The Lancer is the latest addition to Newmarket’s popular, and apparently thriving, Indian restaurant scene, and enjoys an advantageous location at the head of the High Street, offering an engaging view across the town from its elevated first-floor restaurant. The restaurant also benefits from its small size – the owners have not tried to pack in too many tables, and have decorated the interior cleanly, dressing the walls with oversized mirrors, and the tables with clean, white cloth. The busy, mid-week atmosphere is consequently relaxed and laid back.

Indian restaurants are popular because of their familiarity – the mainstay dishes rarely differ (in anything other than spelling at least) from one restaurant to the next, are commonly served in stainless steel bowls, and the service is always attentively quick: this you expect. To succeed, therefore, and to stand out amongst the crowd, the restaurant must offer something more.

The Lancer more than meets the benchmark set by the town’s other Indian Restaurants. The food is both fresh and well spiced; the curried sauces that accompany the fiery Tandoori or Tikka meats is thick and pleasingly free from oil; and the differing flavours and choices are clearly defined on the well-structured menu, which contains both traditional and contemporary Indian cuisine. Should you run into difficulty, or simply be intrigued, the staff are happy to explain a dish in more detail, eloquently outlining its origin as well as its ingredients, and if you have trouble making a decision, they will quickly jump in to make a recommendation.

On our visit, the service was both personable and courteous, with both our drinks – Cobra beer – and poppadoms – served with a choice of four flavoursome chutneys – arriving within minutes of being seated. Although attentive and swift, the experience was unhurried, and the staff eager to let you enjoy your evening for as long as possible.

Amongst the now recognisable Bhunas, Dansaks and Dupiazas, all of which can be cooked with either Tikka or plain chicken, lamb or king prawns, were the chef’s specials, many of which come served with an accompanying naan, or arrive still sizzling and spitting on a cast iron plate. Intriguingly, the Kurzi dish requires you to order at least 24 hours in advance, and is served for a minimum of four people. Had I known, I would have called up in advance! The choice is equally extensive for the starters and accompaniments, where hotly spiced samosas and vegetable or prawn pakoras complement the more traditional bhajis and kebabs.

The restaurant also offers a take away service but, hidden away upstairs, our meal was uninterrupted by the regular flow of locals coming in from the cold night to collect their steaming curries.

In keeping with its competitors, our meal was concluded with a searing flannel, opened with a surprisingly loud pop by our waiter, and complimentary mints – neither of which we needed to convince us to visit again.