Be honest, have your finalised all your Christmas plans? And what about your festive day meal?

Rajdhani at Dore train station have been fine-tuning their Christmas plans for months now and we were lucky enough to get a sneak preview of what they will be serving on 25 December.

The popular restaurant, which opened 11 years ago, has a reputation for fine Indian and Bangladeshi cuisine, perfectly showcased by this festive set menu which features dishes that are both familiar and others that are not so. 

Poppadums and a pickle tray – featuring six different varieties – ease any hunger pangs straightaway and are always a great place to start. Following on, diners will have a choice between two different appetisers – lamb chops and fish pakora – both of which were excellent. 

The chops packed a real punch with huge hits of flavour and spice whilst the pakora, which had been marinated with spices, coated in gram flour and fried, were much more subtle in flavour but equally delicious.

As an added extra, we also tried some aubergine pakoras, a popular dish during ramadan according to our affable host, Mr Miah.

Main course offers a further choice for diners – lamb or chicken. The latter is served in the form of biye barir chicken, often referred to as ‘wedding chicken’. Despite its moniker, this is a dish that is served in Bangladeshi homes for pretty much every celebration, including Eid. Usually cooked in large quantities, our singular version consisted of a chicken leg quarter which had been roasted and served with a subtle curry sauce along with new potatoes and whole Brussel sprouts – well, it is Christmas! We really loved the almost smoky flavour and crispy skin which contrasted beautifully with the slow-cooked, tender lamb shank. This was served with a punchier sauce as well as sliced carrots and whole mushrooms.

All dishes come with a side of channa dal (split chickpeas) and pilau rice and plain naan bread. Mr Miah recommended these more ‘simple’ sundries, if you will, to allow the flavours of the main dishes to shine through. 

Gulab jamun – golden-brown dumplings soaked in sugar syrup – served with vanilla ice cream provide a sweet and traditional finish to the set menu alongside tea or coffee.

Prices for the Christmas Day set menu are still to be confirmed but can be booked over the phone.

Rajdhani’s quirky location is offset by a cool, contemporary interior with all staff welcoming and attentive throughout. We really enjoyed our sneak preview – all that was missing was a Christmas cracker!

To find out more, all 0114 235 3280 or click here.