Sunday evening in Stoke Newington and I’d forgotten that there was a match on. So before meeting in Abi Ruchi I had a pitstop in the excellent pub on the corner where by some curious conjunction I saw Jamie Vardy score to the sound of a typically bittersweet Elliott Smith track.

But that’s beside the point. Abi Ruchi is a no frills South Indian selected by my vegan friend. More specifically its cuisine is from Kerala so a sweeter variety to your regular high street Asian fare.

They have a licence (Cobras all round) and they serve meat so after a starter of some lentil fritters, which were a bit dry and short on sauce, I had a very good chicken curry. Sides of flaky bread and various veggie dishes were delicious and if I’d had the appetite I would have carried on munching all evening.

It was a quiet Sunday evening so good service was to be expected. As a break from the gentrified norm in Stokey Abi Ruchi makes a good value for money option.

7/10

To see which other restaurants I’ve visited in 2016 check out my GoogleMap

London Restaurants Abi Ruchi indian London Restaurant Review stoke newington