Indian Rassasy – restaurant review

Once upon a time, Hotwells was renowned throughout the land for the quality of its spa waters. Before Bath became world famous for its own hot springs, Hotwells (it’s all in the name) was a destination for the great and good of Georgian society.

Dowry Square is one remaining example of Hotwells’ heyday, which once also included a theatre on Jacob’s Wells Road and grand shopping arcades. Unlike neighbouring Bath, Hotwells was known as a summer spa so they coexisted happily.

But a combination of war with France, spas giving way to seaside resorts as fashionable retreats, and the demolition of the grand Hotwell House in 1822 to make way for the Portway, meant that the springs were eventually sacrificed to improve river navigation.

At low tide, one of the two hot springs can still be seen bubbling into the River Avon; and from the windows of Indian Rassasy on Hotwell Road, there is also a glimpse of Dowry Square, still a prestigious address.

The changing tides are still affecting this corner of the neighbourhood, with 275 Hotwell Road in recent years being Persian restaurant Shiraz.

Before that it offered Indian cuisine as Kashmirian Rani, and it has now returned to this as Indian Rassasy – a restaurant that has been opened by Shamshuddin Bagalkote, previously manager at the multi-award-winning Urban Tandoor on Small Street; and Bulan Shaikh, most recently a chef at The Mint Room in Bath, whose sister restaurant is up the hill in Clifton Village.

A main course of smoked laal maas

The word ‘rassasy’ is a word with 15th century origins meaning, “to satisfy guests with a great meal”. It’s a bold word therefore to put above the door, but on a recent Monday night it was the perfect summary of the evening.

A poppadum basket is something familiar in Indian restaurants up and down the land, but here the tray of homemade pickles was particularly good.

For a starter,  Bagalkote recommended the murg banu kebab (£4.95) – three cubes of succulent chicken breast that had been marinated in cashew nut paste, cardamom and green chillies, and  coated with egg yolk.

From korma to madras, it’s possible to get all the favourites here; but for my main, Bagalkote’s recommendation was the smoked laal maas (£11.50) – described on the menu as a Rajasthani delicacy of trimmed lamb chops cooked in a smoked spicy tomato curry, served with spiced rustic mashed potatoes.

The chops were slathered in the curry sauce, which made a game of Russian roulette eating them with a knife and fork, unsure whether you were going to get meat or bone. What it was, however, was a main dish far removed from a typical curry house, with wonderfully smoky flavours.

The wonderfully retro dessert

The restaurant was quiet on this Monday evening other than for a regular parade of takeaway delivery drivers and riders ready to pick up the next order.

One entire wall inside has been painted by a Weston-super-Mare artist known only as Shruti, the brief from Bagalkote to be a mixture of India and Bristol. So hot air balloons float over the Clifton Suspension Bridge, next to colourful peacocks and silhouettes of temples.

The wall opposite is covered in large photos that include a painted elephant and a street vendor selling flowers from his tricycle.

I still had some of my pint of Cobra to finish so picked a kheer (£3.95) for dessert. Served in a martini glass and with a glacé cherry on top, the rice pudding was decidedly retro and all the better for it.

Its hot springs may have long fallen out of use, but Hotwells should now be renowned for the quality of its food and drink, specifically pubs such as the Bag of Nails, Merchants Arms and Nova Scotia, and innovative Indian restaurants such as Chai Shai.

Indian Rassasy is now continuing a rich tradition of welcoming visitors to this historic area of Bristol.

Indian Rassasy, 275 Hotwell Road, Hotwells, Bristol, BS8 4SF
0117 329 4848

www.indianrassasy.co.uk

Read more: Hotwells pub named among top-50 pubs in UK