Eating out in Soho can sometimes be like playing a culinary Russian roulette, so it’s nice to find a reliable curry house serving clean, decent food at relatively reasonable prices.

The Venue
Tucked away down Bateman Street, just down from Soho Square, Golden Oven isn’t necessarily on the beaten track, but it’s easy enough to find. To say the restaurant has an understated frontage is something of an understatement – it’s that classic unadventurous façade that curry houses are keen on, with a simple motif adorning an equally simple mustard yellow base. Inside what’s a small restaurant of about twenty covers it’s that typical curry house décor, with simple seating, authentic bits and bobs from Bangladesh, India and beyond, and a small bar area leading through to the busy banging from the kitchen.

The Atmosphere
Again, don’t expect too much difference from your average curry house – think traditional music interspersed with appreciative chatter from Soho workers, curry fans and the odd tourist or two. One thing that does set it apart from both Soho and most other curry houses, is its excellent service. It’s friendly, well-judged, knowledgeable and unobtrusive – all elements that make dining here all the more pleasant.

The Food
Typical curry house dishes sit alongside some rather more interesting chef specialities. Things start well with decent poppadoms served with five dips, including cucumber riaita, a very good homemade mango chutney, onion salad, lime pickle and an extremely hot – yet very impressive – naga chilli sauce, with a recipe that’s all the way from Bangladesh. It’s only for the brave/stupid, mind.

Mains are a pleasant surprise, with an excellent chicken pathia (£6.95) balancing the sweet and sour impressively, with a scattering of chopped green chillis (deemed too hot for British palates) replaced with a sprinkle of lemon rind that adds a refreshing little note of sourness to what’s a clean, well-balanced dish. The balti king prawn special (£10.95) is also good, with prawns cooked in ginger, chilli, cumin seeds and garlic, served in a rich sauce of the same ingredients, complemented by spinach cooked in garlic. It’s all impeccably judged, with the ginger, chilli and cumin seeds balancing the garlic perfectly.

The Drinks
You can expect all your usual curry house options, including the ever-reliable Cobra and Tiger beers, both served at reasonable prices. You can also enjoy decent coffees, a wealth of spirits from that little bar and probably glasses of milk to help you deal with that naga chilli sauce.

The Last Word
If you’re looking for a reliable, decent curry house in a location famed for being hit and very miss, then the Golden Oven is a very good shout indeed.

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