We considered the Darbaar a very good restaurant the last time we visited, well over a year ago now. We rated it up there with the best in the city. Sadly, things have changed since then: it's gone decidedly down hill (though it's actually moved up hill, and occupies the next door premises which used to be the Panyam curry house, now closed down - which is no great loss).

The starters were good. We had aloo pakora (£1.40), vegetable mixed starter (£2.50), chicken pakora (£1.75), veg samosa (£1.30 for two), and onion bhaji (£1.20). They were all freshly prepared, crisp and spicy. The chicken pakora contained good quality chicken in a tasty, crunchy batter. The only cavil with the starters was the vegetable mixed starter: we thought the portion a little scant.

And so to the main dishes. I had balti vegetable matter paneer. I recalled the rich, highly spiced dishes of the Darbaar of old, and was disappointed with what I was served. It was bland, (the paneer almost tasteless), lacked salt, and consisted for the main part of tined vegetables - this went for the balti aloo matter, the aloo matter paneer, and the vegetable bhuna. The vegetable korma was low on vegetables, high on a thick, sweet, almondy sauce. The vegetable dopiaza tasted very mild, though the portion was good and the vegetables not overcooked. The chicken bhuna was described as "decidedly average - spicy, but lacking that special something which the Darbaar use to serve.."

All in all, we were sadly disillusioned with the Darbaar. It was once one of the better curry houses in the city, but it's slipped into mid-table mediocrity. It's certainly worth a visit, but those halcyon days are long gone.

(Chapattis and rice do not some with the main dishes, and must be ordered separately.)

We reviewed the Darbaar well over a year ago, and we reported: "It's a very good curry house in every department and we recommend all aficionados of the dish to make a bee-line for the place."

Glad to report, time has not changed that.

We started with channa puri (£2.50), onion bhaji (£1.00) mushroom pakora (£1.40), and aloo pakora (£1.40). The chick peas puri was excellent, the channa large and cooked to perfection, and the puri, like last year, the best we've tasted in the city. The onion bhaji were excellent value for £1.00, crisp and very hot. The aloo pakora were likewise enjoyed - but perhaps the best of all was the mushroom pakora: I could rave, but I'll keep it brief - massive, mouth-watering mushrooms cooked whole in a crispy, spicy batter. Exquisite.

I had balti vegetable paneer as my main dish. It was very rich, swimming in ghee (which I like), and containing a wide selection of perfectly cooked vegetables - it might have earned a ten out of ten but for the paneer being cut too small, and too many tomatoes in the dish. Having said that, it was a fine curry which I thoroughly enjoyed. Likewise the balti chana earned a good score, plentiful, succulent chick peas in a rich, tangy sauce. The mushroom masala, while perfectly acceptable, was deemed a little too hot for TraceyW. The chicken rogan josh was a rich dish, medium spiced, with good pieces of meat and plenty of vegetables.

We finished with good coffee and complimentary After Eight mints.

The service, it must be said, was exceptional - the first time we have ever awarded a ten out of ten in this department. Okay, so the restaurant was not exactly heaving, but the speed, friendliness, and attention to detail has never been matched in our experience.

We rate the Darbaar very highly indeed, and can only suggest that you visit the place yourself for one of the best curry experiences in the city.

(Rice, chapatti, naan etc, are not included in the price of the curries, and must be ordered separately: naan £1.00, garlic naan £1.40, chapatti 30p, boiled rice £1.00, pilau rice £1.20.)

It makes a welcome change to review a restaurant that is a cut above those we've visited recently: so many of those have been serving pretty standard Bradford curries, above average but nothing to rave about. The Darbaar changes that. It's a very good curry house in every department and we recommend all aficionados of the dish to make a bee-line for the place.

We ordered for starters chana puri (£2.50) and a mixed vegetable dish (£2.50). The chana consisted of mild, curried chick peas on a deep-fried chapatti, and it was excellent: the chick peas were succulent and beautifully spiced, and the puri was the best we've sampled in Bradford. The mixed starter was also of a high standard: it consisted of mushroom bhaji, onion bhaji, potato bhaji and a veg samosa. The samosa was fresh, the pastry thin and crisp, unlike some thick-skinned things we've come across. The only slight disappointment in the mixed starters were the onion bhajis; we felt that they lacked onions and were a little undercooked.

My main dish was dall and mushroom. It wasn't on the menu, but the chef will make up curries on request. The dish was plentiful, extremely rich and swimming in ghee (which, personally, I like), the lentils of the small, bead variety, and the mushrooms large and fresh. It was hot without being overpoweringly so, and extremely satisfying. The chicken bhuna was rich and flavoursome, and highly recommended. We also had a portion of boiled rice (£1.00) and a nan bread (£1.00).

We finished off with a good coffee.

The Daarbar serves up-market curries of a very high standard at reasonable prices in a pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. We'll no doubt be going back in two or three months to see if the restaurant has maintained its quality. On this showing, we'd rate it as one of the better establishments in the city and suggest that you give it a try.

(Rice and chapattis must be ordered separately.)