Sim's is a pretty typical cheapish curry house with few pretensions; very clean, pretty spartan, minimally decorated. It serves fairly average curries at the less expensive end of the price range.

We stared with onion bhaji (£1.00) vegetable samosa (two for £1.00) and chicken pakora (£1.70). The bhajis were a little doughy and lacking in onion, but the samosa were excellent, fresh vegetables enclosed in delicious flaky pastry. The pakora was disappointing, the chicken tough and the batter soggy.

I sampled a potato and spinach main course. The potatoes were tinned (which is about par for the course), the spinach substantial and fragrantly spiced; it was one of the better palak dishes I've tasted recently. The potato and chick peas was rated well above average, with large, perfectly cooked peas in a tasty sauce. The only real disappointment of the night was the vegetable biryani: although the portion was good, it had an awful, chemical taste - as if cooked in candle wax. The chicken karahi tasted fine, but was overly greasy, and the chicken on the tough side. The Chicken Tikka balti was above average and, in IanW's estimation, 'typically tikka'.

We finished with good (though very mild) milky coffee at 50p a cup, and some lovely barfi.

While Sim's will win no awards, it's a restaurant we'll be returning to in future, and which we recommend a visit for all those pursuing every curry experience.

(The price of meals includes a choice of: three chapattis, nan, boiled rice, chips.)