The Painted Heron, Cheyne Walk, London

We had a hunger and were on the search for curry. Something cheap and cheerful. Well, we certainly found cheerful, the staff at The Painted Heron in Cheyne Walk, London couldn’t have been more friendly, but we didn’t find cheap – of course, you wouldn’t on Chelsea Embankment but it was good value considering the skill that went into these sumptuous dishes.

It says Modern Indian, maybe it’s the plate design from ten years ago, but it really should be Fine Dining Indian.

Voluminous drapes at the entrance to hide the cloakroom, beautifully starched table cloths, grey walls, dim lighting and, sadly, oil lamps on the table that interfere with the scents of the spices eminating from the kitchen between the clever dividing walls and smart modern art.

: The Painted Heron Interior

It’s quiet, it’s Saturday night. Quite a nice change.

Wine is ordered, and I can say for the first time, I tasted the famous Jancis Robinson’s cry of ‘shoe polish’. It was for the South African Vergelegen Merlot 2006, a full-bodied wine with a little bit of spice on the palate and lots of ripe, red fruit flavours.

As a nice touch from the Head Chefs Yogesh Datta and Kansili Brahmanand we were served an amuse bouche of spicy lentil soup – almost a daal which gave a warming thrill both in the mouth and the throat.

A sign on of good things to come.

: The Painted Heron Crab

The starter was the fabulously presented wild soft-shell crab, shaped and fried in sesame and chilli spices with sesame seeds. The paneer in a dosa wrap was fresh and soft with the hit of heat in the deadly, dark red, reed of a chilli.

The Keralan Boatman’s Curry with huge succulent tiger prawns was more like the sort of dish you’d actually find on a luxury yacht. Sour not sweet despite the coconut it made great gravy for the deliciously foaming buttered and minted porotta bread. We were warned about it – the naan is thick,