Indian restaurants are, let's be honest here, ten-a-poppadom.

One is pretty much like another - and bizarrely, the establishments that target the 'higher end' of the market often forget what it takes to make an Indian meal great...

Over the years I've eaten in some stunning curry houses, architecturally speaking - vaulted ceilings that make the Taj Mahal look like a terraced two-up-two-down, with high price tags to complement the snooty service.

But that isn't what a 'true' Indian restaurant is about. After all, who wants to break up a poppadom with their fork or drink their lager from a champagne flute?

Eating an Indian authentically (as in 'authentically British') means sitting in little cubicles or at rows of cosy tables, ordering from wipe-clean menus, and using paper serviettes, all lit by those 500-for-a-fiver tea lights.

And of course, let's not forget the staff. Proper Indian restaurants are staffed by fabulously friendly waiters and waitresses, who are not in the least aloof or austere.

Taking all of that into account, for my money the best Indian in Oxford is Jamal's, in Walton Street.

I've eaten in most of the city's other bhuna palaces but I always end up coming back here - because the welcome is always so warm, the atmosphere is terrific (Friday nights and Saturdays are, predictably, the most lively thanks to student clientele), and the food is great (tasty, hot and swiftly served). It won't win a Michelin star, but you'll get change from £30.

It was my first choice for a fun evening out. Too formal and it would have made the dinner seem portentous; while an all-you-can-eat-for-£10 'canteen' would have made my companion a tad nervous (she's used to money). So Jamal's was a perfect compromise and it didn't let me down.

WHAT DID YOU CHOOSE?

For starters we tucked into poppadoms (65p each) with a tray of chutneys and pickles (50p), washed down with a jar or two of cold beer. And frankly, is there anything from the worldwide menu that even comes close to matching this culinary ritual? (That's a rhetorical question).

Next up, we plumped for our mains - mine, a king prawn karahi jhinga, served in a traditional iron pot with basmati rice (£13.75), hers a lamb biryani (£7.95), served on a plate.

DID IT TICKLE YOUR PALATE?

I never know how to describe food: either it's good or it isn't. Waxing lyrical about 'mouth feel' and texture just isn't my style.

But this was excellent, and the service from the team of waiters on duty that night was first class - helpful, informative, and most importantly of all, superbly polite.

More beer followed to wash the mains down.

Then I think ('think' only because of the volume of beer we sank) we ordered desserts, which were those 'standards' of the great Indian night out - frozen halved pineapples filled with ice cream and oranges full of sorbet.

Perfectly adequate.

And all tucked away with another round of beers, two coffees, and some nice little chocolates.

VERDICT: The total was about £35, and two hugely satisfied customers. What more could you ask?