Elephant Walk

West Hampstead has become something of a restaurant metropolis over the years; almost every other door on the high street leads to a culinary venue of some kind, from cafes and bistros to pizzerias and exotic foreign locals. Among this rabble of gastronomic delights is Elephant Walk, an authentic Sri Lankan restaurant.

Run by a husband and wife team who are clearly passionate about their cuisine, the restaurant offers a wide variety of Sri Lankan curries and other delicacies. To start, we tried the Masala Thosai, a kind of savoury pancake filled with spiced onions and potato, accompanied by chutney and sambar. The pancake was huge, light and crispy, the fillings well spiced and the combinations worked pleasingly well together.

As a main I had one of their specialities, a String Hopper Buriyani with lamb curry. String hoppers, despite sounding like something a fisherman would use, are fine shredded noodles which are tossed in an iron chutty (a kind of Indian wok), and mixed with vegetables, fried egg and spices. The dish arrived on a large platter with a huge mound of string hopper to one side, and an aromatic lamb curry in its own bowl on the other; both accompanied by a sweet and sour onion relish called a Seeni Sambol, and a Pol Sambol, consisting of coconut and chilli.

They give you a choice of spicing for the curries; mild, medium or hot. I opted for medium and it was probably what I would describe as mild for my tastes, but then I’m into my tongue-blistering spices. The curry itself was wonderfully aromatic and well flavoured. It’s made by sautéing the lamb with onion and mustard seeds, and then cooking it with tomato, ground jeera and coriander to make a sauce. All the dishes had a pleasing home-cooked quality about them, as if we were dining in someone’s house. We also tried some vegetable accompaniments, the pumpkin curry being the most notable.

By the time I’d finished the main course I was ready to split my trousers, so rather than a dessert we chose some teas from their extensive tea menu. I opted for a Ceylon Nuwara Eliya, described on the menu as being the Ceylon equivalent of champagne, but it wasn’t my cup of tea (I couldn’t resist that). But then, I am not a tea connoisseur.

The restaurant has a relaxed atmosphere, the decor is modern, fresh and fairly neutral, and the service is friendly and welcoming, if a little slow; I expect they have a very small kitchen staff. The menu is well priced, especially when you consider the quality of the food they serve here, and I will definitely be returning to sample more dishes. The residents of West Hampstead are a lucky bunch to have this place.

Elephant Walk, 98 West End Lane, West Hampstead, London NW6 2LU. Tel. 020 7328 3308.