The Wee Curry Shop

The 2013 edition of The List's Eating & Drinking Guide is out now – only £5.95 (+p&p).

This review is taken from the current (2013) edition.

The Wee Curry Shops, mini-offspring of the mighty Mother India, have lost a sister branch on Ashton Lane – which has become the Glasgow Curry Shop, displaying something of the history of this city's love affair with all things spicy. The remaining two shops are similar in dimension – with the West End one benefiting from a mezzanine area. They diverge on the décor: these are, strictly speaking, themed curryhouses – gimmicky in less subtle hands, but here the conceit is rather droll with Byres Road looking like a kitsch 1970s living room with a whiff of curryhouse of old; whereas the one nestled at the foot of Garnethill (like a welcome interloper in Chinatown, keeping its head down) is done out like a mini library, all wood panels and fake bookshelf wallpaper. They also share the same high-quality food, each with an open kitchen offering a compact menu showcasing deft ways with traditional north Indian favourites with a little inventivemess thrown in. The basics shine as much as the rest: warm fluffy, crisp-tinged naans and perfectly cooked rice, while green herb pakora is heavy and aromatic with shredded leaves, a succulent lamb karahi is satisfyingly rich, and chicken saag heady with sweet garlic aromas. They may be wee but they punch enough above their weight to take on any of the heavies in town.

• High point: Big flavours
• Low point: Wee menu