The 8-Year Wait:

It is a truth universally acknowledged that the closest restaurant to your home is often the last one you visit. For nearly eight years, I’ve lived a mere five-minute stroll from The Purple Mango in Walnut Tree and had never eaten there. This week, I finally ventured inside.

My first impression was that the restaurant is well decorated with a modern but comfortable feel. It strikes a good balance between being smart enough for a special occasion and relaxed enough for a spontaneous Tuesday night curry. We were greeted with genuine smiles and shown to our table by staff who were the epitome of friendly and efficient throughout the entire evening.

Now, for the food. Aptly, let’s start with the starters. The portions were generous, and the flavours were certainly on point. However, and it’s a small but crucial however, the consensus around our table was that they had arrived with a bit of a chill. They were tasty, yes, but would have been much more appreciated if they’d just been served hot. A missed opportunity!

Then came the mains, if the starters were a slight stumble, the main courses were a much better show. The portions were once again generous – come with an appetite, or be prepared to ask for a doggy bag! Each dish was rich and flavourful. This was a satisfying curry experience.

The menu itself was a well-curated list that doesn’t overwhelm you with a thousand different options but still offers good variety, from classics that we all know and love to some more unique house specials.

The Verdict: The Purple Mango is a great local restaurant with a welcoming atmosphere, friendly staff, and excellent main courses. While our starters were on the cool side, the quality of the rest of the meal makes me confident it was just a minor blip.

Will I be back? Yes. And it won’t take another 8 years.

Lionel

Also, check out the scores and the common curry.

Common Curry – Good price for generous decent food.
Certificate –  No certificate awarded.
Web site – https://www.purplemango-mk.co.uk/

Positive	Negative
Staff were polite and attentive	Restaurant very quiet for a Friday night
Music not Indian but ok, toilets were clean and modern, good decor	Starters took an hour and after we finished the mains were out
King Prawn Puree, well spiced, enjoyable	Some starters were not hot, some seemed to have been re-heated
Onion Bhajee, very good	Rashmi Kebab, thin, plain patty, mint sauce weak
Sonali Fish (Madras), spicy, thick sauce and wonderful fish. Big portion	Special Mixed Starter, prawn was awful
Chilli Chicken Tikka, excellent amount of spice and flavour	Draught beer seemed watery
Purple Mango Nawaz, mild chicken. Large portion
Chicken Dhansak, Lamb Nawabi Rezella, Lamb Tikka Masala, all very good
Vegatable sides ok, delicious Saag Aloo and Bhini Bhajee
Rice and Naans ok, special mention for the Special Pilau rice