Eating Indian street food at Cafe Diwali

When Crane Street Wine Cafe closed in Salisbury, I was really disappointed because it was my favourite restaurant in Salisbury. However, when I saw a sign in the window of the empty premises to say that an Indian Street food restaurant serving craft beers was coming there, my disappointment was quieted! 
Last weekend, we finally managed to get a babysitter and went to the newly opened Diwali Cafe for supper. I'd tweeted them beforehand and was delighted when they responded - it's always a good sign that you're going to get good service. And, we certainly did, with excellent, attentive service throughout the meal. 

The general layout remains similar to Cranes, but the décor has been refreshed with brighter paintwork and an Indian vibe. We were seated out in the conservatory area and I was pleased to see that the outdoor seating area also remains, it's a lovely sun trap in the summer.

The waiter came over to help talk us through the bijoux menu. Explaining that the menu was deliberately small, with the intention for them to update it every 3 months.

We started by ordering the mini poppadums which were a real treat. I love poppadums anyway, but they tend to be the same in most Indians with similar pickles. Well, not at Cafe Diwali. The mini poppadums come in a variety of flavours - some a bit more spicy, some with caraway seeds. And the pickles were delicious.

For our starters, I had the Mini Raj Kachori which were stuffed Panipuri (kind of a fried, crisp batter) and were super pretty and very tasty. My husband had the Fish Amritshari which were slightly spiced, fried fish goujons. Everything was very good indeed. As were our mains of whole tandoori sea bream and tandoori kebab platter.

As advertised, they also served a wide range of craft beers and a small selection of wines and spirits. I also noticed on their website that they have a kid's menu and a Sunday brunch menu.

Overall, I was really impressed and we will definitely be returning. A nice alternative to the other Indians in Salisbury and in a nice, cafe environment. Yum! I wish we had more independent places like this in Salisbury. It wasn't mega busy in there, so I'd really encourage you to give it a try.

Baroushka is a Lebanese delight!

With a one year old child, we don't often get to go out for an grown up meal. Generally we have to consider whether there is a kid's menu and if baby screaming will offend other diners.

Enjoying a Lebanese kiss

But with a babysitter organised (thanks Mum), we were excited to try the new Lebanese restaurant in Salisbury, Baroushka, as we'd heard great things about it.

Upon arrival, we were immediately greeted by a friendly smile and welcomed to our table. And this warm and prompt approach to service continued throughout our meal.

The restaurant was like a long corridor and

My husband with a
Belly Dance

the décor was contemporary but with an Arabian twist. There were lots of mirrors and Moroccan style lights hanging from the ceiling and an open kitchen meaning you can watch your food being made, which I love.

We started with cocktails. I had an Arabian Kiss made from Champagne, strawberry and lychee liqueur and my husband had a Belly Dance which was a mix of massaya arak, cointreau, canadian dry with a lime twist. It's nice to try some fun, new cocktails and they were both delicious.

For our first course we enjoyed a hot and cold mezze to share which had loads of tasty morsels such as Lebanese sausage, hummus with shredded chicken and tabbouleh to share. It was so delicious, I could have eaten two of them myself!

The Lebanese wine

To follow, my husband had a selection of Arabian sausages with hummus, tabbouleh, pitta and harrisa and I had a lamb shawarma with a really sweet pomegranate molasses and tahini dressing.

All washed down with a bottle of Lebanese red wine. I'd never tried wine from Lebanon before and was really impressed. The one we chose, the Altitudes red from Ixsir, wasn't cheap (£28.90) but it was worth every penny. We thought it was similar to some of the wines we'd dried in Saint Emilion earlier in the year as it was rich, dark and oakey with a strawberry finish.

My Shawarma

The whole experience was fantastic. It reminded me of the first time I went to Greece and tried Greek cuisine or the food in Russia. It was like nothing I'd tried before and it felt like I'd gone on a mini holiday to somewhere I'd never been before. 

As well as Lebanese wine, they also had a couple of Araks to try which were served with ice and tasted of aniseed and a selection of beers from Lebanon, Israel and Morocco to try. And non alcoholic "mocktails too. 

Despite it being a Saturday lunchtime over Valentine's weekend, the restaurant wasn't especially busy. I think it's a real shame as I bet all the chain restaurants in Salisbury were packed. It's especially sad as one of my favourite independent restaurants, Crane Street wine cafe recently closed its doors and it amazes me that we still don't support local independents.

The hot and cold Mezze

This place is a real delight and it is refreshing to have something so new and modern in Salisbury. And, if you want to try something completely different and support a local independent then I'd urge you to book a table and give it a try. And, I've just discovered on their website that they do take-away, now then, where's my phone.....

Baroushka can be found at 90 Fisherton Street, Salisbury.