Reviewed
08/04

If you are looking for Indian food without the crowds or craziness of Cowley Road or the city centre, Qumin on St. Clements is a great choice. Their warm earth-toned décor is soothing, the staff are attentive, and the food is excellent.

The first time I went to Qumin it was quite late in the evening, and we were starving. The host seated us immediately, and since Qumin is rarely overcrowded, our food was promptly served. I had a delicious sag paneer for £5.15, which thankfully was more cheese than spinach, along with a large, pleasantly oily and chewy nan for £1.70. My friend had the chicken biryani, and ate every bite (which was a considerable and filling amount of food!). Although the other chicken dishes on the menu are £5.25, the chicken biryani was £7.25, probably because it comes with a small side vegetable curry. After dinner, they gave us those cute chocolate squares, flavoured with orange (which, like the orange bit in Jaffa cakes, is absolutely smashing).

The most impressive part of my first visit to Qumin was that they let us stay past closing time without complaint, so that we could finish eating and talking at our leisure. Needless to say, we tipped well. And even though we added a couple of extra pounds for their kindness, our expenditure was reasonable - about £25 for two to eat, with sides, drinks and tip.

In the many times I have eaten at Qumin since then, I have always been happily surprised by the service. Once, we arrived with a group of ten and no reservation, and instead of greeting us with incredulity or rudeness, as often happens in other Oxford restaurants, the host moved tables so that we could all sit together. Furthermore, the variety of menu options allowed us all to eat whatever we liked, from vegetarian to mild curries to spicy adventures. In fact, my friend from Goa remarked on the spiciness of the chicken vindaloo! I was also pleased that they didn't make a fuss when we paid with a mixture of cash and credit on several different cards.

I would only offer a few cautions: first, the chicken tikka massala I had once was an alarmingly bright red. It still tasted completely normal, however, so if you don't have a problem with unnaturally coloured food, I wouldn't worry about it. The massala dishes are also slightly more expensive, with chicken and lamb tikka massala costing £6.50 and tandoori king prawn or duck massala priced at £9.95. Also, the pillaw rice is not significantly different from the boiled rice in appearance or taste, and they cost about the same - £1.80 for boiled, £1.95 for pillaw - so if you want special rice you might as well go for the aptly named "Special Rice," which is fried with egg and veggies for £2.25.

So if you are tired of being treated as if buying food is a privilege you must earn, and you'd like to enjoy a range of well-made north Indian fare, I highly recommend Qumin.

Lindsay Oishi, 4.8.4