Review: I tried the new menu at Burnley restaurant Shimla Spice and this is my verdict

I’ve visited the Church Street restaurant several times over the years, there is always a friendly welcome and excellent food, but now it has certainly gone up a notch.

The fresh new look of the restaurant, which has won many regional and national awards, gives really sophisticated city vibes with custom made artwork, a bespoke ceiling and a central cherry blossom tree. It’s bright, colourful and inviting. You really feel like you are somewhere special.

The new menu includes a vast array of dishes to choose from to suit all tastes and palettes. The head chef, Mahmood Akhtar, along with his team who boast over 50 years experience between them, have put the new menu together and you really are spoilt for choice. Shimla’s aim is to be recognised as a culinary destination and I feel this new menu secures that aim.

The starter menu itself is vast, ranging from traditional Pakistani dishes to Oriental dishes including dynamite prawns and salt and pepper wings. There is also a fantastic selection of seafood and also vegetarian and non vegetarian options. I opted for vegetable pakora, fresh mixed vegetables with herbs and spices dipped in batter and deep fried. Served with salad this is the perfect starter for me and served piping hot. My guest chose chicken pakora, a diced boneless chicken dish with special herbs and spices, coated with gram flour and deep fried. It was accompanied with mint sauce and salad. We were also treated to a taste of one of the other new starter dishes, the Desi chicken cheesy seekh kebab which was delicious. The flavours of chicken and cheese blended beautifully.

Onto the mains, my choice was chicken makhani, a dish using a mild sauce with almond, sultanas, pineapple and fresh cream. Served with pilau rice, the food was full of flavour, I loved the blend of sweet with mild spice. My guest opted for Desi chicken karahi, a traditional Punjabi style dish which he thoroughly enjoyed and said was delicious with just the right amount of ‘kick.’

Accompanied by a garlic naan and popadoms, an absolute ‘must’ with any curry meal, we found ourselves unable to finish our main meals. But no problem as the restaurant packaged them up for us to ‘take away.’ Fantastic service.

The chefs have created a range of dishes under the heading ‘Exquisite Delicacies’ and these include maghaz which is described as a ‘highly delicate unique dish made of sheep’s brain, cooked with Shimla signature spices that will melt in your mouth.’ Lamb Nihari is the traditional dish of Pakistan which serves up a special cut of lamb shank cooked in flour based sauces. Since the refurbishment Shimla has been visited by diners from across the North West, including Preston, Manchester and Blackburn.

I must make mention of the restaurant’s brand new mocktails, a selection of alcohol free drinks made with fresh fruits, juices and exotic flavours. I went straight for the strawberry mojito which was delicious, really fruity and refreshing. After the meal I indulged in a Shimla Sunset, the restaurant’s signature mocktail which served up tangy passion fruit and strawberries, it had a proper kick to it. We dined quite early, around 5pm on a Saturday, and the restaurant was already starting to fill with diners then, and as we left, which is always a good sign. And future plans at Shimla Spice include creating a 30 seater private function room for events, due to public demand.