STUNNING surroundings and top quality food make the Plaza Amantola restaurant the perfect place to enjoy an Indian meal.

Set in its own grounds in Deeside, opposite RAF Sealand on the A554, just a 20-minute drive from Wirral, the Plaza Amantola really is an Indian restaurant like no other! From the moment you enter the spacious car park you are illuminated by the lights from a veritable palace, and when you enter the domain you feel a like a king - or queen!

Newly opened with ample room for 300 people, the Plaza Amantola serves Indian cuisine seven days a week, but bookings are advisable on Friday and Saturday evenings. Opening hours are Monday to Friday, 12 noon until 2pm, and 5.30pm until midnight, with an extended hour until 1am on Fridays; Saturdays, 12 noon until 1am, and Sundays, 12 noon-12 midnight.

The Sunday Buffet served between 12pm and 7pm is exceptional value at £6.50, and £2.95 for children. It's a 12-course feast and you can eat as much as you like!

Monday night is Balti night between 5.30pm and 9pm, when you can sample a choice of Balti dishes conjured up by the Goan chef.

Entertainment is provided once a month, and special occasions are also catered for, including birthdays, weddings or, for the romantics among you, a candlelit dinner for two.

The Plaza Amantola has a bar area, where you can relax with a 'legendary' Kingfisher lager while you browse through the extensive menu. You are then escorted to you table in the very spacious dining area.

Your Dining Out team were treated to a Plaza Special Set Meal. We had Meal A, which is made up of meat dishes, but you can also have a vegetarian alternative.

An interesting note is all the plates and cutlery are decorated with the Plaza Amantola logo - a classy touch. Stomachs rumbling by now, we were firstly presented with Popadoms, served with a fine selection of different sauces, including the favourite mango chutney and yoghurt sauce.

The starters tray features tasty Tandoori Chicken, succulent Lamb Tikka, and a delicious Sheek Kebab, all very tasty and beautifully cooked.

Main courses feature Karahi Gosht, the all-time favourite Chicken Tikka Masala, delicious Bombay Potatoes, Egg Pilau Rice and a Nan. The Gosht is brimfull of succulent lamb, with just the right level of spice.

For Pilau Rice fans, it's well worth trying the egg version which has an entirely different taste and texture. All items on the banquet are taste sensations and when a coffee and ice cream is added, it really is a belt buster!

So, for an Indian meal that is more of an experience, look no further than the Plaza Amantola. The short drive to Queensferry is well worth making!

S.D.H.

Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.