I love a good curry and have eaten at various restaurants and ordered from a range of takeaways in my hunt for a menu I can happily work my way through.

But because I eat a lot of curry, I know exactly what I’m looking for and I had high hopes for Saffron, a new restaurant in Purley, which didn’t disappoint.

Located in Brighton Road, Saffron is a small, family run restaurant. With just seven tables seating 32 people, the restaurant achieves an intimate atmosphere and the meal is accompanied by a friendly and attentive service.

After browsing the 14 starters on offer, my guest and I opted for the classic onion bhaji and chicken tikka pieces which were excellent value for money priced at £1.20 and £3.00 a portion respectively.

The onion bhajis were exactly what a bhaji should be; crispy on the outside but soft and moist-not oily, on the inside, releasing an unexpected kick of flavour at the end of each bite.

The bite sized chicken tikka pieces were also flavoursome and moist. Suitably impressed by our starters, my guest and I decided we would be adventurous and try new, contrasting dishes for our mains.

We opted for chicken makhani masala, with cashew nuts (£9.00) and tandoori garlic chilli chicken (£10.00) with pilau rice (£1.90) and a garlic naan (£2.30).

It is always a risk ordering a new dish, you have nothing to compare it to and there is not a lot you can do if it turns out you don’t like it, but we had no reason to be worried.

The chicken makhani masala was delicious. Similar in appearance to a chicken tikka masala, the dish was creamy and sweet, with a coconut undertone. Full of moist chicken pieces, there was also lots of sauce to dip your bread in, a necessity for all good curries in my opinion.

The tandoori garlic chill chicken was divine. Adorned with fresh green chillies, the tomato based dish was full of flavour with a fiery kick. The dish wasn’t oily and each mouthful left you wanting more.

The amount of food served was generous, without being excessive and other mains on the menu were very reasonably priced. Lamb biryani served with vegetable curry costs £6.45, and for those that like it hot a chicken vindaloo is £5.00.

The problem I find at most Indian restaurants and takeaways is their food lacks flavour, but our meal at Saffron left me confident I could try any dish on their menu and would not be left dissatisfied. I will certainly be back.

Saffron, 86 Brighton Road, Purley, CR8 4DA Tel: