Sagwat, Javea Port

May 2010

Back in the UK, going out for a curry was generally an inexpensive fun night out.  Here on the Costa Blanca you have to regard Indian food as more of a treat, and as such the service and atmosphere add to the value, of what is hopefully good food as well.

The Sagwat, which overlooks Javea's Port beach, doesn't disappoint on any front - whether you dine on the terrace with lovely sea views (ok, also road and carpark views but the sea is behind it), or the lushly decorated interior.  No London minimalist modern Indian chic here, this is full on flock wall paper and sparkly elephants, the way Indian restaurants used to look in the 80s - a great ambiance.  Service is friendly, knowledgeable, and attentive, with special fuss made of any children present.

Our vegetarian dining experience was excellent, and the vegetarian biriyani was delicious - though very pricey, we felt, for basically a deliciously-flavoured rice along with a very generic sauce.  Salads were crunchy and tasty, and the starters and snacks were fresh and light - bhajis can be greasy and depressing but these were not.  Best veggie dish we found however was an exquisite paneer karahi - seasoned to perfection, and made with real paneer (have had too many 'Saag Edams' in my time!).  It was disappointing that the menu lived up to the tradition of banishing their good selection of veggie offerings to the role of 'side dishes' - strange that a cuisine representing a continent with such a huge vegetarian population can't accept the idea of a vegetarian dish forming a main course!

The menu layout didn't affect the food on the table however and all the food was well presented and generously portioned - indeed we seriously over-ordered.  We've been back for takeaways since, and they offer discount for food collection.

All in all a great choice for veggies in Javea, with plenty of options on the menu, and a lovely night out.

Avda Mediterraneo, 10, 03730 Javea, Spain Tel: 34 965 792 538