Shere Khan: Moncada

Like many worthwhile places, Shere Khan isn’t easy to find. It’s actually right next to the Moncada-Alfafar underground station, but a GPS will lead you into the dead end street that creates this shady (in the tree sense) square.

Having found it there’s a warm welcome from Anwar and his wife and daughter who run the place, and you can eat out on the ‘shady’ terrace or inside, where you can enjoy the may colourful photos, including those of namesake Shere Khan.

The pastel colours create a pleasant atmosphere, and the food can be heard sizzling away in the kitchen, creating those unmistakeable Indian aromas so familiar to those of us who consider Indo-Pakistan food as a great British tradition.

Anwar worked in Dagenham, Essex before opening a restaurant here in central Valencia, but later preferring the local feel of breezy Moncada.

He speaks excellent English of course and will guide you through the menu, where you have a 9.90€ option midday, midweek, or a 20€ tasting menu, which we quite naturally chose.

So there was a wide range of typical starters, such as onion bhaji and pakora pasties and a mix of meats including tandoori chicken, and just when you started to think it would all be over by Christmas, the second wave arrived , steaming and pugnacious, as lamb, chicken and seafood dishes competed to assault the senses.

The truth is, I got lost amid the scents of old India and stopped taking notes, so we’ll let the photos speak.

The desserts, including an old favourite, pistachio ice cream, are included in the menu, as is one drink, and the wine list includes a very reasonable Verdejo house wine or, for the more adventurous, Cobra beer.

Avenida Nou de Octubre 58. Moncada