Blue Zenzer: the Italian slash Indian restaurant in Northwick Park certainly has zing

It’s the sister restaurant to Blue Ginger, an indo-oriental restaurant in Kenton Road, hence the name Blue Zenzer – ‘zenzer’ is Italian for ginger.

Despite the fact that the same people created them, the dining experiences in Ginger and Zenzer couldn’t differ more.

Blue Zenzer serves up Italian dishes – some authentic, the rest with a twist – the ‘twist’ being a dash of traditional Indian spices.

Almost every item on the menu has been ‘spiced’ up so if you hate spicy food, make this known when you order so the chefs will tone down the zest.

There are some incredibly bizarre items on the menu, one being paneer pizza. Paneer is an Indian cheese, often cut into cubes and served in a curry.

Another bizarre item is lamb keema calzone.

There are authentic Italian dishes on the menu too, including lasagna, cannelloni, pizza, bruschetta, garlic bread, as well as authentic Indian dishes such as mogo chips (cassava) and chilli paneer.

The bruschetta was tasty. One serving comes with 6 mini bruschettas and the bread is served perfectly – it isn’t stale, but warm and soft in the middle with just enough crunch on the edges.

There is a lot on the menu for veggies too which is great if you’re going in a big group as everyone is bound to find something which tickles their fancy.

For the meat eaters, there are a lot of lamb and chicken dishes, some served in the form of a keema (minced meat with vegetables and spices).

The chicken wings are spicy and delicious, served with a creamy and tasty dip.

The calamari portion was plentiful – more than enough for two people.

If you love plain pasta, the penne arrabiata is served al dente (crunchy pasta) in a creamy tomato sauce, textured with spices, which give a mild kick to it.

Taking Pizza Express as a  ‘benchmark’, a friend said that the cannelloni dish wasn’t so great but it was reasonable.

Blue Zenzer is located in a secluded spot within Northwick Park Golf Course making it the perfect place for after-golf refreshments.

With a stylish and modern décor, and free on-site parking, the seclusion of the restaurant also gives it a little exclusivity and makes the dining experience feel special if you head over there for a meal one evening.

The cocktail and mocktail menu is vast and they are good fun too – definitely worth a try.

The food isn’t exactly cheap – for a starter, main, plus drinks; you’re looking at £20 a head.

The service isn’t too great and waiters seemed particularly keen to come and try to take away our plates before we’d even finished our meal. So hold on tight to your dishes!

Blue Zenzer, 280 Watford Road, Harrow, Middlesex, HA1 3TZ. Tel: 0203 226 1195. www.bluezenzer.com