IT SEEMED an awful long way to go for a bite to eat, but our curry connoisseur cousins had assured us it would be worth the drive.

A meal out in Bradford may have all the allure of a package holiday in Basra to some, but they were right ... never has a West Yorkshire mill town seemed so exotic.

It's nearly four years since we made that trip to Akbar's, but it changed my perception of what curry houses are all about.

Back then, a curry had been a post-pub afterthought - a chance to extend a night out and soak up a few pints surrounded by flock wallpaper.

Akbar's changed all that. The service was first class, the atmosphere vibrant, the surroundings uber-cool and, most importantly, the food was simply sublime, bursting with flavours that pummelled the senses and left me desperate for more.

It was with some considerable excitement then when I spotted a few months back that an Akbar's was opening in York. I just had to go.

Like its Bradford counterpart, the restaurant has a modern, contemporary feel, with mirrors, modern artwork, mood lighting, and "chill-out" music creating a general laid-back ambience.

There's also a glass-fronted kitchen, allowing diners to see just how freshly prepared their food is.

Our waiter introduced himself - a nice personal touch - and offered us some complimentary pickles, another nice touch, until we realised we still had to order some poppadoms - like the song says, "you can't have one without the other".

Despite feeling as if we had one hand tied behind our backs, we were glad we did. They were piping hot, fresh and crispy, unlike the stale affairs served up at some curry houses and, with the zingy pickles, got the night off to a flyer.

For starters, I went for an old favourite - seekh kebabs (£1.95), minced lamb with onions, herbs and chillies. It was bigger than average, piping hot, and the chillies providing an unexpected, but welcome, kick.

Karen was more adventurous and chose the prawn and chicken poori (£2.45), which was served in a rich masala sauce atop a poori, a crispy fried bread that actually tasted a bit like Yorkshire pudding. It was a meal in itself.

Akbar's specialises in sizzling pan-cooked baltis, so I chose the "highly recommended" chicken tikka and keema balti (£5.95) with pilau rice (£1.75) for my main meal.

It was delicious; rich and very dry, but packed with flavours and the tender meat simply melted in the mouth.

After her meat-laden starter, Karen chose the chana and paneer balti (£4.95) to follow - chick peas and home-made vegetable cheese cooked in a spicy sauce. It proved another winner, the creamy cheese really complementing the sauce's hidden spiciness.

We both shared a "fruit and nut naan" (£2.25), which underlined Akbar's strength at doing the simple things well. Like the rest of the food, it was piping hot, very fresh and cooked to perfection.

We didn't have much room for dessert, but I fancied something refreshing to clean the palate and so chose the kulfi (£2.25) "a homemade Indian ice-cream made to an authentic recipe garnished with nuts".

It looked like a mini-milk dipped in honey and rolled in sand. It tasted pretty bland, but did the job.

Karen tried the Kashmiri cha (£2.95), more out of interest than anything else. Salmon pink in colour, it tasted not too dissimilar to Horlicks. It's not something she'll have again, but was glad she'd given it a go.

Our bill, including four bottles of Cobra lager, came to £35.45, which seemed outstandingly good value, so much so that I queried whether they had forgotten something.

(They hadn't).

As well as the great-value food, the service was first-class too.

Attentive without being overbearing, and another nice little touch saw the kitchen staff bringing the food to our table rather than the waiters.

If there was one gripe, it was the atmosphere.

In Bradford, there was a hustle and bustle to the evening. It felt like people were partying and there was a real sense of excitement.

On our visit to George Hudson Street, there were a couple of businessmen dining alone, a handful of couples enjoying a quick bite, and a few larger groups, but there was no real sense of occasion.

That's hardly the restaurant's fault, and it was a wet and blustery Tuesday evening after all.

But, with it being a relatively quiet night, if the staff had dimmed the lights a bit more it would have perhaps created a more intimate experience.

Still, it was only a small moan, and the beauty of this Akbar's - unlike its West Yorkshire counterpart - meant we could walk off our excesses on the way home.

fact file

Akbar's, 6-8 George Hudson Street, York.

Telephone: 01904 679888

Food:sublimeService:first classValue:fantasticAmbience:relaxedDisabled access: YESDavid and Karen visited on Tuesday, October 10, 2006