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The Mogul Room
By Geraldine May
 The Mogul Room in West Street, Worsbrough Bridge must rate as one of the best Indian restaurants I have ever eaten in.
The food was delicious, the decor simple and contemporary and the staff welcoming, efficient and obliging.
Mind you, we nearly didn’t make it. Not being too familiar with the layout of Worsbrough, we arrived in plenty of time for our reservation but ended up driving round and round getting more and more lost.
Where were all the inhabitants of Worsbrough? On the evening in question I think everyone must have disappeared - the place was deserted. There was no-one to ask for directions.
Eventually we spotted a couple of people out dog walking - no, they didn’t know either! Still, not being ones for giving in easily we persevered and sought out the local corner shop. Of course the lady behind the counter knew where it was. It used to be the Wharf pub, she said. That’s right! Down the road, turn right at the junction and then left. Sure enough, there it was! Was I glad to see the sign The Mogul Room?
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 Open seven nights including Friday and Saturday until 11.45pm, the restaurant offers a spacious and airy bar and lounge area before opening up into a stylish restaurant, seating I would guess at least 60 to 70 people.
A very chatty and pleasant waiter greeted us at the door and brought us menus with our drinks, two glasses of extremely nice white wine. Cheers, we said, thank goodness we made it!
The extensive menu includes a vast range of appetisers, a choice of chef’s classics, Tandoori Feasts, a selection of five deluxe banquets along with Balti, Karai and Birani dishes. Traditional favourites include a choice of meat or prawns in the style of Rogan Josh, Danask, Vindaloo (I think I’ll give that one a miss), Bhuna and Madras.
Vegetarian side dishes, which can be served larger as a main course, include all sorts of combinations including mixed vegetables, lentils, aubergines, spinach and spicy potatoes, mushrooms, chick peas and cauliflower.
Rice and bread selections are there to accompany the meal and we opted for a Dahi Raita (red onion, cucumber and yoghurt topped with tropical fruit) as a side dish.
The restaurant is very proud of its range of banquet dishes, designed to cater for more than one person.With a choice of five dishes, including tiger prawns, chicken, duckling, Red Sea Bream and Annapurna Cod, these are great considering that diners are free to mix and match their rice and side dishes at no extra charge.
So that’s the menu - what did we have? Looking through the list of starters we both opted for a 1970s favourite of a prawn cocktail. It’s years since I’ve had a prawn cocktail when dining out but, you know, it just hit the spot.
Served in stylish glass dishes it was delicious and set us up well for the main course.
Not being a great meat eater, my eye always goes to the vegetarian options and I decided on the Mushroom side dish with garlic and onion. Although this was listed as a vegetarian side dish there was no problem - it could just as easily be served as a main course.
My friend and next-door neighbour, who had been trawling the streets of Worsbrough with me, decided on her favourite, Chicken Tikka.
A Peshwari Naan bread was chosen to eat with the main courses along with a portion of coconut and lemon rice - which was absolutely gorgeous.
All dishes were reasonably priced but came in good hearty portions. Just as we like it!
Both the mushrooms and the chicken were delicious and combined with the rice, just perfect. Too full for much else, we opted for a couple of cappuccino coffees which when they arrived looked more like giant ice creams, served in tall glasses with cream and chocolate bits piled on top.
So a great end to a great meal. It really was just fabulous. It’s not often I go over the top when writing restaurant reviews but this one really does deserve the accolade. There was nothing I could fault. Attention to detail was paramount and the waiters couldn’t do enough to please.
By the time we left, about 9.15pm, the place was bursting at the seams. Obviously the reputation of The Mogul Room is spreading rapidly. If you’re thinking of going, then I would suggest booking a table in advance, just to make sure.
Just a little tip! Residents of Worsbrough and beyond - you’ve got a real gem on your doorstep now that’s classy, affordable and great for a night out!
Oh yes, on the way back, we only took one wrong turning and arrived home preaching the delights of The Mogul Room. Make sure you pay a visit soon.
The Mogul Room - Worsbrough Bridge, Barnsley - 01226 320502
Published Autumn 2006. All information correct at time of print
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