On a cold wintry night, with snow falling relentlessly, the roads clogged with traffic driving slowly and with caution and the pavements like an ice rink, I found myself heading towards Oxted.

I had half a mind to call off my trip altogether, but for the fact that I was on my way to dine at one of the town's leading restaurants, Cinnamon Lounge.

Located in Hoskins Walk, literally within touching distance of the Morrisons superstore, it has always appealed to me on the previous occasions I have dined there. Not having visited in a couple of years, I was keen to see what changes, if any, had taken place, in terms of the menu as well as the decor.

We accessed the restaurant via Morrisons main driveway, and parked in the store's huge car park – as close as possible to the restaurant given the conditions. You can also access the restaurant from Oxted town centre, on the other side.

Manager Salaqur Rahman was on hand to greet me and a waiter guided me and my wife to a table in one corner of the restaurant. It is large and able to seat more than 100.

Looking round, I noticed a marked change in decor – Mr Rahman confirmed that just before Christmas the restaurant's interior had been altered, the orange colour scheme that had been in place since its opening nine years ago giving way to what he called a "maroony red" shade. In any event, it gave the place a fresh feel and a whole new look.

A waiter brought over a plate of four plain poppadoms (£2.40) and an assortment of pickles. The poppadoms were thin, crisp and light, among the best I have had in an Indian eaterie. While munching on them I examined the wine list and discovered an assortment of New World offerings and a selection of rose and sparkling wines and Champagnes.

We decided to order our starters immediately and mull over our choice of mains later (the revamped menu did have several new items).

My wife chose something called 'chingri jalpari', which turned out to be a rather large prawn seasoned in light spice and deep fried in breadcrumbs. Costing £4.95, it is usually described as 'king prawn butterfly' in most Indian restaurants.

I chose a more traditional starter, sheek kebab (£3.25) – spiced minced lamb rolled into a skewer and flavoured with fresh coriander, pepper and onion.

Both starters proved the right choice and set us up well for what was to follow.

I had a king prawn biryani (£11.95) as my main course, and my wife opted for lamb biryani (£8.95). Both were cooked with high quality Basmati rice and were served with a vegetable curry. We also ordered a portion of tandoori king prawns (£10.95), prawns barbecued and garnished with red onions, and a couple of plain parathas (£2.25 each) – thin layered wheat bread pan fried in ghee – to go with the vegetable curry. We also decided to order a vegetable side dish, masala bindi (£2.95) – spicy fried okra – to add to the mix.

We chose to round off our meal with dessert, my wife ordering something called Royal Pot (£3.95) – toffee flavoured ice cream topped with milk toffee pieces – and I requesting a creamy chocolate ice cream (£1.65). The waiter said my wife was free to keep the attractive black pot which contained her dessert. He said it was customary to ask all diners who ordered that dessert if they wanted the pot as well.

The restaurant runs a popular banquet night, offering a five course meal for £10.95 every Wednesday, and a Sunday lunch buffet for £7.95 (children under 10 eat free). It also offers a 10 per cent discount on takeaways. Mr Rahman said he was looking into the possibility of a delivery service – something he had shied away from thus far given the logistics posed by the dispersed nature of the district's population.

With award-winning chef Atic behind the stove, Cinnamon Lounge promises a spicy time out for all lovers of cuisine from the sub-continent.

Alf De Araujo

Reviewer's rating: Four stars

Cost for two: £55.50 (including desserts but not drinks )

Service charge: No (optional)

Wine: Varied choice

Vegetarian: Large selection

Parking: Available close by

Disabled access: Yes

Service: Courteous and professional

Value for money: Yes

Cinnamon Lounge

5-6 Hoskins Walk

Oxted

Surrey

RH8 9HR

01883 722700