Under new management, the very feel of the décor and menu at Olive, in Princes Risborough, suggest a modern twist on the nation’s favourite food.

We dived right in with poppadoms and a vast selection of chutney and dips, including a chilli chutney that will warm you through for weeks to come.

You can also try the made in house salsa, which contains tomato, chilli and tamarind and is unbelievably good. 

You might not think of Olive then Indian food, and that should be the first clue that this is going to be something different. The food is luxurious, they use no food colourings so the things you eat both look and taste as they should, and are enhanced with the flavours of Southern India, not masked by commercialised or generic flavours.

In fact they pride themselves on not using bulking agents or processed meats at all. They call it food they eat at home with their own family.

There are sharing platters, dosas, puris and all sorts of treats to choose from to start. We began with the Mixed Platter (£7 per person) - onion bhaji, chicken tikka, seekh kebab, duck roll and salmon tikka served with a salad and a gorgeous minty green chilli chutney and a sweet tamarind offering.

What we noticed straight away is the authenticity of the food, it is real food. Because of the chefs’ philosophy of using quality ingredients, things look as they should and taste that way too.

The sheekh kebab was made with such an excellent cut of lamb and delicately herbed and spiced, and this echoed in all the dishes that evening. 

We visited on one of the two banquet nights – Mondays and Wednesdays. For main I chose a Chilli Beef Tawa, a true street food dish tossed on griddle with shredded ingredients then cooked in a Tawa.

My husband Nicholas opted for another rarely seen dish on an Indian menu and yet again true to its roots – Rajasthani Venison Curry (£9.00).

Nicholas felt like royalty having this rich, yet delicately spiced curry. We also tried both the Caramelised Butter Fried Rice (£2.75), which taste like a buttery marriage of an onion bhaji and rice, and the Lime and Coconut Rice (£2.95) – which is a fabulous accompaniment to the spicy street food dishes. 

We also sampled the Sag Panir (£4.95), and I don’t mind telling you it is one of the best I have ever tasted, and the Chilli and Coriander Naan (£2.50).

It packs a punch, and really delivers on both of its main ingredients and much more. We did like the sound of the spicy mash as well, and will go for that next time.

We invite you to go bold with your choices, you won’t look back, and with food available for takeaway as well as the sociable sharing options available at the restaurant, give this emerging group of restaurants (becoming more and more popular across the Home Counties) a go.