Gurkha Chef

Gurkha Chef is the only dedicated Nepalese restaurant in Newton Abbot, on Queen Street in the town centre, drawing on traditional Nepalese, Tibetan and Indian recipes rather than the more familiar Punjabi-leaning curry house menu. The name nods to Nepal's Gurkha soldiers, prized for generations in the British Army, and the kitchen leans on ginger, garlic, turmeric, cumin, coriander and timur pepper rather than pre-made spice mixes. It picked up the Curry Chef Award for the Exeter and Teignbridge district in 2014, and holds a 5-star food hygiene rating.

Momos - Nepalese dumplings - are the dish most people order first, and the Base Camp Curry has built a following of its own, generous in portion and adjusted to whatever spice level a table wants. Lamb Jalfrezi gets regular mentions too, for anyone wanting something closer to standard curry-house ground. A full bar carries Nepalese and Indian beers alongside the wine list, and collection orders over £20 get a 10% discount, with delivery running within three miles of the restaurant.