Prachee Restaurant review: Westergate Indian eatery shines with authentic curries and passionate staff

Apparently, it’s a bit of a house specialty. The Indian eatery, which opened in November 2023 as a sister site to another restaurant in Port Solent, has earned a bit of a reputation for succulent, flavourful lamb dishes; slow cooked for several hours and then served in rich, flavoursome curries and alongside freshly-baked naan.

After sampling their Wild Lemon Lamb – slow-cooked with slices of Bangladeshi Shatkora and served in a rich curry sauce – I urge you to believe the hype. The meat was as tender and flavourful as I suspect you’re already imagining, and the citrus brought a fresh, aromatic new dimension to the dish without overwhelming it. Delicately balanced, and very filling after a long day of chasing down news leads, it paired perfectly with a side of onion-fried rice, and an oven-fresh naan.

Not that it was a surprise. My prawn Jhingah Puri, recommended to me by the passionate wait staff, was the best start to a meal I could have asked for. A new dish to me, the puri consists of tiger prawns, served in a slightly sweet sour, slightly spicy bhuna-style sauce on a bed of fried pastry; with beautifully cooked prawns and a rich, distinct flavour profile, that had me primed and ready for the main.

There’s plenty of reason to go back, too. Although Prachee offers the usual assortment of classic curries and tender tandoori dishes – everything from butter chicken to lamb passanda – it was the house specials that really piqued my interest. The Amritti Chicken, cooked with peppers, onion and pure honey sounds incredible, and the lamb shank – another Prachee specialty – comes braised, and served in a bhuna-style. Just reading about it made my eyes pop out of my head with anticipation.

There’s no shortage of great bars, pubs, cafes and restaurants in Chichester, and Prachee – nestled on Nyton Lane in Westergate, is maybe a little out of the way. But, if you live nearby, or you fancy a curry and don’t mind the drive (luckily there’s plenty of parking!), Prachee is more then worth a look.

To order, and find out more, visit https://www.pracheeindianrestaurant.co.uk/ or call 01243 543400.