 Tucked away in a quiet corner of The Mailbox, Lazeez Signature looks surprisingly unassuming from the outside. But don't let that catch you out - it's as worthy a visit as any of its blingier neighbours. With a cocktail menu which runs across pages and pages - including a range of Martinis which would leave James Bond himself stirred and quite probably shaken - it seemed churlish not to settle down in the bar area for a quick aperitif before going to our table. Eschewing 007's tipple of choice, Alan plumped for a classic Metropolitan (£5.50) while I went for a Caiprisima (£5), a refreshing blend of vodka, fresh lime and sugar. Enjoying our drinks gave us a chance to really sit back and take in the changes made in the recent refurbishment, which cost more than half a million pounds and makes the restaurant look like exactly Mr Bond's kind of place. Clever use of mirrors makes the interior look much larger than it is, as well as making it feel surprisingly airy for a restaurant which has very low, intimate lighting. The wow factor comes from what is effectively a massive chandelier curtain which runs around a section of seating on the ground level.With too much light it'd look like a dodgy mirror ball laden disco, but it works really well, with shimmering light dancing around the space to stunning - and surprisingly ethereal - effect. Having finished our drinks we were led to our table where we nibbled on a tray of popadom shards - even the popadoms have been stylishly redesigned here - and pondered the joys of the menu. There is a lot to consider. Ranging from traditional Indian dishes to more contemporary signature dishes, there's something for every palette, no matter what your preference on spiciness. Alan started with a portion of aloo tikki (£3.95), which were delicately spiced potato cakes filled with a range of vegetables and served with chutney on a bed of salad. He was happy enough with it, although didn't feel it was anything particularly special. My sesame prawns (£6.95) looked way more appealing.Three plump and large butterflied prawns lightly coated in sesame seeds, they were served with two kinds of dipping sauce and were a great way to start the meal. For the main courses we had chosen one signature dish and one more traditional meal, and when they were brought to the table I suffered a very definite case of dinner envy. Alan's duck breast marinated in lime juice, red chilli and black pepper (£14.95) looked stunning and exotic on the plate, leaving my bowls of yoghurt monk fish (£11.25) and baingan bhartha (a kind of aubergine mash, £5.95) looking much less exciting in comparison. Ironically in the end I was much happier with my main course than Alan was with his. The spicy sauce which contained the monk fish tasted light (thanks no doubt to the use of yoghurt rather than cream in the sauce) and didn't overpower the delicate taste of the fish. It went really well with the crispy onion kulcha naan (£2.75) we'd chosen to accompany. Wonderful. The mashed aubergine was spicier and, bizarrely, less auberginey than I expected - with mushrooms and onions making it more like a vegetable side than I'd expected or wanted. Alan's duck was served with a potato rosti and apricot and ginger chutney. It was cooked to perfection, but Alan's main complaint with it was that it tasted like a roasted duck breast with no real flavour from the marination process coming through. So far so... well, so.We'd loved the surroundings, enjoyed the cocktail menu and the food - bar Alan's main - had been solidly good but nothing to rave about. But the meal wasn't over yet. So many Indian restaurants spend all their time focusing on the appetisers and mains and then go with the classic wholesale-bought pastel coloured kulfi and plethora of sorbets in hollowed out fruit peels. But not at Lazeez. Two pages of hot and cold desserts meant we were a while choosing, but eventually we plumped for carrot halwa and freshly made pistachio ice cream (both £3.50) A warm dessert made predominantly of grated carrot may not sound like the most exciting thing in the world, but served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream it was unusual, distinctive and a light way to end the meal. Meanwhile, the pistachio ice cream was the kind of luxurious ice cream which is so moreish the two small scoops in the portion was more than enough. Wonderful stuff and enough to mean we left smiling and planning a return visit. Having only just reopened following its refurbishment, Lazeez Signature was busy with people keen to see the changes that had been made. Overall the changes can only make it a bigger player in the restaurant scene around The Mailbox - so make sure you book to avoid disappointment, because, overall, missing out on dinner here would be disappointing. Lazeez Signature is at The Mailbox, 116 Wharfside, Birmingham.Tel: 0121 643 7979, www.lazeezsignature.com
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