This vegetarian restaurant offers up an average Indian buffet which doesn’t really strike any particular chords on the food front but is popular with students keeping a tight grip on the purse strings.

The Venue
Just a stone's throw away from the main drag, Bombay Aloo nestles comfortably into the spot it has occupied for several years in The Lanes for several years. Inside, it's really a mish mash of styles which does not really fit into the traditional layout of an Indian restaurant. Hanging plants crawl down from the ceiling from what looks like the remains of a wooden thatched hut and the small tables seem as though they would be more appropriate in an Italian trattoria style outfit. The only saviour from an authenticity point of view are a few traditional Indian pictures that hang from the walls in a combination of wood and hashed up yellows.

The Atmosphere
A significant number of boho new age Brightonians make up the numbers combined with lone businessmen in need of some late afternoon nourishment and throngs of students who know a bargain when they see and smell it.

The Food
A total of twenty dishes ensures that there is a quick turnaround at Bombay Aloo where the all you can eat buffet special is a real snip at just £3.50 For starters there are some spicy onion bhajis which have seen better days and vegetable samosas which are crispy on the outside and thanks to the well cooked vegetables soft on the inside. Try the authentic pakoras, which are the Indian version of potato pancakes, deep fried. For mains there is a choice of four dishes, all prepared in stainless steel pots which appear more attractive looking in the window. A simple vegetable curry of peppers, cabbage, broccoli and carrots is well done and has good aroma while the sag aloo of potatoes and spinach is pungent. The spinach is wilted down probably to the point of exhaustion but nonetheless the melee of spices saves the day here. The chickpea aloo (chickpeas and potatoes with sliced red pepper) is decent enough and the vegetable korma is creamy and full of flavour.

Side dishes feature plain rice which like most of the other food has been sitting there for quite some time and naan bread which you should ask to be made fresh. A good mix of marinades to go with the crispy poppadoms are a sweet mango chutney, a fresh onion with mint, crunchy carrot and cucumber and a hot mixed lime or chilli pickle. There’s also a traditional raita dip of cucumber and yoghurt that will go well with any poppadum or naan bread. If your stomach is not made of steel then it's best to avoid the pickle options as these do pack some punch.

Desserts range from a traditional kulfi, a rich blend of frozen milk sprinkled with nuts in almond, pistachio or mango flavours to gulab jamun, which are sponge like bon bons marinated in rose water syrup and finished off with cardamom and saffron. An alternative option would be to try one of the lemon or orange surprises - a whole lemon or orange which has been scooped out and replaced with a sharp lemon or orange sorbet.

The Drink
Not the most inspiring wine list but then this is an Indian restaurant and it does still hold its own. Try the crisp Italian Frascati or the deep intense red of the classic Chianti. Bombay Aloo also benefits from having Lassi on the menu (no dog jokes here please), a classic Indian drink which makes a refreshing change from ordering alcohol. Yoghurt is mixed with a touch of water, salt and spices until it attains a frothy, creamy consistency and is ideal for cooling the mouth after a hot curry.

The Last Word
If you are looking to eat and get out again in lightning quick time then this might just be the restaurant for you. Some of the dishes are delicious and demonstrate a good understanding of spices and flavours but they are few and far between. However, for food this cheap, if you're on a budget you'll find it incredibly hard to beat.