Bhandini is one of those restaurants in which you settle and immediately feel you are in India; northern India to be more precise.

Located at InterContinental Hotel, the decor provides that distinctive oriental ambience. Bhandini, which is a traditional silk cloth designed for Indian weddings, is prominently used here.

Meal times in India are a very social affair designed to cement relationships in society , explains Chef Bhanghwan Bist, who founded the restaurant eight years ago.

All the waiters and waitresses are dressed to fit the mood of a traditional Indian setting: the men are dressed in Muflars, Kurtas and Paizamas to warm the legs. The ladies wear Indian saris.

Unlike most Indian restaurants that dot Nairobi city, Bhandini exclusively serves northern Indian cuisine. This, says Bist, gives them an edge over the rest.

On the menu are vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes with the usually generous splash of spices characteristic of Indian dishes. The prices range between Sh500 and Sh2,000. The spices used are highly valued for their medicinal properties as well as the mouth watering flavours. Remember, no alcoholic drinks are served here.

So what inspired this almost unique restaurant? Eight years ago, the hotel noticed a growing appetite for Indian cuisine from their regular patrons, a reflection of an international trend. To avoid losing business to competitors, the hotel tapped into the opportunity fast.

Bist was recruited in 2000 after serving in several other countries as a chef and Bhandini, the only Indian restaurant in a five-star hotel, came to life. At the moment, the cosy restaurant has a regular patronage of about 45 everyday.