Emma Pinch likes a lively restaurant. So how will a place named Peace suit her?

AS ANY of the glitterati will tell you, posh places are not so much about who they will let in as much as who they won’t.

Last New Year’s Eve, with a packed restaurant and tables solidly reserved, Shantii owner Tabaruk Ali politely turned away a certain footballing celebrity and his dazzling blonde wife who hadn’t booked.

He could have quietly bumped another customer further down the queue – patronage like that is manna from heaven for a restaurant’s reputation – but didn’t because this is a restaurant which sets high store on loyal customers.

Shantii is a contemporary Indian restaurant on Church Road, in Formby. Its interior is bright white with striking panels of primary-coloured glass on the walls, and a smoked glass front.

It is quite intimate – like most of the restaurants in Formby the dining space is quite shallow, the premises presumably being created for village shops.

The name Shantii apparently means peace and calm. Personally, I like a bit of bustle in a restaurant, and the chance to covertly check out what everybody else has ordered, so we booked for 8pm and we weren’t disappointed.

Shantii was a hive of activity, buzzing with chatter, steaming dishes going to and fro.

We were first shown to a table for four, then after five minutes bemused to be shown to another table, better actually, in the centre of the room.

In some ways, Shantii is a victim of its own success. It thrives on repeat customers, and many weekly regulars will order takeaways. At 7.30pm, families will order their own takeaway to settle down in front of Ant and Dec, and people escaping the Saturday TV schedules will pour in to the restaurant too, and service can creak a little under the strain.

We waited about 20 minutes until drinks appeared, then another 10-15 minutes for someone to come and take an order.

In all, 50 minutes passed before our first course came. But when they realised how long we had waited, the staff could not have been more apologetic, or attentive or friendly, and once we had got a Castle Creek Chardonnay (£9.95 per bottle) in front of us, it was nice to sit, chat and people-watch. I’d rather a meal take longer than expected than be rushed through every course at breakneck speed as is the norm at some Chinese restaurants.

For a starter, I had badak roti, sliced duck marinated in fresh chilli and coriander, curried and served in a flour chilli and coriander pancake.

The duck ( £3.95) was rich, tender and pleasingly lean meat, almost like lamb, with the fresh green flavours of the herbs lifting it beautifully, and it was nicely substantial too.

My friend ordered the garlic prawns (£3.85) – large butterfly prawns simmered in butter sauce and flavoured with curry leaves and fresh coriander. I thought the sauce could have benefited from being a bit less buttery and more garlicky, being a touch bland for the delicate flavour of the prawns. Numbering just four or five, they looked a bit lonely in the huge pool of sauce.

For the mains we chose from the Specials list, which features red snapper, monkfish tail, lamb steaks and a wide array of duck dishes, teamed with sauces with a twist on the standard ones.

For the main course, I chose begun aur gulda at £11.95, which was jumbo king prawn pan fried with fresh tomato puree, peppers and garlic and braised with roasted aubergine. Basmati pilau rice was included.

The presentation was mouthwatering and must have been a favourite because I’d longingly spied it rumbling past on a serving trolley half a dozen times. Glossy baby aubergines fanned out around the pan, with the humps of spicy prawn emerging from thick sauce. It was very good. The fresh tomatoes in the sauce packed a punch and there was plenty of fresh coriander. The only room for improvement would be to reduce the oiliness of the dish.

My friend ordered beessi ka gosht at £8.95, lamb and butter beans simmered with garlic, onion and tomato, shot through with fresh coriander and topped with curry leaves. The silky-soft butter beans added variety to really tender chunks of lamb. It wasn’t swamped by sauce, and she was pleased with her choice. A dish of spinach and Indian cheese saag paneer also went down well.

When relative “shantii” gradually descended, the genial Ali made regular perambulations to check whether people had enjoyed their food, and exchange news. A Formby High alumnus with children at St Luke’s, he has no plans to move, but is keen to keep challenging himself at Shantii.

“We do have the classic dishes so you can have a vindaloo or a chicken tikka masala if you like,” he said. “But the specials are all my own invention and they offer something different. Why always have the same old thing?

“The menu is the fourth I’ve made since we opened and I’m working on a new one for Easter.”

We will definitely be back, shantii or not.

emmapinch

Shantii, 124a Church Road, Formby

Tel: 01704 878485

Opening times: Sun –Thurs 5pm to 11.30pm, Fri – Sat 5pm to midnight.

Bill: £41.60 for two including drinks

Value for money: Good

Interior: Bright and modern

Service: Frantic at times, but friendly