Bombay Club - 815 Connecticut Avenue, NW

The Bombay Club is a pleasure, sure to please patrons who know their Indian food as well as those who've never tried it: dishes present an easy introduction to Indian food for the uninitiated, and are sensitive to varying tolerances for spiciness. I'm a wimp in the "heat" department, my husband's the opposite, and we're both happy here.

The spiciest item on the menu is the fiery green chile chicken ("not for the fainthearted," the menu warns -- this is the one my husband orders a lot). You can't go wrong ordering a tandoori entree, that is, a food that has been marinated, then grilled and baked in a clay oven. Most popular are the tandoori salmon and the chicken tandoori, which is marinated in an almond, cashew, yogurt, ginger, and garlic dressing. My favorite dish is the delicately prepared lobster Malabar. The Bombay Club is known for its vegetarian offerings (try the black lentils cooked overnight on a slow fire) and for its Sunday champagne brunch, which offers a buffet of fresh juices, fresh baked breads, and assorted Indian dishes. Patrons are as fond of the service as the cuisine: This is one place where you can linger over a meal as long as you like. Slow-moving ceiling fans and wicker furniture accentuate the colonial British ambience.