Restaurant review | Purple Mango, Southsea

With so many varieties of cuisine from all around the world in one small location, there really is something for everyone.

And similar to the rest of the UK, Southsea definitely has a passion for Indian food – with a veritable smorgasbord of restaurants and takeaways providing beloved dishes from the country.

With this in mind it can often cause a dilemma to those in the mood for a curry, as there are almost too many choices.

Dish Detective had a similar conundrum one chilly Thursday evening.

But having looked back through the numerous reviews of curry houses in Portsmouth there was one they couldn’t quite believe hadn’t already been done – the Purple Mango in Albert Road.

Easy to spot from the outside with its distinctive green, black and, of course, purple exterior the venue has become a popular spot for diners since it opened in 2016, replacing Eastern Eye that had been there for two decades.

So the Purple Mango seemed an obvious choice and on said evening Dish Detective and their companion are warmly welcomed in by friendly staff.

On the inside it is similar to many Indian restaurants in the UK – tables lined with white tablecloths and mirrors on the walls, however, there is something about the place that feels slightly more relaxed.

Perhaps it is the choice of quiet music in the background or the fact we are seated in a comfy booth separating us from other customers, but it’s easy to feel chilled out in there.

To maximise our taste experiences we decide to order a variety of dishes to share.

While deliberating we are served a coupled of papadums each with the standard dips and onion salad (which comes to £4.40) and a waiter takes note of our drinks order – just a Coke and lime and soda for us during Dry January.

The papadums are what you would expect although the yoghurt dip is perhaps tastier than others we have had. We realise quickly that two papadums between us would have sufficed though as we are unable to finish the others.

Our food arrives quickly and steaming hot.

Between us we have ordered two main curries, a vegetable pathia – that comes with rice (£6.95), which we share – and a vegetable dupiaza (£6.95). The pathia is hot with a sweet and sour sauce and is the best version of this curry the Dish Detective has ever tried. It also comes with a glorious mix of vegetables, to make you feel slightly less guilty about all the carbs consumed.

Similarly the dupiaza is extremely flavourful although not so hot. And the rice included with the pathia, although plain, still has a delicious buttery taste.

On the side we have chosen a peshwari naan (£3.50) to accompany the meals. Again this is the best version of this Dish Detective has. The coconut is sweet yet not overpowering and the bread itself is, similar to the rice, buttery and rich. Although we had trouble finishing the papadums, there is not the same issue with the naan.

As another side dish we have also chosen the sag aloo (£3.95). It serves as a tasty companion to the pathia, which at times is very spicy.

Overall we are pleased with our choices, each of which are finished with ease. However, we agree there is simply no chance of eating dessert as well.

One of the most surprising take away from our venture to Purple Mango though is not the dishes or the venue itself but the value of the meals. Having sampled many curries in the area we conclude the Purple Mango offers the best for the price – and will most certainly be returning to sample as much of the rest of the menu as we can.

RATINGS (out of five)

Purple Mango, Albert Road, Southsea

023 9286 2518

Food: 4

Value: 5

Ambience: 4

Child friendly: 3

A message from the editor, Mark Waldron.

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