Spice Lounge

Head up to Summertown and you'll find Spice Lounge doing proper, unfussy North Indian food without trying too hard. The room itself is pleasantly warm rather than fancy—exposed brick, ambient lighting, the sort of place where you feel equally comfortable in jeans or dressed up for a Friday night. The menu reads like a greatest hits of the subcontinent done right: their tandoori game is genuinely impressive, the breads come hot from the clay oven, and they don't skimp on the spice levels if you ask. Service is attentive without hovering, and the wine list actually understands what goes with this food.