Babaji

Walk into Babaji on Mary Street and you'll get what a lot of Sunderland's Indian restaurants do well — honest, flavourful food that doesn't try to be fancy for fancy's sake. The kitchen knows what they're doing with spices; whether you're after a straightforward tikka or something with a bit more complexity, they're not cutting corners. It's the kind of place locals keep coming back to, which the ratings speak to pretty clearly. The vibe is relaxed and unpretentious, the sort of spot where you can rock up for a casual night out without needing to book months ahead or dress up.