SINCE my dear Nigerian friend, Mr Ndabadingi, returned from his travels, he has been clearly suffering from itchy feet. While I am most grateful to his family tailor for the lovely hand-made shirts he brought back for me, which Mrs FM thinks are just dandy (I personally believe they are a bit too colourful for a gentleman of a certain age), I do fear that we may be about to lose a jolly good friend.

Keen to encourage his stay in the area, while being aided and abetted by the ever-fragrant Memsahib, who thinks that he is no less than a sartorial genius (I promise you, they are too garish), we headed out to a restaurant that I last tried around three years ago. Madame, who is watching her diet carefully, declined to join us. In the meantime, I knew that Clarence would probably fall in love with Saffron and, as I am sure you know, the way to a chap's heart is via good food.

Parking can be a pain uphill, especially since the new cobbles were laid on The Bailgate. Still, it looks nice (for the moment). We were fortunate (although Mrs FM calls me "jammy") to obtain a slot right outside the front door of the eatery. We were guided to a table in the rear of the restaurant, which was already filling up nicely.

Clarry perused the menu, as did I, and after taking some time, because each of the dishes is described so beautifully that diners can struggle to reach a decision, we arrived at a suitable combination of dishes. We also ordered both Kingfisher and Tiger beers apiece and jolly tasty they were, too. Although inconclusive, a new energy business being set up by my friend and his cousin back home does seem to be drawing him back there and he has even been considering selling off his local business activities here to concentrate on Nigerian and Ghanaian interests.

Our starters arrived. Clarry's salmon steak, prepared in tandoori spices, with fresh coriander, was served on an immaculate square white plate decorated with mango and mint juices, topped with finely shredded carrot, radish and beetroot. Lightly pan-fried, the generous portion was not merely flavoursome, the light spices enhancing the freshness of the steak, but had remained succulent and was of a lovely consistency. It was most colourful and not dissimilar to one of my new Nigerian shirts. My shaslik chicken tikka was similarly adorned but served on an identically and attractively decorated plate, the six decent chunks of breast meat being accompanied by large slices of roasted red onion and both red and green sweet peppers. A gorgeous mint dressing was also served alongside, which we retained as an accompaniment to our main courses. Again, the flesh was impeccably prepared and simply packed with discernible flavours of cumin, garam masala and coriander. Our starters were brilliant.

Although the delay between courses can be interminable sometimes, the service is impeccable and you just know that the food is going to be beautifully presented and cooked to order. Our mains arrived. I had recommended the lamb shank to Clarry, as I had enjoyed it immensely on my previous visit. Neither of us would be disappointed.

My order, the mirchi sagwala, is an interesting and generous house dish consisting of chicken, lamb and tiger prawns served in a rich, spinach and fresh green chilli stew, accompanied by saffron rice. I also ordered a portion of aloo gobi, which is cauliflower and baby new potatoes sautéed with onions and light spices, and a single chapati that Clarry and me would share.

Clarry's sizeable portion of lamb, served on the bone, was drenched in Kashmiri-style sauce, a heady blend of herbs and spices that are full of flavour and taste, yet do not detract from the wonderfully tender lamb flesh, accompanied by saffron rice. When I asked him, if he was enjoying the meal, his eyes rolled towards the heavens and he stated that it was probably the best meal he has ever enjoyed in my company. Praise indeed.

Of course, we had requested that the mint sauce served with our starters remain on the table for the mains and, with both of our dishes containing lamb within them, it proved to be an extra delicious accompaniment. The cauliflower and potato side order was simply stunning, as the essential flavours of neither of the vegetables had been lost in the blend of spices, which sort of highlights the outstanding capabilities of the chef and his team at Saffron, which manage to create a discerning balance between the potentially fiery spices, fruits and herbs and the local produce to which they are applied.

There is a small premium to pay at Saffron, partly because it is in uphill Lincoln, but mainly because of the outstanding quality of the food, which never fails to beguile and challenge the palate. Saffron offers the ultimate Indian dining experience and deserves every accolade it receives. As to Clarry, well, he is still undecided but he definitely wants to return to Saffron, so my ploy, as I wear his exceptionally colourful shirts, may be working.

WHERE: Saffron, 7 Eastgate, Lincoln, LN2 1QA.

TELEPHONE: 01522 548377.

FINAL BILL: Shaslik chicken tandoori – £5.25; salmon tikka – £5.25; braised lamb shank – £11.95; mirchi sagwala – £11.95; aloo gobi – £4.95; chapati – £1.50; large Kingfisher and small Tiger lagers – £8.45 – Total: £49.60.

FINAL VERDICT: Well-located, well-presented Indian restaurant that serves the ultimate Indian dining experience.