Since it launched in August, Johns says the restaurant has been “regularly packed” and weekend business is “wonderful”.
He said: "We’re thrilled by the warm welcome in Derby and grateful to everyone who’s visited us. Many have said we should have opened here years ago, and we’re humbled by the positive Google and Tripadvisor reviews. It’s encouraging to be busy every day, and we appreciate Derby’s kindness as we establish ourselves in the city.”
House Boat specialises in food from Kerala – a region in South India, and every dish is unique and bursting with authentic tastes and flavours. On the menu are traditional dosas (thin, savoury pancakes), thalis, and unique seafood dishes that showcase typical South Indian food – cooked by chefs from Kerala.
Among the vibrant traditional dishes, there’s also a selection of rich beef, chicken and lamb on the menu, popular aromatic biriyanis and a range of South Indian starters.
To celebrate the launch, House Boat is still offering diners a lunch and dinner menu. Right now, the lunch deal price is £10.99 with a pint, and £8.99 with a soft drink.
The new 60-seater restaurant is based where the Swiss Cottage Café used to be. It has been fully transformed by the management team into a vibrant fusion of colour. Hand painted murals, which blend the cultures of Kerala and Derby, decorate the walls after street artists were commissioned from London. Inside, giant painted tigers and elephants sit alongside images of a Derby Ram and a Rolls-Royce motor car.
To add to the décor, the restaurant’s unique anchor lights have been sourced from India and shipped to the UK, and on each of the tables you’ll find small wooden house boats filled with cutlery and napkins.
It is not just the interior that is eye-catching to customers, House Boat has a stunning beer garden which can cater for a further 30 diners. Plans are in place to open it next year, but enquiries are already flooding in from people wanting to hire the space for private functions.
Vinod Payyoor Manghat, said: “This restaurant was a long time in the making, and we wanted the interior to feel special, featuring traditional items from Kerala. We’re thrilled with the results, and the outdoor dining area made St. Peters Street the perfect location.
“There are not that many Indian restaurants that offer guests the opportunity to sit outside, and we know that our beer garden will be such a popular spot in the better weather.”
The House Boat team scoured the UK to find the perfect place to open their restaurant and eventually decided on Derby. The plan was to get established ahead of Derby’s new entertainment venue opening next year and spend time introducing new diners to the restaurant. But following the launch, hundreds of people rushed to try its fine offering of authentic food – turning it into a busy and popular place to eat. Full of excitement about the food on offer, customers also left dozens of five-star reviews.
Johns said: “We can’t actually believe that we have had a thousand people through the door. I thought business would be very slow at the beginning - but that has not been the case. There are a couple of north Indian restaurants in the Derby, but no south Indian ones and we think this could be the reason for diners coming through the door.”
The House Boat Restaurant is open seven days a week, from 12 noon to 10pm. For more details, call 07341 612522.