The newest gem is a family-run vegetarian restaurant called Mango, not far from the market place. Mango's premises were until recently occupied by the charming Fig & Fennel, which has relocated in the town, and its neighbour is the marvellous Le Bon Appetit. At Mango, Rekha Sonigra cooks vegetarian recipes which once you get past the perfectly-prepared spiced pasties are not much like typical Indian restaurant food. A similar approach has already been successful for Hansa's in Leeds and for Prashad in Bradford.

In each case, female proprietors give us a taste of home cooking – and a lexicon to learn. At Mango you will either know, or have to ask for explanations, though the menu does elucidate in parts.

Example: dhokra is a Gujarati starter of steamed cake made with gram flour and semolina, "tempered with mustard and sesame seed" further flavoured with coconut flakes and coriander and curry leaves. Kachori is a dough ball with a filling of yellow moong daal, black pepper, red chilli powder and ginger paste. Mumbai bhei is a mix of spiced potatoes, kala chana, gram vermicelli, puffed rice and finely chopped onions, with coriander leaves and sweet and sour chutneys. Yes, you may need explanations within explanations, and also navigate between dialect spelling for some of the Indian food words.

Mango leans towards recipes from Gujarat, Rekha's birthplace, renowned for its vegetable cuisine to fit with the tenets of Hinduism.

The dishes already mentioned are starters and many are sufficient for a sustaining snack without carrying on into the main courses. These tend to be filling and unless you eat a lot or don't mind wasting food (not the sort of thing real vegetarians approve of) you may decide to share a starter.

My first Mango experience was on the way to Hull docks, grabbing a trio of freshly cooked samosas which were so light and delicious and so forth that I wanted to go back and get another three.

Mango opened on July 1. Recipes are traditional Gujarati, plus some personal recipes from the Sonigra household.

Rekha explains that she learnt cooking in Gujarat from her grandma and mother. She had already been doing outside catering and wasn't impressed with most of the food at other Indian restaurants. Her children told her that she could do it better. One of the endearing things about Mango is this family involvement. Rekha is head chef. Her two daughters Upasana (studying at Kings College, London) and Krishna (on her way to Sheffield Hallam University) have helped during the day in the cafe and restaurant. Her husband Harish is front of house at dinner and makes sure everything is running smoothly. The big extended family sees nieces and nephews pitching in too.

"So far it's been everything that I could have hoped for," says Rekha.

This younger generation are people who have grown up eating and cooking and living with this food. Their enthusiasm is obvious and their concern that you are also enthusiastic is genuine. A main course of stuffed bindi was the only dull note. The bindi was cooked almost crisp, losing its natural slippery, slimy texture, which you either like or loathe. The Kathiawadi masala seasoning was harsh and overpowering.

Entreaties ensued to discuss it with madam chef, with much concern that it hadn't pleased. This was sort of embarrassing but the message was appreciated and sincere.

We tried suva and mung daal bhaji, described as "one of the healthiest curries" and this dill and lentil dish was very pleasant but I am not sure why it is any healthier than, say, mung daal palak bhaji (split mung beans with spinach).

The Mango room is calm: white walls, slate grey floor, plaster musicians in alcoves, the kitchen partly visible in another room.

Tables are neatly set, with a stem of gerbera in slim vases.

There is more space upstairs, steep enough to make the washrooms a hard climb for the disabled. This is personal, bespoke cooking and so a delay between courses was understandable, though the restaurant was not fully occupied. Otherwise, the service, delivery and culinary expertise was hard to beat.

Prices are reasonable, with starters from £2.50 to £5.50 and main courses from £4.99 to £7.50. Breads are from £1 (two "rotli" – chappatis) and plain rice is £2.50. Homemade desserts finish the meal. A Gujarati favourite is shrikhand, a thick yoghurt with saffron, cardamom and fresh mango.

Drinks are alcohol-free, including wine, for faith reasons but you can take your own and pay a modest charge for glasses. A "discretionary" service charge goes on the bill, in this case 10 per cent.

This is standard these days, although surely it should be at the discretion of the customer to add a tip, not to have the fuss of requesting it to be deleted?


Mango Restaurant and Cafe, 12 Bank Street, Wetherby, West Yorkshire LS22 6NQ. Open Monday to Saturday from 8.30am. Closed Sunday.

Daytime Indian and European cafe menu. Evenings: Gujarati a la carte dinner menu. Street parking at a short distance. Tel: 01937 588755.