When one restaurant closes and another later occupies the same space, the exterior rarely hides the reminders of the former occupants. The signage for Mausam Indian Flavors helps, but the roof line still evokes memories of a certain pizza chain.

Once inside, those memories quickly evaporate. The interior is finely appointed with chairs bearing the letter M in elegant script, which is also on the plates next to the silverware wrapped in cloth napkins on each table. Reservation or not, it’s clear you’re expected. And there’s no sign of a buffet here. There is a bar with an impressive array of libations and only the television sets detract from the otherwise upscale setting.

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The menu is large, so making a decision was difficult. We had the good fortune to run into friends who were familiar with several dishes and offered their recommendations. Staff was also ready to make suggestions.

There was much discussion about beginning the meal with papadam, crispy, thin lentil wafers, and whether to have it as the chutney platter ($7) or masala ($6). The platter won out. The chutneys included mango, mint and tamarind for dipping. Spicy pickles were also served alongside the large, flat padamam topped with diced potatoes, red onions and zesty spices. Because the flatbread-like base was so thin, it was easy to break apart and, rather than dip, spread the different sauces on the top.

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The menu contains multiple sections, all with vegetable and nonvegetable options. These include Indian clay oven starters, curries, rice entrees, bread, sides, desserts and more.

The Goan fish curry ($23) was suggested and it exceeded taste expectations. Pieces of mild, white fish were cooked with diced tomatoes in a sauce full of spices such as ginger, coriander, turmeric and more. The inclusion of coconut milk in the sauce not only added to its richness, but helped temper the heat. Even though mild was requested, there was just enough heat to make its presence known, in a good way.

Biryani was a massive serving of pieces of tender marinated chicken mixed with basmati rice. Again, the range of spices making this so palatable included, among others, cumin, cardamom, coriander, chile powder and turmeric. Hidden within the mound of food was a hard-boiled egg! Other available protein choices for this dish include lamb ($21), shrimp ($22) and vegetables ($18).

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The menu identifies 10 items as Chef Specials, among them chicken Jafrani ($21). The predominant flavors were saffron — which provided the orange-ish hue — onion and cardamom. The sauce was creamy and, like the other dishes, rich and filling.

Our entrees were served with a side of basmati rice, except for the biryani. Our order of butter naan ($4) was enough for two to share, although it would have been easy to eat more. The soft, unleavened flatbread was perfect for scooping up the sauces.

Although I didn’t taste it, the rara goshst ($23) made with ground lamb in a spicy sauce garnered rave reviews from my dining companions.

Service was impressive even on a busy evening. And even though the ceilings are high, efforts were made to help mitigate sound issues, so it was easy to converse without yelling.

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MAUSAM INDIAN FLAVORS

Fine Indian cuisine for dining in or carryout.

Location: 3167 W. Colorado Ave.

Contact: 719-362-3300; mausamrestaurant.com

Prices: $5 to $23

Hours: 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.

Details: Credit cards accepted. Alcohol. Wi-Fi.

Favorite dishes: Goan fish curry, chicken biryani.

Other: Gluten-free and vegan options available.