The food here is so tasty, we tried the banquet and it was amazing. The customer service is very…read moregood and the restaurant is very modern. I personally liked the chicken kebabs cooked over coal, amazing flavours.....wish i could cook that at home. I would say this restaurant is a hidden gem, and when you taste the food you will agree with me as well. Great value, very tasty food!

Very tasty food. Friendly staff. Reasonably prized. We had…read moredips for entree, chicken and lamb skewers, manto (dumplings) and lamb korma. Our party of four walked out very happy and very full.

This restaurant is a stone's throw away from where I live and pass by the place almost every week…read more But the realization that this is one of the best Afghan restaurants to dine in Melbourne came after reading a review by Matt Preston (Masterchef fame). The first thing that struck me walking into the restaurant was the ornate décor..... deep red brocade curtains, richly decorated wooden tables and chairs set in a large space and the low lighting which set a very inviting ambience to the whole place. Rahimi Baryalai, the owner of the restaurant, greeted us on entering and after enquiring specifics, we were seated and the menus bought out. While there are many a la carte dishes, it was the banquet option that caught my eye. And I would totally recommend this to anyone who is visiting Afghan Rahimi for the first time. Very reasonably priced, there are several banquet options ranging from $35 to $55 depending on the number of dishes and people; this is the ideal way to experience the best dishes that the restaurant has to offer. We went for Banquet 3 (Afghani) priced at $45.00 which is a five course meal. The dishes are bought out one by one to the table and soon you have a banquet to feast on. The bread and dips arrived first. I don't think I have appreciated Afghan bread so much before (have had plenty of it); it was soft and the perfect carrier to scoop the dips and chutneys. There was a simple tomato and cucumber salad, a carrot based dip, a cucumber based yoghurt dip and a chutney. The perfect way to start off a meal exciting your tastebuds for the remaining meal.... The next dish to arrive was Mantu (Traditional Afghani dumplings steam cooked, made from pastry, mince and onions topped with yoghurt and tomato gravy). Perhaps, the most famous dish at Rahimi and Matt Preston's absolute favourite. I don't think words do any justice to what these dumplings do to your tastebuds. Melt-in-your-mouth, soft, creamy, juicy....oh, it's an experience. Get yourself to Rahimi just for this. Next came a plate of Borani Banjan (Fried eggplants covered with a fresh tomato and yoghurt sauce). I am not too fond of eggplants but this dish has converted me. The flavour was so bespoke that I happily forgot that I was eating eggplants. The Afghani traditional rice came next. Now I have seen a zillion recipes claiming to be Afghani rice on the Internet; if you want to experience the real deal, visit Rahimi. Perfectly cooked rice with a generous topping of carrots and raisins with a subtle hint of spices. Along with the rice came Meatball/Kofta curry (Lamb mince marinated with diced onions and herbs, curried in a delicious tomato and pea gravy). Yet another delicious dish; I think I have repeated delicious enough number of times by now and I don't intend to stop. Next to arrive was the Chicken Tikka and Lamb backstrap skewers. Loved the flavour on these meat skewers and it was delicious but would have preferred the meat to be slightly more tender. Followed soon by the fried fish preparation (I couldn't get the name of this one). Mr. Baryalai personally bought it to our table saying that it is a special preparation that he enjoys very much. Now most of you know my obsession with seafood but it would be perfectly fair to say that I have not eaten a more beautifully cooked fish preparation before. Subtly spiced and absolutely succulent and flaky fish; it is to be experienced. The meal ended with a glass of traditional green tea that was flavoured with organic saffron and cardamom accompanied by gulab jamun (Dough balls are fried and soaked overnight in a sugar syrup) and another milk based sweet (which we call 'peda' in India but couldn't get the Afghan name) and a bowl of vanilla icecream drizzled with honey for my little one. He got the ice cream for being a wonderfully behaved child and eating all his food. What a little personal touch...this is what customer service is all about. Reading so far, you would have an idea of why this spread is called a banquet. A thoroughly delicious experience, one which I will want to return to over and over again. The customer service is exemplary; to have the owner of the restaurant taking care of every need of yours is not a common thing. Mr. Rahimi was telling us about how the popularity of his restaurant has gone up which makes it a hot destination for those living far but the locals of the suburb seem to have forgotten the place. You would easily find cabinet ministers and the elite dining at the next table to yours at Rahimi. Quality food at an affordable price for all to enjoy is what Afghan Rahimi is all about. Perhaps the closest that many of us would get to experience true Afghan hospitality and the richness of the cuisine.

Amazing dining experience. A true blessing. Beautiful, friendly and accommodating staff. Absolutely…read moredelicious food. Stunning artworks and aesthetic. Positive vibrations all around. A cultural experience. Can't wait to visit again!

Well, I was actually really enjoying the food here until a cockroach crawled across the wall above…read moreour table. Not ideal. I have no idea if there are cleanliness problems in the kitchen here or not, but seeing a cockroach skittering along the wall just a few inches from your food is pretty off-putting. On the plus side, all of the flavours here are very nice, and portion sizes are large. Prices are also inexpensive compared to the other Afghan restaurants nearby (which seem to thrive more on the $30+ pp "banquet" style of dining.) This place is definitely more casual than those places though. It's kind of along the lines of a kebab shop in terms of atmosphere, although the food is nicer. I came here with my boyfriend and another friend. My boyfriend and I had the Qabuil Palow with spinach, an Afghan dish that is also naturally vegan (no dairy, no egg). I had the "A" version (with orange, pistachio, and almond) and my boyfriend had the "B" version (with carrots and sultanas). The sweet and savoury were perfectly blended and the flavours of both dishes were really interesting and enjoyable. Our friend had the lamb shami kebab and said it was good. I don't really know what to say except that this place was headed to 4 or 5 stars in my book until the cockroach sighting occurred. Go with caution.

Absolutely fantastic, the owner is such a kind soul and everything is made fresh. I definitely…read morerecommend!

Such good food. The Qabuli Palow is amazing. The naan is so tasty. Apparently the lamb kebab is…read moregreat as well. This place deserves more customers. It's often empty but don't let that turn you off, they put a lot of effort into great flavours.

From the owner: Kabul Flavour has a passion for a Afghan flavours and spice. The Munto are a particularly special…read moredish for many of our guests, as is the Kabuli Palow which is one of Afghanistan's national dishes.

I don't know why it ever took me so long to try it here. It's really good. I cheated and looked…read moreat the menu online ahead of time, and it sounded so delish, and didn't disappoint. It's warm and cozy inside, with nice decor and lots of tealights to give it a nice atmosphere (along with the Afghani music). The waiter was quick to greet us and give us the menus, and after ordering, the food came out in good time and was all cooked the way we asked for, and the right modifications were made too. The potatoes were delicious, and thankfully someone else at the table had bread I could steal to help mop up some sauce. The chicken kebabs were beautiful and tender and full of lovely flavour. They came with bread and salad. I don't think there's anything I could fault as it was just so morish. I couldn't finish everything, therefore I didn't stuff myself with dessert, even though I wanted to, but from what we all ate, we all agreed we'd come back again for sure. Parking can be a tiny bit of a pain in the you-know-where, but otherwise, it's a restaurant that I'd definitely recommend to anyone who loves Indian and/or Nepalese food, but wants a slight change in flavour. It's very good, and can't wait to try it again.

From the owner: Afghan Village is one of the few Afghan restaurants in Australia. It serves cuisine from north…read moreAfghanistan, prepared from traditional recipes and only the freshest of ingredients

Had the mixed Kebab and the Dal. Everything was perfectly seasoned, cooked and served. Highly…read morerecommend this unassuming restaurant serving top notch authentic Afgan food.

Wow this place is surprising amazing! The service was spot on. Food delicious and the size portion…read moreis huge! I ordered the lamb lamb mince. It comes with two skewers, salad, two choices of dips. You can choose your own selection. I had hummus and baba ganoush. All the staffs is super friendly and attentive. I'll definitely come back for more!

I love this place. Great home-cooked food and friendly service. Open for lunch and dinner. Try the…read moredumplings. Also the shanks with rice and broad beans. Yum !

The food is fresh and delicious. I had the tikka kebab which is small pieces of steak served with…read morerice and fresh, hot, homemade bread

Me and my friend we where eating in this restaurant last night, we asked them politely that we need…read morewater but the lady refused because the owner expects we should buy bottled of water instead. am not sure Victoria's lows regarding this, but that was awful to experience, if someone asks water eating in your restaurant makes no sense to say NO customer retention prospective, i hope this message reaches reaches everyone and the owner. very bad customer service!!