We got butter chicken, spicy lamb cutlets and a vegetarian curry. The lamb cutlets were the highlight, and both curries were wonderful. The butter chicken wasn't very buttery and was more of a rich tomato curry, but it was still really delicious. read more

Malabar Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Crows Nest, NSW

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I'm jealous, Sydney. I get that y'all are the land of Master Chef, the land of expats and a multi cultural crowd - but seriously, putting out delicious entree after entree is a bit much for this reviewer who has experienced mediocre Indian food in Austin TX. It can't be right that your veg biryani hit all the right spots, that your dosa actually tasted like something I'd make at home (it's a compliment, trust me) and the sambar took me back to Saravana Bhavan in Chennai (I can give no higher praise) It's also not fair that your paneer pepper entree was a perfect interpretation of the Chettinad style. Damn. Hot damn. I'd take the train to St Leonard's and dine here no matter how far off I stayed. read more

Excellent customer service and food and deserts are yummy. Best restaurant for south Indian food and Dhosa . Staff are very courteous and professional.. read more

One Friday evening, my friend and I visited Malabar for dinner. Even though we arrived fairly early, we were glad we had made reservations - the venue was VERY busy! The service we received that night was excellent; the ambiance of the large room was warm, pleasant, and inviting :-) As for the food, for our entrée, we shared the specialty of the house - a fine, crispy cone filled with a very tasty, spicy mashed potato mixture. Next, we shared a spicy prawn curry; we asked them to make it medium-spicy, which worked perfectly for me. We also got a beef curry with coconut milk. While the portion sizes are not overly large, we also had rice and garlic naan with our meal, so we didn't go away hungry. For dessert, we shared a delicious pistachio and mango Indian ice cream; this dish was an excellent end to a great meal. The cost of our meal for two people was $80 plus tip. I think I'm going to put Malabar into my regular rotation :-) read more

This was as close to an authentic dosa you would get in a western world . That's right , as close to an authentic dosa . Decided to drop by at the last minute , service is excellent . They were able to accommodate us on a table of our choosing considering they were very busy . The dosa was crispy and the aloo filling was the right mixture of spices and ghee . Coming to the desserts , I ordered the carrot halwa. I was expecting it to be a bit more than what was presented considering the price you are paying for the dessert .Nevertheless the carrot halwa was lovely and creamy with right balance of cardamom and pistachio . Over all a very authentic south Indian restaurant for dosa . Will be visiting again soon . read more

If you want good south indian food in Sydney then this is the place for you. It is pretty hard to find south indian food in Sydney and over the years this place has been consistently good. I have been here many times and have not had a bad experience. Their masala dosa is excellent and sometimes they serve a traditional Kerela dish called Avial which is my favourite and takes me back to my mothers Kerela cooking. read more

Malabar Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Crows Nest, NSW

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We have driven past a thousand times, I am sure. Hungry one Sunday lunch time this seemed like a good candidate - the dhosai is reputed to be excellent, and after reading a review from my old mate Sam S, himself from the subcontinent, saying this was his go-to South Indian restaurant in Sydney, the deal was sealed. Surprisingly busy for a Sunday lunch, the decor is nice, traditional Indian restaurant fare, but a bit classier than most. Staff are very pleasant and helpful, and the menu is extensive but not too daunting, with familiar and unfamiliar things to choose from. For lunch we both had a dhosai - she the small and me the regular, and being the typical bloke I also ordered a soupy thing. Along with popadums and various condiments, a pleasant repast looked to be in store. As usual, my eyes were bigger than my stomach, and the regular dhosai was huuuge!! The soup was really unusual and tasty - kinda like Indian Tom Yum - hot! The meal was great, so much so that about a week or so later we went back for dinner, and again we found the food to be wonderful - the curries were flavoursome, the naan is seriously out of this world, possibly the best I have had in Australia, and the service impeccable. Finally found a good Indian nearby - sure to become a regular here. Highly recommended. read more

You know a restaurant is good when it is actually frequented by the people of its nationality- such is the case with Malabar. The menu is refereshingly small which makes decisions quite a lot easier, and as I was with a big party we decided to order one of everything. The lamb korma was tender and fragrant, but the star of the show was the butter chicken. It was delightfully creamy yet spicy and left me wanting more and more (and more). I wouldn't normally think of dessert as an Indian delicacy, but here Malabar once again delivered. We sampled the pistachio and mango kulfi puddings which were as thick as anything and very unusual. I ended up with huge food envy for my companion's dumpling though, it was like nothing I've ever tried before. Something like a doughnut, but with cinnamon and undetectable spices running through it and bathed in a sweet sauce. I just loved its uniqueness! The restaurant is decorated quite traditionally with white table cloths and regimented tables, but the upstairs has been jazzed up with a huge canvas depicting the Taj Mahal Hotel in Mumbai. A very nice touch! read more

This place is easily the best Indian on the lower north shore! We've eaten here many times over the last four years (as well as ordering take away) and both the food and service have always been excellent. I would highly recommend the butter chicken as well as the lamb sagwala & potato and eggplant curry! read more

This is the best South Indian restaurant in Sydney. The Masala Dosa is a must try and the Goan Fish Curry is superbly made with lots of rich flavours and textures. Good quality Naan bread and Tandoori options available as well. read more

Nice Indian place. Best goat I have ever had. Certainly the best Indian in Crows Nest. Friendly staff and quick service. Would definitely recommend. read more

Wow such a wonderful Indian restaurant such great service and excellent food, the doshea (not so sure of the spelling)wraps were especially amazing We have been here a few time with family too, it is one of our favourite Indian restaurants hands down! read more

Service is friendly and the food is fantastic! Especially the Dosai is as Crisp as you would get anywhere in India and the Chicken Biryani was tasty as hell! This is coming from an Indian who constantly complaints about Indian restaurants not being up to par. So you know it's good when I say it is. read more

This restaurant is nice, the staff are friendly, service is good and the food is of good quality. I must say, however, $20 for the butter chicken which was barely the size of an entree was a disappointment. And I do honestly believe the food could have tasted better.. The lighting upstairs was also quite poor. I say this myself and on behalf of the woman I noticed using a flashlight on her phone to read the menu. read more

Nice atmosphere, has pictures of elephants on the wall :-) and I enjoyed the food. Spicy but mild to suit western tastes, my Indian friends thought it was too mild and not that 'authentic' on the flavour - oh well. Also enjoyed an excellent mango lassi to drink. Maybe a little on the pricey side for a lunch, but would be good value for a dinner meal. read more

Had takeaway from here. Most dishes were ok but what really tilted me was the microwaved rice, if it wasn't microwaved it would mean they can't cook rice. The naan was forgettable. What a shame.. read more

Malabar is Northern district in Kerala famous for it's food delicacy. This place has good ambiance to lost the taste of Malabar. Food presentation is fine, but when I visit South Indian restaurants, the typical taste I expect, was certainly missing here. They serve malabar paratha also with very pathetic taste. My 2 cents: Please improve food quality as well as taste. Get some authentic Malabari chef to assist you. Not suitable or recommended for any south Indian families, you will certainly carry "ripped off" feeling after visiting here. read more

Malabar calls itself South Indian. That's because they serve dosas. And their dosas are really good. But they also serve meat, which breaks from the South Indian experience that I've always had. I came here with a bunch of other dads from my kid's class, so we had a bunch of good dishes. All pretty typical stuff, but rich flavors nonetheless. Malabar is good and I would go back. read more

This place was a mixed bag of sorts for us. Some of the dishes were incredibly tasty, while others were just alright. We went for their banquet menu which helped us in tasting a variety of dishes from their menu. The quantity of food was a lot for two people and we hardly finished the three curries and the basmati rice on offer. Their Mini Dosa and sambhar were undoubtedly the best I have had in Sydney, and was reminiscent of the Bangalore style dosas I have eaten. Crisp and delicious with a very tatsy potato filling. I felt like I should have had this for my main rather than an entree. The Lamb Pepper curry was also delicious with balanced flavours and not too hot. The pepper shown through but did not overwhelm. The butter chicken and veg curry was okay, and a little sweet for my taste. The naan was incredible and the dessert of Pistachio Kulfi was amazing. The kulfi was rich, with a generous sprinkling of nuts and saffron in it. So why the 3stars, heres why, the patti samosa was absolutely flavourless and lacked seasoning. The service was slow and well sort of weird. After the first round of entree' we asked for our plates to changed for the dosas, as we had chutney all over it. We were informed by the waiter that they normally keep one plate for the entrees' and do not change it, and one for the main, but however, he will change it for us as a coursey! I am not a fussy diner, but I felt this was uncalled for. It was just a plate and not and extra dish that we requested! Other than that an overall average experience. read more

Good food, lively ambiance, nice service. Would recommend the place!