Kinara Indian Restaurant — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Overview Kinara is a super cool, modern Indian joint on the corner of Manning and Russell Streets in South Brisbane opposite Manning Park, which sadly, now appears to have been turned into a tent city for the homeless, with do-gooders handing out free meals to encourage them to stay.

Drinks These guys have a great selection of beers on offer at quite reasonable prices. I enjoyed a bottle of my favourite Stone & Wood Pacific Ale, followed by a bottle of my second favourite Indian lager, Kingfisher. But there are plenty of other beer choices, at around the $10 mark, as well as a broad selection of wines and spirits as well.

Food Three of us dined on a balmy night in late Feb. We ordered the samosa chat to start and for our main courses, a lamb korma for me, and two vegetarian dishes for my companions, a paneer and a mixed vegetables, rounded out with two bowls of rice and a serve of naan bread.First thing to say about the food is that portion sizes are extremely generous, and we struggled to finish it all, ending up taking about a third of it home, which we enjoyed for dins the next night.

And the quality was outstanding. The samosas were sliced up into quarters and drenched in a creamy yoghurt sauce. A great way to start the meal. The main courses didn’t disappoint either. They were infused with those subtle, aromatic Indian spices and flavours that we love so much. My lamb korma consisted of lashings of tender and tasty lamb pieces in a rich gravy sauce with cashews. The vegetarian dishes had fresh, chunky vegetables in creamy sauces. Presentation of the dishes was neat and stylish on colourful crockery.

Service There were a multitude of waitresses on duty, all attentive, polite, patient and neatly turned out in smart uniforms. Despite that though, I did find the service a tad slow. Drinks came out quickly but then about 15 minutes wait for the entree and another 15 minutes or so for the main courses. The owner/manager brought the food to our table and he was a super nice and friendly guy.

Ambience This doesn’t look like a traditional Indian restaurant. It has a cool and contemporary interior design with strong lighting, tiled floors, steel tables and comfy upholstered wooden chairs. Even though it’s not a big place it has a spacious, airy and relaxed feel to it. We dined midweek and there was a respectable crowd, at its peak it was probably about 60% full, which gave it a nice, fun and energetic vibe. Despite no carpets or noise absorbers, the acoustics were good and we were easily able to converse.

Cost We paid 150 for two beers, two cold drinks, a bottle of sparkling mineral water, one entree and three mains. I guess with the way things are going in Australia today with hyperinflation crushing the economy thanks to massive govt. spending and money printing, that’s not bad value for money, considering the high quality of the food, the pleasant ambience and the friendly service.

Toilets There is a single unisex toilet located just outside the restaurant, in front of the next door residential apartment complex. There’s no need to get a key from the staff. It’s quite large and I found it reasonably clean and well provisioned. Some may find the arrangement of what is in reality, a public toilet behind the restaurant a bit strange.

Summary Overall we had a pleasant and fun night at Kinara. The food is excellent and served in generous portions. Staff are super nice and friendly and the ambience is relaxing, casual and laid back. Prices were average. It’s a pity about the unsightly tent city across the road and I cannot understand how the council have allowed this to happen. Local businesses should be protesting about it. As we were just three senior citizens, we felt uncomfortable walking past and quickly crossed the road...

Kinara at South Bank of Brisbane has to be the BEST Indian restaurant I have tried so far in Australia! I had dinner at Kinara yesterday (after one of my mate’s convinced me to try this spot) and I guarantee that it stands as a beacon of culinary excellence. Every single thing that we ordered was worth the money we spent. From the moment you step through its doors, you are greeted with an aura of warmth and hospitality. Literally giving you the true Indian welcome per se. My first visit to Kinara was very welcoming and it was a very homely feeling. As a food enthusiast, I value first impressions a lot and kinara absolutely stood out! From the vibes and ambience to the customer service and food quality! EVERYTHING stood out.

THE FOOD: We were there on a Tuesday and most practising hindus are vegetarian on this day, and so we only ordered vegetarian. I thought I may possibly miss out on a good food experience (as I lean more towards non-veg options for Indian food) BUT I WAS WRONG.. Everything we ordered was incredibly tasty, flavourful and had the authentic Indian standard that you would expect in India. We ordered Chilli Paneer (absolute must try) and Samosa Chole Chaat for starters. We also ordered heaps for main dishes as well, these included, Palak Paneer, Nawab-Dar Kofta and Shahi Paneer (another absolute must try!!!). Our drinks were in-house Pink Lemonade and Chaas. Desserts were Mango Kulfi, Kesar Pista Kulfi and Ras Malai (all the desserts were incredible and fresh- my only disappointment was that the mango kulfi had shards of ice in every bite that masked the mango kulfi’s authentic taste- but I will let this slide as the taste for everything else was just impeccable). Everything that we ordered and enjoyed is most certainly a testament to the chef's culinary prowess to execute fusion of flavours to suit everyone’s palate while respectfully not compromising the use of Indian spice.

Like I said, this has to be the best Indian restaurant I have visited so far in Australia. The design of Kinara's menu, the food standard, and considerations for vegan and gluten free options have exceeded my expectations! My mom is celiac and vegetarian so I will surely be bringing her here next time we visit Brisbane.

THE SERVICE: No dining experience is complete without impeccable service, and Kinara delivers on this front with flying colours. The staff exudes professionalism and warmth, attending to every need with grace and efficiency. The owner was also very friendly and checked on us to ensure everything was alright.

Kinara at South Bank Brisbane absolutely a must visit restaurant! Count yourself lucky if you are based in Brisbane because you can be a regular here! With its impeccable cuisine, inviting ambiance, and exemplary service, Kinara has earned my respect and appreciation. My only regret is not discovering this hidden gem sooner when I used to live in Brisbane.

Five stars without...

I am originally from Sydney, and I must say dining at Kinari was the highlight of my work trip. Me and my friend had to walk back when we walked passed the first time as the smell of the food was simply Devine. The aesthetic of this resturaunt is both welcoming and modern and the colour scheme is gorgeous. From the second you step in, you are greeted instantly by a warm welcome and the staff are so friendly and attentive, ensuring you are happy with the food and service at all times. Theenu is so easy to read and have amazing Indian food to choose from. The drinks menu also has a large variety of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic choices. The wait for the food is not that long and comes out fresh! The garlic naan bread is to die for and was definitly one of my favourites! They even bring out wet wipes for you to properly while your hands (if you are someone like me and likes to eat the traditional way with my hands and bread). The price is very reasonable considering we ordered 2 main dishes (very good portion), basmati steamed rice (very good amount for only $4) and 2 garlic naan breads (large sized bread). We had a lot of left overs so we could Endulge some more. I can not wait to be back in Brisbane to try other main courses and possibly dessert! We simply were so full so we couldn’t try the sweets. One of the best Indian resturaunts I have been to in Australia!! Highly recommend!

Our meal: We had the the chicken korma and butter chicken as our main meals with the 2 garlic naan breads and basmati steamed rice. 1 lemon lime butter and one glass of wine - total was $86 (very...