Old Monk Modern Indian — Restaurant in Brisbane City

Overview Old Monk is a modern and stylish Indian restaurant in the Rosalie entertainment district.

Food My wife and I dined on a quiet Sunday night. We started with samosas ($14), followed by lamb palak ($24) and chicken tikka masala ($23), with naan bread and basmati rice.

The samosas were different from traditional ones, being flat with a soft outer coating and a delicious vegetarian filling. They were served with lashings of chopped onion, lettuce, carrot, cucumber, and two tangy sauces: spinach and tamarind. This was the perfect way to start the evening.

The main meals were also excellent. The meat in my lamb palak was tender and flavourful, infused with those spicy and aromatic Indian herbs and spices that we love so much. The chicken tikka was a standout dish, with tender chicken pieces soaked in a creamy tomato sauce. Portion sizes were generous, without being too big or too small.

Service This is where Old Monk really shines. The three waitresses on duty were all smartly dressed, polite, and professional. This meant that our whole evening ran smoothly. When we arrived, we received a friendly greeting from the maître d' and were shown to our booked table. The staff was attentive and efficient, and it was a pleasure to dine here. Orders were swiftly taken, and drinks, entrée, and main courses all came out at a steady clip and in the correct sequence.

The lady who took our order also gave us sound advice on what to have with our meals. She was spot on, and the rice and naan bread were the right quantities and perfectly complemented our meat dishes.

Having read a few negative comments about slow service here, I was pleasantly surprised at how fast it was. I can confirm that you couldn't ask for quicker or better service.

Ambience The ambience is super cool, laid back, and relaxed. This is an ideal place for spring or summer dining, with the front doors flung wide open to allow the breeze in. There is indoor seating and outdoor seating on the terrace. The interior has been decorated in modern grey, stone, and beige colour tones, with interesting pictures on the back wall and a busy bar feature on one side. The floors and walls are tiled, and the furniture is comfortable, with leather chairs or upholstered benches against the walls. The night we dined, the place was about half full, enough people to give it a nice buzz. The acoustics were fine, and we were easily able to converse. However, I didn't notice any sound absorbers, and with all those tiles, glass, and wood, it could get noisy.

Cost We came armed with a 25% voucher from "Entertainment", which kept our bill, including a small tip, to a modest 70. For that, we got two beers, a starter, two mains, a single serve of rice, and a single serve of naan bread. With hyperinflation in this country raging out of control, I guess this wasn't too bad, but if we didn't have a voucher, it would have been a hefty 92, bearing in mind that a little bottle of Asahi Lager is a ridiculous 11.

Toilets The toilet facilities are limited, being shared with a few other restaurants in this little centre. The male toilet was reasonably clean and well-maintained, but you may need to queue to use it.

Parking We found easy street parking in nearby Nash Street, where there are no after-hours restrictions provided there's no event on (by which I presume they mean a game at the nearby Suncorp Stadium). But generally, there's plenty of street parking around here, and finding a space isn't going to be a problem.

Summary O.M. is a great place to have a fun night out with family or friends. The booking process over the phone was quick and easy, and the service was outstanding - fast, friendly, and efficient. The food was excellent and served in generous portions. The atmosphere is cool, relaxed, and casual, and the clean toilets and free street parking nearby add to the convenience. The prices are acceptable, and with an Entertainment discount of 25% (up to a maximum of only 30), it's even better. Overall, we had a fabulous evening at the Old Monk, and we're...

I don't agree with the other reviews on here. The service was terrible, staff were rude and unapproachable and the way the male staff spoke to the female staff was appalling. They had "BYO" printed on the menu at a $4 Corkage but when we arrived with our own drinks we were told they no longer doing BYO and you had to buy thier alcohol. The food was average, spicy but with no flavour and during the meal, while we were still eating, the staff without asking cleared our table to bear, sending a clear message they were ready for us to leave. Wouldn't allow a split bill either. For a new business they haven't impressed us at all. Reply to their response: To imply that we tried to sneak alcohol into a restaurant is childish and false, when we booked we were told the restaurant was byo, it was printed on the menu we were given when we sat down as well, when we brought beer in we were told no beer, not no byo. So we went and brought some wine thinking there was a problem with having beer. The communication from the staff was rude and unclear. Update your menus to be accurate, improve your food standards, train your staff to communicate better and maybe treat them with a bit...

Last month I tried to visit this restaurant, I went there with my friends and asked them for the table. They said, sir you have to book it before coming here. We thought, is it such a nice place that they do not offer instant booking?

Then today, we went there with prior booking. Not only I found the answer that why they said, but I found a place offering amazing, tasty Indian food.

If you are loving soya, go and ask for the Masala soya chap with parotta. It was really yum! It's the perfect vegan meat if you want to enjoy!

Another option is, chana masala, having mild spice. Those who loves chicken, they can order old monk chicken. It's yummy for my friends. If you have frnds, you can order Naan basket, easy to taste different naan together.

At the end, we ordered Rasamali and kulfi. If you want to have a flavor of Indian matka kulfi, you can order it.

Overall, the food was amazing, hospitality was perfect, and vibes from the place brings India in Brisbane.

Just, amazed, as I was seeking masala chai, but not found it there. Ordered tea pot, but not up to the mark.

If you want to taste something unique, and amazing visit...