Saravanaa Bhavan — Restaurant in Brisbane City

This is next level Indian food experience. This is not your average bain-marie 6pm Uber eats cookie-cutter butter chicken and naan, need-a-quick feed Indian food.

Took a mate there last night to try the food (I’m a carnivore). I’m a truck driver who delivers vegetable to the back of restaurant and I wanted to try it because the kitchen is so clean (I see a lot of back-of-house restaurants); this one is spotless. Chefs in hairnets, white uniforms, and all busy.

Anyway, I convinced a carnivore mate to come with me, and we were astounded. We had 4 different curries and each single one was an exceptional experience. My mate ate there again last night on his own! I’m taking 2 work mates Saturday night. I’ve since recommended the restaurant to all work mates, I’ll take my extended family there as soon as we can coordinate calendars, and my other non-work mates Wednesday fortnight. Exceptional !!

N.B. Reading the negative reviews is a LOL. You don’t go to an Indian restaurant to complain about the coffee. The price is 100% in line with what you’d pay anywhere. There were no surprises on the bill. Only a Scotsman would complain about the price.

We went there to test the “best vegetarian restaurant in Brisbane” claim, and we went away saying it’s easily one of the best restaurants we’ve ever eaten at!! The people were pouring in all evening. We sat at 6:30 and left at 9pm. Full. Every seat taken; and it seats about 100-150 people. Almost entirely South Indian families; must be good we thought. The service was exceptional; with such a busy restaurant, our meals arrived within time expectation and fresh.

Did I mention the kitchen was spotless?! The chefs are chefs; no home cooks here. I’ve seen their spice rack; it’s as whole room. No Aldi bottled curry sauce seen anywhere. All made from scratch. Yes, we deliver fresh curry leaves to the kitchen, not pre-made supermarket packaged curry spices.

Anyway, highly recommended. Go there to experience the different tastes. We didn’t know any of the names of the dishes, so we took a guess and ordered what looked good in the pictures. In hind sight, we could have asked the waitresses. We saw one dish delivered to a neighbouring table and we asked the name, which was new. We ordered....

We had the worst customer service experience at Sarvaana Bhavan on Friday, January 17, 2025. What was supposed to be a celebratory birthday dinner turned into a distressing health and safety incident. One of our family members was scalded by a piping hot curry that spilled onto their body, causing second degree burns and painful blisters. This happened because the untrained wait staff failed to follow basic protocol when serving hot dishes. When delivering hot plates or pots, staff are supposed to inform customers and ensure safety by avoiding placing them over anyone's head or shoulder. Unfortunately, the staff didn’t follow this basic protocol last night and due to lack of training, they split the piping food on the family member.

There was no immediate response from the staff, who stood by without offering help. One waiter even seemed to snicker at the situation. We had to urgently ask for ice cubes and a first aid kit, which should have been provided automatically. Instead, we were left to handle the situation ourselves. When we demanded to speak with the manager, we were told he was unavailable, and it took 20 minutes for him to arrive. Even then, his response was cold and dismissive—he showed no empathy or concern, and even laughed about the incident.

To make matters worse, when we confronted one of the male waiters who had been snickering, he became confrontational, as if mocking our distress wasn’t enough. Meanwhile, food was spilled on the floor and chairs, and no one bothered to clean up until we specifically asked them to. It was clear that the staff had no regard for customer safety or wellbeing.

The entire experience ruined our family’s night. We are beyond disappointed and appalled by the lack of professionalism, care, and responsibility exhibited by both the wait staff and management at Sarvaana Bhavan. This restaurant doesn’t even...

After eagerly awaiting the opening of Sarvanaa Bhavan in Brisbane City, we decided to visit the restaurant with my family, including my parents who came from India. Despite the mixed reviews, we remained optimistic and were excited to try it out.

We ordered a variety of dishes including four thalis—two Special Thalis and two North Indian Thalis—along with Sambar Vada and Masala Dosa.

Food Quality: Masala Dosa: The dosa was decent and served piping hot, which was appreciated. However, the quantity of chutneys provided was disappointing, with barely enough for two bites. Even when we requested more chutney, the additional serving was just as inadequate.

Thalis: The thalis, particularly the North Indian ones, were a letdown. The flavors were bland, lacking the proper salt and spice levels that one would expect from North Indian cuisine. The rotis served were so small that they were almost gone after just two bites, leaving little curry to enjoy with the rest. Overall Experience: While the restaurant is worth a visit for the experience, I would not recommend the thalis. If you do visit, perhaps stick to the traditional idli or dosa. Unfortunately, based on our experience, we would not be returning for a second time.

Pricing: The non-plain dosas were priced at around $15+, which seemed excessive given the small portions of chutney and sambar provided. The thalis were priced at $25 each. While the price isn't the main issue, the quantity and quality of food served were not worth the cost in any way.

All in all, its not close to any of the Sarvana Bhavans I visited in India or in London. I hope they take all these feedbacks into consideration. Unfortunately, based on our experience, we would not be returning for a second time unless there is a change overtime in their reviews and food quality...