Suvai Bar & Restaurant — Restaurant in Essen

Great food but prepare to feel invisible unless you are in a big group. Oh, and be prepared to spend a lot!

I've been here twice, once in a group of 7 and once as 2 people.

The first time (as 7) the service was excellent and the food was really nice; we all left very happy and it was worth the high price. 100% would have recommended.

The second time was sadly a real let-down. Almost an hour's wait to get our starters (with no communication during that time), albeit with an apology once they arrived and an assurance that our mains would come quicker, which they did. Food was all very nice. After finishing our mains we sat there with empty drinks for literally 45 minutes before we managed to flag someone down to order more. We then watched the drinks get made and they were sitting at the edge of the bar for almost 15 mins before someone brought them to our table, which meant that after an hour's wait we had warm lassis. :( Upon arrival of the drinks we asked to pay but then had to wait about 15 more minutes before our server came over with the card machine. At this point we were pretty fed up despite having enjoyed each other's company across the ~3 hours we had been there. No 'thank you' from the server for the (quite generous under the circumstances) tip and a mumbled response after we wished her a nice evening was the icing on the cake really.

Very sad to say we probably won't be coming back unless we're in a big group and will have a chance of actually being paid attention to by the staff. Without good service, it's really not worth the very high prices they charge. (Also, the owners have some very rude responses to other reviews...

Summary: You wouldn’t miss anything if you don’t visit this restaurant.

Staff: greeted by one, we said we wanted to sit outside. He was offering us a table for 2, added a chair and said this is your table for 3 people. Upon requesting to join two single tables, our request was rejected, on the grounds of space (the table being big enough) and reservations. We sat inside. No surprise, while leaving the restaurant, those tables were not taken.

Food: Average. Poppadom was served on the house -2x for 3 people in a basket, no quarter plates. Main course: quantity was such that you would be possible hungry after finishing your meal. Gimmick to force you to order starters? May be! Not for me since I wouldn’t visit again. Waiting time was long too. Came hungry, left hungry 😀

Price: extremity! Be prepared to pay over 20€ for a dish. I wonder how frequently do the locals visit. Even for someone living in Munich, where the prices are relatively high, I found the prices of this restaurant unreasonable. They charged us extra 3,5€ for a Raita, a staple side/sauce, which comes for free with the food. Never again.

Only positive experience: well, I guess the company I had, in the selection of which the restaurant din‘t...

This place is an absolute scam. The food is too basic, overpriced, and served in miserable portions. The so-called kothu rotti tasted like cheap instant noodles lazily tossed with bland chicken chunks—charging €19 for something that isn’t even worth €5 is pure robbery. The Chettinad chicken was passable, but for the ridiculous price, it should have been exceptional and with a larger portion. Atleast with a larger rotti so that It can atleast fill one person.

On top of that, they force you to buy water or drinks, charging an absurd €4 just for water, and they even have the audacity to put your own water bottle away! No other restaurant in Germany pulls this kind of extortion—demanding that customers hide their own water bottles just so they can squeeze more money out of them.

This place is run by shameless crooks who have zero respect for their customers. Avoid...