Shanai Restaurant — Restaurant in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown

The Staff: Went for dinner with my friends. While ordering, our order amount was less than 15 Euros per person (which was certainly their minimum order amount per person and not clearly mentioned on their menu card or website), the manager could be anything but rude to let us know that, instead started letting know us the cost of his table cloth and wine glasses as if we were poor and couldn't afford. We went there in a cheerful mood but the first ever conversation with the staff made us felt so low.

The Food: Okayish. Naan was up to the mark. Vegetable fried rice tasted nothing like it. While the Dal tadka was probably made of chana dal. Atleast, the food could have lifted up our moods which the staff so perfectly managed to ruin.

The Ambience: The only good thing. But what's the point if they do not treat you well or can't be polite.

Point here is to treat your customer right and make them feel homely. Even if other things are not perfect, atleast it can be such a cheerful experience that we would think of visiting the...

What a terrible experience! The staff were extremely unwelcoming.

We ordered a set meal that included a starter, a main course, and a dessert. The starter portions were ridiculously small—just a tiny piece of each item. The main course was also disappointing, with barely any meat in the dish; it was mostly sauce. And for dessert, there was no choice at all—just ice cream.

We considered ordering an extra dessert, but after checking the menu, we found nothing interesting—and none of the options were Indian, which was surprising.

To make matters worse, the cutlery were extremely old and poorly cleaned, which made the whole experience feel even more unpleasant. When my ice cream arrived, they gave me a teaspoon to eat it, showing a total lack of attention to detail from the staff.

As for the food itself, it was overly sweet and completely lacking in seasoning—nothing like authentic Indian cuisine. Honestly, it was the worst restaurant meal I've ever had.

I would never recommend this place to anyone looking for good food and...

I had high hopes for Shanai, given its promise of authentic Indian flavours, but unfortunately, the experience fell flat. The food was underwhelming – lacking the bold spices and richness you’d expect from Indian cuisine. Dishes tasted bland and uninspired, missing the depth and warmth that define a good Indian meal.

Service was equally lacklustre, with staff seeming disengaged and the overall atmosphere failing to make up for the culinary shortcomings. Compared to other Indian restaurants in Dublin that deliver on both flavour and hospitality, Shanai simply doesn’t hold up.

If you’re looking for an authentic and flavourful Indian dining experience, there are certainly better options elsewhere...