Khanateria - Indian Eatery & Bar — Restaurant in Oslo

We arrived without planning it, quite late on. A wonderful smile and welcome, even though it was full, and busy. We felt valued. Invited to sit at the bar, as people were leaving soon. Then a lovely fast response to our request for a cocktail asap after a long tiring walk. This was outstanding, with home made chilli vodka balanced with many fruit and sweet ingredients. A lovely decor and atmosphere added to the pleasure. A very interesting and small menu, which indicates to us that things are cooked individually and with care. Yes! We chose the tasting menu of 3 starters and 2 mains. Well.. In 30+ years of eating Indian food (including in India), we thought the starters were the best ever eaten. Seriously. Subtle and lovely flavours, beautiful details. The staff were without exception, perfect - efficient, friendly and warm. Another great point for me, from Britain, was the absence of the usual, in Norway, question of 'how hot do you want it?' (which goes against all ideas of each dish having its own character and chilli heat level). Anyway, after a lovely evening... We came again 2 nights' later - I think that says a lot. We had some different dishes, which were equally lovely or even better. Our extra guest, a discerning eater, who had been in south India, pronounced it superb. We all felt the Seabass curry was outstanding, and I will be having that next time. I forgot to mention the wine. A nice selection , and ALL available by the glass. The Indian Shiraz was amazing, and actually enhanced the food! Other wines were also very good - we tried two others - and felt had been thoughtfully chosen to complement curry dishes. All in all, a lovely experience. We will be back on our next...

Decided to dine here as the menu looked interesting. I sat at the bar as I only needed a table of one. I ordered the avocado dahi puri but was surprised it was basically pani puri. There's a difference in dahi puri and pani puri, though those not familiar with Indian street food will not notice. They serve you 4 (small plates) and do have a bit of spiciness to them. For dinner, I ordered the paneer makhani and naan. The paneer was tasty but also a little on the spicier side. The naan did not look nor taste tandoori. The dish also comes with rice, so you don't need to order naan unless you are looking for more carbs.

I also had their chai, which is heavy on cardamon, but good.

Lastly, I ordered their parle g elderflower cheesecake. There's a bit of tart to it, but the cheesecake is good. The elderflower is on the top, I believe, as I couldn't taste it in every bite.

I did notice that everything I ordered came quick. I'm not sure if most of the things are pre made earlier in the day or the kitchen is quick, but it was a little surprising.

While I did not order any drinks, I noticed that the drinks were uneventful. The bartenders are not specialized in cocktail making. If getting a drink, I would consider one that doesn't need to be made...

The restaurant has a fancy price tag and elegant food presentation, but the overall experience fell short. The space felt cramped, and opting for the tasting menu turned out to be a mistake. While the dishes might appeal to a Western palate, they didn’t justify the cost for someone familiar with authentic Deshi flavors. For around 1200 kr for two people, we expected much more—in taste, variety , authenticity and portion size. I didn’t pay to have Kurkure and chola with bun. The food was underwhelming, with portions so small that at least two proper main courses should have been included. The avocado fuchka, marketed as Indian street food, felt more like a fusion experiment. At an average Indian restaurant, this price could easily cover four good quantity main dishes. Overall, a disappointing experience. To the South asian people , if you check in there, try normal menu not the testing menu. We booked the table earlier and chose the testing menu but still the food serving was too slow. First and last...