PALKI RESTAURANT DURBAN — Restaurant in Windermere

It was our 45th wedding anniversary and we decided to have a celebratory dinner at Palki, a restaurant that we visited on several occasions and one that failed to disappoint. A booking was made for 6 adults and 2 children in a private room. On entering we found the atmosphere very dull and unwelcoming. We were waited upon by a female waitron who seemed unsure of items on the menu. We ordered a non-veg platter as a starter with great expectations but we were sadly disappointed. Having been there before we knew that their portions are fairly generous, so we ordered 3 separate non-veg dishes for the adults - lamb kadhai, lamb vindaloo and chicken tikka masala. For the children we ordered butter chicken. Sadly none of the dishes lived up to the usually high standards of Palki. The meat in both the chicken dishes were dried out and both lamb dishes weren't up to standard. This is when we called in the high and mighty Ravi to complain. He was totally unapologetic and dismissive stating that this is the way these dishes are prepared and taking us for a bunch of fools. We were still busy with our meals when our female waitron returned to table to tell us that they were closing. It was a Saturday night and we assumed the night was still young and we were surprised to hear that they close at 9pm. Anyway we cut our celebrations short and asked for the bill. On receipt of the bill we were surprised to see that there were 3 options for the tip - 10, 15, and 20%. Given the attitude, service and poor meals I think that a tip was unwarranted but I still added a discretionary tip to the bill and as is customary asked the waitress for the card machine. She pointed me out to Ravi who was packing a fridge with beers. He saw me approach him but chose to continue with his task. I only regained his attention with a firm and loud "excuse me" and advised him that I was ready to settle the bill. I was flabbergasted by his actions or lack thereof - no sorry or thank you, or goodbye. Definitely wasn't how we expected to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Palki was a real spoiler. Shame...

The Chettinad Crab was exquisite. Glad the portion was so big - I can eat the rest tomorrow! I will definitely order this again. (2021) (2023)Well two years later I did re-order it and unfortunately the experience was a lot less satisfactory. Firstly there was no crab, so I was offered Chettinad Prawns instead. Having previously enjoyed other prawn dishes from Palki I agreed to the change in my order. There were about six average sized prawns which were quite rubbery, but far worse was the gravy/chutney. I had assumed it would be the same delicious gravy I had had with the crab, which was pleasantly spicy with loads of complex flavours, but this was just horrendously hot, it tasted as if it had been made with one of those so called "extreme peppers" with off-the-scale Scoville unit ratings which vegetable seed vendors warn people not to use to play practical jokes. That hellish chilli was literally all I could taste. The first mouthful I swallowed so irritated my oesophagus that I began hiccupping. I eventually got down the prawns and a little of the gravy and had to throw the rest away as I cannot imagine wanting to put myself through the ordeal of trying to eat what was left over. The garlic naan was also leathery and dried out - the first time I have ever been disappointed in Palki's naan, which is normally great. A horrible experience with a hefty price tag, as it is one of the most expensive dishes on the menu and the costliest dish I have ever ordered from Uber Eats. Much as I loved the Chettinad Crab, the Chettinad Prawns were so awful I would now be afraid to order the crab version of the dish again. April 2025 - I was in the mood for Indian food and decided to see how things are now at Palki. I ordered via Uber Eats. I am pleased to report that the Chicken Tikka Masala was delicious, and the garlic naan once more up to the high standard I had always enjoyed from Palki prior to the bad experience I had with my second order of...

Phenomenal food!!! Outstanding service! Perfect ambiance. You simply Have to try this Indian restaurant, if you are in Umhlanga. I normally dine at the Windermere branch as the food there is always divine and the service from a wonderful gentleman, Nagesh, is excellent. Tried this branch once, more than a year ago, and didn't enjoy the food or service at all. Decided to give it a try today, and I was blown away by the turn around in this restuarant. Every morsel of food was just delicious, and we were delighted to find that Nagesh was now at this branch, delivering the finest service to his customers, and recommending the most amazing dishes to us. The starters were absolutely delicious. We tried the platter, which had tandoori chicken, prawns, and sheek kebabs. This is such an incredible starter, with soft pieces of flavor filled chicken, spicy kebabs and, fat, juicy prawns. For mains we tried the chicken chettinad, the lamb chettinad, pepper and onion lamb and paneer Manchurian. The parata was awesome, flaky and crispy. Garlic Naan, was soft and aromatic. Each of us spent every moment of the meal, discussing how delicious and unique the flavors of our dishes were and how the restaurant had made such a huge turnaround from our first visit there. I urge every person reading this review, who either has never tried Palki or has tried this branch and was disappointed, to go back and give it a try. You will Not be disappointed. The meals are unique in flavour, aroma and taste and the service from Nagesh is Outstanding. This gentleman will ensure that you are served with the best care, and that every item on your table is of the best quality and taste. He truely takes service to a new level, ensuring that all his customers are completly happy and satisfied with the meals they have ordered. We drove in from Pietermaritzburg, and will definitely be back in a few days for...