Kerala canteen | South Indian Kerala Tapas Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Leeds

We visited for a late lunch on Valentine's day. Overall it was a negative experience which could have been handled much better.

Staff were attentive and friendly. Food very disappointing. Atmosphere was ok but a little odd mainly I imagine due to teething problems with a new venture. Overwhelming smell of incense when the door was opened was off-putting when eating, music crashed at one point with the speakers emitting a loud buzzing, glassware mismatched etc. All understandable for a newish restaurant (and with a lot of hospitality experience myself), not something I would mark a venue down for.

We had high expectations given the pedigree they boast on social media and their menus. Throwing words around like "Michelin Star" and "MasterChef Finalist" raise expectations and attracted us to this restaurant. Unfortunately they were not able to meet even basic expectations of flavour in the majority of the dishes and we even sent one back for being too burnt (hassle back potatoes). Our replacement dish was brought out by MasterChef Finalist himself Bobby Geetha who simply said "they're meant to be triple cooked" to which we responded, "ok, thank you".The replacement potatoes were raw in the middle, we didn't want to make a fuss so we just left them.

The wait staff kindly removed this from our bill and we were happy to leave a tip for the service but not the food.

I have worked in this sector for the best part of two decades, this isn't how you handle food being sent back, regardless of whether you believe the customer to be right or wrong. For the executive chef to come to the customers table with an attitude is pretty pathetic in my opinion.

Our criticism was poorly received, after Bobby and the restaurant started sharing my fiances Instagram stories followed by positive reviews from other diners - I was then blocked by the restaurant for highlighting this unprofessional behavior.

Fortunately Leeds is spoiled for choice when it comes to Indian cuisine and even Indian tapas.

There's time for this place to improve their menu, but it seems unlikely when egos get in the way... Either way, I won't know about it because they've blocked me from their Instagram.

Turn your fryers down, swallow your pride and stop paying influencers for positive reviews which you...

The aroma at the door captures you into a trance of what’s to come the individual scents that I could pick off were similar to my Mum and Dads, home cuisine being Mauritian.

The decor and lighting and atmosphere, gave good ambiance.

We received a warm welcome with a smile and guided to our table.

We were then left with Chloe who did a fantastic job of looking after us, by explaining how to work the menu, as it was our first time.

Our drinks came and I had the hibiscus JD with spices which was very good and well crafted.

The starters Sea bass, fried chicken, and Paneer were all perfectly created each with there own depths of individual character at this point all the notes that I was picking up at the door were starting to come back to me.

Our Mains came and we had the Jackfruit rice with Beef and Beef Marrow, and the minced lamb and chickpea. The Beef and Beef Marrow had a nice bold beefy flavour with spices that complemented to give a good aftertaste. The lamb and chickpea had a nice delicate flavour that was rich in character and texture.

Thanks for an amazing dining experience of an impressive authentic cuisine of many different districts, created with a great selection of choices of spice.

Overall the food was truly amazing, and I know food quite well. I’ll definitely be back again there is so much more...

I recently visited Kerala Canteen one evening to try out their food, and I must say, it was a fantastic experience. Upon arrival, we were greeted with warm smiles and promptly seated. We ordered drinks, starters, and our main course, and I must mention that the menu looked absolutely fabulous.

The interiors were charming, and the service was impeccable—especially the lady who served us. Although I regret not asking her name, I remember she mentioned she was from Bangalore. She was an absolute gem and truly deserves praise for her outstanding service.

As for the food, I absolutely loved the papadoms. Unlike the usual ones served in other Indian restaurants, these were a delightful variety, unique to Kerala. Being from Kerala myself, it was a nostalgic treat to savor something so authentic and rare. The presentation of the food was equally impressive, making it a feast for the eyes as well as the palate.

What made the experience even more special was when the chef personally came over to talk to us about our dining experience—such a thoughtful and wonderful gesture!

A heartfelt thank you to the entire team for giving us such a lovely evening. I will definitely be returning and highly recommend Kerala Canteen to anyone looking for an exceptional...