Va-nak-kam | Restaurant In East Grinstead — Restaurant in Mid Sussex

🍛🇱🇰🇮🇳🥘A Hidden Gem in East Grinstead: More Than 5 Stars for Authentic Sri Lankan Delights!

If you're searching for an authentic and truly exceptional dining experience in East Grinstead, look no further than this Sri Lankan South Indian restaurant – it's a genuine hidden gem that deserves more than 5 stars! From the moment we arrived, Dino and his team offered simply fantastic customer service, making us feel incredibly welcome and well-cared for throughout our visit. Their attentiveness truly elevated the entire experience. What truly sets this place apart is its incredible authenticity. We were absolutely thrilled to find some of our favorite Sri Lankan street food available, which instantly transported us back and brought back wonderful memories from our trip to Sri Lanka. We recently held our business dinner here and booked the entire restaurant, which was an excellent decision. We felt incredibly special, not only because of the exclusivity but also due to the outstanding quality of food and how impeccably it was served. For any business events or private gatherings, we would highly recommend booking this place. The food itself was a culinary journey! For starters, we indulged in delicious Mutton Rolls, Paruppu Vadai, and authentic Sri Lankan Pol Rotti. For our mains, we sampled a variety of incredible dishes: some of us enjoyed the flavourful Sri Lankan Kothu Rotti, others opted for Rice with Curry Kozhi (chicken curry) and Rice with Attu Erachi Curry (mutton curry), and the Eral Curry (prawn curry) was simply amazing too. We also couldn't get enough of the Sri Lankan Devilled side dish, which was mouth-watering! To complement our meal, we enjoyed Lion Lager and Stout, which in my opinion, are some of the best beers available. And for dessert, the JALABULLAJUNGS were a delightful end to a perfect meal. We loved the food so much that we even asked for some takeaways to savor later! Overall, we cannot recommend this place enough in East Grinstead. If you're planning an office dinner or simply want to experience truly authentic and delicious Sri Lankan cuisine, book your table here – it's highly...

Va-nak-kam is hands down one of the best Indian restaurants I’ve ever been to, and I’m not just saying that because it's family-owned (which adds such a personal touch)! The food here is absolutely phenomenal, especially the daal and chicken curry, which were bursting with flavor, and the Koon curry was a next-level experience. The porotas? Authentic and made right before your eyes—watching the chef work his magic is almost as good as eating the food!

Speaking of magic, I was curious to see the kitchen in action, and when I asked the chef if I could sneak a peek around the back, he didn’t hesitate to welcome me in. He even tossed in a free JD, which my family and I happily polished off in no time. Watching the food being made with such care and passion just added to the overall experience. The dosas were perfect, and the wide variety of curries tasted like they were straight from the heart of India. The aroma alone brought back memories of when I lived in India during a sabbatical—it’s that authentic!

The vibe of the place is wonderful, and the free Wi-Fi was a bonus, allowing me to upload photos of our meal straight to Facebook for all my friends to envy! A huge shout-out to Puki, the waiter, who expertly guided us through the menu with ease. He even slipped us the chef's special—though I can’t spill the beans on that one, you’ll have to go and experience it for yourself! 😉

All in all, Va-nak-kam is an absolute gem with top-tier food, incredible service, and an atmosphere that makes you feel like you're back in India. Highly...

We recently moved to the area, and for our date night (also known as the evening my husband is cooking), he randomly chose Va-nak-kam. What a delightful surprise! The food was beyond incredible, unlike the typical restaurant fare; it genuinely tasted like a homemade meal. Let me take a moment to rave about the parata—words can't do justice to how amazing it was! I've had my fair share of paratas over the years, but there's one particular taste from years ago, abroad, that has lingered in my taste memory. I’ve given up to taste the same flour ever again - surprisingly, Va-nak-kam managed to recreate that exact flavour. It not only satisfied my taste buds but also brought back a flood of memories. We ordered a veggie curry and a meat dish, and I must admit, as a devoted meat eater, I was sceptical about the vegetarian option. However, this curry was so incredibly delicious that I found myself questioning if I'd ever need to eat meat again. If all veggie dishes were as good as Va-nak-kam's curry, I wouldn't mind making the switch. For those not familiar with the area, parking can be a bit tricky, but where there's a will, there's a way. We parked at Majestic/Halfords because enjoying a date-night dinner without a glass of wine would be a sin! In summary, Va-nak-kam is nothing short of amazing. The food and the warmth of the place make it feel like you're walking into someone's home for dinner rather than a restaurant. It's a rare gem, and we're excited to keep exploring their menu. Highly...