The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain
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The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain
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Restaurant menu
- Vegetable Samosa
- $9.9
- Lightly spiced potato and pea filling wrapped in pastry and served with tamarind sauce
- Onion Bhaji
- $9.5
- Fritter of onion and shallots served with mint chutney (deep fried)
- Paneer Pakora
- $14.5
- Cottage cheese slices deep fried with authentic special spices and chickpea flour
Reviews
9-10
7-8
5-6
3-4
1-2
What diners said about this restaurant:
Lisa S. • 6 reviews
19 November 2023
10/10The service was attentive and the food was delicious. The openness to the street and ambience were perfect for a warm spring evening. We will be back!
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
We're thrilled to hear that you enjoyed our attentive service, delicious food, and the perfect ambience for a warm spring evening! Thank you for choosing us, and we look forward to welcoming you back. Your satisfaction is our priority, and we appreciate your positive feedback.
David C. • 1 review
6 October 2023
6.5/10Very good food. However we found the service slow and suspect that this was because of the volume of Uber Eat orders they were dealing with. This also affected the ambience of the restaurant with delivery drivers regularly coming in and out, some waiting in the restaurant with their helmets still on, and often leaving the entrance door open when they entered and left which made it draughty at times. Unfortunately this dimished our experience. Hopefully the management find a solution to minimise the disruption.
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
We appreciate your feedback and are glad to hear that you found the food very good. We're sorry to hear about the slow service and disruptions caused by the volume of Uber Eats orders. Your comments are important, and we will work on improving the overall dining experience, including managing delivery drivers better to minimize disruptions. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, and we hope to provide a more satisfying experience in the future.
Mary C. • 2 reviews
1 October 2023
7/10naan was excellent. however lamb biryani was no good at all. doesnt taste fresh and rice a bit dry. like frozen for long time then heated in microwave
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
Thank you for appreciating our naan. We're sorry the lamb biryani didn't meet your expectations; we aim to provide fresh and delicious meals, and we apologize for any disappointment. Your feedback is important to us, and we'll work on improving in the future. We hope you'll give us another chance to impress you.
Monica B. • 3 reviews
16 August 2023
6/10Was supposed to get a discount. Didn’t happen and not in the mood to argue the point. Hardly any one in restaurant but service slow. Only saw one staff member all evening. Food was fine but not brilliant. Disappointing
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
We're sorry for the disappointing experience you had with us. We'll address the discount issue and improve our service. We hope you'll consider dining with us again in the future. Thank you for your feedback.
Percy A. • 4 reviews
4 August 2023
10/10Food is excellent and service is good. Ability to eat outdoors or indoors which allows us to bring our dog. Has now lost its liquor license, but liquor store nearby.
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
Thank you for the positive feedback on our food and service. We appreciate your support and look forward to serving you again.
Maulik J. • 3 reviews
30 July 2023
6.5/10We booked a table through Fork however it appears to be some issues between the restaurant and the Fork as they were not expecting us, however the lady still welcomed and accommodated us. The booking was also with a discount which they honoured! The Fork advertises a Free booking but a word of caution as there is a $10 service fee for booking via Fork.
Nick W. • 9 reviews
28 July 2023
6.5/10Food was fine but service could be better. We booked through the Fork and then the restaurant phoned me, saying they couldn't do Fork deals because it was Friday. We cancelled and they phoned back 10 mins later saying they COULD now do the deal. When we arrived, only one other table was seated, so I don't know what changed. When we paid, they presented the bill to us at full price and we had to ask again for the discount even though we mentioned the Fork when we arrived.
Jinny K. • 64 reviews
27 July 2023
10/10Friendly staff, pleasant atmosphere, and tasty Indian food. Hara goat was fantastic. Naan (both plain and cheese) was the best ever. Ordered chips as the menu had it, but was not a good idea. British fish curry and Bombay beef were good choices. Would go there again.
Mary S. • 6 reviews
14 July 2023
6/10Food was average/good but the Biryani was disappointing. I like hot spicy food but my dinner guest didn’t so I ordered Medium and not the Hot on offer (no mild choice was given. I was surprised heat levels were even offered as this is not the norm for Biryani). In spite of my loving hot spicy food, the Medium Biryani was almost too hot and spicy for me even. Also, Biryani is normally cooked in layers. This was clearly cooked like a stir fry and was oily as well as over seasoned. The service, while friendly, was very slow and inattentive in spite of the restaurant only being less than half full. It was necessary to signal the staff every time to get attention to order, get top ups of finished drinks, add to the order and then, after having finished after dinner drinks, waiting 20 minutes for someone to approach with the bill. It didn’t happen, in spite of being one of only two tables remaining in the restaurant. Finally had to go to the bar to get the bill and pay. Nice atmosphere but won’t be returning anytime soon. Food was average and service lacking.
Iti B. • 5 reviews
13 July 2023
10/10Thank you for a lovely evening, we really enjoyed
Terry L. • 33 reviews
5 July 2023
9/10The food was delicious. The owner came over and welcomed us to her restaurant. The ambience could be improved with more subdued lighting. Apart from that it was a great experience and will go back.
Sam T. • 2 reviews
8 June 2023
10/10Consistently good Indian food. Friendly service! Keep up the good work. Outdoor Dog friendly. Best butter chicken in town. Highly recommended!
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
Hey, thanks for the review! We're glad that you enjoyed the meal. We will continue to strive to give you the best culinary experience every time you visit. See you soon!
Carolyn W. • 13 reviews
5 June 2023
10/10We had a lovely dinner at The Colonial in Balmain. One of us eats meat and one does not and there were plenty of options for both of us. the staff were friendly and gave good service and both the wine and food were reasonably priced. The food was full of flavour.
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
Hey, thanks for the review! We're glad that you enjoyed the meal. We will continue to strive to give you the best culinary experience every time you visit. See you soon!
Anne W. • 1 review
21 April 2023
8/10The menu was very comprehensive, with an interesting slant on regular Indian cuisine, harking back to the fusion of British and Indian recipes which have become universally popular. What we chose was delicious, perfectly cooked and very well-presented and we'd love to come back again to try other dishes. All items on the menu could be modified spice wise for different palates so we were assured we would not get anything too hot, as can often happen. Vegetarian and vegan options were plentiful and prices were very good too. We noticed that for a short time the restaurant is offering discounts as they get up and running so it was not an expensive night. This is a newcomer to Balmain and we wish the staff well as the restaurant becomes established; the service was attentive and they were concerned that we had a good experience.
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
Thank you for your valuable feedback. We apologize for any negative experience you may have had and appreciate your understanding. We're glad to hear that you enjoyed our menu and dishes overall. We would love the opportunity to provide you with an even better experience next time. Thank you for your support, and we look forward to serving you again soon.
Sid J. • 1 review
9 April 2023
10/10Excellent food and service
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
Hey, thanks for the review! We're glad that you enjoyed the meal. We will continue to strive to give you the best culinary experience every time you visit. See you soon!
Alex s. • 12 reviews
5 April 2023
10/10Such a lovely place, and the food is delicious. Service staff are amazing too. Great location in Balmain. The trees nearby were all lit with fairy lights which made the ambience lovely.
The Colonial British Indian Restaurant-Balmain • Owner
Hey, thanks for the review! We're glad that you enjoyed the meal. We will continue to strive to give you the best culinary experience every time you visit. See you soon!
Ji A. • 51 reviews
31 March 2023
5/10The website clearly states BYO so I brought a nice bottle of red for a lovely evening & when he realised we booked through the fork, he refused the BYO (even though nowhere did it state if booking through the fork then BYO was not permitted. From that point on, the mood was quite low and entire evening was very average.
PETER G. • 27 reviews
26 March 2023
8.5/10Very fresh and inviting meal great local
Alex s. • 12 reviews
26 March 2023
10/10It was fabulous food. And the wait staff were lovely :)
Sumit B. • 25 reviews
19 March 2023
7.5/10Great food and service
Tripadvisor reviews
56 Tripadvisor Reviews
More information
How to get to the restaurant
237 Darling St, 2041, Balmain, Australia
Additional information
About the restaurant
The Colonial Balmain is the Third of the uber-popular restaurants, with the latest addition gracing Sydney's trendy Balmain. With rich wooden furniture and opulent chandeliers that hark back to colonial grandeur, the interior really sets the tone for the British Indian cuisine you're about to enjoy. The food is nothing less than avant-garde, drawing inspiration from colonial times and polishing them off with a contemporary crunch. It actually comes from India's North-West Frontier Province as it was during British rule. This style is characterised by slow cooking veges and meats in clay pots, producing juicy tender food that retains the freshness of its original flavours. They do an array of tapas, both meat and vegetarian, influenced by flavours across India, as well as rich succulent curry mains. The prices? So good for what you're getting! Even more so when you remember the magical ambience and fantastic service that comes along with it. Bring your friends; it's time to do Indian, pommy-style.
Features
Asian, Family Friendly, Good for groups, , Black Friday, Christmas and New Year, , , Mother's Day, , , TheFork Festival,
Services
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Frequently Asked Questions
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