Garnish Of India - Canberra

Like the previous reviewer we were on a Groupon.This restaurant is in a mini mall, upstairs and let’s say, not fabulous to look at. We were not exactly welcomed with open arms and discussion seemed to get lost in translation. We thought we were getting 4 courses but it literally was entree, main, rice and papadums. I had a glass of wine and hubby a beer to which he was charged for no swaps clearly allowed. It has to be said, we love Indian food but it was all very average for us. No frills and not much love. Onion Bahji was heavy and oily, tandoori chicken was nice, Veg Jalfrezi was frozen veg in sauce, Korma was bland. Will we return?...probably not. Sorry Garnish of India.

I came here with a friend using a Groupon discount which was very good and I recommend it if it still exists when you look at this review. We had both basically never even seen this building or noticed that there were restaurants there so I guess it is hard for people to find if they are not looking already. Our deal was for a four course meal, although one course was just pappadums, and it was very filling and I felt like I was going to explode later, and I only ate half of my entree and none of my dessert. I had Papdi Chaat for an entree which was exciting because I don't think I have seen it in many Indian Restaurants and it is my absolute favourite and I highly recommend it. It is a good mix of sweet and savoury, and soft and crunchy. For the main I had Malai Kofta which was also pretty good. It had a lot of sultanas inside which is unfortunate because I hate sultanas, but I had no expectations for there not to be sultanas because I know that is just the way it is : The decor is a little ugly but I guess that doesn't matter so much, and we still had a nice time.

The restaurant is upstairs and not really sign posted well, which is a shame, as it is easy to miss. It is not an inspiring looking venue, but it turned out to be one of the best Indian meals we have had in a long time. The service was good, given there was only 1 waiter, with a couple out in the kitchen. They did a mighty job, well worth the visit. We shared vegetable bonda and a fish dish for our entrée. Both very nice, with a nice dipping sauce. Mains, we had ghost hara masala and a lamb zafrani korma and again, both were great, with quite different flavours from other Indian restaurants in Canberra; very interesting. Ordered the raita to go with it, and that was amazing; the best I have ever had. So many dishes that we would like to try, it won’t be long before we return.

Nice food for reasonable prices. It is upstairs overlooking the main city square. We had a curry, dal with breads pickles etc and enjoyed them all. Take away is also available. The meals were large and the service was friendly and efficient. If you fancy a curry this restaurant is a nice option.

The decor is not particularly inspiring and the restaurant is hidden up a flight of stairs. Service was a little slow and not particularly brimming with friendship ...... But The food was really very very good. The lunch special was also excellent value. So for lunch on a cold day I can really recommend it