Review Dhakshin South Indian Restaurant - Crows Nest

Outstanding. Do yourself a favour and try this place. I've eaten at a ton of great Indian restaurants - this one is miles ahead. Great quality produce, amazing flavours and attentive service.

The biggest put off at a restaurant can be to be served food with DIRTY cutlery on the side which speaks a lot about the mediocre hygiene standards of the restaurant and probably the kitchen. For reference I have attached a photo of the dosai that I ordered which was served with dirty spoons. Also, to note is the next to inexistent customer service at the restaurant which is so poor and irresponsive. Everyone from their staff is just sitting inside the kitchen ignorant of the diners and no ones around to help with additional orders and you might find yourself walking up to their desk every time you need assistance. Also, a highly likely chance is for them to get your order wrong the first time and then you having to wait for the correct order to arrive (we were served a Mysore Masala dosa instead of a Masala dosa that we ordered). And ironically it seemed like a regular practice as the same exact mix up with the order happened with another couple of people sitting on an adjacent table to us. Speaking of the food, that is not too bad but just decent for the price. We ordered the Masala Dosa and the Kothu Kari Dosai (Lamb Dosa). Be mindful that the sambar and coconut chutney that come along come in really small portion sizes and if you need more, there is an additional charge. Also, given that it says Authentic South Indian Cuisine, while I understand that includes a wide range of delicacies given the diverse food found in each part of southern India, its a shame and sort of deceiving that this place doesn’t include Idli or Vada on their menu but they found place for a North Indian favorite “Butter Chicken” on it - not too sure where the “authentic” in the name went!

We had recently been to this restaurant to celebrate a friend's birthday. The food is good but the size of each portion is horrendous. The price per dish is high and looking at the size of their servings you feel cheated. There are may other Indian restaurants which have equally good or better quality and taste. I would definitely not go back.

Tried mysore masala dosa, good taste and quantity. Should add uttappams too specialy for lunch

This is easily the best South Indian food I've had in Sydney. Chef Vijay and the team also went out of their way to provide a fantastic dining experience for us, with generous little treats throughout the course of our meal. I will be back with more friends next time, and would highly recommend to others!

We had Masala Dosa and Gobhi Manchurian. Dosa tastes good and Manchurian was Ok. Nice place to try out.

Not a very extensive South Indian menu but everything on it is fantastic.... Great service

We wanted to extend a huge thank you to Chef Vijayan and his team at Dakshin Authentic South Indian Cuisine for making my son’s wedding exceed all our expectations. They were very professional and our guests are still raving about delicious food and how great their service was. Your wonderful Customer Service and Delicious Food made our event special!"

Even though there are plenty of Indian restaurants in Sydney, very few can stake the claim to be good, let alone excellent. We visited Dhakshin for dinner after a friend referred it and were very impressed. The menu is different without the run of the mill dishes found in most Indian restaurants. Service was efficient and on point. Food arrived on time and portions were generous. The flavours were rich and authentic. Highly recommend everyone to try this restaurant atleast once and you won't be disappointed. Easily one of the top Indian restaurants in Sydney.

If you are looking for quality, tasty south indian food, this is the place to go. The owner Vijayan is very friendly with his customers and goes above and beyond to keep his customers happy. We ordered traditional thali for my son's birthday function and every one loved the food provided by him - especially the sambar and vathal kuzhambu

Excellent food prepared to perfection, authentic flavours, a menu with fantastic variety and courteous service. Very pleased and would definitely recommend it to others!

Without a doubt, the best Indian food available. If cuisine is an art then this chef is a Van Gogh.

Great good and service. Highly recommend Dhakshin. Will come again!

Excellent and authentic food. Very friendly staff, one of the best Indian restaurants in Sydney.

Great Restaurant with fantastic 5 star quality food! would definitely visit again!

Superb food and service. Travelled all the way from the Central Coast and would go back again.

Awesome food and wonderful ambience!

a truly authentic Indian dining experience, the potato Dosa's are just like they are in India, the cardamon and cumin bread was delicious, If you're into Indian cuisine then you can't miss this restaurant,

Nice atmosphere, authentic cuisine, friendly service.

This is Indian cuisine, not a curry house. Some good wines as well.

Crows Nest Hidden Gem! Fish Curry is delicious. If you want to go beyond butter chicken, korma, you should try this joint!

The chutneys are not that great. Coconut is watery which could have been prepared well

Well I am a diehard foodie who dare to eat anything that don't bite me back,to be honest I have never seen a so called Authenticity in any of the Indian restaurants accross Sydney or any where around NSW.I had a tandoori chicken from one of the restaurant in Sydney and it tasted like refrozen and thawed meat,I can figure it out because I myself,a chef working in hospitality for ages,I also happened to visit Dakshin where I had dinner with my<br/>Family.I had decent good food when comparing to other restaurants in Sydney,there are heaps of restaurants around Harris park where you may find a few fairly decent ones,but the others is a big naaah,, and it's all dirty around the place with lots of paan stains and spit,eeewh,,, seems like they were puking blood.<br/>In my personal view,I like dakshin,its food and especially the lamb khorma and palappam they made me on a special request.

Very good service and polite staff. A good place to go to for South Indian food. Only the food is very overpriced for it's worth and for something not really authentic. Something like Plain dosa should be in the lower range atleast.<br/>

We went there for a casual dinner with our own wine and ended up having a 4 course meal.<br/>It was pretty expensive but at the end of the day we left satisfied with the food and the experience.<br/>Ambience was good and romantic, food was delicious.<br/>We ordered anari paneer, chicken 65, chicken chettinad with garlic naan and aaloo kulcha, and for dessert-carrot halwa.<br/>I loved the dessert- presentation was amazing.<br/>Chicken chettinad gravy was the best I ever had(spicy ofcourse).<br/>I am giving 4 stars because the starters were not as good as I had expected.

This review is based on the dish I ordered - chicken biriyani.<br/><br/>It was stale and dry without any taste . The biriyani served was taken out of the cold store , heated in a micro and plated for consumption. When asked how old this dish is, the waiter confirmed that it was cooked 3 to 4 days back and stored in the cold storage. Not worth it ...

I went to have dinner there on a Thursday night with my family. We went late at night around 9pm after bowling at chatswood : ) Waiter was very welcoming and helped us with the order. We ordered Masala Dosa, Dhal curry and Goat curry with garlic naan and plain naan and some rice. Everything was so fabulous. Food tasted so good. Dosa was fabulous. It was cut in half and served with sambar and chutney. Dhal was unreal and we loved the goat curry. It was bit spicy but so authentic. Prices are ok for the area.

Worst masala Dosa I ever had . I would not recommend this for Dosa lovers . Not a good place and it is very expensive. The service is poor and arrangements are really bad.

This is my favourite Indian restaurant in Crows Nest, Sydney and Australia so far. I love the fact that the menu items are a bit different to what you get at a usual Indian restaurant. The food is full of flavours and just delicious. They also have good choices for drinks. Nice setting and it looks small-ish from outside but as I discovered once, they even have more seating available at the back!

Dhakshin's food is the closest I have got to eating Indian food which is on a good level here in Sydney. Great presentation of the dishes backed by great taste. The taste does cater to customers who want less spicy Indian food, but the flavors make up for the lost spice. Only downside here would be the service, just one person there doing all the work.

Everything was fine, even the smallest like a drink. I really enjoyed. I hope the rest is also a test, it was very good here, and I certainly with my wife....

Food was pretty nice here. Staff at first glance were not very welcoming. We were ignored at the beginning and then finally seated once they found our reservation. We ordered the butter chicken, mushroom and peas curry, lasooni squid, Masala dosa and garlic naan. I really enjoyed the masala dosa and garlic naan, had great texture and taste. The squid was nicely cooked and worked well with the garlic chips and chutney. The curries were also great, nothing memorable but was still good. The restaurant is more on the costly side though. Overall, it was a good experience but I would not go out of my way to come back just because of the cost of the food.

the chicken and food was OK and delicious, place was good and every thing which I'd seen was ok there weren't any problem with food and something else.

We Felt like having South Indian food and we went to dakshin.<br/><br/>Food was Over priced and not tasty at all<br/><br/>Staff was not welcoming. <br/><br/>We are not going back to dakshin again. <br/>1/5 <br/><br/>

Went there after reading many positive reviews. Whilst my craving for an authentic masala dosa was satisfied, the staff attitude let me down.<br/><br/>

We went for Indian cuisine in Sydney and found this restaurant up to the mark. Food was delectable and especially the presentation was excellent. This has been the best experience for Indian cuisine in Sydney. <br/><br/>We ordered Chicken 65, Tokri Chole Aloo Tikki, Palak Paneer, Dhal Maharani, Meen Mocchai Kozhumbu, Lachha Parantha, Steamed Rice, Carrot Halwa and Pista Kulfi. To try the cuisine we ordered almost everything and it was delicious. Specially the Kulfi was great and so was its presentation. This was a treat to our taste buds and we shall visit again when we are in Crows Nest. It is highly recommended by us and a must visit for those who have a taste of Indian cusine as this is the authentic place to be there. The chef himself explained the details and origin about these dishes. A delight to be there!

I ate it's food. it was delicious, I really tested an indian food here. I just like peepers. but I really love to ate another food there. if you can go and taste an Indian food

So far, the best Indian food we've had in Sydney. Had lunch here - chicken 65, karwar prawn & scallop curry with aloo kulcha and kal appams. Everything was really tasty and the flavours were great. Service was good too and the place looks pretty nice. Definitely need to visit again soon and try some other dishes !

Excellent biryani and overall food was really good. Service was good too. I keep going back as I believe this restaurant serves the most authentic Indian food in Sydney. I'm Indian and I know when Indian food is actually authentic. My partner and I love the food here. Best Indian restaurant in Sydney!!

A very nice Indian restaurant, inclusive of South Indian, the food is very nice and you are served with a smile. The ambience is good too, but of course in many aspects improvements can be made

I had the chicken chettinad curry with rice. It was recommended by the waiter and I was very pleased with it. The curry had some bite so ended up having to order a raita - which strangely enough had pomegranate seeds in it.<br/>Service was a bit dry, but they got the job down.<br/>The ambience here is very datey - dim lights and white table clothes.

I have been to this restaurant many times and it has never disappointed. I have tried various items on the menu but my favourites are the eggplant curry, aloo mirchi ka salan, mango lassi and dosa (bit pricey though for dosa). most of the times they serve chefs choice entree sample which are delicious.

Loved my experience here. We live nearby. Stumbled upon this place by accident as we were looking to go to another restaurant but it was closed. Walked past at around 2:10pm on a Saturday and it was packed! The food is exquisite! Such amazing flavours. Went with my partner and we ordered 3 entrees and 1 main dish. We walked out feeling full and content. Definitely will return to try more dishes! I think it'll be a great place for large groups and banquets as well. Dishes we had: masala dosa, chicken 65, anari paneer, meen Mocchi kozambu ( barramundi fish curry). It was about $80 all up.

Went on a TravelZoo voucher with a set menu of Masala Dosa, Chicken Tikka, Kundapur Lasooni Squid, Karwari Prawns & Scallop, Kairy Ka Goat, Gulab Jamun. The food was flavoursome (not too toned down in terms of spice) and prepared and presented with care. The service was courteous and friendly and the venue had a nice ambience. It was a lovely experience and would recommend to others.

My college mate who is a foodie like me took us to this restaurant and I must say that it is the most authentic Indian food with the best flavours I had outside India. I loved every dish we ordered- perfect combination of flavours and spices. Hats off to the chef who portrays our Indian cuisine just the way it actually is! I highly recommend this restaurant to all those who want to enjoy the real Indian flavours. Our order included Kaima kola urundai, chicken 65, kozhi milagu chettinad, idiyappam, biryani, nandu puttu, parota, appam, fish curry. 💯% recommend to all the foodies on planet earth!

sooooooo delicious！ my first time to try India food. so stunning❤️ we tried many curry source and the desert are really nice!!! Definitely recommend my friends to try this amazing restaurant🥂🥂🥂

Very pleasant dinner with family who have been here a few times. Services was good, menu was extensive. Starting with Dosas followed by lamb and chicken curries which very tasty. Fit out of restaurant was nice. One thing I noticed the tiled floor could be cleaned better i.e. needs a more than a wet mop on the built up stained floor. Something that can be rectified easily.

Wonderful find.  I was taken there by a friend who said the food was exquisite.  The menu had some dishes not seen at other restaurants and the ingredients were fresh.  Beautiful fine slivers of ginger in the fish  curry gave it a pièces de ré·sis·tance and the Dhal Maharani is moreish; leaving a wonderful taste sensation.

A strangely enormous number of positive reviews. Not really justified by the food. It's billing itself as South Indian but a lot of the classics are missing, and a lot of the Northern Indian suburban favourites appear on the menu. There were some highlights, the chutneys were nice and had good variety. The black lentil and rice dumplings entree was quite nice. Tandoor lamb cutlet charred black all over and dry. Tandoor fish and chicken both dry. Serving sizes were quite small, you need to spend about 50 a head to get full in my opinion. It is clean tasting and fresh I must say, without thick murky sauces smothering everything. They have a competitor across the road which I would prefer.

A good south Indian food in Crows Nest. The food tastes authentic and was brilliant. The kerala lamb dry was the best. We even tried the masala dosa and it was good. The portion for masala dosa was good. The pulav rice portion was very little but I am a person who eats a lot. The ambience of the place was also a nice and small cozy place.

I am very surprised with the 4.2 overall rating for this restaurant...the lamb korma was fatty and the sauce was tasteless. The naan and rice was nice though. They served a complimentary appetizer to all tables except us...however the reason why we giving such a low rating is that 15 min after eating, my partner was incredibly unwell...so it is a 1/5 for us.

The best South Indian food 🥘 till date in Sydney. A South Indian place is best known from the taste of their sambhar and chutneys. This place serves both of these to the perfection. We ordered for a veg platter which consisted of masala dosa, appe (that's what we call them in India - steamed rice flour) and fried okra. The sad part was they don't serve idli being a South Indian place. Anyways would love to visit the place again just for getting rid of my South Indian food cravings in Sydney.<br/>Ambience - 4/5<br/>Quality and Quantity - 3/5<br/>Value for Money - 2.5/5<br/>Service - 4/5<br/>

Very surprised this place had such rave reviews. I've noticed a lot of the reviewers have only done one review though so maybe they are fake?! <br/><br/>The food was not good, it definitely wasn't awful, but no way authentic or even that tasty. The service was friendly and it was a nice evening so not all bad. <br/><br/>I wouldn't go back.

Fantastic food, very authentic, and great service. This is def my favourite South Indian restaurant. The fish curry is delicate and well balanced flavours. The chicken chetinand is another favourite dish, good spice and flavour without going OTT.

Our new favourite Indian restaurant in crows nest.<br/><br/>The butter chicken, dosai and fish curry are amazing. The staff are so friendly and atmosphere is very family friendly. We felt very comfortable with our two little kids.<br/><br/>We will be coming back again.

Good South Indian Food. The chicken 65 was great! Average for the vegetable curry. Overall service and food was good. No complains, will return.

The one place I would recommend for Indian food cravings. I always used to say that Sydney down not have good Indian restaurant. I changed that view after going to dakshin. It was a phenomenal dinner started off with my Bhindi fry and moved on to tori and chicken curry Chettinad style and the dessert was something I can still remember. And to top it all off filter kaapi at the end was an amazing finish to an amazing dinner.

Best Indian I've had in Sydney so far. I always use butter chicken as a measure and this one really stacked up. Not a bad selection of curries and appetizers. Naan bread has a stand out. A touch on the pricey side but it's worth it. $30 each for two of us two share two curries a rice and 2 serves of garlic naan bread and we had water. Good quantity. Will go again.

Went here last night with my boyfriend and we were pleasantly surprised. So aromatic and there were wonderful textures in everything that we ordered, even the naan bread. It was above par with any Indian food I've ever had before. Staff were extremely attentive and friendly. Definitely making this restaurant one of my Sydney favourites!

Never enjoyed Indian food as much as I did at this restaurant. Don't know exactly what we had as we couldn't decide and the waiter made recommendations. He made it sound so nice we just basically agreed. It was all delicious. I do remember one being a dosa.

My new favourite Indian restaurant... The South Indian food here is superb...<br/><br/>Food is wonderful. There blue crab entree is my favourite and they really use the best of the curry leaf flavour and you just want to lick the plate after finishing it....the other dishes were also really good.. Friendly staff who were always very helpful.. The chef came out and even told us his story... Great personal touch.. Definitely coming back here.. It's my new regular Indian restaurant.. Finger licking good

Perfect! We had ordered the vegetarian entre platter, dum murgh biryani and gulkand pistachio kulfi. I must say that every dish was made to perfection, the chutneys and sauces were mouthwatering too. The kulfi was outstanding. Mr Dikshit was very polite and helpful when he attended to us.

Two parameters that attracted us after visiting DHAKSHIN were (i) the hospitality of Ramesh and Chef Vijayan in particular and (ii) the food - in that order. Each item was prepared with specific ingredients rather than 'all masalas for any cuisine' attitude. Adai, chat, idiappam and kalappam are few cuisines that would attract anybody. Both these parameters would, I am sure, make anybody feel 'yeh dil mange more'. The food was delicious, piping hot and prepared with love and care. I am sure that more and more people would visit DHAKSHIN considering one can be sure of getting authentic and mouth-watering food with equal amount of personal attention. <br/>Waiting for our next visit.<br/>Krishnan

FOOD TYPE<br/>“South Indian” according to their website. But then I wouldn’t know the difference because as far as I am concerned, Indian is Indian is Indian i.e. hot curries, rich, creamy sauces and aromatic, fragrant herbs and spices. The main problem is usually that one eats too much of it.<br/><br/>FOOD QUALITY<br/>It was what we have come to expect from Indian eateries in Sydney; they rarely disappoint and this one was no exception.  We started with a vegetarian platter, which had two masala dosa pancakes as its main feature plus a few other crunchy and soft goodies, with dipping sauces to go with it. Not a huge plate of food for $27, but tasty and fresh and a perfect way to start things off. For our mains we choose the traditional Kerala lamb, or “Erachi Porichathu”, to give it its official title, ($23), butter chicken, off the classics menu ($21) and two vegetarian dishes: the “Kattu Kootu” ($17) which is smoked eggplant mash with chillies and mustard and “Keerai Kadayal” ($18) which is spinach cooked with chillies, lentils and tomato. These last two were interesting and original dishes that we hadn’t tried before. We choose wisely because the two veg meals suitably complementing the meat ones. To accompany all that, two generous bowls of basmati rice and two serves of naan bread. It was all brought to the table fresh from the oven, piping hot, in stylish copper cookware. Serving sizes were a tad on the small side, but they compensated for that, with the high quality of the food. Everything was brimming with those Indian flavours that we love so much. And to wash it down, what better but a bottle of crisp, refreshing Thongue Rose wine ($45). As it was my daughters’ birthday, we brought our own cake to celebrate so didn’t get a chance to sample their desserts. And fittingly they didn’t charge for cakeage, as some places do. I finished off with a filtered coffee which was surprisingly good but carried a hefty $5 price tag.<br/><br/>ATMOSPHERE<br/>The atmosphere is casual and relaxed yet the modern and stylish fit-out give it an air of class and elegance. Tables are neatly arranged in two straight lines, schoolroom style, from one end of the restaurant to the other, but still allowing room for staff and guests to move around easily. The floors are tiled but there is a strip of carpet running down the length of the restaurant to give it that regal look. Tables are carefully laid with crisp white napery and silver cutlery. Walls are painted in soothing grey and white colour tones and it all combines well to create a warm and homely atmosphere. Exactly the kind of place you enjoy spending an evening in.<br/><br/>SERVICE<br/>There were two staff members on duty, a young lady and a young man, both neatly turned out in smart outfits. They were patient, helpful and efficient. Our orders were promptly taken and dishes come out quickly and in the right order.<br/><br/>COMFORT<br/>Our table was large enough to fit all the dishes and chairs were comfortably sturdy and firm. Being a mild spring October eve, we were cool enough without the need for air conditioning.<br/><br/>MENU<br/>A little too technical, with names that were difficult to pronounce. The fancy type face and faded yellowish colour scheme made it difficult to read especially in the dim lighting. If I were them, I would redesign the menu with a standard, easy-to-read type face and I wouldn’t bother with all those fancy Indian names. A simple description of the dish in plain English would suffice with maybe the Indian name in small print or parenthesis. <br/><br/>TOILETS<br/>To get to them you have to pass through the business end of the restaurant, so I won’t go into too much detail about that. They are signposted though and reasonably clean and well stocked.<br/><br/>ACOUSTICS<br/>When we arrived at 6.30pm on a Sunday eve, there was only one other occupied table so conversation was easy. It did get rather noisier as it filled up, although never too bad to stop us talking. Tables are quite close to each other but the carpet does absorb some of the sound.<br/><br/>COST<br/>The cost for four of us, after our $25 Yumtable discount was $161 but that included a rather extravagant $45 bottle of wine, a single bottle of Balmain Pilsener ($8) but no desserts. So that came out at a touch over $40 a head. Leave off the wine and add dessert and maybe one more starter and you’ll end up with the same result. Not the cheapest Indian in town but solid value for money nevertheless.<br/><br/>BOOKING<br/>By the time we left, at around 8.30pm there was a respectable crowd, so I’m thinking that booking for a Friday or Saturday night would probably be the prudent thing to do to secure a table, but not essential on a Sunday or weeknight.<br/><br/>PARKING/ACCESS<br/>You’ll find DHAKSHIN on the busy Pacific Highway not far from the intersection with Falcon Street. If you’re coming from the east, it’s on the left side as you head north so no need to cross the road or double back. Thankfully we were able to get an unrestricted parking spot on the Highway, not far from the restaurant. <br/><br/>SUMMARY<br/>We had an enjoyable evening here and everything went off smoothly. Food was first class, well matched by friendly and efficient service and a pleasant atmosphere. Definitely merits a return visit.<br/><br/>MEMO<br/>Book through Yumtable to get an instant 25% discount up to a max $25. Or, if you’re a member, you can also book through Dimmi and get 1,000 points (2,000 if you also write a review) towards your $50 reward voucher.

Really good food and excellent service. Very very impressive food in fine dining style. The proprietor has made the effort to present a quality wine list with a variety of international wines.

We had lunch at Dhakshin - ordered the masala dosa, erachi porichathu (lamb) and keerai kadaiyal (spinach with lentils) and rice. Everything was really great, service was polite, decor was nice and we even received a complimentary starter. Keen to go back and try some other dishes!

Went for dinner with a group of friends and the food was great.. we all enjoyed the authentic south indian delicacies. The service was excellent... staff and chef were keen to get feedback on food and service. One on the best Indian restaurants in Sydney

Best South Indian food I've eaten in Sydney! Very authentic taste, good friendly staff and an amazing chef! We ordered some vegetarian starters, aapam and Conchin Nandu puttu with Meen mocchai for mains which were amazing

Lovely Authentic South Induan food. Had Dosa, Indiappam, Aloo Mirchi ka salon - All awesomly authentuc .... nice place ... must visit if you like a true authentic taste.

Try the lamb biriyani - to die for. <br/>Friendly and enthusiastic staff. Great service. <br/>Nice authentic South Indian cuisine. Will give Malabar (few doors down) a run for their money. <br/>

Went here recently with my friends while i visited sydney. I must say the food is just top notch. The highlight was the adai which was give as a compliment when we started ordering.Ordered some karuvepilai chicken, goat curry, chicken biryani, kuzhi paniyaram, mushroom masala and some aloo mirchi ka salan. The chef is from Tircuhi from tamilnadu who gives 100% attention to the food and also gets feedback from his customers. had a good time and will definitely visit again if i am in sydney. Keep up the good work.

Read all the early reviews, assumed they must have been by the restaurant, as they were too good to be true, but no, it's true! Without doubt the best Indian north of the Harbour,!run by Vijay, former Head Chef at Aki's, formerly my fave Indian in town! Aki's has the the location and wine list, Dhakshin now has better food!

Been here for a private birthday party. Delicious food. Exceptionally good customer service. Overall great experience. Highly recommended...

Delicious. Authentic. Flavorful.. You must try the restaurant for an authentic homely south Indian Cuisine. Full points for the food ambiance and service. Fantastic.

Delicious. Authentic. Flavorful.<br/><br/>You must try the restaurant for an authentic homely south Indian Cuisine. Full points for the food ambiance and service. Fantastic.

This is the best Indian Food I have ever had in NYC, London or Australia. The ex-head chef of the esteemed Wooloomooloo restaurant Aki's has branched out on his own to create food and a dining experience that is an explosion of district flavour. We choose Banquet 1 which was a great way to try everything. Can't wait to come back and when I do, I'm ordering the Lamb Korma.

Great. Just great.. Great food. Great service from nick <br/>Reasonably priced and excellent vegetarian options. <br/><br/>Good meat options too.

What a sensational place. Tried it tonight as we are always on the quest to find great indian food and this was a huge hit. Started with the okra and dosai which were both fantastic, the for mains had the famous lamb, their fish curry and a lentil. Forget the exact names but all were to die for. The flavour had us in curry heaven and the portions were large too so both us us were very full and had some to bring home. The wait staff were great and friendly and we even got to meet the head chef as we were raving about his food. I cant wait to go back and explore more of their menu:))))))

Loved it!. Wanting to try somewhere new in the area, we thought we would give Dhakshin a try. Will definitely be back. Had the squid for starters on recommendation of the diner next to us. It was cooked well and the chutney was a different but tasty. Then ordered the kerela lamb. Sooo tender and the flavours just amazing. Also had a round curly bread with it. Can't remember the name but it was certainly different to any other bread I have had before. Crunchy and a nice chewy texture. The little pre starter and dessert was a nice touch and delicious too. <br/><br/>The staff were all really friendly and helpful. Really enjoyed our night out there and keen to try some of the other dishes next time.

10/10. Favorite Indian Restaurant. The vindaloo and barramundi curry are to die for. The service is exceptional and staff are super friendly. Cannot find any fault with this place at all! Love it!!

Authentic South Indian restaurant, Down under!!!!. Its hard to find a restuarant which claims to be authentic and keeps its promise.Dhakshin south Indian restaurant is one which keeps its promise of providing the most delicious, mouth watering starters, main course and Desserts from India.The menu is authentic and the food is prepared with great care and passion by the chef!<br/>Don't miss this restuarant.

For Once a decent Indian restaurant in town. We thought the food was authentic, tasty,friendly staff, the owner & chef Mr Vijayan was a humble gentleman .. Food was superb not the greasy sauce based food served at most Indian restaurant (coming from a factory in Granville).. conning most westerners who have less of idea what Indian food really is...kudos to the team at Dhakshin, all the best.And please keep the quality going.. as having lived in India and UK, I've for years thought.... getting decent Indian food is hard act in Sydney. But await Dhakshin is here now.

Recommended. Been here a couple of times, as good as malabar if not better and better prices, quite original and really terrific food

Highly Recommend!. Wonderful food, great atmosphere, and friendly service! I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for amazing South Indian food in the Sydney area.

Just amazing!!. Went to Dakshin for the second time in the last 3 weeks cause I really enjoyed the food and the service!! Recognised by my Indian friend as the most authentic South Indian place in Sydney!!<br/>I suggest everyone to try it; for sure you won't walk out unsatisfied.<br/>Sophie the waitress there can deliver very good service and make you feel really comfortable!

Great restaurant. Great food and service. Next door Indian restaurants should watch out now, specially Malabar.

Amazing. We went there a couple of weeks ago and I am still thinking about the experience. The beef vindaloo is by far the best I have ever had and I have had quite a few over the years. The beef was so tender, the flavour of the curry magnificient and the heat was perfect. The entrees we had were all delicious, the staff were delightfull - I cannot receommend this restaurant highly enough.

Beautiful and unique food. First time here tonight. Everything we ordered was excellent, and made fresh to order. We had not seen most of these dishes anywhere else. <br/><br/>We are vegetarian and it's nice to see lots of vege dishes on the menu. <br/><br/>Definitely returning to try other vegetarian dishes.

Excellent taste of south indian food. Although today is not my first time in Dhakshin, but the quality remains the same and fascinates me more and more every time and not to forget the hospitality is also very comforting.<br/>Kori gassi and the kaffir salmon delicious, also the pulao rice is very different then all other.

BEST South Indian food outside India!. So, we stumbled upon it while walking past. Stopped to look at the menu and were immediately excited to see true south indian food. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING taste with an equally good customer service. The chef is very good and every dish has a unique taste. This is not your usual south indian food made by north indian diners...but meals that I have had as a child in friends houses across Tamil Nadu and Andhra. <br/><br/>If you have never lived and eaten home cooked south indian meal, go in...it is bound to widen your horizons!

Sumptuous lunch and awesome service. Must give credit to Chef Vijay for putting together a unique assortment of preparations. The menu has a healthy mix of dishes from Southern Indian states. Food was good with a perfect mixture of Indian spices. None of the dishes were overcooked or soaked in oil, which could have been a spoiler for me.<br/><br/>Complementing the excellent food was the service. Very indian without being intrusive.<br/><br/>A must visit.

Amazing food. It was our first time here and we loved the food and the hospitality. Food and service was commendable. Will be visiting again

Southern Indian Excellence. Another Indian restaurant in Crows Nest may not be the most exciting news but Dhakshin is different and will be a welcome new addition to the area. The quality of food was excellent; there seems to be an extra level of sophistication with the spices giving very clean, distinct flavours that don't overwhelm the dish. The range of dishes available is diverse, going well beyond the Indian standard, and are presented with a fresher, more modern take. Highlights on our first visit were the barramundi (beautifully sweet flesh complemented by the moderately spicy Tamilian sauce) and a great selection of vegetarian options - we particularly enjoyed the Kaalan Pattani Tarakal (mushrooms and peas in a rich gravy) and an excellent dhal. As noted by other reviewers, the service was very friendly and charming, and it was appreciated that chef Vijayan came and chatted to us about his food later in the evening. A thoroughly enjoyable experience and we look forward to our next visit.

One of the best dining experiences I've had in a long time! A+. One of the best dining experiences I've had in a long while! Not only was the food excellent but service to match! There were dishes we've never had or seen before - and we love Indian cuisine & have been to many Indian restaurants - and you could taste the freshness. Wait staff were very friendly & helpful. A+ food & service. Highly recommended. We will definitely be back, soon!

97% of good rating stands true. It was a great dining experience with pleasant staffs. I am definitely coming back to this place. :)

Delicious dinning. Really awesome food....

This restaurant can be described with the three 'F's - Friendly, filling and fantastic. The staff were very welcoming, friendly and inviting. They maintained a great level of assistance whilst also not being pushy. The place and staff made us feel very comfortable. <br/><br/>The food was amazing and the portions were fantastic. The dishes were very satisfying and filling. They have many unique and exotic Indian dishes that would be hard to find anywhere else. Overall, it was a great experience and I would highly recommend this restaurant.

The most welcoming restaurant I have experienced. The food is totally amazing, a complete experience and extremely great value. I'll definitely be returning!!!

Dhakshin South Indian Restaurant. First visit and found it to be a delightful find- all the dishes and the bread and rice were tasty and well presented. The service was excellent.The dishes are interesting and the servings plentiful. The barramundi fish was great - melt in the mouth. Will be back very soon..<br/><br/> .

Excellent food and wonderful service.. Being South Indian ourselves, we were amazed by the variety of dishes on offer, many of which were completely new to us. Food was delicious, and our server was friendly and helpful throughout. Thoroughly satisfying experience. Would recommend the Jugalbandi Chaat and the lamb.

Truly authentic south indian food. We found this little gem yesterday. What a delight to have had the opportunity to have some really delicious south indian food. The lamb biryani, karivepellai kozhi were highlights for us. The hosts were warm and friendly which made the evening extra special. its a classy place and definitely worth a visit if you are looking for authentic south indian food in Sydney

Mrs rose man. Very refreshing dining.the food was classy Indian food with great flavoy.One if the very best on the North Shore.<br/>Relaxed and attentive service.

Refreshingly different!. Being a bit bored by the same old dishes offered by indian restaurants, we decided to try Dhakshin - as the menu was quite unique . And - we were not disappointed at all. The food was excellent. Loved every dish we ordered . Not only did it taste good , but it was well presented too. The highlight for me was "wattalappam" , which is a south indian style caramel custard- just WOW! It brought back so many childhood memories ( amma's chakkarapongal). I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone trying to taste the real south indian food.<br/><br/>Also , not to forget - the restaurant staff were extremely friendly and the service was excellent. The head chef was extremely humble and so nice to talk to.

Best Indian Restaurant. What a fantastic restaurant! Every dish was unique, fresh and bursting with flavors. <br/><br/>We have not enjoyed such good quality food and service in a long time. The chef has designed a menu with perfect flavor balance and the best of South India you can experience in every bite! <br/><br/>Definitely a favorite now and we will be back soon..<br/><br/>Highly recommend you try this and just let Nick do the recommendations!

Best authentic South Indian food in Sydney. Easily the best authentic South Indian restaurant in Sydney. Amazing service and friendly staff.

Great new addition to Crows Nest. Dhakshin is a surprisingly different kind of Indian restaurant. <br/>Quite possibly a new contender for the best Indian in the area.<br/>Cochin Nandu Puttu - Blue swimmer crab dish. Amazing!<br/>Tulsi Seek Kebab - Lamb kebabs packed with subtle spicy flavour without overpowering the flavour of the lamb.<br/>Asian desserts are not usually my thing but the Wattalappam was delicious.<br/>We will be back soon. The menu is full of Indian dishes that are either new or are prepared differently than the usual.

South indian. Awesome South Indian food. Lamb Britain is awesome. If you ever want tot try authentic South Indian this is the place the go. Want something that's not in the menu ask the chef. He will make them for you.

Authentic South Indian. Very authentic with modern presentation, perfect South Indian blend with hospitality make you feel like home. Food was overwhelming for the price....

Excellent. All the recipe which i have tasted was mind-blowing and delicious.Also the customer service complemented the food beautifully.Food was proper South Indian food.Best restuarant I have been till now.excellent customer service and taste of food was exactly from Chettinad and Karaikudi taste (South Indian).