Review Madras Brothers - Fitzroy

LOVE this place. Traditional wholesome food. Finally an indian restaurant that understands that all food shouldn't drown in oil and that oil is a starter to cooking! The filter coffee is excellent. Small just like home but coz the price is good you can order more. Breakfast and dinner meals excellent. Staff very friendly and will explain the meal. Also some dishes are small and not all are meant to be shared. So please ask. The staff actually recommended how we should order and it was perfect.

This is seriously the best South Indian restaurant in Melbourne and this is coming from someone who is from Chennai and obsessively passionate about South Indian food, having tried almost every Indian restaurant in Victoria. Everything from the amazing food, to the service and set-up has been mastered. I tried the dosas (both Masala and Egg), Poori, Idli, Vada/Vadai, and Filtered Coffee. Every single one of these were authentic and amazingly tasty.

Amazing, authentic South Indian food at a reasonable price! The snack and main sizes are just right, and their drink and dessert selections are also perfect. They have a beer garden at the back as well!

Just had food from here and was awesome. Am from south India so can say with confidence the food was authentic and yummy. Amazing service too from each of the friendly staff. Well done!

Worth the travel to try Madras Bros out. Stellar food and friendly service. Rishi was of great help with the recommendations. I think every traveler seeking Indian cuisine or a little touch of warmth and familiarity, should drop by and check it out!

Heard about this place a lot on social media but got disappointed. The food was below average and not the quantity and quality they charge . Two pieces of fish for $15 and not worth it . The guys was good and trying hard. But food let it down. Good luck

Been meaning to try this place for ages, but haven't been able to do so because there are no vegan options stated on the menu that my partner could have (very disappointing in Fitzroy). I stopped by on my way home from work on Friday and got take-away. The service was fantastic. I ordered the chicken main, that they say is like the Tamil version of butter chicken, and got a side of spicy rice and a paratha. It was all so good! A bit spicy, but not unmanageably so. The chicken was taking off the bone, and the sauce was so delicious: not creamy and heavy like a butter chicken. The paratha was incredible: flaky and tender. The serving sizes were generous, and my meal was ready in a flash. Loved it, will definitely go back, but wish they had vegan options so I could take my partner!

Went for dinner at the madras brothers the other day. The staffs were AMAZING and friendly and were keen on telling about the restaurant, which was great. The food was alright, and I personally felt like it was pricy for the portions sizes that were served.

The food is so authentic and so devine which mouth waters from the time food is on the table. Haven't been to Chennai (Madras) for over a decade now but the aroma (specially those spicy spices) and purity of the flavour in the food made a nostalgic experience and bring those tamil nadu tastebuds in me to life. Coming to the service, they were exceptional. Me and family were served in the native language Tamil and that Madras slang was the best part which is a display of the originality of the restaurant; its service and food. Usually when we visit to a new restaurant I rate the quality of the food by tasting dosa or idly and biriyani. Guess what the chef has done a blistering job with superb Madras style biriyani and those mini idlys; out of words. I have tried pav bhajis in some north indian restaurants but pav bhaji in Madras Brothers would out stand from rest with the flavours and spices used. Its a must eat. Try it.

Perfect selection of Authentic food items.. Menu is choosy and it serves the best taste of it. Kudos to 'Chennai sago's' for bringing up Tamil eats and serves perfect traditional food with full knowledge about it. Love the way they explain each and every dish served to the customer.. My fav's - 'Masal vadai,Amma's Meet cutlet, Kola urundai, Kuzhi Paniyaaram, Parasakthi parotta, Chicken 65 ;) .. Don't hesitate to explore other dishes too:) Madras bro's - Impressed with the ground work you did on each and every dish brought into here and the passion towards serving it !! Keep it up!

Excellent food. We had the idli sambar, kal dosai, fish fry and chicken biryani. This place is here to stay and for all those looking for an authentic 'Madras' experience, 'Madras Brothers' is your answer. A special mention for one half of the Madras Brother's 'Rishi'- he will regale and charm you with his infectious energy and passion for food. Most definitely coming here again! Kartik R Srinivasan

Delicious!!!! Great food, great drinks, great staff. Get down and experience Madras. I highly recommend the Chai Martini!!!

What’s there to not love about this place?.. true Tamil cuisine taste.. great service.. great decor.. and to top it all Haywards 5000, that was a time machine to college days lol. Great job to the entire team, specially the brothers Magesh and Rishi. Rishi, it was a pleasure to have a chat with you brother. Do try the fish Cutlet , idli sambar and kal dosai ! It’s something as true as Tamil cuisine.. So if you are longing to have Indian food in the funky Fitzroy neighbourhood, drop in, you won’t be disappointed .. and yeah - the Chai Martini - if James Bond was Indian, this would have been his pick #shakennotstirred! A must go.. “Tamilan Daaaaaa �”

The best South Indian food in the city right now, hands down. The seafood is to die for — we had the Kasimedu Fish Fry and Amma’s Fish Cutlet. The fragrance and flavours reminds me of home.

Great food & excellent service !!! Highly recommend this resturant for anyone who want to try authentic south Indian street food �, wonderful cocktail menu ��as well .

The food was very authentic with south indian divine. The flavours on the food just gave the feel of having food in Chennai. Overall the splendid experience of having a typical south Indian food like food from home town.

Amazing south indian food , great customer service , best ambience for an indian restaurant .yu guys have raised the bar for indian restauarants in melbourne ..kudos..

Loved every bit.. great food, lovely atmosphere & warm welcoming staff.. good job guys... - Proud தமிழிச்சி �

Great food with each dish having unique flavours. Ambience and service top notch.

Wonderful night at Madras Bros. To celebrate my PhD. The menu provided was a gourmet treat for the 14 people attending...authentic Tamil delights from Madras region.

I would defs come back again not just for the amazing food but also for their amazing customer service. The way employees took you through the tour of madras was amazing starting from their menu to the Decore! Good job guys! Keep up the good work � can’t wait to go back and eat some more food �

I have eaten the Madras Brothers goat curry and now I can die happy �

Absolutely incredible. I'd recommend it to anyone who's interested in good, authentic South Indian good.

Food drink staff and atmosphere was sensational. Our waitress was very helpful with us only having been there the 1st time. And the delightful sweet was a great surprise at the end of our sitting. Definitely going back for more

Had a beautiful meal with amazing service. The menu is interesting and it was great to be able to try different dishes rather than the same stuff you get at most Indian restaurants. Thank you.

Quiet early Wednesday evening meant a table was nabbed fairly easily on what is normally a pretty busy place (but even then people were constantly coming in during the hour or so I was there).Started off with the Ratna Cafe Idli Samba - something completely new to me as madras brothers specialises in southern Indian food. Idli are steamed rice and lentil dumplings which gives them a quite powdery texture more like European dumplings than Asian dumplings. Served with lentil curry, it's a tasty starter.Not familiar with Chettinadu Chicken either - and this was delicious - soft chicken with a sauce with a bite without being overpowering. With the flavoured rice and a parrata bread (and a beer), this was one of the best Indian meals I've had since arriving in Australia. 4.5 stars.

Authentic Tamil eatery & bar…that’s the tagline of Madras Bros, and they seem to have largely nailed that claim!. Situated on Smith Street, Madras Bros is a fun, quirky, vibrant space that pays homage to the cuisine of Tamil Nadu (South India), especially the cuisine of Madras (Chennai). The décor is classic Fitzroy, modern yet peppered with traditional touches that makes it warm and inviting.

A wonderful Indian restaurant presenting regional foods from Madras. We were met by the most enthusiastic waitress who kept us entertained all night. We didn’t have a booking but she promised us a big table when we came back next time if we booked!<br/> <br/><br/>They have a nice range of wines and a rotating tap beer (which apparently is always an ale and a lager - they currently have Moon Dog Pale. Very fruity that goes well with Indian).<br/><br/>We asked for some recommendations and immediately it was mutton balls and chicken 65 but samosas was on special. They also helped us with what to order, but said as food come quickly we can order as we go.<br/><br/>First came the Samosas - it was a really good take on a classic. The chicken 65 was amazing; fried chicken with spices. Tasted like a tandoori chicken but fried.<br/><br/>For mains it was a goat curry with parotta bread. The curry was amazing with a bit of kick, lovely flavours but it does have bone. The parotta bread is kinda like a roti and just perfect for mopping up the curry.<br/><br/>I wish I was a bit hungrier (we had been grazing prior) but it's definitely one to return to to try other foods.

Food was amazing , home food feel for sure.. sambar vada is must try also chicken 65....price is affordable

That goat curry was yummy. Great place and amazing staff. Really enjoyed the masala peanuts too.

A great spot for North Indian food in Fitzroy! A great place to relax and explore a variety of Indian snacks and food. There is also some unique drinks like the Neer Moor (a yoghurt drink). The food and curries are generally quite light, the chicken 62, pani purri and butter chicken were some of my<br/>highlights! They also do an Indian brunch which is quite interesting!

I was born in Madras and lived there until I was 35. So I precisely know how the food tastes like. A friend recommended this to me and I went in with another family on my birthday. The food was great. It reminded me of Madras. The Alsa mall sandwich was one example of how it took me back in time to the small alleys off Pantheon road which is where Alsa mall is. The egg plant kozhambu and paniyaram deserve the accolades. The hosts were wonderful and great to hear them welcome us in Tamil. Very satisfying. Only downside is the restaurant is small and there was a big step at the entrance which might pose a problem to wheelchair users. But the hosts are ready to help. Would go back again in the near future

Had a lovely dinner here on a weekday night. The atmosphere was relaxed, our waitress was very friendly and helpful, and I love the wide selection of drinks, including beer, cocktails and mocktails. We got to try the neer moor and badam gheer drinks for the first time (love that it was on the menu). The former had a unique spicy kick to it (always believe your waitress at an Indian restaurant when she says something is spicy!), whilst the latter was creamy and sweet and really, really good! We shared the pani puri which I think had pickles inside rather than the traditional potato and chickpeas and yoghurt (at least I think it was), and that was good. The pav bhaji is one of the best ones I've had in Melbourne, and the chicken 65 had deliciously tender pieces of chicken (probably my fav entree). We then had the chettinadu chicken curry which was nice and had some spices without being chilli, as well as the parotta bread which was great. Overall, a great dinner. Recommended.

Went for dinner at the madras brothers the other day. <br/>The staffs were AMAZING and friendly and were keen on telling about the restaurant, which was great.<br/>The food was alright, and I personally felt like it was pricy for the portions sizes that were served.

Came here for Dinner and the food was superb. Authentic Tamil food, very nice setting with a courtyard as well. The Meen Kulumbu and paruppu were great. Will be coming back for more.

Will come back for:<br/>+ Sowcarpet Pani Puri<br/>+ Chole Battura<br/>+ Biryani<br/>+ Goat Curry<br/><br/>Set in a modern space with a cosy setup, Madras Brother’s serves a mix of Indian street food dishes, plus more traditional South Indian fair. There’s a few more Indian restaurants that are now serving up street food inspired dishes, and we are better for it. I love the pani puri, and battura. Both had pops of flavors, delicious and textural. The fried peanuts were a good accompaniment to a cold beer also. We also particularly liked the Biryani (moist, packed with spices and served with pieces of succulent and tasty chicken pieces) and the goat curry which was tender and spicy. They also have a selection of interesting desserts to finish off the meal. Top marks for the wait staff looking after us for the night. They were knowledgeable, friendly and super attentive. Will definitively be back to try out some of the other dishes.

"This soul yearns for a home that it could call his own in this wanderland" ~ Random Rants of Ozzy Kunnu<br/><br/>Now substitute soul with taste bud, home with Indian, own with spice-blends and wonderland with Australia...Making sense?<br/><br/>Above is an apt definition for Madras Brothers. They do the usual and typical Indian food (available in Melbourne) what 90% of Indian restaurants try doing; that of retaining authentic flavors, but fail miserably.<br/><br/>Ordered a Vodka with Squeeze of Lime and little water, Ink Gin and Tonic and Mulled Wine to go with Chicken 65, Meat Balls, Chettinad Chicken and Flavored Rice.<br/><br/>Meat Balls and Chettinad Chicken clearly wins the Dish of the Day Title. Tender and Melt + in - Your - Mouth Meat Balls had the right balance of flavors. Perfectly cooked chicken pieces in a very light and aromatic tangy curry had the subtle hint of curry leaves and spices.<br/><br/>Chicken 65, Flavored Rice (on the attendants recommendation) to go with Chettinad Chicken curry were delicious.<br/><br/>What we would have ideally liked with a chicken curry is a plain rice since the flavored rice had strong flavors of spices that hindered the taste of the curry which our palate didn't appreciate.<br/><br/>Vegans and Glutenfree patrons could easily find something to satiate their hunger but Vegetarians have lot more to relish.<br/><br/>Attendants are very energetic and forever smiling. They just know how to take good care of their customers.<br/><br/>Pricing for the portions could look a bit lot but the quality, taste and experience is perfect for the price you are paying.<br/><br/>When we first heard of Madras Brothers, our mind wandered to the flavors we have grown with.... Flavors of Chettinad, Malabar, Andhra, Mysore, etc cuisine ( we did not check their online menu) and probably, the initial letdown...Yet, it did not disappoint, a reason big enough to LOVE this restaurant which is quite an achievement for the owners, isn't it?<br/><br/>Definitely returning!!

Came on a whim and was pleasantly surprised. Honestly couldn’t fault a thing. And the last time we visited the venue, from memory, it was a bar.<br/><br/>We had:<br/><br/>- Sowcarpet Pana Puri<br/>- Chettinadu Chicken<br/>- Potato Fry<br/>- Paraksathi Parotta<br/><br/>All delicious. Parotta, perfectly flakey. Stand out was the crunchy chickpea bits on the Potato Fry. The Sowcarpet Pana Puri was interesting and little fun.<br/><br/>No photos as too dark, but looking forward to returning. Have my eye on the Kulipaniyaram.<br/><br/>Nice intimate vibe, eclectic chill music. Clean venue. Nice presentation. Just very enjoyable over all.

Great ambience of the outdoor area at the back. The staff are attentive and kind, which makes a huge difference. The food was nice - the chicken curry was spicy but well complemented by the paratha. Will be back to try a few other options!!

Well coming from a born and bred chennaite (madras vasi). This place brings the authentic tamil/south Indian taste which only the owner knows how. <br/><br/>As I was in a hurry I could only try the parotta and chettinadu chicken but damn that was enough to make me write this. Definitely coming back for more. Would highly recommend this place to anyone whose got a fetish for Indian food. <br/><br/>P.s. Chettinadu chicken > butter chicken cause who doesn’t love spicy.

If you want to eat proper South Indian food this is the place to be!!<br/>And it reminds you home and miss your family Highly recommend it to everyone.

South Indian Tamil home food.Vegan Veggie.<br/><br/>Cold Chutney and Cold Sambhar with Red Onion Shallots.<br/>Cost , super less quantity including cold dosa with drops of chutney and cold sambhar... Basic Below Average Amatuer Bar.<br/><br/>There are better diners valuable and wholesome with full ingredients served genuinely and filling for a better value..<br/><br/>I do not want to eat samples of my traditional food for a rip off price..<br/><br/>Try at your own risk..

Had some south Indian craving and decided to visit this place - though i kept my expectations to a very low i would say this place was definitely worth it. The taste and quality of food was totally comparable to an authentic south Indian restaurant which is not easy to achieve outside India given the kind of spices, vegetables and meat that differ. Ordered a sambar idli and kola urundai - the sambar was finger licking delicious. Kola urundai could have had a little more spicy punch but still loved it. I would visit again to try the other dishes on the menu. Totally worth a try!

This place brought me childhood memories growing up in Chennai (A.K.A Madras), some special food I ate around the city. Madras Bro’s menu was different, tried most of their snacks - tasted good and found the portion size was small. But for me the plus was the customer service.

Not worth it for the money at all ! Overpriced and very small quantities ! Only thing good about the shop was the white waiter guy. Wouldn’t come back again.

All I can say is that food just flew off the plate, since there were six of us, we were forced to pick a feed me menu and we went with MGR (check feed me menu).

For those unacquainted with ‘Madras’ – this place is the perfect initiation and sort of the only one you would ever need. Madras is the olden name for what is now called Chennai, the southern capital city of India. This is the land of Tamil population and what it brings to the table is authentic Tamil food, food that is earthen, tickling not just the taste buds but all your senses, fills the stomach and fulfils the heart! <br/>Located in Collingwood in one of the happening food scenes in Melbourne is this unassuming and honestly unpretentious joint dishing out traditional and modern Tamil food. Starters comprise of the best dish from some of the famous hotspots in Chennai. <br/>Let me take you through some of the dishes we have sampled so far;  the Ratna Café – Sambar Idly, which is the quintessential Idli (Savoury rice cake) bathing in Sambar (a lentil based tamarind broth). The aroma and the taste of this dish is bulls eye and you can travel far and wide for a better Idli-Sambar dish in the world but might never find it.  <br/>The Pav-Bhaaji (Thick vegetable curry, fried and served with a bread roll) is another winner. In fact, all the dishes are winners!  <br/>Some of the other hot starters are pani puri, chole batura and masala vadai. Chicken 65 is another South Indian top favourite that is deep fried with spices – rocking dish! <br/>The mains – don’t even go beyond Chicken Chettinad – a leg or breast piece of chicken cooked tenderly in a mouth-watering gravy accompanied by flavoured rice titillates and tantalizes you till you completely surrender. You can add a parotta (layered flatbread) that goes with the gravy or the chicken and elevates the dish to the next level (if there can be one). <br/>A good selection of wine and cocktails helps round things up nicely and you can always end it with a Payasam (Kheer) to hit the sweet note! <br/>Service is with smiles and warmth, run by Rishi (Co-Owner) who gives the personal touch to everyone thereby completing the final piece of the Madras puzzle – which is the interpersonal connect. <br/>A big pat on the back to the management for not compromising on the taste and quality of the food, keeping it as authentic as possible and not urbanizing it or in other words Westernizing it – what you taste is exactly how this food should be and how it is when cooked back home.  <br/>Portions are perfectly sized and moderately priced, a meal for two setting you back by around 50$.  <br/>For me and my family, it was a trip back home without having to board a flight, a gush of nostalgia and a rush of memories. For the rest of you, adventurous enough to explore the hidden mysteries of authentic Tamil food – this place is a doorway to heaven! <br/>“Thamizhanda” – screams the lights in the restaurant, proclaiming that we are the proud Tamilians, and proud we should be for this is the kind of food that doesn’t just feed you it embraces you!

Unique experience. Real Authentic taste of Madras food brought to Melbourne.Ambience and customer service adds richness .Well done brothers👍

We had a really great experience at Madras Brothers. Amazing cocktails as well as great food and service! The restaurant has a great modern and fun vibe. We will definitely be back!

The best Indian food I have had in a while and the customer service was hands on. Highly recommend it. Try their goat curry, is much better than it reads in the menu. I'm going back soon.

highly recommended. Great ambience. amazing staff. lovely menu. loved the goat curry would like to recommend to increase the quantity of mains

Madras Brothers, Smith street, Fitzroy, cuisine - Indian. The moment I saw the menu of this place I knew I had to get there asap. The number of dishes we ordered proves it was good delicious food! People from Madras (present day Chennai) will relate to the menu! They have picked the favorites and brought it together in one place. Every dish was wow! Strongly recommend the entrees. Just a single vegetarian main so no point even going there. Entrees will fill you up for sure. Very authentic and tasty... Pau Bhaiji (toasted bread with mixed veg curry) was my favorite 😊! Bombay Sandwich and Hopers were a bit below par. Everything else was top notch. For sure put this on your list... one to go back to. @madrasbrothers #rating4 #melbournebesteats #igersmelbourne #melbournefoodie #vegbourne #southindian #madrasbrothers #vegetarianrocks #orderedeverythingonthemenu #stuffedbelly #winternights #winterishere #friendslikefamily #panipuri #paubhaji #cholebhature #foodielife #foodielife #foodblogger #instablogger #yummyfood #fitzroy #smithstreet #weekdaydinners

I’m so glad to discover this little gem in Fitzroy! Finally, someone has done justice to South Indian food. I have been to countless Indian restaurants, but I can safely say this is the one and only one restaurant in Melbourne that truly reflects South Indian authentic food! Each and every dish is so yummy and authentic that it truly teleports you back to South India!

Saw a post on Instagram and decided to go check this place out. It turned out to be a nice meal. We got a chance to try a few different things and they all had great flavour as well as generous servings. <br/><br/>The place was really nice and cozy. I really enjoyed sitting back and enjoying a nice meal while watching the hustle and bustle of Smith st.<br/><br/>The cocktail list looked good but we didn’t drink. I really loved the vibe of the place

After some research, we decided to head here as the menu was quite intriguing . Went last evening for a V-Day dinner! Loved the ambience of the place. My hub, being from Pondicherry and myself from Chennai, we were looking forward to relish authentic Tamilian food. <br/>Started off with the “V-Day Special” Passionfruit Margarita, which turned out to be a delight. It was a refreshing Margarita with a twist. Since we were starving, we started off ordering some entrees, kola Urundai (minced mutton balls) turned out to be quite good, but I felt the quantity was less for the price. Being a chicken-lover, we devoured Buhari style Chic-65 which was hands down the best dish of the evening, and the best chic-65 we have had in Melbourne! If you have ever been to Marina beach in Chennai, Sundal will get you all nostalgic. But the sundal here, was nothing like it. Was super disappointing as this was a very basic dish. It tasted fine, nevertheless. Also, the Kasimedu fish fry, was quite bland and could have been more flavourful. Full marks for the presentation though. And finally, we ordered some Chicken biriyani, which I was quite impressed with, as it was authentic south-indian style, but was quite pricey for the quantity provided. Overall, fantastic ambience and service was quite good. We did have an amazing evening! Would surely recommend to others. Probably would go back just for the lip-smacking chicken-65!

Cool Smith Street eatery,<br/>The food is great, music is smooth house.<br/>Staff are all very friendly if not always the most polished or anticipatory. <br/>We generally try lots of starters and a couple of mains between 4 people and leave feeling very satisfied.<br/>As a vino nut - pretty good little wine list as well.<br/>Overall i have really enjoyed the couple of times we have dined here and believe that at the moment, this could be quite possibly the best value Indian in Melb.<br/>Only reason didn't get 5 stars was there was no wall heaters in courtyard dinning area.

Very authentic food! The food, unabashedly from Chennai (formerly Madras), were delightful! The filter coffee (my favourite hot drink was simply superb) and the baadham gheer was special too!! Very good and generous use of spices and ingredients.<br/><br/>Good service! The use of the Classical Tamil font in the decor add to the authenticity and classy feel! Bravo!

Delicious, authentic South Indian food. The appam hoppers are amazing and the parrata with the tamarind fish curry is the fish curry I’ve been looking for my whole life! The service was delightful and attentive. Loved it.

The food is exceptional, the ambience is lovely, the staff are really friendly.<br/>I've been looking for a place that does good, authentic, interesting South Indian food in Melbourne, and this is it.

Place for a good madras food.. Great Customer Service!!! Perfect ambience for dinner!!! Filter coffee is a good way to finish !! Definitely recommended..

Great innvative Indian food. Fresh and tasty ingredients, good service. Better to eat in the lovely garden on a warm day.<br/>Poor rating due to the price. $100 for 2 with one beer. We did over order - and ended with 2 chicken main dishes - but I still feel it was too expensive.

I had visited this place last week with a group of 7 people. <br/>Pros: Amazing food. We had tried almost all the starters and loved it all. Must go for authentic madras food. <br/><br/>Cons:<br/>The food portion size is very small.<br/>We were told that only the feed me option is available for groups over 6 people which starts from $29 per head. This is a mandatory option whereas on zomato its not mentioned anywhere that it's mandatory. You cannot choose the starters yourself, it is the chef's selection. We had basically gone to the restaurant to try all the starters and this was very disappointing. We were told that the kitchen is small and cannot handle larger groups and hence only this option is available for groups. So we split up our tables into groups of 3 and 4 and they were ready to take our order without any issues! So we really couldn't understand this rule of groups and splitting up the tables when the kitchen is actually cooking the same amount of food!<br/>The food takes a long time to arrive so go in early.<br/><br/>We would definitely go here with 2 or 3 folks but definitely not in a larger group.

Random choice but a great feed! Highly recommend! 

Excellent food, excellent staff, excellent choice!<br/><br/>Welcomed warmly by one of the owners Rishi and front of house Thomas who was simply amazing.<br/><br/>Very personalised service and food was amazing. Will definitely come back.

Fantastic restaurant. South Indian food is difficult to find in Melbourne and this place is setting the trend with a really high quality of delicious food. Coming back frequently with more people. The highlights were the chai martini,<br/>chole bhatura, pani puri and succulent chicken-65. Amazing!

To begin, I was going to rate Madras Brothers a 3.5, but I received such friendly, excellent service it gained half a point. <br/><br/>I walked in early Friday evening, was warmly greeted at the door and shown a table. I ordered a beer and perused the menu. Not being overly hungry and curious to try a few things, I liked the look of the $29 Feed Me option. When I asked about it I was informed that it was only for groups. Bummer. My disappointment must have shown, because the lovely waiter said he'd make an exception and ask the kitchen to prepare the small plates for one person. This sort of flexibility is rarely experienced in restaurants any more and scores big brownie points for me!<br/><br/>For food: Two plates were bought to me, one at a time. The first had Buhari's Chicken and Kasimedu Fish Fry on it. They were tasty enough, but I found the flavours a bit generic, lacking some depth and complexity. In fact, nothing really made me agree with the claim of holy chicken or fish as stated on the menu. Overall the chicken was tender and not dry and the fish was firm, so that was nice. I just thought it needed a little bread or even a couple of dressed lettuce leaves with it and it would have gone that extra step. <br/><br/>The second plate contained four sowcarpet pani puris and Ratna Cafe Idni Sambar. The pani puris were nice and spicy and the tamarind sauce very tasty - but they were far too big and I had to take a few bites, sipping and balancing to not spill the sauce before I could fit it in my mouth. the batter was crisp, but a little thicker than I'd have liked. Overall, tasty though and a bit of fun. The dumpling was my favourite food of the evening.  Warming lentil curry with a lightly textured dumpling - all a bit comfort food and that was a good way to finish up.<br/><br/>When my plate was taken away I mentioned the size of the pani puris to the waiter and he said he'd had one earlier himself and had struggled, so would mention it to the kitchen. This sort of acknowledgement was appreciated - shows care factor for the food and customers.<br/><br/>Before I left I was offered a complimentary semolina pudding for dessert. It was a mild flavoured, coconutty morsel that was really light and lovely and much appreciated to end the meal. <br/><br/>This little restaurant hasn't been open long and has a sister in Traralgon serving food from Northern India. I think it has loads of potential and I'll definitely go back for more - next time with friends.

Unbelievably good! We came early with our baby (first ones there at 5:15! Livin' it up!). We were welcomed by Tom, our waiter, who was friendly and attentive and quite clearly excited by the food. The owners should be very happy to have him in the team.<br/><br/>The design of the restaurant is fantastic, with simple timber panelling, comfy seating, amazing lighting, and high ceilings. We took the corner bench seats by the window (best spot, try to get it if you can). <br/><br/>The food is some of the best Indian food we've ever had outside of India. We opted for the massive Rajini banquet. It was substantial and great value for money. <br/><br/>The street-food-style entrees took us back to our travels in India. Pani Puri was a standout, as was Chicken 65 and mutton balls. The salty, spicy buttermilk drink is unlike anything I've had before (probably not quite tailored to the Aussie palate, but if you like to try different things, you'll enjoy the experience). <br/><br/>For mains we had the chicken and goat curries. Unbelievably good! The chicken fell off the bone and was expertly cooked and flavoured. Roti was an excellent accompaniment. <br/><br/>For dessert we had the most delicious almond drink (almost like a tiny kulfi milkshake). We're told they're planning a rosewater version soon, so keep an eye out. The dessert was a jaggery; superb. Just do it. So good. <br/><br/>Don't come here expecting a cheap Indian curry and rice. It is based heavily on street food from Madras (Chennai), so you won't find a lot of Aussie-Indian restaurant staples. Come here for a genuinely different experience and some really exciting flavours. <br/><br/>Will definitely be back!

Always wondered why no one ever opened a authentic South Indian Restaurant in Melbourne. At last my wait is over, Magesh & Rishi have opened a lovely, unassuming place where I got to taste Idly Sambar, Pav Bhaji, Sandwich and Parotta Kurma. Chai Martini was nice so was Filter Kapi and Kesari was a nice way to finish my meal.

What a wonderful wee find, loads of tasting plates and a truly warm and inviting atmosphere. 1st time here and will definitely come back.<br/><br/>The drinks menu was good and lots of choices.<br/>Staff are very pleasant and super friendly and the owner surprised us with a sweet treat at the end...simply charming

Food was delicious and the ambience was great too. We ordered the Masala Vadai and Ratna Cafe Idli Sambar and they were among the best we have ever had in Melbourne so far. Husband ordered the Meen Kulumbu (fish curry) as his main dish however I think the dish was too heavy on the tamarind side. However, the Chettinadu Chicken that I had was really good. For dessert, the guys surprised us with a really simple but beautiful and warm dessert that we did not get the chance to catch the name of the dessert. It was very light and perfectly balance dessert that complements well with our Badam Gheer and Masala Chai. All in all, we had a pleasant experience dining here and we will definitely come again soon to try the other food on the menu.