Review Lal Qila Restaurant - Sydney

Great food!! The menu has so many options it’s amazing to read how many different things they can make you. Full of flavour and so yummy I recommend to everybody. Staff are happy to help with explaining different dishes and are very friendly. Great place if your looking for something different.

Good experience dining here. I have visited a few times and the food and service is great. It doesn’t taste authentically Pakistani like many restaurants in Melbourne in terms of spices and flavour intensity but it’s still very delicious.

Good food and good service. Waited a bit too long to order. But once ordered, it all came to table very nicely and tasted really good. Very polite and kind employees. Definitely worth trying their food. Will be back to try others dishes.

Matching our lockdown takeaway eating to items we can’t cook at home, we hit up Lal Qila in Surry Hills. This Pakistani restaurant, which has a second, fancier-looking restaurant in Darling Harbour, makes great use of the tandoor. Plucked from an extensive menu, Naramdil Galafi Seekh ($17.90) are spicy minced chicken kebabs served on a simple selection of cooling salad with a squeeze of fresh lemon. Aftabi Tandoori Phool ($16.90) gives tender florets of charred, golden-hued cauliflower flavoured with garlic, ginger and spices. From the range of tandoor-cooked chicken dishes we opted for the Pakistani favourite, Murgh-e- Musalam ($20.90), where yoghurt, vinegar and spices gave an almost creamy surface that contrasted well with the chook’s charred edges. Cooked on the side of the cylindrical oven, the fluffy garlic cheese naan ($5.90) here is a contender for Sydney’s best. Khumb Pulao ($7.90) and Zafrani Mater Pulao ($7.90) are simple rice dishes, respectively dotted with mushrooms and garden peas. We saved the bulk of them to freeze for a curry night later in the week. A generous Shouq-e-Nawab (BBQ Biryani) ($24.90) rounded out our meal. Well-separated long-grain Basmati rice coloured with saffron hides plentiful hunks of tandoor-cooked chicken. We tried it for dinner but kept the bulk of this spicy rice dish for lunch the next day, with an accompanying cooling, home-made mint raita. Not a bad outcome for a takeaway meal for two that cost fewer than a hundred bucks.

Every time I visit this restaurant served with delicious food and great service. The extremely friendly and courteous staff will come back again for another amazing experience.

Authentic Pakistani restaurant, Try dakni tikka and kulfi Darling harbour branch is nice and clean. However, we found Surry hill branch taste more better compare with darling harbour We enjoyed Ras malai, dakhni tikka biryani and mango lassi

Delicious entree and vegetarian food. I tried chicken tikka, bihari kebab, goat kadahi, handi paneer and chicken kadahi. Goat and chicken was too dry for my liking however everything else was a winner. Handi paneer is a must try if you're vegetarian. I would love to go back!

This place has the best Pakistani and Indian food I have ever had! The menu is big with many choices (everything I have tried I have loved so it is hard to decide what to eat!) I have been to this restaurant I think around 10 times and every single time I enjoy myself there. The staff are always lovely and attentive and the owner is a great guy! He works on the floor speaking to customers and advising food choices haha

I visited this place on a Saturday evening with a couple of mates as some of friends were leaving sydney for good.<br/><br/>For starters we ordered lamb kebabs and chicken tikka which were very tender and cooked to perfection. Although the quantity was bit less for 4 people I would recommend ordering 1 starter per 2 people.<br/><br/>For main course we ordered alamgiri tikka masala and akhbari murg angari with akhbari naan. The curries were good but there was nothing too special about it. The naans were really good as it was quite different from the normal butter and garlic naans. I would definitely recommend trying the naans.<br/><br/>Paying$23-25 doesn’t really do much justice to the quantity of the curries but I’ll still visit this restaurant every once in a while whenever I get a bonus to spend by my employer. Hahah!<br/><br/>Food quality: 4.5/5<br/>Ambience: 4.5/5<br/>Repeatable: Yes<br/>Expensive food: Yes

really nice! I like the lamb curry and chicken curry very much. And also the naan.

Back at Zomato after a very long time. And I wanted to start with one of the popular eateries in the suburb. I have to say I'm not disappointed at all. Because of the COVID-19, didn't want to sit down at the restaurant, hence took a take away. Went in lookin for Ramadan spl, but they didn't have any. Just had day's spl. Ordered garlic naan, chicken handi(day's spl) and haleem.<br/>The Naan, even thiugh it had cooled down by the time I was ready to eat, was so soft that I could tear with my three fingers. Haleem was perfect. Light on palate. The showstopper was the chicken handi. The chicken soft and curry aromatic and flavourful. Just perfect.<br/>Compared to the other places with same cuisines, the portions were generous.

Food was decadent and delicious! Especially the tikka dishes <br/>Second time we came back from Melbourne just for the food here!

Probably one of my fav restaurants in Sydney. The cheese naan is to die for. We’ve been there numerous times but have never had a dish that was not outstanding. Also quite good value for money and byo

Hands down one of the highest quality Pakistani food I've had in Australia. A huge menu, each item true to tradition. Very impressed with staff and service too.<br/>

Do visit the place if you are interested in ruining your evening.<br/>Food was good. Not the best but surely above average. But the worst part was the staff waiting on us.

Most authentic Pakistani and Indian food in Sydney. Love it, it’s the freshest and great service by all staff. <br/>Great business for the community as it has been around for a long time in Surry Hills now

Nice place with lovely ambience. food was tasty and affordable to the pocket. staff was quick in service. recommended for small get together

Good food combined with continous stares from the guy at the counter that makes your girl friend uncomfortable, leads to a one star rating, if not zero. Learn to allow providing some private space to the customers.

The veg curry and the daal were fantastic, really rich flavours and a decent price for the size and quality. The chicken tikka was rather bland, though, and the samosas and naan were quite expensive for a small portion. However, my big mistake was ordering delivery. They gave a delivery estimate of 1 hour 15 minutes at what I thought would be a quiet time and then they were 28 minutes late from the estimate. I mentioned it to a friend who said he once went into the restaurant for takeaway and had to wait over an hour for it. They had heavily cling-wrapped the containers, which was good because they just jumbled it all into a bag sideways and it all would have spilled otherwise. Then the delivery guy called me and I went to the door and couldn't see anyone. I think he was still in the car when he called and he showed up a couple of minutes later. Maybe it would be fine to eat in the restaurant (assuming you can get served in under an hour) but delivery is well beyond Lal Qila's skill level and there are quality South Asian alternatives who have no problem delivering on time.

Food was ok. Had the lamb biryani, vegetable korma, and some curry. The naan was decent too. However, service wasn’t that quick - we had to call the waiter multiple times just to order or ask for cutleries. It was also very hard to read the menu with the dim lighting.

An overrated one , not worth the time and money if you are looking for an authentic one . If you want to dine in at any place , don't worry you can go here and should be just like an average restaurant<br/>

Overall experience - cannot see myself visiting again nor suggesting it to any one. Ambience can improve. Service was non-existent, once the food was brought to the table nobody came back to check if we needed anything. I waited for 15minutes for somebody to come into the section we were sitting. Entree was undercooked(prawns were uncooked). Got the specialty dish(bbq biryani) which was ok. Can somebody tell me who charges $3.90 for cucumber raita. To top it off the sweet pans were so old that the beatle leaves had gone dry in the packaging(dont know how long they have been sitting in the fridge).<br/>

Been there today on friday evening and stood in queue for 30mins..its a cosy crowded place whose interiors could have been maintained better. The behaviour of the staff had been polite and prompt. We had lahori machli(fish) for starter and in mains tandoori roti,garlic naan,aloo kulcha,goat biriyani and their special menu tawa goat.The show stealer was lahori fish with a unique tasty sauce as garnishing. Garlic naan was soft and tastier than other similar food joints.Biriyani flavour was good but too much spicy. Tawa goat was a semi curry dish with succulent goat pieces and over spicy gravy with plenty of whole spices. Overall even though dinner was good and filling, the restaurant failed to live up to our expectations.

Recently we had ordered a pick up at the restaurant. My husband waited at the waiting area for quite some time but there was no one at the reception. After consideable waiting he decided to do better than to wait and on eyeing some one near the kitchen decided to ask for help. After the man disappeared, to seek a response , another one appeared and gave my husband quiet a hearing down on how he should have waited at the waiting area and so on and forth.This restaurant should learn a few etiquettes on dealing with its customers.People are paying for their service, and. Not availing of some charity .I have been to many indian restaurants and most of them are polite, maybe they should learn a lesson or two on hospitality. Also we are not going back.

I called to make a booking and I was told to walk in and they would find us a table- although that statement initially felt unacceptable we still walked through their doors. <br/><br/>Upon arrival we were asked if we made a booking, I told them no and recounted the phone conversation and from the reaction I received it felt like I had committed a crime. We were told to stand and wait while they walked around, upon return we were pointed to the table right at the entrance. There was an empty table in the middle of the restaurant near the kitchen. I pointed to it and asked if that was available for us. To my absolute surprise I was told “no that table is for emergencies”- I was speechless, if this wasn’t classified as an emergency I don’t know what is. After shaking my head I said we were happy to wait for another table to clear up. At this point, not sure if manager, came to us and told us that the whole night was booked and there wouldn’t be a table available for us.<br/><br/>This whole charade could have been avoided if we were just told everything over the phone instead of being dragged into their restaurant only to be put through all that then sent off.<br/><br/>Despite hearing negative reviews from friends we still thought we’d give this place a go. In all honestly they reserve their hospitality to non-Indian customers.

Please update the menu, the restaurant confirmed that the menu on Zomato was updated 9 years back.<br/> <br/>It's not a clear representation of the cost

Had a lamb dish and a vegetable dish, okra.<br/>Don't know if i should have sticked to classic chicken dishes, but anyway, was quite disappointed at the food. <br/>The lamb was really lean, no fat at all, made it hard to chew and didnt really taste nice. So avoid lamb dishes if you don't like chewy meat.<br/>Okra dish had great spicyness, but lack of any outstanding flavor, made it just a ordinary stir fry food, too little salt too.<br/>Considering about this restaurant's high rank, must say it's definitely over priced and over rated. Go try other Indian restaurants in Surry Hill and you will find the prices much more lovely.

The place is small and cozy but the food tastes a million bucks. Must try the chilli cheese naan. It's a meal in itself. For the starters we tried, Paneer Tikka, Chicken Tikka and Cauliflower with mint sauce. <br/>Mains were loaded with mutton, Chicken Biryani, naan(breads) and Malai Kofta ( cottage cheese in found balls). <br/>The food is a bit spicy but savoury. Perfect blend of herbs. <br/>The staff is a little rude. However, it worth going back for the food. Would rather go to the Darling Hurst outlet.

Do not come here if you are a vegetarian. The menu is a lie. The dish we ordered came with CANNED MUSHROOMS. Absolutely disgusting. We live in a city with access to fresh mushrooms in abundance. They could of walked down the road and bought some mushrooms from coles. Barely any vegetables. Just onions and canned mushrooms. Absolute disappointment. If you are a meat eater you might have a better experience. But I won't encourage that. #govegan

Nice place..always busy. We went as late as 9:00 and we sat outside primarily because it was buzzing inside the restaurant. The place is clean,spaced well and has a good crowd visiting. <br/>We ordered Aftabi Tandoori Phool. It's a cauliflower roasted and steak serving. It was Innovative way of gurnish and taste and looked really alluring.<br/>We ordered Jahangir zalfrazi which was good to taste but could have been much more better as the zalfrazi was not enough soked in into the chicken cubes. Finally we ordered the dumpukt biriyani and it was a showstopper. It meat melted in the mouth, the aroma was so smoky of the dum. The quantity was good for 2 and a half feed. It really felt like the taste of Pakistan.

Food was different from other Indian restaurants and tasted really good. For entreé, we tried kurkuri anarkali, lahori chatkhare, tandoor paneer, a special chicken starter that was not listed on the menu. For main course, we tried chicken biryani, some rotis, gosht maharaja, paneer karahi, dilbahar zafrani kofta and akbari murgh angari. For dessert, we had rasmalai and kulfi. All the dishes were very good. The rasmalai was outstanding.

Though Sydney has a lot of Indian/Pakistani restaurant, very few actually do good food. Lal Qila unfortunately is not one of them. Went to Lal Qila for dinner looking at their high rating, found the food very average. We tried the polao, morog korma and veg. The food was bland and there was there was nothing exceptional about it. Especially the vegetables were a big disappointment. I don't think I will go back.

Lal Qila is a popular place during weekends and I dropped by the restaurant with my girlfriend last month. We ordered Murgh-e-Masalam and Chicken Briyani. The food was nowhere near our expectation. The chicken was dry and tough and we had to pick the garlic skin and spices from the rice constantly . If you want better Briyani, try Faheem Fast Food.

Situated in surry hills, this indian pakistani didn't disappoint me. We ordered paneer handi and dal makhani with lacchha paratha , naan and roti. Service was super quick and taste amazing. Only the biryani was average in taste. <br/>They were playing classic indian music which made the evening even better. The portion sizes were really good. <br/>

Visited this place for Valentines Day, Loved the way they had lit up the place perfect for a dine on Valentines Day.<br/>Food was fantastic, but service was really below expectations.<br/>Apart from it the place was good, worth a try for food lovers!

The flavours and taste are more Pakistani than Indian. Very creamy and heavy dishes but good flavours and authentic. Polite and prompt service.

We were in Sydney for the NY and stayed around the area, we ended up trying a few restaurants there. We came here for a take away based on the rating, unfortunately we were very disappointed. All the the dishes we ordered were based on the recommendation of the restaurant, none of them (chicken and the paneer) were up to scratch. Their go to dish was meant to be the biryani, frankly it was the worst we've tasted as yet.  the 2/5 rating only reflects the effort to make the food. Not recommended.

The best Indian food i have ever had!<br/>I tired the Noorjahani Makhan Masala curry with cheese cubes and i must day I have been back a few times ordering the same dish, simply because it's too good! Super creamy and beautifully balanced. I highly recommend this dish for korma lovers.<br/>I got the saffron rice for the side but it doesn't come with any saffron, just onions and peas. In case you're after the saffron rice you might wanna know.<br/>My sister also had the famous rice dish and it was so big that even two hungry people couldn't finish it!<br/>The naans are also amazing. Indian food can't get any better!

Heard a lot about special malai (cream) tikka boti of LalQila. Unlike the common Indian food places, the restaurant and the food did not let me down. Everything was perfect. Starting with royal ambiance mimicking Indian Mughal culture, we were attended by nice friendly staff. They ensured us that all items are halal, presented the specials and even agreed to make a few amendments to the plans on menu. The tikka took a little longer to come but it was definitely worth the wait. The tender barbeque was paired with mint chutney to balance the hot flavor of meat. Overall it was an incredible experience. Would certainly recommend trying this place.

New Favorite Indian Restaurant!! Nothing like I expected it to be. Most Indian restaurants serve the few basic Indian dishes with monotonous spicy taste but not Lal Qila. The menu was all halal yet very extensive and has a variety to choose from. When our order arrived, the staff greeted us in a friendly manner. The food was wonderful. Each dish had a main element whose flavor was elicited with a garnish or a dressing. For desserts we had gulab jamun – a highly sweet dish of warm and soft dough balls, leaving us feeling happy and full.

Great comfortable environment with nice and friendly staff. The Indian food is hands down delicious. Prawns dishes were prepared with an acerbic twist giving sea-food a taste like never before.If you’re in search of discovering unique flavors and especially Indian cuisine in Sydney, Lal Qila is just the right place!

Very very disappointing attitude of staff. The man who was on the counter dont even know how to talk with customers how to deal with customers. He was thinking he is pakistan not in australia. I was gona call the police of his misbehaving but my friend stopped me and we left the resturent. I will never go there again. You are loosing your customers.

Enjoyed the Goat Biryani. The quantity was generous and really tasty. Raita is not served with the Biryani and has to be ordered separately. We got the half roast chicken. Very tasty and a tad dry. Would have benefited from some mint sauce to break up the dryness.

I've generally found Indian food in Sydney to be disappointing so it was with very low expectations that I placed my Deliveroo order with Lal Qila. Amazingly, the meal didn't even manage to meet them: The curry (Chilli Chicken) was bland and flavourless with a very watery sauce and the accompanying samosas were not much better. The only saving grace was the cheese naan which was decent but it's worrying when bread is the best part of the meal.

Lal qila, like it's exotic name dished up an exotic cuisine. We went to this place on diwali and had a reservation for 8:30 but got seated at 8:50 despite empty tables. Waited another 15 minutes for someone to take our order. The lady attending to us was rude and not at all helpful during the order process and even during reorder, we had to request the manager to appoint a different server to our table. <br/><br/>Coming to the food we ordered decent mix of vegetarian and non vegetarian dishes. The starters were exquisitely plated and looked delicious but the taste let down the appearance. The main course was a delight, the portions were good for 2-3 people, the taste was up to the mark and it certainly made our visit worth it. <br/><br/>Recommended dishes- lal qila biryani(Bbq chicken), butter paneer, dal makhni, butter chicken and the standout bread- Lahori kulcha <br/><br/>The only reason I give them 3.5 is due to the service and attitude of staff present. The food certainly makes lal qila worth a visit but not with the attitude of the current staff members.

I'm becoming a bit of a fiend for this cuisine and the food at Lal Qila is just fantastic. I have a general aversion to rice but the goat biryani (Dumpukht Biryani $16.90) was divine. Light and fluffy, flavour packing a punch and the goat was incredibly tender and softer in the rich meaty flavour that's usually expected with lamb or goat. Yes, there are pieces of cloves, star anise and the like floating around but in my mind if you can't look past it, you're not enjoying enough. The serving size is clearly fit for a whole family, and really overshadows other dishes in size. <br/><br/>I enjoyed my crisp kalonji paratha ($4.50) but in hindsight I should have gone with a softer bread. Palak Paneer ($14.90) was again full of flavour as was our Kakori Gosht ($17.90) which had some beautiful notes. Instead of pieces of lamb this was minced and in turn a much dryer curry.<br/><br/>Service could be a little better as we were seated right in the central section yet it really took some time to order, otherwise the whole experience was fantastic.

Got take out, tasted fine but it was too spicy despite my asking for mild spicy, then I got sick!

Wow.. The service was the worst. The restaurant wasn't busy but the staff struggled remembering our order. They did come back to check it, because they wrote it down wrong. Between 2 I wouldn't think it so hard. We never received our poppadums and dip. Then the entree came. Without the dip. By the time we received the yoghurt dip, the entree was cold. Long wait for main. Main arrives..The rice never does. So we finished our main with promises of a desert of pulao rice. So we scrapped the rice. Bill comes with 4 dishes we never ordered on it. Then another bill comes with the rice we never ordered on it.. I couldn't even say how good or bad the food was because what we ate was cold and the terrible service just shadowed any kind of plus points<br/>

Worst experience ever. Staf kept on bullying about other Indian restaurant. I was given single ply tissue for wiping. Interior lighting was horrible along with the loud music. Boneless chicken biryani was the worst ever I tasted. Fried goat in mince was average. Price for the service and food quality is way too high. The service was more like take away shop. It was 31 deg outside and the AC was OFF. Upon my fourth request they started the air con. Final word WASTE OF MONEY & TIME

As someone coming from Dubai, this Lal Qila was actually a lot more delicious than what I have tried in Dubai itself. The staff was friendly as well. Loved the variety of their Biryanis. This place is a must visit for anyone who misses home or wants to tantalize their flavor buds with the mouthwatering food they have.

Dinner was brilliant! <br/><br/>The quality could not be faulted. I'm a sucker for curries and these were some of the best I've eaten. The shop was absolutely packed, a clear indication that I'm not alone in my thoughts. <br/><br/>The atmosphere is extremely relaxed. The lighting and decor perfect for dinner. <br/><br/>Only two small issues though... Obviously an Indian restaurant but after walking 7 blocks home... I could clearly still smell the food on my clothes! Then there was the service. The food arrived quickly but the front of house staff were run off their feet. <br/><br/>

Home of Indian and Pakistani non-veg food! Lal Qila continues to impresses us tikka lovers and has not once disappointed us. Best to go out with a gang of buddies which will let you sample many of the tandoor items and curries. Staff try to go out of their way to please.

Ordered delivery from Lal Qila and loved it! Everything was bursting with flavor. A terrific option for a night in with spice-laden comfort food.

Superb meal. Went in late in Saturday night. Place was packed. Got a table quickly and were well looked after right away. Great service and awesome recommendations. Will be back.

Went there last night after checking all the positive reviews and didn't get disappointed at all by the food.<br/>I can simply call this by far the best Indian food in Sydney, Yes it is that good.<br/>Ambience is ok, sitting arrangement isn't very spacious and lots of noise around because of that but food is reasonably priced and damn delicious which makes up for the other things.<br/>If they can offer same price and quality at King wharf that will be amazing food with experience.

If my tummy wasn't so sensitive to spice, I'd visit restaurants like Lal Qila far more often, I love them! South Asian flavours are just fantastic and the food Lal Qila served up last night was deeply flavourful and aromatic. <br/><br/>The garlic naan was brilliant, a little crispy on the outside, soft, tender and fluffy on the inside. Tandoori chicken was adequately spicy and carried a lovely charred aroma from the tandoor oven. The king prawns (Mahtab-e-Daria) in tomato coconut sauce were rich and creamy, a perfect accompaniment to the biryani rice we ordered. The diced lamb (Gosht Maharaja) cooked in tomato, ginger and onion was a flavour explosion, literally!<br/><br/>The chicken biryani was buttery, meaty and loaded with flavours. My only complaint -- the biryani was full of stone fruits and the seeds were left in the rice along with pieces of cinnamon bark and bits of chicken bone. I imagine this is the traditional way of cooking it -- which I don't mind -- but it would have been nice to have a warning from the wait staff. My mum almost lost a tooth chewing into plum stone.<br/><br/>Service was a little erratic, being neither here nor there and on the inattentive side. You can't forget water three times. This being said, when the wait staff did come around they were very hospitable. The vibe of the restaurant was atmospheric and warming, the right feel to go with the warming food.<br/><br/>Overall a nice experience.<br/>PS - Forgive the darkness of the photos, the restaurant was very dimly lit and I was shooting with my phone.

This place sells Authentic Pakistani and Indian cuisine. Which I would have to agree to an extent. <br/>I love the flavours in the food and the menu is a bit tricky to read, but I've been to a lot of Pakistani / Indian restaurants (and have family around that culture too) so it's not really much of a struggle. However the staff are very friendly and can always help describe the dishes on the menu for you.<br/><br/>The chicken saag was delicious, and probably one of my favourite Indian dishes! Something I highly recommend! The biryani rice was nice and had great flavour, however one thing that really ruined for me was every spoonful I took, I kept eating the clove spices they left in the rice. If it wasn't there, It would have been amazing. The Papri Chaat was absolutely delicious! It's definitely the best dish I've had there. <br/>For dessert we ordered kulfi which is a frozen milk and pistachio type of ice cream, generally a very well known Pakistani treat, normally sold as street food. It was really delicious and I personally could eat at least 3 or 4 sticks to myself!<br/>All in all, I had a pleasant experience here!

Tasty indian food and if you go with a big group the bills ends up realtively cheap for amount of food you get.<br/><br/>Food 4/5 (assuming you like Indian food and aren't expecting it to be fancy)<br/>Venue 2.5/5<br/>Service 4/5<br/>Value for money 4/5

Was in dire need of some Indian as our local has been closed for renovations. This place did not disappoint. Everything was delicious! Had the lamb entree special- Phenomenal. Paneer special- phenomenal. Chicken korma- phenomenal. Cheesy garlic naan- phenomenal. Fantastic BYO restaurant, will definitely be going back. Call to book our online reservation didn't work!

When I travel outside India, I rarely eat Indian food but when I do, I really want it to be perfect. Our meal at Lal Qila on my one of my trips was one such experience. We loved the food - mutton achari with just the right level of spice and not too much garam masala was heavenly, mango lassi was not too sweet and the paneer handi was perfect. The naans and rotis were soft and not at all chewy. Overall a great experience - worth the 30 mins of the chaotic wait outside.

Just when I thought I won't be going to this place anymore because they had lost the taste, I was proven wrong.<br/>Didn't particularly like the food on 2 previous occasions before I friend took me there for his party. I wasn't really complaining because I wouldn't be paying ;-) but didn't have any hope as well.<br/><br/>But then I was proven wrong. Lal Qila still has it. The taste was fantastic. We ordered chicken handi, goat masala, chicken biryani and "some" vegetables. Non-veg fare: Sumptuous. <br/><br/>Would visit again.<br/><br/>Cheers!

I have only ever ordered online but is by far one of my favourite Indian restaurants, if it travels well to my door I'm sure it would be even better eat in I'm still yet to try, butter chicken is my dish of choice with the freshly made garlic and cheese Naan

I am so impressed with Lal Qila. I went there to get take away, but I would love to done in there because the interiors are beautiful and the vibe is great, it was very busy for a Tuesday night too. The lady at front of house was so lovely and helped us with recommendations. The food was authentic and full of flavour.

All those Indian restaurants along that stretch on Cleveland Street, between Bourke and Crown, are tasty enough, and inexpensive, but none has ever stood out to me. Instead, I’ve been a number of times to this crowded Pakistani restaurant, with one of those menus that goes on and on with hundreds of items, and I’ve found it delightful.

Unedible food, terrible custpomer service, hated our experience here. Wasted $90 ordered dinner even after 2 hours waited and fell asleep, writing my review now out of frustration and thinking about how i got robbed off and starved, phone line was hung in the air, worst place ever. <br/>

I went there with few friends on Sunday night, food was so good and service was even batter. we had Goat and BBQ chicken it was very soft and spicy. I will go back soon for lovely food.....

What a lovely food and great service, Thank you for your great hospitality. See you soon Lal Qila. Keep it up Lal Qila. Highly recommended..

Have to try the biryani in here. Best in town! I love their food, authentic and full of spices. This place has a special ambience. And the menu is broad so there are a lot of selection.

Amazing food with amazing Service. Have been coming here for ages now and food is one of the best Pakistani & Indian you would find in Sydney. Highly recommend

I Realy enjoyed my visit to Lal Qila. Food was lovely and enjoyable. Service was extremely good, excellent balance of being friendly and accommodating while at the same time being professional. <br/>You will need to book at the weekend because it fills fast.

This is a restaurant passionate about food. They take care in what they do and hand prepare the ingredients for their menu. I was able to sample a large selection of food including appetisers, mains, desserts and even BBQ. If my full belly is any indication, the food is amazing and well worth travelling for. The large selection of Pakistani special are well worth checking out also.<br/>Another great indicator that this is the place to come is the line up outside the restaurant on weekend. There was constantly a long line of punters waiting to get in for a table. It's certainly a hit with the locals and I'll be coming back again myself very soon.

This is worth booking a table for. If you don't have a booking and walk in, it's still worth the wait. We tried the Pakistani special in a delicious BBQ, the Goat karahi & Chicken Handi.  Soooo good! Will go back....

worst customer service experience ever. the so called manager really needs to invest in a management course and learn how to handle customer complaints. the chicken tikka masala was world class in taste but i would never go back there.

I have many Indian workmates who all recommend Lal Qila, so when I happened to drive past this evening I stopped for a takeaway. <br/><br/>Wow. 3 dishes ordered, all terrific. <br/><br/>- Tandoori Seekh Kebab - minced lamb with coriander, chillies & spices. Intensely tasty and, I don't know how they did it, quite light in texture, not rubbery like most grilled mince meat can be. <br/><br/>- BBQ chicken Biryani - instead of a takeaway container, this came on a big foil-wrapped plate. I'm an average female eater and there's enough for me 3 times over. Quantity wouldn't count if the quality wasn't there, but this was amazing. <br/><br/>A riot of yellow & gold really long grain rice amalgamated with big chunks of really soft smokey & slightly charred BBQ chicken meat. Fascinating and delicious! It's a complex dish, including big pieces of cinnamon, cloves, things like olives/prunes & more. <br/><br/>I've had biryani before and never understood what the fuss is about, but this is one of the nicest rice dishes I can ever remember. <br/><br/>- Last dish was a dessert, rice pudding with pistachios. rich cardamon flavour & plenty of nuts on top. <br/><br/>All dishes are very highly flavoured, which I love, though if you like unadventurous bland food it may be a bit challenging. But if you're bored with the standard cloned Indian restaurant menus you really need to try Lal Qila. It's slightly dearer than standard Indian - a bit over $40 for the three dishes above - but totally worth it for the quality, plus I have enough left over for a couple of lunches. <br/><br/>They have some great-sounding other dishes - tandoori cauliflower and crisp deep fried okra.... I'm already planning my next visit, I'll be back with a group because I want to eat everything on their menu!<br/><br/>29/11/15:  Also tried: Tandoori cauliflower, delicious & who said cauli had to be bland? <br/>Black lentil dahl - so-so.  Butter chicken, better than avg...

Had never tried Pakistani food until I came here and I can definitely say I'm converted! The food is light, fresh and full of flavours - similar to Indian but dare I say - even better!! Lal qila absolutely aces every dish and makes sure you're slapped in the face with bold flavours that will make you come back for more and more!

Has to be one of the more authentic Indian joints in Sydney. Some of the dishes are just sublime; the butter chicken(murgh makhan), the mutton biryani, lamb with spinach(hara bhara bakra), Alamgir tikka are some of the favourites. Still exploring their extensive menu. Some of the veggo dishes are pretty decent like the egg plaint and the cottage cheese(paneer) dishes.

I love this place! The food is amazing. The tandoori chops are the best. There naan is always fresh and tasty. All the dishes are good. Its local to my erea so have been many times over the last few years. Sometimes the service is a bit slow on busy nights but the food is always good so its worth a wait. My favourate is the shagwala( spinach dish) its the best I have had anywhere!

The guy who took our order claims himself as the owner and misbehaves with the customers! He either has mental issues or he should revise his english

One of the few places in Sydney where they make legitimate murgh makhani (butter chicken). Also tried the mutton biriyani which was on point! However, what sold lal quila for me was the garlic naan. It was served hot and it literally melted in my mouth

Best Pakistani restaurant in Sydney. Best food ever with a great service. Love there food.<br/><br/>-----25 Mar, 2015-----<br/><br/>Authentic Five star and a real gem. Have eaten here a few times, and always enjoyed a very solid meal at Lal Qila restaurant. The service was fantastic as was the room. The food was very good with wonderful flavours. All in all it was a very good experience and good value. I would definitely recommend it to anyone.....

Delightful ethnic interiors, relaxing atmosphere with very friendly and helpful staff. An intimate restaurant where there is enough space between the tables and sound absorbing surfaces so that you don't have to shout at your friends to be heard. Absolute bliss in the era of noisy brasserie style restaurants. Delicious Indian-Pakistani cuisine. We have dined here approximately 15 times a year for the last 6 years. Excellent value for money, efficient service. I just cannot pen down a drawback at all. Have had the food delivered home & at work and their timings are precise or even earlier never late. Choose whatever food you wish, tasting their deserts, they just tickle and leave a lip smacking experience overall, Authentic Indian Food Par Excellence!!!

Poor standards. Waiting for over 1.5 hrs for food and the restaurant seems to have deliberately left the phone off the hook. Unacceptable

A late-night conversation with a Sydney taxi driver led me to uncover this inexpensive, lesser-known, ethnic eat. It offers up a blend of Indian and Pakistani in a comfortable (but not too fancy) Cleveland Street locale. Watching them cook in the tandoor took me right back to childhood meals in Strathfield’s Surjits , where the chef would allow me to peer down into the hot, clay hole. However the Aftabi Tandoori Phool ($12.90) of grilled cauliflower in garlic, ginger and spices that they’re cooking here was delicious (and totally new). I skipped traditional tandoori chook for the lighter and creamier Qutabi Malai Tikka ($12.90) . It was moist and succulent, though the accompanying Kalonji Paratha ($3.90) and Akbari Naan ($3.50) had perhaps spent a moment too long in the oven – it’s a fine line between pleasure and something too dry to provide curry relief. I didn’t miss out on tandoori chicken entirely; the curry I selected - Nawabi Murgh Laveeza ($16.90) - combined it with l

For starters they need to remove all the draped curtains and take all the dust out of the place.<br/>Food standard has dropped.<br/>Chicken tikka was the most bland I have had in Sydney. Food was ordinary.<br/>Only positive was the service staff were good.<br/> Would not suggest this place.

Lal quila. Fantastic food, great prices and all served by beautiful and very honest staff. Will visit again next time we are in Sydney. Highly recommend this restauran

Our go to Indian place. Whether it is delivery or in the restaurant, the food is awesome, the prices are right, and we just keep going back. Big up for the tandoori prawns!

Terrible. Avoid at all costs. Food consistently arrives late but recently it has become ridiculous. Tonight my order was more than an hour late and stone cold when it arrived. One of my dishes was also raw. Phone rings and rings. Nobody answers. When have been eating here for years and it has gone steadily down hill to the point that we will now NEVER order from here again. Do yourself a favour and go somewhere else.

Best Biryani I have tasted in Australia. First time i went there, skeptical after a friend referred me to it. When we got there we were shocked at how big the serving of the bbq biryani was and then the taste was fabulous!!!

Absolutely delicious. We have been to Lal Qila many times. The service is always impeccable. We rarely order for ourselves but ask for suggestions which results in delicious meals, different every time. The value is outstanding. We consider ourselves to be connoisseurs of Southern Asian cooking and we have never been disappointed.

Food lover. In last 4 days , we went there twice. Food was great both times. It's good to see that there are still few authentic Indian, Pakistani restaurants available in sydney,Lal Qilla is definitely one of them. Service was simply great. Only suggestion is a bigger space could give bit more room for everyone.

My brothers were in town from the country side so I thought i would treat them in this place which I had discovered couple of weeks ago. <br/>The waitress was very accomodating and polite and gave me a nice big table. The lights were a bit too dim to read the menu. But never the less we started with entree`s. I can say this because I have dined in most of the indian restaurants around sydney but this place has the best entree`s. We ordered fish,cottage cheese, chicken. Mouth watering and full of flavours. So the start was very promising but then came the main meals. The portion was good but it had nothing unique. We ordered some goat shahi paneer and a creamy chicken dish. The curries were almost cold and lacked flavours. The naan breads were good and delicious. Overall this place has alot of potential. Spice up ur curries abit and this one will be a winner. Thanks for the lovely night.

Great place. It's my local and it's a great place couldn't be more happy. The options are large and varied, very nice staff also.. Weird when people here say it is shabby, do they expect luxury when ever they pull money out for food.. Are you a princess?<br/><br/>The food is great! and cheap. also it's BYOB

Great food but poor service ruined the evening :-(. We had a delicious meal but sadly the service ruined our evening. I am absolutely not one for berating waiting staff (I have worked as a waitress) but I do not take kindly to being called a liar.<br/><br/>Our waiter took our order using an iPad / tablet and ordered me the wrong dish in error. This is fine as mistakes happen but he insisted that he had taken the order correctly and that I was wrong! His manner was very condescending and dismissive. He then implied that he would put through my order and that it may be cooked. We waited and waited, the food on the table started to get cold and it was evident that my order had not been taken. Our condescending young waiter was nowhere to be seen! Luckily, another (lovely) waiter noticed that I appeared to be put out, apologised and immediately took my order. My food arrived shortly after but by then, my partner had finished his meal and our side dishes were cold - this put a bit of a damper on the evening. <br/><br/>This is such a shame as we could not fault the food. Needless to say, we did not return.

NEVER AGAIN!. Such a disappointment here. The first experience, while a little slow to arrive was really enjoyable, the food was quite tasty.<br/><br/>My second experience hadn't arrived in 1h 20m so i phoned to ask them for an update and the lady said "one moment and i'll check". I then heard her proceed to serve customers offline whilst leaving me on hold for 5+ minutes. Eventually the lady returned to advise me that the delivery guy had just a left and would arrive sometime..sometime!!?!<br/><br/>Not happy with this response I advised that if the order didn't arrive in 10 minutes i wanted a full refund to which the lady advised she would call back in 5 minutes to confirm.<br/><br/>No major surprise here this call never arrived and i was yet again forced to contact the shop. The lady seemed confused as who i was and again i was put on hold while she continued her offline conversations with other customers. After 10 more minutes passed i finally hung up. <br/><br/>At this point i was furious with this blatant disregard for customer service. no longer interested in continuing this charade i called back, engaged. It would seem this shop was quite happy to take my money and leave me on hold. <br/><br/>After waiting another 15 minutes i called back no answer. The food finally arrived at 9:05. I sent the delivery guy away without taking the food and requested a refund. Only time will tell if these shonky operation will return my money.<br/><br/>Order Placed 7:13 - Saga over 9:05<br/><br/>DO NOT RISK ORDERING HERE

Butter Chicken!. Best butter chicken I've ever had, the service is wonderful too. The atmosphere is neither too loud nor too quiet. Just right.

I liked the food... But it's ok! Won't say the best I have had.<br/>For some reason though accoustics of this place are off the chart! Every one around talking are soooooo freaking loud that at one point you just want to get up and ask those people to shut up!

Amazing place!!. My husband and I had been here for dinner yesterday and were very delighted with the food. The Haleem served to us was one of the best that I have ever had.<br/>We then oredered the BBQ biryani which was simple amazing. There was a flavour in every grain of rice!!<br/><br/>The staff too were extremely helpful and polite!<br/><br/>Would definitely be going here again.

Amazing service, delicious home style food. It's a romantic little place with really lovely staff and the food was perfect. Would recommend it to anyone!

Just ok. Pros: Friendly staff, price<br/>Cons: Food (average taste), atmosphere (too congested)<br/><br/>And the last point it is not indian food at all. I wouldn't visit that place again.

Not your Generic Indian cuisine. This is a great addition to Surry Hills ,a restaurant that prepares delicious Pakistani food,that is a change from the run of the mill Indian/Pakistani/Bengali food,sold in most establishments.The staff are friendly and there was a good explanation of the varied menu and daily specials,<br/>The naans were light and sumptous too.Our lamb with chickpeas starter was incredible.

This one was a disappointment. After reading some good reviews we thought it'd be great to try. Sadly it wasn't. The food was ordinary. Just typical Indian or Pakistani food you could find anywhere. The staff were slow and not helpful. We weren't offered anything other than tap water to drink. The interior was shabby, the chairs full of holes. <br/><br/>The only thing going for it was it was cheap. Not enough to warrant going back though.

Amazing food.....can't fault it no matter how hard I try....

Awesome!

In sydney for holidays Lal qila was recommended to us by our friends as best Pakistani restaurant and we were not disappointed the staff was friendly explained all the specials portions are generous rightly priced lamb boti and goat karahi was amazing the menu was realy authentic and so was the ambience <br/>Highly recommended keep it up guyz:-) we will be back

Tried this restaurant tonight, we were greeted by lovely staff on arrival. We went for the house specials, which cost slightly more, but definitely one of the nicest curries in 6 years in Oz. recommend to all Sydneysiders.

Amazing place!. I went here with my boyfriend last night, and I have to say I absolutely loved it. Best service we have ever recieved! The waiters/waitresses were lovely, the food was divine and the place had a great ambience to it. Great value for money!! 10/10 will certainly be back :)

Amazing, Fantastic & Good Value. We went this restaurant after reading the reviews on Urbanspoon but still did not know what to expect. We love Indian food and this place is truly fantastic. <br/><br/>First and foremost the staff were an absolute delightful - friendly and happy to provide recommendations. We went with our waitress recommendations and O.M.G we are so glad that we did - the food was amazing and truly delicious <br/><br/>Trust us, check it out for yourselves as you won't disappointed - a great experience and a must visit for lovers of Pakistani-Indian food. <br/><br/>We highly recommend this place and it now is definitely one of our favourite.