Amazing Pakistani food! Their Shahi Maghaz (Bheja) Nihari was delicate, soft, creamy and melted in your mouth. The Goan jhinga (prawn) vindaloo had a lovely tangy and spicy flavour in a tomato & tamarind based gravy. We also loved their kastoori kaju paneer kebab which tasted like delicious crispy croquet. To finish our meal, we had the most amazing badami kheer with a generous sprinkling of dried fruits on its top. Its location right next to Darling harbour and its amazing food make this a place to return to!
Will come back for:
+ Pani Puri
+ Shashi Samosa
+ Seekh Kebab
+ Garlic Naan
Came by here for a bite to eat with some colleagues. Loved the authentic tastes of the food here. All the dishes had bags of flavors, and were delightfully spicy. I particularly liked the pani puri which was a refreshing way to start off the meal. And the samosa and kebabs were tasty and moorish. Service was friendly and efficient and prices reasonable. We also tried the paan and whilst interesting probably not something I would go for again. The places was packed for a week night which speaks to the quality of the food and service here. Will definitely be back!
What an amazing place to try some flavour packed Pakistani and Indian Curry. love the goat curry. Well done guys
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
Good happening place. Just opposite the Spice Room and The Malay on the Lime Street. Huge place and quite a lot of seating.
We went there for dinner as we had landed on the Darling Harbour and got this on our Google search on searching indian hotels nearest to us.
We were attended as soon as we entered and offered seat along with water and menu. We ordered dal khushbudar which was yellow dal tadka and Shahi Kumbh Alu which is potatoes and mushroom dish. The quantity of the dishes was good enough. So for 2 people one would suffice if u had a less diet like us. For the breads we ordered tandoori roti and ajwain paratha which were also perfect.
The service was good and fast. Either onions or papads are free and that's not a issue as nothing is for free in this country.
What we found negative about this place was the hygiene part. The water bottle was not clean from outside. The bathrooms were not clean. One did not have soap and in the other the dryer was not working or was broken. Even the menus were dirty.
The owner was there and came up and asked as to how is everything. It was a positive thing as not many are able to be there and attend their guests.
All in all it was a good place with amazing indian food. Price was also less if not at par with other restaurants in the city.
Must visit if u r nearby. If u get any better option then can be missed.
One of the fantastic restaurants for Mughlai cuisine. Went for a dinner with wife and had Quatabi Malai Tikka, Maharajah Angara Jheenga, Lahori Kulcha and Akbari Naan. Delicious food, quick service, courteous staff and a wonderful experience.
Malai Tikka-Chicken was soft, tender and juicy. Served on a hot sizzler plate with salads.
Angara Jheenga- The curry was delicious with assorted spices precisely cooked with onion, tomatoes, ginger, capsicum and green chillies. It has option of how spicy we want. It had 4 pieces and the quantity was not enough for 2 people.
Both Naan was soft, pluffy and fresh
There are so many menu we even confused to choose. But then we ordered naan bread, chicken briyani rice, and also beef cury/tika i forgot the name. All tasted amazing. I love the spices, it was very tasteful and spicy.
Great Indian/Pakistani halal restaurant in Darling Harbour area. With spacious seating area, they can easily accommodate large groups of people.
I love the elegant and exotic decor throughout.
From entree to main and dessert, everything was enjoyable to eat and some dishes were quite unique for me. Note: you might ask them to adjust the spiciness of the dishes (as some could be too spicy for some people). Overall it was a lovely dining experience.
Honestly I’ve been reading these reviews and they’re just making me angry , I travel 1 hour just to visit this restaurant and it’s a for a reason . CAUSE ITS SO DAMN GOOD . I’m sick of seeing all these indian people saying “ it’s not like indian food “ it’s NOT meant to be . It’s a pakistani restaurant and you need to accept that . It’s so much better than a lot of crap indian restaurants who put cream in every dish If you know AUTHENTIC PAKISTANI food honestly this place is magic . i love how this restaurant stays loyal to the true flavours of pakistan ❤️ God bless
Discovered the best "Rogni Naan" we've ever had! Can just come back for this dish alone.
The decor was lovely and so was the service. The food too was really the right amount of spicy and tasty.
Would surely come back, and that too just for the Rogni Naan only! Loved it!
Food super yummy 😋 we order beef akbari nihari, roti and chicken biryani.. the taste is authentic and simply wonderful. Decoration is pretty good. Second time we ordered beef karahi, chicken akbari Murph angari, roghni naan, Lacha paratha
This is one of the best Biriyani in Sydney . Excellent ambience and quality !! Below are some great foods in lalqila 1. Bihari boti - chicken entree 2. BBQ chicken Biriyani 3. Gulab Jamun - dessert .
Onr of the best Indian food resto.in sydney...impeccable on tast n quality..their weekday lunch buffets are a steal...but beware of the que for such buffets
Was so happy to come across this place on King Street Wharf as we were craving something hot and spicy. Staff were very attentive and the restaurant has a relaxing atmosphere to enjoy your meal. Loved the open kitchen for customers to see the chefs in action. Ordered the garlic naan, goat briyani and the nawabi murgh tikka. Everything was very tasty and the serving portion of the briyani was very generous. One serving was enough for two of us and were very hungry. The nawabi murgh tikka was perfectly cooked in the tandoor and was succulent. Would recommend Lal Qila to anyone visiting Sydney.
Tried to book a table and were told they were booked out. When we arrived to get a walk in table, the restaurant was empty. Food was good and quick.
Good restaurant. 1 can expect a Nice meal for their special day. Highly over priced for sides and accomplishments as compared to quality and quantity. There is lot more scope to improve in terms of internal communication, availability on menu and customising dishes when required. Over all a good experience.
Some of the chicken curries are amazing, loved akabari chicken and garlic naan.
But the staff seems pretty unorganized. I would have given 4*.
The manager of the place seems to be pretty panicky and is often seen shouting at his staff members.
Otherwise, food and the place is amazing.
After roaming in darling harbour we went to this restaurant having indian and Pakistani cuisine. It looked full but we managed to get a place. The decor was good and the ambience was good. I didn't like the chairs where we were seated. It was rounded and not comfortable for me to sit on. There were too on the other side for more number of people.
They dont serve alcoholic drinks and we didnt knw about it. Anyways we ordered asahi can a non alcoholic beer to have.
For starters we ordered nawabi murg tikka and it was yum along with mint chutney. Nice presentation.
For mains we ordered mughlai gosht and it was yummy with pistachio and mushrooms cooked in a creamy sauce. Good quantity and quality too. Had it with garlic naan and it was yum too.
Service was pretty quick as the servers were running from one end to another. Pricing too was ok.
I may love to try more of their dishes but not sure if would go that far to try it.
I went to this place with a group of friends over the weekend and we all enjoyed the food! We ordered three different curries to share with nan bread and rice. The curries were so authentic and had their own distinctive taste!! Probably the best curry I’ve had in a long time. Thank you!
The food at Lal Qila was absolutely amazing! Came here with 2 girlfriends and we had trouble deciding given how extensive the menu was! The lovely staff were able to assist and we ordered 3 dishes being the biryani, chicken handie and cream cheese w a butter chicken kind of sauce (haha I have forgotten the name of it clearly) and alsooo 2 types of naans. Every dish was amazing and flavoursome and walked out of the restruarant with very very satisfied stomachs! This will definitely be my new restruarant of choice when it comes to having a good feast!
I'm not sure if my review in this place will b good considering that Pakistani food is not my forte. They where a lot of Indian cuisine here that's what I felt. I honestly know little about this food but more than half the dishes I share with other people in the table where to my understanding yammi enough to draw a smile in my face. I actually love the ambience, waiters where good, there was one with an over the top attitude but I don't pay attention to that. Food was good, I enjoyed it. Is not the best out there but definitely a strong contester
Hola Corporates ! Yes you are looking at the right place ! A place that combines apt ambience and finger-licking food, Lal Qila scores it all. Busy place through out the week, with good crowd-lal qila does not disappoint. Without further adieu, let us scale Lal-Qila on my trusted ABC's.
Ambience : 5/5 : Food and ambience match, it is spacious, comfortable and cozy !
Burp Quotient: Good Platter Size, apt description presented on menu which helps while ordering.
Cost Friendly: Tad expensive, but if you have a love for zaika, you wont mind.
It looses its point as I feel the time to serve can be improved.
Rest, it soaks you with its aromatic ambiance and food.
Cheers, Binay
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
So first things first. This place is not in darling harbour so don't go to darling harbour. Go straight to king street wharf. Definitely check the address before rocking up to darling harbour and attempting to find this place.
Now to the food, service and ambience of this place. Loveeeeeedddd the spinach chat; the crunchy sweet spiciness was like nothing I've experience before and I've had a lot of chats in my time. They included raisins with fresh tomatoes that added some extra crunch and sweetness. But it wasn't sweet at all. The spiciness of the mint yoghurt chutney drizzled over a crisp sheet of fried spinach goodness left you with a flavour explosion. Loved it. Order it if you can handle some spice.
We also ordered the tandoori chicken. Farrrr out if you could suck the finger licking good seasoning off that juicy meat any more you'd be eating bone. It was damn spicy but damn it was good. The only downside (which was turned right way up in the best way later ;)) was that the chicken wasn't fully cooked so we had to send it back. The restaurant owner came to our table and very kindly and promptly took care of it by bringing us another fresh plate of tandoori chicken and not charging us for it! So night was made, our stomachs full, we paid and left.
Haha. No. We had to have mains!
So it was 6 of us (me and my fambam). We ordered a prawn dish which was very average, butter chicken (average), paneer dish with capsicum (average), dhaal makhani (nothing special) but the one that took the show was the achari lamb. That hit the spot on so many levels.
We got rice and a selection of roti, naan and paranthas. We also tried the chilli cheese naan since we've never tasted that anywhere - it was average and not very cheesy.
Portion sizes can def be improved considering the price tag!!
Ambience was really nice - delicate balance between homely and a little fancy. Great for singles, couples and family gatherings.
All in all good experience. I'd go back for the entrees we had and that achari lamb. But most of all the service is what happily surprised us.
Def go and try it out!!
One of the best places for Indian food, around CBD.
I have been there a couple of times, with my colleagues and both the time food was delicious. Although, there is a scope of improvement.
Ambience is very cool and traditional.
They serve unlimited lunch buffet with authentic indian punjabi food, and that is one of the best services they provide.
Second time having Pakistani food, and I must say that it was not a disappointment. The service and food was not-to-be-missed!! My partner experienced his first time trying Pakistani food and he thoroughly enjoyed it, mostly because he loves spicy food and he likes trying new things. We ordered the Paanj Poori which was delicious as an entree. Then we ordered the (spicy) chicken Handie which had a thorough kick, but was still scrumptious (if you appreciate chilli). With that we had the Shahjhahan Chinioti Kunna (with Lamb) which was hot, but very delectable. We accompanied these dishes with Basmati Chawal and Garlic Naan. Definitely will be back here for another serving of delicious food (and service)!
My reviews are based on my personal experience of visiting this Restaurant and can be categorised as per below :
------------------------------------------------
- Location : 15 min walk from Wynard Station.situated right next to the wharf Fantastic location.
- Cuisine : Indian
- Taste : Excellent food
- Staff : super friendly staff and very welcoming
- Ambience : Excellent, Restaurant gives a classy feel
- Serving per plate : Buffet with good veg/non veg option
- Cost for two : $25 per head
- What I tried : There are multiple options to choose from. Standard set buffet which never changes 😝
- In short : Good restaurant and which bring value for money.
Must go
Over crowded on Fridays
Overall the food in Lal Qila was decadent at its finest and brought back a lot of memories of eating mum’s cooking and eating on the streets of Pakistan. If you are looking for authentic Pakistani cuisine, then Lal Qila is the place for you.
Went there with a Pakistani guy I know, his recommendation. It didn't let down, apparently it tastes authentic just like in Lahore. Another friend of mine from Brasil was also at the dinner and direct quote was "wow that chicken is really tender". Service was quick and friendly and we kept ordering more nan just to soak up the rest of the curry and spices. Will definitely be going back!
Update - have been back at least 5 times since....
Fast speedy friendly Sevice and amazingly tasteful food. I had Goat biryani for my main meal which was huge in term of quantity and had pakora for my entree.
Overall well worth it for taste, value and sevice.
The service at this restaurant is very slow, the location is good and it is not too crowded. The dim lights could be disappointing for a dining experience. However, I ordered for Paneer and Veg Kadai which was decent. The dessert we ordered was vanilla ice cream with gulab jamun which helped us finish our meal with a smile on our face.
![Zomato]( "Recensione")
We are a little bit perplexed as to why the rating is so low... after our experience we decided to give lal qila a 5. My colleague raved about Lal Qila since late last year, she told me the food was amazing and that I had to go, Lal Qila was on our list to dine for some time. We were extremely fortunate to have received an invite from Lal Qila earlier this year and couldn't believe our luck.
I am obsessed about traditional Pakistani/indian food. The ambience at Lal Qila was amazing, a very modern spacious and luxurious setting on lime street, you won't get much of a view from the window... but... well the food is your view.
Since we were invited to Lal Qila, we won't comment on the price.
For starters we had Paani Poori - this was fantastic, we have never seen a dish like this before and wasn't sure what to make of it. Personally I think this is a must have.
Lahori Chathare was sam's pick for starters, this dish ticks all the boxes, deliciously saucy, crunchy with green bits. TICK TICK and TICK!
We received 2 more starters before jumping into the mains: Dilpasand Lahori Seekh (lamb cutlets - SO good and SO tender, full of flavour) and Kurkura Nawabzada (battered king prawns, these prawns were massive and full of crunch + flavour)
Onto mains, we were served Shan-e-balti CHICKEN, a great poultry dish, it was tender, again fulllll of flavour on top of our vegetarian biryani, there's no sauce to this dish but it's full of delicious spices and there's a kick!), Handie (boneless fish fillets, as you know, a lovely fish dish, sam loved it I thought it was nice but my chicken dish was still better!), Masala -e-markli (a dish with lots of ginger and okra - now, I don't eat either okra or ginger at home, but I decided what the hell, I'll give it a go it smells so good, and guess what, it tastes as good as it smells. The Okra wasn't slimy and very flavoursome, perfect with rice). Our mains were accompanied by a beautiful platter of naan - my favourite will ALWAYS be the garlic naan.
For dessert, we had a beautiful plate of kulfi on a stick - it was hands down the BEST kulfi we have ever had as it laid on bits of crushed pistachios.
The staff were very attentive, and knew everything from the menu off by heart. We cannot wait to come back!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
From the moment I stepped into Lal Qila at Darling Harbour to the time I left, I was treated with such friendly hospitality and delicious food. Every single dish that was put on our table was made with such care, beautifully presented, lots of spices and flavours and I was simply in foodie heaven. The paani poori shots were most fun and memorable whilst my favourite dishes of the lot are the Lahori machli (fish) and chicken Handie curry. The venue itself is very clean and glamorous looking but with a comfortable and relaxed vibe to it. Check out my post for the full write up
Great ambience and food.
We were seeking a place to eat after the madness of Darling Harbour and this was a haven of tasteful decor and great food, all at a very reasonable price. Plenty of options for us as vegetarians; polite, efficient service. We visited during the 2nd week of Jan 2017. Recommended!
I must confess i'm not overly familiar with Pakistani or Indian food but was happy to try all the dishes at Lal Qila. Lal Qila has been operating in Surry Hills for the past 8 years and has recently expanded to King St Wharf. I check out their new venue. . I came here on a public holiday and wasn't expecting many other customers but to my surprise there was a huge table and then locals/tourists flowed into Lal Qila. I look at the menu and can't help but feel overwhelmed by page after page of options. MW loves trying new food so we get straight into it (with some recommendations from the staff). For full review, including photos - check out the full blog post
Located in Darling Harbour, Lal Qila is a notable choice for halal restaurant at Sydney. All dishes were served in large quantities so the leftovers can be taken-out. Nice place for fine dining especially for groups and gatherings. We tried the classic Indian snack Lahori Chatkhara, which was mind-blowing. The flavors mixed together so well. We also had Mughlai Gosht with butter naan. Meat dish was very tasty and a little spicy just to our liking. We also had sweet lassi which was a blend of yoghurt curd spiked with sugar to tease our taste buds. It is a definite try for all.
I’ve tried many food places but Lal Qila is by far my favorite Indian restaurant in Darling Harbour with al halal menu items. The food, ambience, staff, and location everything is perfect. The sitting was decorated in a Mughal style which made the experience very fancy. Every meal is generous in quantity so it is also a decent place for small gatherings. Tried saat samander paar (faluda) – the most amazing sweet ever. Every bite fills your mouth with flavors of traditional Indian ice-cream kulfa.
Best Indian Restaurant ever!! 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 extensive and has a variety to choose from. When our order arrived, the staff greeted us in a friendly manner. The food was amazing. Each dish had a main element whose flavor was elicited with a garnish or a dressing. For desserts we had kheer – a mildly sweet rice based pudding which was warm and soft, ending us feeling cozy and delighted
Does My Bomb Look Big In This
+3.5
An eye-catching quartet of Paani Poori ($10.90/4) is our first introduction to the new Lal Qila. Building upon the repertoire of their successful Cleveland Street restaurant, this more luxurious King Street Wharf spot refines their offerings with a few fine dining touches. Presented on top of shot glasses of vividly green tamarind water, Lal Qila keeps these tasty puffs beautifully crisp. This dish is an update on a popular street food in India and Pakistan (where they're called gol gappy) that starts with hollow, fried pastries, punches a hole in them, fills them with sweet chutney, chickpeas, potato and a spice blend called chaat masala, then pours in tamarind water for a whole-of-mouth vegetarian experience that's hard to beat. If you’re not familiar with Pakistani Mughlai cuisine – the food of the Muhajir people, the Muslim immigrants who left India after the partition to settle in the newly formed Pakistan – order some Pappadums ($5.90) while you peruse the extensive menu. The menu writing alone is worth your attention – you can feel owner/chef Namir Mirza’s genuine enthusiasm for the dishes he’s presenting. Pakistani food can be understood as conquered cuisine, with each of the conquerors – Persian, Romans, Greeks, British and others – leaving traces on the dishes.You’ll also find hints of these conquerors in the restaurant's décor, which eschews the dim lighting and colourful clutter of the Surry Hills space, for a more elegant, white-tablecloth affair. Along the figurines, you’ll find some wonderful geometric pieces common to Islamic art, which has had a somewhat varied attitude to figurative art (art that depicts people) over the years. Being a Muslim restaurant, Lal Qila does not serve alcohol, though they are happy for you to bring your own. They have created a rather unique range of mocktails, which may be an acquired taste. The watermelon-based Jaam-e-Lal Qila ($7.90) was...
[invite] Bianca: My exposure to Indian food has embarrassingly been the more typical Western staples. Butter chicken, tandoori chicken, rogan josh… And while these are unquestionably favourites for a reason, there was so much I was missing out on. Step in Lal Qila, a Pakistani restaurant specialising in Mughlai cuisine. Known for their spicy dishes and heavy use of ground and whole spices. With two restaurants in Sydney, one on Cleveland street Surry Hills and the other in Darling Harbour, King Street Wharf.
Highly underrated hotel. Visited last weekend over my birthday treat. Found staff courteous, good interiors and food taste was splendid as well.
Highly recommended to taste genuine taste from Indian subcontinent.
Sir And Mlady Dine Out
+4
One of the best dishes ever was the Lahori Chatkhare. It was so impressive! So vibrantly colourful and incredibly delicious. It was fresh, crisp and so very tasty. This dish was made up of spinach leaves in a crispy lentil batter, sweet and spicy blend of potato sticks, puffed rice, nuts, raisins, topped with yoghurt, tmarind, chilli and mint. This heavenly dish had a slight kick that was very subtle. It really was such a shame at having to share this yummo dish! Mlady could have eaten it all by herself.
Been there for dinner and can rate this joint a must go if you are looking forward to authentic mughlai food in Sydney. Menu is full of nice option, food quality and taste is quite near to the one we expect, quantity also very generous per serving. They have lunch buffet as well that can be tried.
i simply love both the restaurants. They follow a strict and high standard of quality which is why they have repeated customer base which is increasing day by day ! With the high standards the quality of food is delicious :) Cant wait for my parents to come here from overseas and eat the DELICIOUS saag they make ! Yummmmy.
BEST FOOD EVER IN SYDNEY LOVE THERE FOOD AND SERVICE IN SURRYHILLS AND DARLING HARBOUR.
KEEP IT UP GOOD WORK LAL QILA
Amazing restaurant offering a wide variety of Pakistani dishes that stem from the owners family recipes. The food is made from the heart and you will enjoy everything you order. The servings are decent and the customer service is fantastic. I highly recommend the Alamgiri Tikka Masala and the Paani Poori !!
The best place in Sydney to have authentic Indian/Pakistani food. Felt like home. Surely going to recommend to all my friends in the city. The ambience plus the food combines to give one of the best dinning experience.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes