Himalayan Cafe

This place was not for my stomach and the food was really incipient. I visited this place for the experience of trying something different and I was with a vegan that insisted on trying this place. The prices do not justify or deliver on quality or taste. The non-​vegetarian meat curry does not include any rice or any side, as that cost extra. The only positive aspect would be the ambiance and location.

Good food, nice and laid back atmosphere. Nothing that really blew me away. I heard so much about this place I guess my expectations were too high.
Great spot for big groups and a good variety of food options. Perfect for proper that like to share, family style.
BYO is always fun, take advantage of that!

This is one of those places you always hear good things about, so when a friend hosted her birthday here, I thought it was a good opportunity to get along and see what the fuss was about. In a nice location on Brunswick Street, it’s a little store front restaurant with both inside and outside seating. Being a large group, we had a long table outside.
I wasn’t overly taken by the menu, not being a curry fan, but I ordered the goat curry, having never tried goat before. I also ordered a garlic bread to start with.
Something like an hour later the breads arrived. And they got the orders all wrong. You could say wrong orders were the order of the night, because they constantly screwed up, over and over and over again.
Two hours later our mains arrived. Yes, they got a lot of those wrong too (and the drinks). Once I got given the right dish (the waitress said it was the goat, but another yelled at her, it was the lamb) it was nice enough. I polished it off with no trouble. I’m not a fan of spicy food, but it wasn’t QUITE hot enough to put me off eating, although I did drink a lot with it!
No one ordered by menu number so when they brought out dishes and just yelled out the number, confusion ensued. They had to bring out menus again so we could check what the number was for what we ordered. The waitresses didn’t actually seem to know what any of the dishes were, only the number.
A few of us ordered dessert only to have the waitress return a few minutes later to tell us that they didn’t have any dessert.
Maybe they just can’t handle large groups. If not, they shouldn’t take large bookings, so go with a small group or just as a couple and you may have a better experience. After all, the food was pretty good.
I won’t be back.

A nice enough café — BYO only.
Visited the Himalayan Café with a couple of friends last night — I loved the décor which was cosy and welcoming. The food was fine — we were a veggie and two carnivores and shared a selection. There is a very good selection for vegetarians and the meat courses were fine. The food was pretty simple — curries with a Nepalese twist. Good for eating out with friends!

Maybe I’ve built this place up in my head with all of the other reviews. But I was impressed with everything but the food. There exists a not-​so-​fine line between cooked-​slowly-​so-​as-​to-​impart-​tenderness, and downright overcooked.

Make sure you get a booking, it’s busy every night except Mondays (closed) and the food is amazing! Free chocolate at the counters sometimes too, are they trying to seduce me?

As we drove there a spell of rain abruptly began. Needless to say that we were starving after having witnessed rain and hailstorm, but Himalayan Café had us covered with many options!
Any Coconut Milk dish is incredibly tasty I’d say. I wasn’t supposed to eat it since I am on a low carb diet, but I couldn’t resist. Many items may not be catered for local tastes (size, saltiness, oiliness, sauciness), but the beautiful chicken and prawns are smothered in an irresistible cream sauce which leaves you longing for more. Tibetan food may not be everyone’s cup of tea but you will enjoy a fairly light, fresh and delicious meal, seasoned with a little salt and the right hints of spices.
Small portions. Combined with buns/​bread, it might overall be more filling than it seemed. Reasonably priced.
Excellent service, going back home with a new To-​Buy CD to my list (Meditative Buddhist Chants by Metok Ladhon).
Good for takeaways and great for romantic cozy dinner… :) Very cozy, amazing and funky indoor decorations. The highlight for my date was checking out the bathroom. (YES, check out the restaurant and go to their bathroom — you’ll get what I mean) :D

This little spot is our favourite restaurant in Brisbane — it never disappoints! I could happily order anything from the vegetarian menu and be stoked with it. The Sherpa chicken is a favourite amongst friends. I agree with previous comments — don’t order the breads without the dipping sauce!
The only reason it lacks the fifth star is the service which can be variable.

Five out of five flags!
I love this place. That’s all there is to it. I have been going to it for over ten years now and everytime I have the same experience. It’s the same guy and I swear he is wearing a shirt now he was wearing then.
Everybody who goes to Himalayan Café must order the Himalayan bread WITH the dipping sauce. It’s a rule. The bread is amazing, it melts in your mouth, but with the mint dipping sauce… words can’t explain the awesomeness that is this pairing. I always enjoy getting the mixed meat platter for entrees which has a little bit of everything to try. It’s number 18 — I actually remember the number.
There main meals are all excellent; I have never had a bad one. They have lamb and chicken and goat and everything you’d expect from a Himalayan restaurant.
The prices are really reasonable for what you get and the staff always warn you that if you park in the nearby Nightowl, you will get towed. Nice to know. There is also the back room for those that don’t mind sitting on pillows, instead of chairs. It’s not for everyone but some people will enjoy the ambiance. For my money, I always enjoy a chair but I’ll take the back room if their booked out. Be warned, they will be really busy on Saturday nights.
It’s BYO, which is good to know.
It’s pretty easy to spot from the street as well; it’s painted bright red and there are a lot of prayer flags hung out the front of the store. Best Himalayan in Brisbane, if not simply best in Brisbane.
Enjoy!

Himalayan Café has the atmosphere, and it has amaaaazing breads. Seriously, it’s a little bit sweet, soft and springy, deliciously flavoured, and just incredible. The mains here are also delicious — I always find Himalayan Café a great place to visit with a group, order a bunch of plates and then share all the dishes because you’ll want to try a bit of everything. Personal favourites are the Sherpa Chicken and the Pesto Chicken, but I’ve never had anything bad. The dimly lit interior and soothing music will transport you straight to the Himalayas, and the service is usually pretty good despite the restaurant being full just about every night. Book ahead to avoid disappointment!

The Himalayan Café is a bit of a Brisbane institution. It’s been around for years and has some diehard, loyal customers. I’ve been to the Himalayan Café a fair few times over the years and always enjoyed my meal. I’ve often appreciated the generosity of serving and variety of flavour that you can get by ordering one of their vegetarian platters where you get a little bit of lots of different menu items. This is also a good way to go if you plan on sharing with a friend. I also like that they have outdoor tables under their eye-​catching, iconic awning with its red painted designs and prayer flags.
I’ve always found that people tend to pledge loyalty to either the Himalayan Café or Tibetan Kitchen just a block up the road. The competition is definitely fierce because both places are delicious. Personally, I’ve always found that Tibetan Kitchen has the edge in terms of flavour and reliably quick service. There have been a few times where my meal has taken longer to arrive than I thought it should have at Himalayan Café. However, I’m not so hardcore about my preference for Tibetan Kitchen that I“ll never choose to visit Himalayan Café. Himalayan Café can often be a more pleasant, less hectic and noisy dining experience than Tibetan Kitchen, especially since there are outdoor tables. I’m glad to be spoilt for choice enough in Brisbane that we have two Nepalese/​Tibetan restaurants within a block of each other that are both a good standard and I’ll continue to enjoy eating at both!

I have only been to the Himalayan Café and let me tell you, my first experience was a very pleasant one. The Himalayan Café is actually more of a restaurant and boy do they serve delicious food or what. Anyone who is a fan of Indian curries, should enjoy Himalayan food.
I entered this restaurant not knowing what to expect, I had never had Himalayan food before, nor did I have any clue what it was like. I left the ordering to be made by a friend of mine as he seemed to know what to do. We ordered 3 or 4 curries that all came served with bread. These were all delicious curries with very tender meat but the highlight would have to be the Sherpa Chicken curry. This is the only dish I remember the name of because of how amazing it was. The curry came in a cream based sauce and had a very intricate flavour. One day, I will come back to this restaurant to order that particular dish.
Only reason I can’t give this place a full 5 star rating is because the service was not all there (at least not on the night we went). We were pretty much left alone the entire night without anyone checking up on us but we did not really mind.
I am no connoisseur of Himalayan food as this is the only Himalayan restaurant that I have been to but what I can say is that it serves some of the most amazing food I have ever tried.

The Himalayan Café is one of my favourite places to eat, it’s a BYO restaurant so don’t make the mistake we did of expecting to order some wine of the menu. The food was pretty incredible. I don’t think I’ve ever been impressed with just the starter bread before but the Mountain Bread and the trio of dips that came with it were delicious.
If you can get a table on the wall with the cushions I highly recommend it, it helps heighten the atmosphere of the place, which is already pretty relaxed but go in prepared to spend at least an extra hour just enjoying the space. It’s a pretty unique little spot so soak as much up as you can.

This café is not reserved for the faint of heart or stomach.
…I found that out the hard way after making the mistake
of skipping lunch before a dinner party here.
After what seemed an excruciating amount of time
(where I contemplated eating the napkin in front of me)
The food finally arrived. (do try and avoid the 7pm dinner rush)
Whether it was the result of mild starvation or not
I found the food out of this world.
The mountain bread was delicious and fluffy
but please try the tender Goat stew, coconut chicken or the prawn curry
(You will become a better human for it.)
Despite the wait and the sometimes spotty service,
Himalayan café provides an overall great dining experience.
Be sure to book ahead as this place gets kerr-​azy
on the weekends.

Feeling peckish? Take a trek up Brunswick Street and follow the sound of bells tinkling alongside prayer flags fluttering in the breeze. At the summit, you will be rewarded with soft cushions within an incense-​spiced room adorned with trinkets collected in Nepal and Tibet.
The space welcomes travellers in large packs, as well as couples who can nestle away in a cushiony corner.
Probably the best restaurant in Brisbane which most resembles a Nepalese teahouse, the Himalayan Café dishes up a feast of traditional Nepalese cuisine. There is a large emphasis on vegetarian curries, but for those carnivores out there — you cannot go past the goat stew. It is packed with flavour and the meat literally melts in your mouth. Teamed up with a soft, warm round of cheesy Himalayan bread (think naan, but thicker, spongier and oh, so much more addictive), you have yourself a sumptuous feast fit for a Sherpa.
Thirsty? It is BYO only ($ 2 corkage) with a bottle shop just across the street. Soft drinks and juices are available, but personally, I can’t think of a better way to end the meal than with a steaming pot of salty, buttery tea. If popcorn were to come in liquid form — this would be it. Delicious.