The Colonial, Darlinghurst

The Colonial is a British-Indian restaurant. I check out their Darlinghurst venue for mid-week dinner. When I hear British-Indian - i'm not sure what that means so I was curious. I get a preview of some of the new menu items.



The Colonial is located in Darlinghurst, a short walk away from the main Sydney CBD. It's a small restaurant which is dimly lit. The staff are really attentive.

Fortunately I am in the presence of good company including someone who has an Indian background which comes in handy as I have lots of questions. 

The meal is kicked off by Paneer Spring rolls. I've never seen spring rolls on an Indian menu before but I have to say - it works. The Paneer is a subtle tasting cheese and who can resist the crunchy spring roll pastry.

I rarely see salads on Indian menus as well but there's a few options to choose from in their new menu including the watermelon salad. This is great for a hot day day as the watermelon is refreshing. This salad is served up with a touch of feta. There's also the green salad with chicken. It's quite creamy with crunchy lettuce textures. 

My favourite salad though is the chicken tikka salad. I love the addition of pomegranate on top of tikka chicken, salad leaves which is drizzled with a creamy sauce.

Now to the curries. Have you ever had salmon in a curry? Above is the salmon dildar. The curry is a non-spicy base however it's full of flavour and the salmon pieces are moist. It's different and definitely something you wouldn't find on a traditional indian menu.

For a more complex curry, why not try the Anglo-Indian Duck masala. This one seemed to be a hit with the foodies I was dining with. A touch spicier, although still tolerable, has hints of chilli, curry, garlic, ginger and onion. The chunky curry is enjoyable to eat and the duck is delicious.

My personal favourite curry of the night is the Saag Paneer. This non-spicy curry is a green leaf based curry often made from spinach, mustard leaf and other greens. The Paneer is a solid cheese and holds well in the sauce. Have some of this saag paneer with naan bread or some rice and you will be in heaven. 

There's a few dessert options like the classic Kulfi which is essentially Indian Ice cream. Or for a more British twang, try the Sticky Date Pudding which is more like a cake with caramel icing. It's missing that generous serving of sauce that you would generally expect. 

Summary: For those who are wanting Indian flavours but in a creative fusion twist, come check out the Colonial. They also have more traditional dishes if that is more your thing.

My faves were the paneer spring rolls and the saag paneer. I also quite liked the chicken tikka salad.

Price: $40 per person

Location: 118 Crown St, Darlinghurst

Opening Hours: 12pm to 3pm daily, 5pm to 10:30pm daily

Weekend Food Escapes dined as guests of Zomato. All words, photos and opinions are my own.