Lavendra is a genuinely nice Indian restaurant in North Sydney, with a $99 per person set menu that looks appealing, though feels slightly overpriced. To their great credit, they offered to split the set menu — one vegetarian, one meat — for our table without hesitation. Many restaurants won’t do this, so the flexibility was genuinely appreciated. In the end, we weren’t quite hungry enough for a set menu, so we ordered a la carte.
The Menu
Online I read that this restaurants menu changes seasonally, because of their dedication to quality and a desire to make it fresh for regulars. That’s a big point in favor of this restaurant and it’s appreciated. That said, the menu is relatively small, maybe there are 4-5 meat entrees and 4-5 vegetarian ones. However, I take this as a good thing, as it means they are focused on quality over quantity.
One interesting quirk: while this is clearly an Indian restaurant in feel, many dishes are listed as originating from elsewhere. Momos, for instance, are noted as Nepali. More amusingly, one dish is listed as coming from Iran, while another just below it claims Persia — apparently catering to both sides of that particular naming debate.
Edit: Just checked the menu again and realized in early 2026 they are doing a menu of Indian dishes that traveled globally or influenced global cuisines. Very cool, and now I understand what they were doing here. This actually makes me like the restaurant a lot more.
The Space
The interior is nice without being luxurious. The building is clearly older — a modern renovation would likely have brought larger, single-pane windows — and the dining area is genuinely quite small, which partly explains the higher price point. What you’re buying here isn’t just food; it’s a quiet, intimate setting.
The View
The view is nice, and that’s a selling point of this restaurant. However, what you might think would be a 10/10 is a bit worse. The windows are smaller than ideal, and trees partially obstruct the sightline, but there is a real Opera House and Harbour Bridge view — just a somewhat obscured one. If you book a date here, you want to reserve a table specifically next to the window with the very best view.
For comparison, The Fenwick offers a better overall ambiance and outlook, and the ferry ride across adds a romantic touch — but Lavendra is still a pleasant setting.
The Food
We ordered a Butter Chicken ($35), a vegetarian curry ($32), a mango lassi ($7–8), and three garlic naans, arriving at just over $100 in total — figures from memory, but the bill was definitely past the $100 mark.
The food came out fast and was good. My curry, which the menu said was from Malaysia, was spicy and flavorful.
The Butter Chicken was noticeably larger than the vegetarian curry for only $3 more, which is a good deal for meat-eaters but unfortunate for us vegetarians. Of course, I couldn’t eat it, but my dining companion said the Butter Chicken was truly excellent. The naan was solid but basically unremarkable, the mango lassi was fine, and my curry well-prepared — just a bit small by comparison.
Reservations
We walked in early on a Wednesday with absolutely no problem, but I’ve heard reservations are needed for busier times.
Verdict
If you’re in the area and budget isn’t a primary concern, Lavendra is a good option. If you’re looking for an Indian set menu restaurant, and want to split a vegetarian and meat set menu this is the spot, since not everyone will do this. Indu closed in 2025, but that was a fantastic Sri Lankan restaurant with a much more premium interior (but no view) with a $65-$70 set menu, so the $99 price does feel a bit higher. But, their flexibility alone get’s them a thumbs up from me. I really, truly, appreciate their flexibility even if we didn’t go for it.
If you’re watching your budget, there are other Indian restaurants worth considering nearby — Saravanaa Bhavan North Sydney offers significantly better value, and is actually fantastic, though it has no luxury ambiance at all. Since I love Dosas, however, I do also recommend that place.
Overall, Lavendra is recommended — particularly for a quiet dinner where the setting matters as much as the meal. It’s also worth going back again to see how the menu changes every season.
Lavendra Indian, 5 Walker St, Lavender Bay.
This review was totally unsponsored, and we paid for 100% of our own food etc.
