Kalpakavadi in York

I found the food very bland,no personal service just ordered food came paid left .

Flavours are top-notch. The Biryani is excellent, and the rest of the ordered food tasted great. Well-balanced spices and aromantic, just how it should be with South Indian cuisine. Wonderful, I'll be going back again if I'm in York. The atmosphere is nice and the staff are very welcoming.

The best Indian restaurant meal I have had in years! Even though a Thali wasn't even on the menu they made one for us and it was superb, we also ordered a butter chicken and a korma for the kids which was also top notch. No grease in any of the dishes or breads and the rice was properly cooked aswell. Very good service and the decor is great. Moderately priceybut you are paying for quality....Would definitely recommend

We had an excellent meal last night at Kalpakavadi; the chicken madras starter definitely made it into my "top 10 ever starters"; not just because of the exquisite spices...but the sheer poundage of poultry on the plate [if that is not an alliteration too far...]. The service was amazing- attentive but never intrusive...there was a very high staff to client ratio....and almost zero waiting times...well done Kalpakavadi!

My meal was absolutely delicious.

Fabulous service and all 4 of us enjoyed our meals . Recommend the Nadan Aattirirachi lamb curry sublime, Kozhi Malli Persian, Angamali chemmeen curry, Finally out vegetarian grandson enjoyed Wayanadan vegetable curry 🥰

During our visit to York from December 31 to January 2, we decided to try some authentic Indian cuisine at this restaurant—and we weren’t disappointed! We ended up dining here for both lunch and dinner throughout our stay. Specializing in dishes from the southern states of India, this restaurant is best enjoyed beyond the usual tikkas and butter chicken. I highly recommend exploring their authentic flavors instead. The rasam was a standout—unlike anything we've had elsewhere. If you’re a fan of fish, the Polichathu is a must-try—bold, spicy, and packed with flavor. I only wish I had discovered it earlier instead of on my last meal in York, but with so many delicious options, it was hard to choose! There are plenty of choices for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The staff is warm, welcoming, and attentive. We’ll absolutely return when we visit York again. Until then, we’ll be missing these flavors back in the US!

Excellent venue, to meet with friends. Food amazing. Service brilliant never felt rushed, food hot and tasty.

The railway mutton curry is the best curry in York bar none. Everything they produced was top class and the service was top notch.

Absolutely amazing food. I highly recommend this gem of a place. I wish it was closer to home. We will definitely return, sometime in the future. Thank you to the Chef and staff.

The wine list leaves something to be desired!! So I recommend some mature reds and some green whites, both table wines that could easily be on your menu!... Mature reds: " Monte Velho", " Vidigueira", " Pêra Doce", " Periquita", " Reguengos de Monsaraz", " Borba", " Ermelinda" (touriga nacional) ... Green whites: " Muralhas", " Casal garcia", " Aveleda", " Gazela", " Alvarinho" ...

Amazing food, one of the best curries ever - not forgetting the delicious naan's. Would highly recommend

Its rare to find an authentic Indian restaurant in York but Kalpakavadi is an exception. I really liked their Malabar Fried Prawns and Sambar Vada. But the service? A complete letdown. The staff seemed rushed and pushy. We barely finished our food and the waiter was there to clear our plates. Very disappointing!

Most of the staff except 1-2 is strangely passive aggressive towards Indians, especially the older lady. Don’t plan on returning. Food is okayish, not too bad, but not the best according to Indian standards.

Very tasty Indian food. Wonderful recipes. Service very nice. Spicy, but we asked for non-spicy things for the kids, and some were indeed.

Amazing food and atmosphere. I recommend this place any time of the year.. excellent

the food was delicious but we weren't happy waiting 3 hours for it

Staying a couple of days in York, looking for food and stumbled across this place. A random dog walker going past recommended and it did not disappoint. Malai broccoli starter was unreal, Syrian beef masala was spicy but tasty, meat fell apart. Would definitely recommend.

Fantastic food, nice atmosphere, good value.

Visited this place on our visit from Newcastle recently and we were beyond impressed with the food. We ordered the Medu vada, Broccoli starter, Baby corn starter, Masala dosa, Uttapam and Appam. All but one items very delightful, packed with flavour and very authentic. The broccoli starter however has the feel of frozen broccoli microwaved with some mozzarella on. The service was fab, prices reasonable and portions were good. Will definitely visit on my next visit to York!

Very good food. The staff were very friendly and really accommodating.

Really first class food. Had a great meal on a somewhat quiet Sunday night.

Nice bright clean restaurant friendly staff. Not good value expensive very small portions. Disappointing to say the least the lamb dish had 5/6 very small pierces of lamb and a couple of small potatoes as a main at £13.50 not great rice plain rice £3.80. My friend thought the same very small portions not good value.

The most amazing food, only made better by the amazing service of Gijo and team.

Recommended to here by locals and so glad we were. Really enjoyable meal and excellent value. Food of a really high standard and service was fantastic. Knowledgeable friendly and efficient. Thank you to all the team. We loved it.

Returned to Kalpakavadi for our 2nd visit to celebrate 34years of marriage, on entering the restaurant we were seated 2 tables down from a very large group 15-20 males. The noise was so loud we couldn't even think or concentrate on the menu. The staff made no attempt to ask them to lower the noise as other diners were trying to enjoy their food. As I looked down towards the group the gent next door also commented on how loud it was but stated " I suppose we'll have to get used to it". We then asked the staff members to be moved. The lady returned stating no other tables were available as they were booked. My wife then politely asked them to cancel our order. We paid for 2 bottles of beer then left. Whilst stood outside very upset thinking of somewhere to go a staff member approached us and said he would find us another table or come back in 30 minutes. No thanks, we ended up at The Viceroy, the food was gorgeous, sorry guys we will never return to Kalpakavadi. PS all promotional photos have been deleted.

Excellent service, atmosphere and the meal was one of the best I’ve had.

"The food tastes fantastic—rich flavors and high-quality ingredients that really stand out. However, the price is a bit on the higher side, which might make it more of an occasional treat than a regular stop. If you're looking for a great dining experience and don't mind spending a little extra, it's definitely worth it!"

Thr food is quite delicious and with great ambience for friends and family.The staff/manager was quite supportive.Thank you so much

Nice Railway Mutton Curry. Worth a spin if your over this side of the City. Front of house staff 10/10. We will be back.

We had a warm welcome and a delicious meal here, and having spent time in Kerala, it felt very authentic. The dosa masala was awesome, the Kerala paratha flaky and the Ragada chat was so tasty. Even the music took us back to our time in Kochi….we’ll definitely eat here again!

Absolutely delicious Keralan Cuisine! We ordered lamb chops from the clay oven and Squid Fry, followed by Railway Mutton Curry and, our new favourite, KAPPAYUM MEENUM, which is fish in a tangy and very delicious sauce accompanied by cassava marinated / steamed in Turmeric. Exceptional!!! I think we’re addicted now and will soon be back. Thanks for a great meal!

tasty, interesting food, attentive service and good prices... And warm!!! Thank you!!!

As it was a Kerala restaurant, I had slightly high expectations being a south Indian. Food was okay, it lacked that punch we get from Kerala dishes. Samosa was very good 👍🏻 Service was good, not too long to wait for your dishes. The price is a little on the higher side. The atmosphere is well maintained, but there is definitely room for improvement, probably can give some more Kerala touch.

Another place taken on a chance while walking past. Staff were great got us a table no problem. Had a cocktail with our dinner. Had the special dosa and byryanni and both dishes were great must say though the byryanni was especially good and well worth it. This place is definitely worth a visit.

Food 10/10; service 10/10. We ordered chole, appam, thattu dosa, masala dosa and fish. Everything is great. Ate authentic kerala food after a long time.

Quite possibly the best curry I’ve ever had! The railway mutton curry is delicious. Everything tasted very fresh and the staff and atmosphere very friendly. We’ll be back soon.

Sharing my honest review about the food We ordered Chicken gravy which was too oily and couldn't have a bite later. Next was the sambhar wada: Wada was pathetic specifically when you visit a south indian restaurant, and you get the wada made up of maida. Highly disappointing.😡 The quantity of the staters was too less compared to the high prices. The food was cold , as if like all frozen food just warmed up. The worst part was the mango lassi , it didn't have any mango taste and it was just like shrikhanda. I was very disappointed with the food and the quantity which they serve on such high price. Not recommending this restaurant to anyone.😡😡

My favorite place a must try dosa which is fav one for my little one Friendly staff always supportive will surely recommend

A really amazing meal. A lot of people might pass this by as it has a menu unlike the usual “british Indian” place. Those people are idiots! Amazing flavours, you can taste the time taken with their food. We had the scallops to start, then shared nadam attirachi (lamb) and erisseri(pumpkin), along with a paratha and ney choru (rice with onion, raisins and cashews). Lovely staff who could not have been more helpful, and all pretty cheap! Perfect!

We ordered Chilli Paneer, Samosa chat and Tandoori broccoli. Extra star for the 5 star food plating, soulful playlist and pleasant experience. Highly recommended for Indians.. We will try there Spl Dosa next time for sure..

Food was amazing. We had the pre-meal snack which is a combination of different types of poppadoms and chutneys, it was lovely. For mains we had a butter chicken, a Nadan Aattirachi lamb curry, a Koonu rice and a peshwari naan. The flavours were absolutely delicious and I can’t recommend these dishes enough. Staff were attentive and the price was very reasonable for this quality.

The South Indian food here is superbly authentic, paired with a much-needed strong masala chai. I highly recommend everyone to give this place a try!

Great lunch Thali served on weekdays, brilliant value at £9.99. Very authentic South Indian food, can't fault it.

The manager albin was amazing, asked me how the food was and gave me some great reccomendations. seemed like a genuine nice person deserves a raise!! The food was incredible with so much flavour. The chicken Dosa was the best thing ever. will be coming back here!! would recommend this place and also its sister store blue lagoon is amazing too.

The passion of the waiters and the food shines through, a fabulous experience from start to finish. If you haven't been, go !

If you look at my reviews, you'll see I've been here a few times. It's always been exceptional and we are at the point where the staff recognise us and have brought over the champagne we always like. We've been regulars here since Kalpakavadi have first opened, and recommended the place to many people. We won't be doing that again. We turned up about 50 mins early, but that didn't matter as the place wasn't particularly full...maybe less than a quarter. We went to the bar where the owner/manager was and waited to be seated. I told him my name and he called over a waiter and said 'can you find a table for Jim Hatch, or whatever his name is'. The tone and everything was dismissive and insulting, not just for a regular, but any customer. We were taken to a table in the middle of the restaurant and I asked to be reseated as I don't like staff and customers constantly walking either side of us. We were denied and not offered a table on the other side which was soon given over to another couple. We sat and ordered a bottle of fizz and sat there for over 45 mins while we watched customers come in, be seated, have starters and then be on their mains. Everything was so impersonal and cold in feeling. Around 6pm we decided we'd had enough, with no sign of food. I called the manager over and told him we wanted the bill for the fizz. He said, 'please, I'll treat you'. I'm sorry, but the service was appalling and hhis attitude when we arrived about 'whatever his name is' was enough for me. Waiting for food that wasn't coming was just the lesser of the two gripes. We paid and left and went for a meal at Mumbai Lounge across the road. They seemed more than happy for our custom and the meal was amazing. I highly recommend their Scallop Bhuna. You might even be made to feel welcome.

Best Indian in York. Don’t come here if you’re looking for “korma” or “chicken tikka masala”- this is authentic Keralan cuisine and the staff are very attentive.

My wife and I came here based on recommendations. I had the duck curry and my wife had paneer. Our server listened to our request for flavour over heat and the food was prepared to perfection. The staff were attentive and friendly and I would have no qualms about recommending this place to anyone.

I can't say just how much my wife and I enjoyed the much loved Kalpakavadi Indian restaurant in Fossgate,York. The tastes and flavours are amazing, we started with the deep fried crabs 🦀, then the Fossgate beef, followed by two gorgeous curries, one of them was the lamb curry, so tender.

Food lacks freshness and authenticity… it tasted just plain stale and lacking flavour. It’s not Authentic south Indian food, more like its distant third cousin! The naan isn’t freshly cooked, seems like it’s sort of a packaged one from the grocery store. The ambience is fine but still seems like an overpriced place for something so average overall. The wait staff is very polite but the owner / manager is just downright rude. Has zero understanding of customer satisfaction and I bet he loses customers because of his attitude. I wouldn’t visit this place again, not because of the obnoxious owner, but because the food is just so forgettable and unenjoyable. I also observed from reading other 1-star reviews that the management gets quite defensive and seemingly angry about these reviews but I honestly wish they would see this as genuine feedback and try to increase their level of service and go the extra mile instead of causing minor friction points for the customer. Being penny-wise pound-foolish isn’t great for the business, and isn’t great for the customer. I would happily pay a premium for a friction-less, high quality service.

The BEST place for curry in York. Amazing food, lovely service.

I ordered the seafood platter and meen pollichathu with appam, and it was absolutely delightful! The dishes captured the authentic, traditional flavors of Kerala, and every bite was a treat. I started my meal with a comforting bowl of rasam as soup, which was the perfect warm-up. The staff thoughtfully checked with me about my preferred spice level, adding a personal touch to the experience. The service was impeccable, and I made it a point to thank the chef, only to discover he is from Kerala himself—a detail that made the meal feel even more authentic and special.

The food was very delicious, friendly staff.

Dined at Kalpakavadi tonight, the staff were so welcoming and friendly, the food was delicious service was excellent. The only difficulty was choosing from the tempting dishes on the menu! Will certainly be visiting again when next in York.

Very delicious curry! The garlic naan was fresh and goes so well with the curry! Only one thing to improve is probably the portion. Thankfully we were not super peckish before dinner. Otherwise I’d recommend order 3 curries for two.

Booked here for a large family celebration. Visited by chance last year and it was so different from most Indian restaurants that we picked it for our family get together. The food was superb and the staff were very friendly and accommodating. My favourite was the traffic light chicken !

One of the best places for Kerala Cuisine I would say. I went with my wife for dinner two times. The very reason is the quality food and their hospitality. Shoutout goes to 'Basil' for his amazing hospitality. Loved the video footages about Kerala in the TV. Made me think of going to travel in Kerala one day..A must try Restaurant..Just within the York City Center..Will surely visit again another time..

Absolutely incredible curry. The most unique and delicious curry in York. Everything was sublime.

Most Indian restaurants are North Indian and don’t serve items like dosas. So it was good to find a South Indian restaurant, where I’d particularly recommend its special Kalpapavadi dosa. The food is excellent. The service is just a bit leisurely, although we weren’t in a rush, and there were a couple of minor errors in our ordering. Otherwise I’d give this restaurant a very definite 5 star review. I’d certainly be happy to return on a future visit to York.

The menu was extremely limited and I didn’t exoect a plate of dark green food . Service and value was good and I did enjoy my meal

Throughly enjoyed the £12.95 mid week set menu, food was tasty, fresh especially the Lamb Rogan Josh…. The service was friendly and it was nice to see the chef come out of the kitchen and ask how the food was. Definitely recommend this restaurant, we were on our way to a show at The Barbican. We’ll go back again next time we visit York.

Vert nice staff. Mutton biriani and masala dosa were both really excellent. Butter chicken ok. Nan bread nice. I would definitely return to this restaurant.

Delicious and authentic food! Lots of fish and seafood on offer as well as mouth watering dosas. Vegetarians and vegans will find plenty of choice, too. Mango and prawn curry and fish cooked in banana leaves should be tried for sure!

Booked in advance, which was good as this place was very busy. Despite this, staff were friendly, welcoming, and very efficient. Food was fantastic and reasonably priced, which isn't always the case in the centre of a tourist city like York. Highly recommend but book first or get a takeaway. You won't be disappointed.

The food was tasty , full of flavours perfect blend of spices . The chana curry was delicious . Service was on point . Happy with the quantity of the food served .

I had railway mutton and it melted in the mouth would have liked a bit of spice. Very nice though

Great food, fair price (alcohol well priced). Service was a little hit and miss but would recommend this place.

I love curry 🍛 house's, this was slightly different, south Asian Currys, different but very tasty, piping hot, tasty, good value for money. Place was packed , Saturday night 😔, everyone can't be wrong, our party 🥳 of 4 loved the food. Service was brilliant and the chef came round for a chat after service had finished, really nice genuine guy.

We had a wonderful meal enjoying the incredible range of flavors of their cuisine. The best Indian restaurant in York.

Wonderful lunch - so tasty and interesting

Amazing authentic food cooked fresh to order. Great service from the friendly staff. Would highly recommend.

Really delicious food. Very friendly staff. Highly recommend!

Absolutely delightful restaurant, staff were so lovely and friendly and the food was DELICIOUS, would really recommend to anyone

Fabulous food with really friendly staff, excellent value. The lunch menu was a delight with a mix of dishes all with unique flavours. I’ll be going again to sample some of the other delights on the menu.

Food tastes really good and Albin his customer service was too polite and friendly overall happy visiting.

Wonderful unique restaurant with a great selection beyond your usual staple curries. So much depth and flavour to every dish we had. Excellent service all round

Absolutely love their food, specially the fried fish and the Masala Dosa. Staff is friendly and their service is excellent.

Everything was more than amazing. Best South Indian food I have had in ages. Lovely staff, welcomed with a smile and food was to die for. I ll come to York just to eat at there’s.

One of the best dosas I have eaten so far . They definitely serve the best dosas and chicken gravies. I would recommend everyone to try their dosas . It is authentic and just like the dosa what we get back at home.

Overall, the food and atmosphere at this Restaurant were exceptional, and I can't wait to go back and try more of their delicious dishes. It was truly a dining experience to remember. The staff Albin were friendly and attentive

Exceptional service coupled with some of the finest food I have tasted. This restaurant was recommended by friends and we are truly glad that we visited. I have no hesitation in recommending this place.

Amazimg food. We ordered veggies options, the aubergine curry, the pumpkin lentil soup and the kuttu curry with rice and rotis. It tasted amazing. Very homely cooking. Would return soon. And the waiter was very kind and responsive.

Really impressed. 4 of us had starters and mains. All freshly cooked and very tasty. No complaints (except the ice cubes in bottles of Black Sheep - bit weird!)

My husband and I return to York yearly We discovered this restaurant last year When the meal was very good If anything last evening was better The food was delicious The service prompt and friendly The price very reasonable I would recommend this restaurant to anyone

I really like the food 😋 Ordered panner and chicken dish Budget friendly

NEVER AGAIN! ordered garlic and chilli chicken which tasted nothing like it.. it was more of a chinese sweet and sour dish. a korma that was green and again was disgusting. complained and said the best they could do was give us 20% off. so disappointed as it was one of the best rated in york.

Excellent restaurant. Highly recommended.

Food was really good especially dosa. Highly recommended.

Great food. Great staff. Made for a pleasant evening.

Very good food with excellent service. Different spicing to your average curry house. Good hygiene.

Popped in for 3 nice currys. Service quick and place was pretty busy

Food tasted really good specially dosa. Highly recommended👍🏻

Ambience and food taste is very good

I will give 5 stars to this restaurant. I have been in 8 Indian restaurants during my two weeks trip to York. I found this restaurant very good in terms of food and services. At a few places, the food was good, but services were not worth it. I will visit this restaurant again.

We love South Indian food so were looking forward to a meal during our short visit to York. We swere not disappointed! I had the Sambar Wada starter followed by the Special dosa - the sambar was one of the best I've had, soft well cooked veg with a lentil base and well spiced BUT, although the special dosa was tasty I didn't expect it to be pre sliced for me and I also found it too much to finish much to my disappointment! My wife had the rasam soup as starter and the aubergine curry main both of which she pronounced as excellent. Overall a great meal in a nice restaurant with attentive but not over-bearing staff and all at a good price! We often visit York and will definitely return next time we are here.

Fantastic restaurant, such an interesting array of dishes that you won't find on a standard Indian menu. The choice was difficult as there are so many dishes I could have eaten. But we had the Prawn & Mango curry, Butter Chicken and Nadan Aattirachi Lamb curry - all were delicious, and the parathas were amazing. You can smell the food as you walk by and it entices you to go in....

Good and delicious Kerala style food. Feel like a homely food.

review The three of us all had different mains and accompaniments, all were delicious and made a lovely change to a more ubiquitous “Indian” meal in the UK. BUTTER CHICKEN - darker and less sweet than many, and better for it. NADAN AATTIRACHI CURRY (LAMB) - very dark brown, almost chocolate coloured, great balance of earthy spices. ANGAMALI CHEMMEEN CURRY (PRAWNS WITH MANGO) good balance, delicate, neither too sweet nor too sour. NEY CHORU (Rice) PLAIN RICE KERALA PARATHA GARLIC NAAN Garlic Naan The parathas were really soft AND flaky at the same time; the ney choru a bit more naughty than a pilau rice (must be the ghee); and the garlic naan absent of any raw garlic taste. Soft and fluffy. Yum. In short, absolutely recommended

One of the best curry houses I’ve been to. Staff were excellent and very friendly. Highly recommend