Kinara in Newtownabbey

Decided to go here for dinner on the 16th March 2024. Rang up a few times during the day to book, but got no answer until after 2pm, fair enough I assume they have other things to do, but an answering service may be a good idea. That said, when did get through , booked for 5pm. Ask could we bring our own beers and wine. Guy said yes, not a problem. Noticed on the menu it did say £2.00 corkage, no mention of any charges for beers etc (Lets get back to that later) Arrived a bit early, around 4.45pm, went in and was told we cannot order to 5pm, again not a problem, as it does not officially open to 5pm. We got shown our table and sat down and looked at menus. Lifted 1 bottle of wine , 2 Beers and a Blue WKD from our stock we brought with us. We opened the wine ourselves, and opened the beers. All good. Once 5pm came someone arrived to take the food order. We ordered the mixed platter for 4, Lamb Patia , Chicken Patia, Butter Chicken , Chicken Tikka Karahi, 4 Pilau rice, Garlic and Cheese Nan, Peshwari Nan, 4 Poppadoms, 1 Chips and a Coke Zero. Poppadoms arrived first with a few dips, Nice Dips, Lovely Poppadoms, we all enjoyed them, only thing I will says, is they charged for them £4.00 plus £1.50 for the dips, any other Indian Resturant we have been too (And we have been to quite a few) the Poppadoms are complimentary. Next to the mixed starters 2 plates of lovely mouth watering treats for 4 of us, more than enough to go around. Each item on the platter was delicious and full of flavours, every one fully enjoyed them. Cooked just nice and well enjoyed by all. Starters all done , table cleared and I opened 2 more beers myself. Out came main event , I myself had the Lamb Patia , Patia seems to be cooked differently in different restaurants, this one I liked , nothing wrong with any of the others I have had before, just this was not as hot and a more savoury taste, I prefer it more, that's all. The rest of the party liked the food and seemed to enjoy it. At the end of the meal everyone was happy and good comments about the food saying it was tasty and good portions. No complaints there at all. The staff, while attentive and did ask a few times was every OK, they seemed disengaged with the customers, not sure exactly what it was , just felt different to other Indian Restaurants we have been to (and again, we have been to quite a few!). Now, to be fair, Food was good, overall tasty , good portion sizes, served in good time etc. Staff, Ok, could lighten up a bit. They did charge £2.00 for Wine corkage, even though we opened the wine, poured the wine, drank the wine and took the empty bottle away. Considering the prices were a bit on the high side and charging for Poppadoms I would have rated it higher.

Eating here for 15 years, top notch.

Got a takeaway and was very disappointed, food was cold on arrivs and the king prawn starter didn't have one whole prawn, about three that seemed to have been cut in half. They were dry and overcooked and in my opinion and not fresh. For a starter and one main it was £27.50 although price changed to £28.50 when it was delivered. Won't rush back

The owner Mr.Imran has good team of staffs

After trying to book a table by phone and not getting through I sent a message to their msn. Got a response confirming table was booked however when we turned up were told there was no booking. Restaurant was full and in the end by chance a table had finished. One of the staff were trying hard to apologise and sort us out while the other was acting like he didn’t care. Was worse to hear this happens often, as whoever answers messages doesn’t then pass on the booking. Food was nice and good selection but there being no table did create a bad start.

Service not great as my meal was over 40 minutes after the rest of the table had eaten by this time all the side were cold and when I mentioned this I was not offered fresh sides and ended up not eating my dinner as everyone else had finished

Food is always always spot on always warm always taste amazing and the service is really good.It different the best Indian restaurant's carry out food always good quality..

We had a great thrum with the buildup to my cousins 16th birthday. Heard nothing but glowing reports of the restaurant and service as family have been eating there for 12/13 years. Me and my missus were first to arrive, told at the door there was no booking with our name and it might be the Indian up the street. Called family organiser who confirmed I was in right place and had email (or Facebook) confirmation of reservation. Scramble to arrange tables in private function room when rest of family arrived, a large group of people standing in the cold. Drinks service for 15 people took 35 minutes, we brought our own alcohol, so that was for soft drinks and glasses. Waited further 10 minutes for order to be taken. Around 30 minutes on starters, they were tasty enough. 30 more minutes before someone cleared starters. Had lady serving soft drinks who made a point of saying "I don't even work here". 45 minute wait and plates came out for the main course, they were warm. 25 minute further wait for main courses to arrive - plates and food was freezing by then. Not everything arrived. Young server with nose piercing had been doing his absolute best, serving a big party mostly alone, running the food and dealing with other customers. I'm an area manager within the hospitality sector at present, there's so much more I could say but keeping it simple, the young lad done his best under the circumstances. Family members who were familiar with the staff and restaurant asked to speak with the owner. He refused to come out of the kitchen and speak with said family members, telling the same young lad to come out, deal with us and offer a 15% discount. Appallingly unacceptable. The food smelt gorgeous, it was just a shame that every dish on the table was stone cold and half arrived. We went back to the 16th birthday's house and ordered pizzas. Brought stress and upset to not only the family and the birthday boy, but the young server was clearly taking it personal as he felt he let us down - young man you did not let us down, you were let down by the owner of that restaurant and done the best under the circumstances you were given. It won't be any time soon, though I do wish to eventually try this Biryani I've heard so much about. Pity.

Sorry for writing this but have been going here for around 12 years and have enjoyed it with no real issues apart from tonight. 16th party booked and confirmed for tonight. Nope they didn’t have booking. Ok they said they could do it, nope long waits and wrong starters. Then a long wait for mains which I’m sorry to say cold. So wrong on every level. Now sitting eating dominoes pizza which is not what everyone wanted. When an owner refuses to come out and speak and leaves his young staff to deal says it all. We may forgive soon but need time.

I use to have a favourite Indian, now I have a new one!! Fantastic food but not only does that bring me back but the really lovely lady who serves. She is super friendly so happy and always has time for a chat. (She was working 27/7/23)What is the point of fantastic food if the staff are poor. This place has it all. When I was in a customer who had been dinning in came over to tell her that she was the nicest and best waitress he ever came across....I have to agree. Love this place, the customer service and food I wouldn't go anywhere else now

OMG...... Never have I had a bad meal from here and I have been ordering from here for years now, I will never order or eat from any other local Indian restaurant, unless they can outdo this well established restaurant..

I ordered over the phone for me and my husband. We waited an hour and phoned back as the food never came. We live in Carrickfergus and I asked when I ordered whether this could be delivered and they said yes. When I phoned back they said the driver sat outside the house and no one answered. He clearly didn’t come to our house as the house is small, only we live there and we were sitting in the front room the whole night. So if someone came to the door we would have heard. I said that I gave my number and no one phoned me. They said they phoned 3 times and there was no answer which was true. I said no one had phoned me and he just said deliveries were done for the night. That’s ridiculous because we sat waiting for food for over an hour and when they realised they had been at the wrong house they should have honoured the commitment. I honestly believe they felt it wasn’t worth their while. We also had to phone 5 times before they even answered. Wouldn’t recommend if this is how they treat their customers

Beautiful food, lovely surroundings. excellent service and very attentive staff.

Staff were great - bring your own which is a bonus too (£2 p/p corkage which is fair) however the food was terrible, we ordered a Lamb Dopiaza, Chicken Jalfrezi, Chicken Bhuna. All three dishes came out looked the same, there was a slight taste difference but all very, very similar, all like Korma's and at £15 on avg each just for curries, i expected better. The starters were very nice, Chicken Puri & Mixed Veg - Lastly the place was not the cleanest, the menus we were given had food on them.. Please clean your menus at least. 2 Stars for the starters.

Brilliant food. Delicious and great staff

Incredible food, well worth the visit. Staff were friendly and accommodating.

Food was awful. Ordered a large mixed kebab and duck spring rolls. It was tiny, very little meat, 4 bits of chicken. So dry. Spring rolls where so over cooked and tiny. Definitely not worth the money. Wont be ordering again

Great place with fantastic food.. also does a carry out service.

Probably the best Indian I've ever had. The staff girls are very friendly and helpful. Reasonably priced as well. Thoroughly recommend

Best Indian restaurant in vicinty

Really enjoyed the selection of dishes we had.

I have had some of the best Lamb Bhonas iv tasted here. I told them how i wanted it. Small cuts lamb. Very happy with food and the service.

The best Indian takeaway there is! Simples

If this had been a cheap and cheerful greasy spoon I would have taken a breath and tried to give it a three stars average score However the Kinara isn't cheap, so no excuse for poor food or service. We ordered 3 kebabs this evening and my chicken tikka was as dry as Hector. Unfortunately I could not resolve it by topping it up with the house sauce which I had ordered, as they had only put one tiny pot in our order of three, obviously forgetting the other 2. I managed to salvage it somewhat by rooting in my cupboard and using some of my own sauces but even at that, I only managed to eat a third of it. Maybe it was just an unlucky night, and I don't mind paying a fair price for good food, but this was a disappointment.

Fantastic food. Great portions sizes and brilliant staff. It's not always easy to go somewhere with a baby, but the staff were so friendly and helpful it really made our visit awesome! Thanks so much🤘🏻

Love the flavours, love the food, not too hot. Great night out.

Ewan was my server and he created a glorious, mind bending, god level experience. It’s like I was on a date with him with how polite he was ! I could only dream I suppose. A young server named Noah also provided a friendly atmosphere and made me question how service could be so good and speedy. Noah gilchrist was all of the above! Btw my donar kebab was goated on the sticks!

Me; i wonder how hard it is to make a kebab ? Kinara ; near impossible ....Horrible dry meat that looks like a kid had cut it, soggy chips , junk food is supposed to taste nice not like junk

Food was good but there isn't much option for vegetarian also dishes are expensive.

Ate here at 8pm on a Saturday night. Service was very prompt. The meal was lovely. I'd give it an 8 outta 10 .

£23 for this? No rice or chips? Disgrace

Best Indian restaurant in the area

Cosy restaurant. Good food. Reasonable price

I had a well cooked meal in this restaurant. I def will be back.

Service was amazing as was the food 😋

Best Indian restaurant for miles

Good meal, although service was slow.

As usual good service and food.

What can i say 🤦 Been here for 40 mins, we have been moved from our original table in the middle of eating our Popadoms because someone came in with a window phobia, they came and told us there had been a mistake and we would have to move, we agreed to move just to save any hassle, when we got to the new table it hadn't been cleared from the previous occupants and then it took the waiter 5mins to scrub it 🤣 i thought at 1 point he was going to whip out a scraper. We have literally only just received our drinks which we ordered when we arrived and now someone has just brought us another batch of Popadom's and dips which we have already eaten 🤣 our drinks came to the table and were literally slammed onto the table, my missus near choked, NOW they brought the meals, they set my wife's dinner down and said here is your Khazana so she put it on her rice, only to find out it was actually in fact my Bhuna that i was having chips with as i dont eat rice. 🤦🤦 HELP 🤣 Half of my Bhuna was on my wife's plate and he took it away, he then brought her out more rice but didnt replace my bhuna 🤣 i now have half a bhuna 🤣🤣 this is the worst and funniest place i have ever experienced and its not over yet 😱 He is now saying he will give me some discount 🤦🤣 SOME?? 🤣 I will enclose a pic of my meal in full its hilarious 5 bits of meat 🤣 in the end he gave us a mighty 25% off the bill. Suppose the entertainment was worth it all 🤷

Lovely fresh meal excellent service

Excellent meal, friendly staff and the food served promptly. The fact that it's byo makes it the perfect place for a family celebration.

Absolutely won't be back can't take order right and very small portions.

Very bland food, chicken was low quality meat, hard and tasteless. I’d tried this take away a while back and been unimpressed but decided to give it another go as friends have raved about it and thought maybe I’d just caught them on a bad night. No, it’s still pretty awful and there are much better options in the area.

Very nice food, keenly priced, pleasant staff recommend meal out

On arrival we were seated quickly and our order was taken quickly. We waited around 20 mins for our mains to come out which is pretty standard but when they arrived I had ordered chicken and got lamb. As to prevent any dramas I ate the lamb. Immediately after our table had been cleared we were handed our bill and not asked did we want anything else, around 5 minutes after this we were asked to leave as they were busy. I accept that at times places need tables freed but in total we had our table for just over an hour and around 20 mins of this was spent waiting on food. What also annoyed us was there was a table of 6 people behind us who had finished eating before we arrived and were still there after we left. They were also drinking their own drink so not spending any money. On booking there was no mention of a time limit on the table. If looking a date night with the other half this is NOT the place to go.

Can’t beat a chicken tikka rogan josh. Fabulous.

Beautiful food and friendly staff

The food was very good which everyone in our group of 12 agreed on. However with only one waitress, because of a staffing issue, the service was very slow and the food took ages to come. Service was nice, pleasant, unflustered and she did her very best in attending to us. More staff resources were allocated to takeaway and delivery, even when that bit was quiet and I had to prompt one of them to help her when our food was eventually ready. The food and the nice waitress saved this rating from being a 3* or even 2* and management here could do better IMHO

Kinara Newtownabbey is excellent. I have never had anything but excellent service from these good folk But. Beware that if you search kinara on Google, and CHOOSE KINARA NEWTOWNABBEY, then order online, just eat takes you to a similarly named restaurant in Hartlepool. Who will take your money and not supply any food because they are 300 miles away.

We ordered a chicken kebab and a doner chip with salad. I told the waiter i had previously ordered a kebab and i was given the wrong order doner meat instead of chicken. I have a gallstone problem he told me the salad and sauce comes seperate. Which i was happy about as i can add my own. When the order came he told me the restaurant had no salad in the house , without telling us or asking us was that ok when we ordered and paid. I was very disapointed as the doner meat was dried out and not fresh as you can see in the picture. This is the second time i have got the doner meat and it was disapointing..the restaurant really needs to address this problem as we would not go back. I would not recommend.

Lots of tables both small and big making it a very intimate setting. Quite an extensive menu and the food was amazing. Some dishes I have never heard of. Well worth a visit. Highly recommend it.

Great food, every dish I have tried has been really excellent and decent value for money. Pick up service is super fast am convenient and the quality of food is second to none in the area. Highly recommended

First time ordering, was impressed arrived in about 30 mins, I am within delivery but not local was pipping hot. Food was gorgeous we didn't leave a drop.

Used take away New Year’s Eve , lots of sauce little meat, very disappointed

Food was very good and prices reasonable staff friendly, efficient, professional and above all safe Good little restaurant was our first time and will certainly be back

Horrendous service. Booked a table for a particular time an hour and a half in advance. Showed up five mins earlier than the booked time. Told us it'd be a few mins. Half an hour passed and we were told they're just cleaning our table. Ridiculous

Delicious food. Really helpful staff. Highly recommended

Takeaway Saturday August 29th. Three veggie dishes chosen. Biryani was fine. Veg Balti and veg curry seemed like the same sauce to me. Very poor selection of vegetables and small amount in a big tub of sauce. Pricey for what we got. Won't be getting from here again. Very disappointing.

Went here on an eat out to help out night. To begin no staff wearing any masks. We had a table booked for 6.30pm and the table wasn’t ready so we were asked to wait in the narrow entrance area along with other people. We waited outside and weren’t seated to 6.50.We were seated upstairs and service was slow. The mixed tandoori starter was ok though the “lamb” was like leather and was probably mutton. Do the chefs ever taste the food?Tables not cleared until the main course arrived 50 minutes later! Unacceptable. The dishes were luke warm and had a skin on top indicating they’d been under a hot lamp for a long time. The main dish I had chicken tikka chilli masala was ok but had no spice and was not “hot” as indicated. My son had the tough leather “lamb” biriyani.This is the first time I’ve been to kinara in a couple of years and I was hoping it had improved. It definitely hasn’t and I would not return. It’s a real pity there are no good Indian restaurants in Whiteabbey.

Visited last night on eat more for less my first Indian food 😋 The staff are friendly and the food was delicious would definitely recommend

Busy tonight but good service and great food as always

My husband and I booked a table for Tuesday 4th August. We arrived on time, no hand sanitiser for customers entering the restaurant. We were seated with menus, no one came back for a drinks order until they were ready to take our food order. Ordered our drinks with the food, no one asked if I'd like a wine cooler for my wine so I asked for some ice. I ordered chicken dansak which is one of my favourite dishes as it always has a kick of spice to it. My husband ordered chicken biryane and asked for his curry sauce to be made hot. My dansak was extremely bland no spice at all and my husbands curry sauce was even blander, very dissatisfied on both dishes compared to the previous times we have eaten there. A couple beside us were sat for over 10mins and no one came to them for drinks order until the lady had to ask. Service was very much lacking a big disappointment.

Very convenient to my home. Very tasty chicken tikka masala with peshwari naan, my favourite.

As usual, food of a very high standard and every dish was distinctly different. Peshwari nan excellent. Why no beer though? Had to go to Sister next door and it was closed😟

The kebabs are a recent addition to the takeaway menu and are fantastic. Chicken pakora and tandoori chicken on chips with salad and house sauce. Also offered NHS staff 20% off during Covid so full marks.

Ordering for the second time and will continue to do so. Food is piping hot, very tasty and very big portion sizes, the flavours are amazing with genuine recipes from different regions of India. Priced very reasonably considering this is actually a restaurant so worth every penny. Will have to pay a visit once the Covid-19 crisis is over. Hats off to the chef and his team!

COVID019-I just want to share my experience tonight. We ordred early in the evening and as an NHS key worker we got 25 percent reduction...great. However, our order got misled in the madness...much later in the evening I contacted the Kinara and they were sooo apologetic. Our food arrived shortly and they insisted on a full refund!!! Everyone is working under extreme pressures at the minute...not just the NHS so thak you for all our takeaway staff too....you are verty mportant on a Happy Saturday night!!!

Normally I get a takeaway but decided to eat in for once on a Friday night. Friendly helpful staff, great food, came home satisfied and full!

Went on a Saturday evening with my wife. Nice meal and amenable staff. Will be back again as their food is excellent.

Nice Indian cuisine, friendly staff

Haven't been to this restaurant in years but my wife and I decided to go. Small inside but very cosy. Waiting staff were attentive but not in your face. They did not make us feel hurried after our meal to clear the table. Food was brought out in fairly good time and was delicious. I am quite a heavy guy and it is very seldom I feel full but I did that night. The only downside was there was no alcohol sold on the premises but there is an off licence next door to byob. Would thoroughly recommend for a tasty meal.

Bad Night @ Kinara Arrived @ 7.30 informed waiter we had a table booked for 5 people @ 7.30 - after waiting 15 minutes asked when would we be seated was told another 10minutes. We were finally shown to our table @ 8.30. We complained to the waiter, manager & anyone else that would listen but never did get an intelligent explanation. Management & staff would benefit from a retraining programme.

If you haven't tryed this indian it is a must , meals are delicious I cant wait to go back , amazing service also .

Went here for a quick dinner with the family and goodness me they are quick. My favourite village indian i have to say, really friendly, family orientated, good value, big authentic indian food. Plenty to choose from, menu catered for both young & old, hot & mild. The only critic i would have would be about the Chicken Tikka masala my son had was way too sweet and far from all the other lovely Authentic dishes on offer, so tone it down on the suger or whatever sweet ingredient it was...I would highly recommend the Garlic and Chilli lamb masala for extra heat lovers like me️

Takeaway: The food was absolutely delicious BUT in a large tub of sauce, only 4 small cubes of meat. Disappointing and leaving you wanting more.

Food was delicious and everyone enjoyed their meals. Peshweri naan is amazing and the boys loved their lamb with tikka masala sauce. Staff are friendly and make the experience very pleasant. Great for a takeaway also. We will be back soon.

Gorgeous meal at the Kinara last night... This place never disappoints....great food at a really reasonable price

This place had the best food around but over the past few months it’s really got poor. Every curry tastes the same and recipes seem to have changed.. for the worse!The creamy sauces are no longer creamy, so disappointed as I’ve gone there for years.

Brilliant food - decent pint - recommended

Best indian i have been to in belfast & probably northern ireland...

Tried here as had it recommended to me by my hairdresser. Usually eat in the Spice Merchant up the street but thought would give it a go. I had the Nagpuri which I always get - not a patch on Spice Merchant. My husband really did not enjoy his food - can't recall what he ordered though. Glass were water stained. One waiter in particularly was quite rude - the guy who seated us though was lovely. Not great value for money - will stick with SM.

Not being a huge fan of Indian food. I had some reservations. Staff were very helpful and my Korma was amazing. Big portions for the cost, which wasn't too high.

This no nonsense Indian resturant is a lovely place to eat, with calm and courteous staff, and unbelievable value for money. BYO or buy from their drinks cooler. I've eaten in many places and ti's is one of my favourites, definitely worth a try

Very reliable food anytime you go with a wider selection of curries than you get in most restaurants in the area. If you've never been before and like a bit of a deal, head for the early bird before 7 pm. Most restaurants skimp on their early bird menu but Kinara will give you full portions (the Chicken Chaat being a great starter to get). It used to be BYO for beer, which was great as there's an off license next door with an unbeatable selection, but they stopped doing it, meaning if you think Tiger and Coors doesn't taste good, you're buggered. They still do corkage for wine though.

Lovely food nice andrelaxing and great value for money on the early bird menu its a great thumbs up !

Absolutely delicious, authentic Indian food without European compromises or silly adaptations. This place never fails to astound me. Their tandoori mixed grill is to die for. Very courteous and professional staff. The best in the area.

Amazing food ,with plenty off staff ,young bloke who owns it is hot ❤️

My wife and I had a meal here recently. The experience was very mixed. First of all we were forced by a very rude head waiter to sit at a window seat when our preference was to sit elsewhere. Then we were provided with poppadoms and dips which we had assumed were complimentary (as they are on mostother Indian restaurants) but soon discovered otherwise when the bill arrived. When the main courses arrived the food was very good and the portions more than adequate. Also be aware that this is BYO restaurant and there is a £2 corkage charge. We will probably not be back as there are a number of better and more friendly Indian restaurants in the area.

Best authentic Indian food in Belfast hands down. Great flavours with good and speedy service.

A family member lives close by so decided to get a huge carryout for everyone. Chilli Masala, Bhuna, Biryani with rice and nan bread.

Bad experience in the kinara yesterday , this wee place needs a kick start to better itself . Starter came out wrong order mains was just ok . We finished with coffee the milk was off and my cup had a huge crack in it no no . And to top it all their card machine wasn't working . I will not be returning .😖

I am actually writing this review still in shock at the service we received last night , we as a family have been coming to the kinara for years not every week but at least once a month , as always found the food (early bird deal) to be fantastic , last night but has really put me off ever stepping through the door again , ordered the chicken puri which was lovely then the chicken tikka , came out like a bowl of tomato soup no onions peppers just sauce and chicken , to which I asked should there not be any veg in with the sauce ? replied no that would be the tikka masala you need to order that next time , then proceeded to lift mine and my mums plate !!! didn't even ask had we finished , sat there while my dad finished of the rogan josh which was like water no taste to it very disappointing , then waiter comes out with 2 bowls of the tikka masala told him wasn't interested in it but left it anyway , so how did he think we were going to eat it with no plates ?? very disappointed with the service and the food so I will be giving here a miss from now on , like to point out to we arrive before another family yet they got menus etc 1st ? and to put the menu up by £2 but leave ingredients out doesn't make sense ?

I always love going here. I've never been disappointed. Service was attentive and humerous as per usual. And the food was excellent as always. I loved my Chicken Patia.. I dont like it too hot so they make sure that it has the right level of spices for me. Everytime! Thank you Kinara.

Avoid. Very rude staff - inattentive and unpleasant. They forgot to bring sauce with bryiani meal, and brought it out after meal was finished. Bill was £34 for 2 main courses (and tap water!), left £40 on tray, expected waiter to give me change so I could leave a tip - he kept it all rather than bringing back the £6 change! No atmosphere, poky and food average at best. Also no poppadoms or dips whilst waiting as is normally the custom. Disappointing.

Loved this place in the past but it has gone downhill unfortunately. No cards accepted, just cash meant having to run up to a shop in the rain. Not good :(

We eat here regularly and the food is consistently good. The starters are excellent as are the mains. The staff are friendly and helpful and ensure you have s great dining experience

Excellent service... & superb food!

First time eating Indian Cuisine, starter was great, especially Mango Chutney, Butter Chicken is unbelievable a must get, and restaurant is nice and cosy with great setting, everything was clean and on time, will definitely be going again!

Better than the typial Indian restaurant in my opinion, bring your own bottle also which is a bonus. 👍👍

Ordered a couple of take away meals tonight..plus extras. Not only did they get order wrong but was massively overpriced. Rice does not come with meal. Will stay with Chinese as usual..better deal..less oily and tastes so much better.