Tabaq Restaurant

For South Asian dishes unique to Sydney – deer karahi and tandoori quail, no less – there’s none other than Tabaq, a family-friendly Indian and Pakistani restaurant down Newtown’s King Street. The philosophy is simple: find fresh, locally-sourced ingredients, natural spices and herbs, cook to order and according to time-honoured South Asian tradition, and serve diners with a smile. Equidistant between Newtown and St Peters train stations, Tabaq is set to supply the inner west with fine Indian and Pakistani cuisine.

Indecisive types are terrible company when you dine at a restaurant like Newtown’s Tabaq, whose long list of delectable Pakistani and Indian dishes sees many wracking their brains for the best dish to pick. A simple solution to get an evening of fine dining going at this King Street restaurant is to order up Tabaq’s popular tandoori platter. From there it’s easy; this is some of inner west Sydney’s finest food in the spicy, colourful South Asian category. If you’re still having trouble after that first bite of fresh garlic naan, spicy skewers tempered with cool raita, then ask Tabaq’s friendly, knowledgeable staff for their recommendations.

Tabaq put a big emphasis on healthy eating, from the effort they put into sourcing all natural ingredients with low air miles (that means fresh, tastier, better for you and the environment) to the simple act of eschewing oil heavy cooking techniques. Signature dishes like their Karachi machli tandoori fish and the dum ka keema (smoked lamb mince meat) and deer karahi curry demonstrate this admirably; packed with flavour, presented beautifully, and not catering to the tastebuds by way of fat and ghee – it’s all spice and smoke and careful preparation at this King Street, Newtown restaurant, a star in Sydney’s Indian and Pakistani dining scene.