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DESI harks back to the cafes of Old India, the way they did back home – From India, With Love. We pay homage to the cafes of old, reigniting the hustle & bustle of their faded elegance. True love – Rediscovered – DESI The cafe culture of Old India has all but disappeared. They broke the boundaries between colony and creed. These cafes were the site for adda – simply a place to meet old friends and make new ones. It was the food & drink that brought us together. We take you back to a time, a wonderful Old India. Our food is prepared as if we were cooking in our own homes. Needless to say, we are “NOT A CURRY HOUSE” so expect the pleasantly unexpected. Prepare your taste buds to be tantalised.
Address and Contact Information
Address: 173 Elm Grove, Southsea, Portsmouth, Southsea PO5 1LU, United Kingdom
Phone: +44 23 9286 5795
Website: https://desicafe.co/
Menu Photos
Order and Reservations
Reservations: letsorderfood.co.uk
Order: Order online
Photo Gallery
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Reviews
Marisa P
Best curry house is Southsea by far! I’ve been here multiple times and have never been disappointed. The railway lamb and the Kerala fish are my favourites for mains. I really like the Sev Puri for starters. Everything on the menu is so fresh and bursting with flavour. The restaurant has a mock old railway station but modernised. The staff are very friendly. Would very much recommend Desi.
… moreSteve Murphy
Awful, and that’s being polite. Rolled the dice and ordered from here for the first time tonight via Deliveroo. Studied the reviews to see what was recommended, went for the Railway Lamb. I’ll let you decide if I was unfair or not in getting an immediate refund, but the sorry looking half tray of brown gravy doesn’t exactly match their description and photo. The aroma was also that of meatballs and gravy, if anything. Should have ordered from The Akash as usual.
… moreTallulah Standen
Got to be the best Indian food we’ve ever had! Service was excellent, we were served by Jahad and Neha. Definitely recommend if you want an authentic taste of India!
I specifically recommend the gosht dansak and Bombay naan.
… moreI specifically recommend the gosht dansak and Bombay naan.
Heather Salter
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A really tasty Indian with a fancier twist than usual. The restaurant can be a bit cramped if you are going as a couple but it’s worth it for how good the food is. Selection could be a bit better as some of the usual favourites are nowhere to be seen and it is a bit pricey than I would like.
… moreSelection ⭐⭐⭐⭐
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A really tasty Indian with a fancier twist than usual. The restaurant can be a bit cramped if you are going as a couple but it’s worth it for how good the food is. Selection could be a bit better as some of the usual favourites are nowhere to be seen and it is a bit pricey than I would like.
beth J
Amazing quality food, stunning decor, quick and efficient service, we will definitely return, the garlic bread smelt amazing, will be getting that next time, I can recommend the masala and the korma style dishes as well as chocolate fudge cake!
… moreRyan Edwards
The food was absolutely amazing, beautifully presented, the flavours were aromantic and just enough spice without overpowering anything. Special thanks to Pankaja for being our server, she was really nice, quick to come over for anything else we needed. Will definitely come again
… moreBilawal Siddiqi
We found this hidden gem on our visit to Portsmouth whilst we were visiting another restaurant but changed our mind last minute to visit here and did not regret it! The food was very authentic and amazing. The service by Sakshi was excellent. Good ambience and attention to detailed staff. We tried the Sev Puri and Chaat for starters followed by the Railway lamb and Konkani chicken. We then had the masala chai after our delicious meal. We will visit again no doubt.
… moreJames Fenlon
Excellent food and great atmosphere. We shared the railway lamb, kokhani chicken, house chaat, gunpowder potatoes which were really flavourful and large portions throughout. Don’t miss the pineapple chutney with poppadoms. Never had anything quite like it and was excellent. We will be back, thank you!
… moreSoraya Bryant
Last Friday we visited Desi Cafe on Elm Grove, Southsea. This place has been on my radar for a while so I was looking forward to trying their Indian food.
I want to start off by saying that the quality of the food in this restaurant is unrivaled to any Indian that I’ve eaten at recently and I would highly recommend visiting. The menu is modern, fresh and varied and the portion sizes are very generous.
The decor is absolutely beautiful and the staff were warm and welcoming. We were seated quickly and chose our drinks, Desi Cafe does not serve alcohol so we opted for a Pina Cola mocktail & a 0% Peroni.
We started off with some poppadoms & a chutney tray of Bombay Ketchup, Pineapple Chutney & Tzatziki. These made a refreshing change to your standard Indian chutneys and I’d choose them again over your bog standard ones as they were fresh & delicious, the perfect way to start your meal.
We had a small plate of Sev Puri which was recommended to us by the staff, I’ve never had anything like this before in an Indian restaurant, we were told to eat them whole (I struggled a bit with this as they were quite large!) I’m not 100% sure what the filling was but they tasted incredible, you can’t visit Desi Cafe without trying these!
For mains we had…
⭐️ Konkani Chicken
⭐️ Karachi Karahi
⭐️ Yakhni Pulao Rice
⭐️ Bombay Bread
⭐️ Gunpowder Potatoes
The curries were absolutely beautiful, the best I’ve had in a long time. The Konkani Chicken had a subtle heat to it and the Karachi Karahi had quite a kick. The meat in the Karahi was lamb which just melted in your mouth. The sauce with both curries was rich & thick, perfect for mopping up with the Bombay Bread. The rice was absolutely packed full of flavour and the Gunpowder Potatoes were cooked perfectly.
Thank you SO MUCH Desi Cafe for a wonderful meal, I will 100% be returning.
… moreI want to start off by saying that the quality of the food in this restaurant is unrivaled to any Indian that I’ve eaten at recently and I would highly recommend visiting. The menu is modern, fresh and varied and the portion sizes are very generous.
The decor is absolutely beautiful and the staff were warm and welcoming. We were seated quickly and chose our drinks, Desi Cafe does not serve alcohol so we opted for a Pina Cola mocktail & a 0% Peroni.
We started off with some poppadoms & a chutney tray of Bombay Ketchup, Pineapple Chutney & Tzatziki. These made a refreshing change to your standard Indian chutneys and I’d choose them again over your bog standard ones as they were fresh & delicious, the perfect way to start your meal.
We had a small plate of Sev Puri which was recommended to us by the staff, I’ve never had anything like this before in an Indian restaurant, we were told to eat them whole (I struggled a bit with this as they were quite large!) I’m not 100% sure what the filling was but they tasted incredible, you can’t visit Desi Cafe without trying these!
For mains we had…
⭐️ Konkani Chicken
⭐️ Karachi Karahi
⭐️ Yakhni Pulao Rice
⭐️ Bombay Bread
⭐️ Gunpowder Potatoes
The curries were absolutely beautiful, the best I’ve had in a long time. The Konkani Chicken had a subtle heat to it and the Karachi Karahi had quite a kick. The meat in the Karahi was lamb which just melted in your mouth. The sauce with both curries was rich & thick, perfect for mopping up with the Bombay Bread. The rice was absolutely packed full of flavour and the Gunpowder Potatoes were cooked perfectly.
Thank you SO MUCH Desi Cafe for a wonderful meal, I will 100% be returning.
Lucy Toone
The most incredible experience, delicious authentic Indian food, amazing staff and wonderful atmosphere. I’ve visited Deli and other parts of India and can confidently say you will struggle to find more authentic and delicious food anywhere else. To experience a real taste of India, you must try the puri phat and the Chaat. For mains I tried the Kerala Fish and it was amazing, as well as lots of sides. Thank you for a wonderful experience, we will be becoming regulars! Lucy
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