Cafe Malabar

Cafe Malabar reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Review summary

1. T

   Terie VIP

   Vancouver30 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 1 day ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Delicious food and amazing service. If you love Indian food, this will be your new “go-to”.
   

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2. G

   Gillian

   Vancouver6 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   The Sooke prawns and crispy vegetable cakes were delectable! Superb food and service. Can’t wait to go back!
   

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3. J

   Jae

   Vancouver1 review

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 4
   4. Ambience 5

   We loved the kerala fried chicken, the parotta, the alleppey fish curry and the beef roast.
   

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4. L

   Lorrena

   Vancouver2 reviews

   5.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   What a 5* experience from the cocktails to dessert! Must haves are Malabar Tiger Prawn Masala, King Fish Biriyani, and Coconut Creme Caramel. Service was excellent. You will not be asked for spice level preference which our party did not mind. Reservations recommended as the venue does not have a lot of tables.
   

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5. A

   ANTHONY

   Unspecified1 review

   4.0

   Dined 7 days ago

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 3
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Service of the food ordered was better than decent, with prices on the moderately high side for the food value perhaps justified by the quality. The starters - fried chicken thighs and mushrooms were potently hot and over-salted. The main dishes were tasty but the carb staples - the hoppers were not authentic- being steamed Vietnamese rice noodles, The most disconcerting issue was when the billing was presented - it had the usual options for tips. Only when l asked did the waitress confirm that an 18% tip was built into the billing, presented only on the credit card machine for payment. It is now clear that the restaurant's refusal to take table bookings was contingent on the caller only making it through 'Open Table', and through this maneuver force an 18% tip surcharge to the final billing. This may be legal, but to those booking in advance through Open Table will inevitably agree to a further tip allowance to the billing in addition to the built in tip, if they were not aware of this auto addition of a 18% tip to the cost of the food.
   

   Cafe MalabarResponded 4 days ago

   Hi Anthony, thank you so much for your thoughtful review. We’d like to clarify for you and future guests that while we use OpenTable to manage reservations efficiently, we also happily accept bookings directly by phone or email. OpenTable has no connection to our gratuity policy. Our 18% auto gratuity is only applied to groups of six or more. Your party of five did not meet that threshold, and we’ve reviewed your bill to confirm no auto gratuity was added. It seems there may have been confusion at checkout, and the server—who is still gaining experience—may have unintentionally contributed. We’re addressing this through team training to ensure our policies are always communicated clearly. We truly appreciate your visit and feedback. We hope to welcome you back again soon!
   

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6. B

   Brijanand

   Vancouver17 reviews

   5.0

   Dined on March 17, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Food was amazing! Love the new menu! We had the platter for 2.
   

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7. K

   Katie

   Vancouver1 review

   5.0

   Dined on March 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   Easily one of the best meals I've had all year! The service was warm, informative and gracious, and the food (and cocktail) was fantastic - really layered and unique flavours and a very approachable price point.
   

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8. R

   Richard

   Vancouver2 reviews

   4.0

   Dined on March 16, 2025

   1. Overall 4
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 4

   The food was amazing. So much flavor. I would highly recommend.
   

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9. D

   Debbie

   Vancouver3 reviews

   3.0

   Dined on March 15, 2025

   1. Overall 3
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 3
   4. Ambience 4

   Location is good and will be great in the summer on the patio. On the bad side, overpriced for the size of the portions. $4 for 1 piece of a naan type bread is ridiculous. Left hungry..
   

   Cafe MalabarResponded 4 days ago

   Hi Debbie, thank you for taking the time to share your experience with us. We're glad to hear you enjoyed the location, and we’re also excited about this summer! We're genuinely sorry to hear you left feeling hungry. That’s never what we want for any of our guests, and we appreciate you letting us know. While we use high-quality ingredients and make all of our sauces, curries, breads, and condiments from scratch—including the hand-layered flatbread you tried (called Parotta, a Keralan specialty)—we understand that portion size and value have to feel right too. Your feedback is valuable as we continue to fine-tune what we offer. Please feel free to reach out to us directly before your next visit—we’d love the chance to ensure you leave happy and satisfied next time!
   

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10. U

    Urvi

    Vancouver2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on March 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5

    We went to Malabar Cafe for the first time on the occasion of my birthday and enjoyed the food and overall experience. The service was great except the food arrived a little slower than expected. However, we also know it was a busy opening week and the food when it came erased any qualms we had about that :) The servers were warm and friendly and we were also greeted by the chef whom we had a nice quick conversation with. Tried Sulaimani chai, Matta Rice, Chicken & roasted coconut curry, Fish Pollichathu. Everything was great! Sadly they were out of Appam and Iddiyappam but more reason for us to come back! The chefs stick to their roots and that is evident in the flavours, spices used and the way food was presented. Me and my husband were taken back to Kerala and we have to say it is the closest in taste we have ever felt having any kind of Indian food in Canada. We always look for places like these and are glad to have found this. We see the cafe becoming our regular spot for sure.
    

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