Lavendra Indian

The food here was okay, the flavours were lacklustre compared to other Indian restaurants I’ve tried and the meat was dry not juicy. The naan was really good though. The curries we ordered were all marked gluten free and my partner advised the staff she’s coeliac to which they confirmed the dishes we ordered were all gluten free (excluding the naan of course). But once we finished our meal she started to feel ill so there was some cross contamination in the kitchen.

Lovely location in the heart of Lavender Bay, but unfortunately can’t recommend this spot for people with food allergies like coeliac disease. From the start, staff told us some of the options marked GF on the menu weren’t gluten free (strange!). When we ordered the recommended GF options, we asked staff to make a note on the order about my allergy and coeliac disease - the waiter insisted there was no need to make a note as there wouldn’t be any gluten in these products, and they’re definitely gluten free. Within 20 minutes of eating, it became clear I’d been glutened, and I felt fairly unwell. It’s really hard when restaurants don’t realise the severity of coeliac disease or allergies - symptoms after a glutening can sometimes last up to two weeks. Hopefully staff can become more educated around dietary requirements.