A Bite to Eat is one of my favourite southside lunch spots. I’ve also heard it’s good for breakfast and dinner.
Serves are generous and ideal for sharing dishes.
The decor is relaxed and casual with an eclectic collection of chairs and crockery.
It’s always full of people enjoying each other’s company, so it pays to book.
Service is friendly and the menu offers interesting options.

The Malabar – an Indian style pilaf with mixed veggies, coconut curry and beetroot raita $17.50 is visually beautiful and I’m told, also delicious.
One serve can be easily shared by two people.

Chiquita – mini slow smoked pork burrito serve with herbed tomato salsa had some very flavoursome pork and was one of my favourites. $13.50
It’s serve size was not mini at all, but possibly not quite enough for two.

The Mario – beef meat ball open sammich with boccocini, torn basil, olive and tomato sauce $14.50, is also a good choice, well complimented by the olives. This was also especially good.
One serve was enough for two medium appetites.

Holy, smoked mackerel cake  with a dijon caper dressing, served with leaves, tomato salsa and a boiled egg $14

The Holy was good, especially the dill and caper dressing. $14.

Hit the Beet – Crisp rosemary and barley cakes serve with beetroot fetta salad and artichoke relish $17

Hit the Beet had a particularly nice relish. $17.

The soup of the day came in a large bowl with plenty of bread and again, is a dish that could be shared.

The Jewel of India in West Row Canberra City is my favourite Canberra restaurant for Indian food. In fact my friend who grew upon Hyderabad tells me this has the best Indian food he has had outside India.

I love the colourful decor, the tree lights on West Row and the soft carpet that absorbs sound, making conversation easy. Everything I’ve tried at Jewel of India has been excellent but I have especially enjoyed the Samosas, Raita, Fish Methi Masala (fish of the day cooked in a delicately spiced cashew and fenugreek sauce), Milani tarkaari (a mélange of vegetables cooked in onion tomato and cashew nut gravy topped with fresh spinach leaves) and Chicken Chettinad (pepper spiced curry from Tamil Nadu, South India).

While the banquets are a delicious and easy option that let groups of at least six, try a range of dishes, like all banquets (starting at $30 per person), you end up with way more food than you might otherwise order (making it hard not to overeat) and you may not try the most delicious options.

An alternative to a banquet, that still allows everyone to try a variety, but to also stay comfortable, is to order specific dishes and share.

Suggested sharing menu for six could include:

Entree:

Paapadams with assorted dips $8

6 x Vegetable samosa (savoury pastry triangles filled with spicy potatoes,green peas ) $10 per 2 ($5 each, $30 for six)

Main:
1x Fish Methi Masala $24

1x Chicken Chettinad $19

1x Milani Tarkaari $18

3x Naan $3 each
3 xRice $4 each
1x Raita $5

Total cost of food $125 ($21 per person)

Add dessert Gulab Jaman with ice-cream (Reduced milk dumplings soaked in cardamom flavoured sugar syrup) for an extra $4 per person ($8 for two dumplings)

Corkage $8 per bottle

Pappadams with assorted dips

Vegetable samosa

Chicken Chettinad, Fish Methi Masala, Naan, Rice, Kachumber Salad

Butter chicken, Lamb Roganjosh, Miloni Tarkaari, Dal Makhni, naan, rice, raita from the banquet

Gulab jaman