It’s hard to imagine Sydney without Abhi’s, and thankfully for the past 35 years, we haven’t had to. Kumar and Suba Mahadevan opened the restaurant in 1990, and the cosy, silver-wallpapered dining room has pulled a spice-loving crowd ever since.

All your staples are ready and waiting, from the lush, potato-stuffed cylinder of masala dosa and the thick, dark and creamy dhal makhani, to a supremely comforting chicken Hyderabadi biryani and light gulab jamun, the
golden dumplings steeped in rose and saffron syrup.

New dishes turn up on the specials list – maybe prawns in a crisp tapioca coating with crunchy curry leaves – and anything done in the wood-fired tandoor oven is a good bet (meaty lamb chops, eight different naans and parathas).

Big shout-out to the good-value wine list, and to restaurants built from family pride, hard work and a pioneering spirit.