Southall: A Legacy of Family and Flavour

For Ravnish Gandhi, food is a family tradition. From 1990 to 2015, the third-generation restaurateur worked at his parents’ Indian diner, Bombay by Night, before opening his own restaurant, Southall, in St Kilda in 2015.

A New Home in Hampton, Same Warm Welcome

Now located in a larger, 70-seat venue in Hampton, he offers dishes inspired by various regions of India. Occasionally, his parents, Arvind and Jaspal, can be seen on the floor, welcoming longtime customers who have been dining with the family since 1990.

Regional Indian Dishes, Made with Care

Southall’s menu features classics like chicken tikka masala, smoky 48-hour charcoal tandoor-cooked kaali daal, saag paneer, and lamb biryani. Other highlights include lamb shank rezala—a mild curry slow-cooked with fragrant spices from West Bengal—Goan fish curry made with fresh, house-made coconut cream, and gobi Manchurian, a crispy fried cauliflower dish seasoned with carom seeds and ginger.

Traditional Sweets and Thoughtful Pairings

Desserts, prepared by Arvind since 1990, carry on Bombay by Night’s legacy with offerings such as gulab jamun, mango kulfi, and roasted almond and praline kulfi. The wine list includes around a dozen reds and 14 whites, alongside Aperol and limoncello spritzes ideal for warm evenings.

Minimalist Interiors, Personal Touches

The space is sleek and minimalist, featuring exposed brick, timber paneling, deep red chairs, crisp white tablecloths, and brass lighting. Gandhi, an avid photographer since 1995, has adorned the walls with his own black-and-white family photos and images from his travels across India.