The Snake Charmer

This review is based on the early bird special menu (seated by 5.45pm, out by 7.15pm), see menu on their website, same price as take-​away). We were 2 adults, a toddler and 18 month old, dining at 5.30pm on a Monday evening. We were the only ones there (no surprises due to the day and time) but felt very welcomed by a lady (Head chef’s wife?) who made my little ones feel comfortable straightaway. The décor set the stage for a lovely, family Indian meal.
We appreciated the suggestions the lady made and went with lamb rogan gosh, prawn malabar and chicken tandoori. We also had plain & garlic naan, steamed rice, papadum and mango chutney. The food arrived in a timely manner and we ordered more than enough. We thought that three dishes had it’s own district taste and use of lovely spices (vs some other Indian restaurants where the curries can taste pretty similar). My favourite was the prawn malabar. The chicken tandoori (half of a whole chook) was a tad dry and not the best I’ve had but still had a flavoursome gravy and a fresh, crunchy salad on the side. The naans were generous in size and tasted nice enough but we prefer the fluffy sort. The current review is based on the good value for the early bird menu, delicious food, very good service that makes dining out with young children a pleasant experience and nice relaxing ambience.
Corkage is $ 6/​wine bottle. Family friendly. High chair available.

The food’s nice and all, but the price is entirely unjustified by what’s put in front of you.
I mean, when a butter chicken costs $ 22.90, it had better be a magical curry experience. In that case, it’d be entirely justified, and I’d happily pay it. Unfortunately, in this case, it just wasn’t worth it. Knock off about five bucks, and this place would be worth another star, maybe two.
What I did think was alright was the service. Not amazing, but probably better than many of the Indian restaurants I’ve visited in Adelaide.

I went to the Snake Charmer for a quick business lunch with a colleague — they had a lunch special which featured a platter with a trio of curries, rice and a naan — the naan was nice enough, although I’m much more a fan of a good garlic naan, and the curries were well prepared and generously served.
As we ordered, we were told the actual contents of the lunch special varied from day to day, as per the chef’s choices. On our day, it was a chicken korma, a lamb curry that I’m not entirely sure what menu dish it would be, but something with much more depth than a rogan josh, and a lentil curry. The platter also came with some chutney and a raita — all in all it was incredible value and was served quickly.

If you eat at The Snake Charmer for the usual menu I’d rate it much higher. It’s a great atmosphere and good food, although pricey at $ 20 plus a curry. This review is only for the Sunday all you can eat buffet, which is a selection of curries and accompaniments for $ 25 per head. While it represents good value price wise, the curries tasted to me like they’d been frozen and reheated, they just lacked the flavour and spice I eat this food for. The pappadams weren’t crispy, the naan barely warm, the rice going hard sitting there on it’s heat source. I’m not a fan of buffets usually so I should’ve known better. If you do come here eat off the proper menu, it’s much more worth it. In a nutshell — another below par buffet!