Govindas Cinema and Restaurant

Overview

Govindas is a bit of an odd one, yet it's a true Sydney institution. This Darlinghurst vegetarian restaurant also operates as a boutique cinema and a quiet space dedicated to yoga, chanting and 'uplifting the consciousness'. A proper evening at Govindas is a cinematic as well as culinary experience – and at $38.80 for dinner and a movie, it's one of the most whimsical and cost-effective date options on offer.

The buffet features countless delights from India and beyond. Indulge in unlimited trips to the food table and sample all that the spread has to offer: no two nights are ever the same. You will find a few staples, including Indian dahl soup, vegetable curry, baked penne pasta, lentil pie, potato au gratin, cauliflower pakoras, potato wedges, rice and poppadoms. We love the scrumptious kofta balls in creamy tomato sauce and large veggie samosas.

The movie room is upstairs and patrons are invited to kick off their shoes and recline on floor cushions, couches or tub chairs. There are generally five films to choose from each night, all at different times, and these tend to cover the current release art house range pretty solidly.

Updated: August 2019.

Image: Trent Van der jagt.