If I could give more stars I would! Such an incredible experience, start to finish. The staff were extremely helpful and kind. They went above an beyond. Can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
J Baswell (Tech Shaman)
Love thos restaurant so much. We are always treated like family when we go. Food and the staff are amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
pavani a
Loved the ambience of the place. The little nuances in the decor take you back to India. The naan was so exceptionally soft. The mutter paneer was very tasty. The pakoras were addictive. This place serves a meal that feels like home. Last but not the least, the jeera cookies were just spot on and soooo nostalgic. Definitely worth a visit !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
William Fleming
Some of the most delicious and certainly the most well curated Indian food in the Triangle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Hirendra Doshi
Worth visiting once
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chili Paneer
Chockalingam
The restaurant setting is attractive and the staff were exceptionally kind, so much so that they proactively took 50% off one of my items due to a delay, which I genuinely appreciated.
That said, the food itself was disappointing. This is clearly gentrified Indian food. I have no issue with Indian cuisine in an upscale setting with a significant price markup when it is done with authenticity and depth of flavor - as places like Semma in NYC demonstrate very well. Unfortunately, that was not the case here.
I ordered the Kerala beef parotta as a starter and the kasundi fish in banana leaf as my main. The kasundi fish was passable but unremarkable. The Kerala beef parotta, however, was particularly underwhelming. The Malabar parotta felt more like baked bread than a flaky, layered soft parotta, and the beef was quite dry and lacked any real flavor. As a point of contrast, I would invite people to try the Kerala beef parotta at Grand Malabar in Morrisville to see how flavorful and authentically prepared this dish can be. The ice cream dessert was decent, but it was essentially a straightforward kulfi.
Overall, this felt like Indian food that has been heavily westernized. That impression was reinforced by the clientele, I was essentially the only non-white diner in the restaurant. The food may appeal to a Western audience looking for an “Indian-inspired” date-night experience, but if you’re desi or looking for authentic, flavorful Indian food, I would probably save some money and visit Anjappar next door instead.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Ellen LeRoy
The dishes were beautifully served, and full of flavor. The cocktails were unique flavor, punches as well. The food had depth and felt soulful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kate Watkins
We were pretty bummed by our experience. I wanted to love it because the beautiful family stories and funky decor set them up for success—- but even after ordering the highlighted things in the menu, we couldn’t find any dish that impressed us, especially considering the price-point. Even the paratha was dry and crunchy, like it had been reheated or leftover. Service was good, but there’s just too much delicious Indian food in Durham to go back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Gourmand
Unfortunately, this restaurant misses the Mark in terms of accuracy, price, and taste.
I had checked with a waitress to make sure that they could do a proper substitution in one of the dishes where instead of beef, they would put chicken. They confirmed this was correct, and it even showed as documented on the receipt as correct. However, once I got the dish, I noticed that there was beef in it. Unfortunately, the restaurant was only willing to provide a 30% discount for the price of the dish rather than a full refund, even though the dish was not touched.
Second, the price is quite a lot for the quantity you get. Portions are extremely small, and you are easily paying $20-30 per dish.
Lastly, taste is seriously lacking. Everything has zero spice in it, and the dishes themselves are mild at best. They have some dishes that they claim are with crispy chicken, but it was definitely soggy.
I don’t recommend this place unless you want to be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
Robert DeSantis
There were several items which I thought were fantastic however it was about 50/50. Other items were over seasoned to the point where the spice overpowered the natural taste of the dish. Great ambiance and vibe and the speak easy is a nice addition. The drinks were delicious but the food was not all to my liking. The lamb chops were bland and the jeera biscuits is a strange combination. I don't think I would go back since we tried about 6-7 dishes and it was not a traditional or authentic Indian taste but rather a fusion restaurant.
Cheeni was on my list for quite while and finally had the opportunity. The place has a nice chill vibe with an open kitchen. The menu has lot of options that will appease your tastebuds and your appetite. Highly recommend getting a reservation. I am sure walkins can be accommodated or can wait at the bar.
Food was great. We orders varied dishes, maybe one too many. Portion size is pretty good. Drinks were good. Also on the way out we picked up jeera cookies and chocolate chip cookies - both really good.
Will definitely dine again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Aloo Chaat, Naan, Dal
Toni DiNardo
Good food makes a good restaurant; good food and good people make a great restaurant. Cheeni's got both. Their food is some of the most delicious Desi fare I've tasted (and believe me, I've tasted a lot). If you have a soft spot for street food like I do, their samosa chaat absolutely slaps. And I'm not usually a big fan of fish curries, so it's saying something when I say their Goan fish curry blew me away. The staff are always extremely nice, the bartenders if you eat at the bar are great at reading people - friendly and chatty if you're in a mood to talk, and the leaving you be if you're enjoying a night with a book or your own thoughts without missing any of your needs. And, Cheeni's kindness and care towards the hungry of Durham in this cruel times are the kind of community mindedness we all need right now, and the type of thing that makes Durham Durham.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Holli Mann
I never write reviews, but this was truly a horrible and stand out occasion that bears reviewing.
First off, I’ve been to Cheeni twice before this last time, both times it was great, save for maybe slightly cold waitstaff. Whatever, I prefer a hands off waitstaff anyway, truth be told. This last Sunday however, almost everything was so off that I won’t be going back. We arrived after having made a reservation and since been there before I knew the drill with the monkey card left out to order. Unfortunately we waited for someone to even walk by to tell them we had no monkey card in our box. No biggie, it happens. We ordered our starters and drinks, then mains.
What happened next still baffles me. First, one starter arrived, the seasonal dips, which were actually quite good. Then came the cabbage medallions which were 2 sad, soggy, tiny slices of cabbage that clearly had been steamed then tried to be rescued with a grill. They were soggy and pretty tasteless, and for $14, I mean cmon, cabbage is cheap as hell, why just 2 tiny cuts from a cabbage? Then 20 min later or so, the mango lassis finally show up. Zero complaints, I like them, just know they are very floral, so if you aren’t into that, just don’t even try. Finally they come out asking if we are sharing, which we hastily reply yes, and they flop down what can only be described as the nastiest piece of fish I’ve ever tasted. (fish curry) Overcooked massively, salted so badly it made my eyes burn, and not to mention it’s the saddest little end piece of a fish. Sitting in some sauce with a dumb little circle of rice. That’s all. $30 this fish was. We sent it back after nearly vomiting after tasting it. It honestly tasted like it had gone bad too. I ordered the fish moilee instead, which I was sure would be great- I had it months ago and it was. In the meantime my partner’s overcooked lamb chops arrive with crunchy undercooked rice that was literally inedible. We let the waitstaff know all of this, and they thanked us for the feedback because they were training a new cook. Ok, that’s fine, but Jesus, you are letting someone completely unqualified (clearly) cook for customers paying a lot of money for a great experience.
The kicker was when the second fish arrived, it was equally small, but literally the center was cold, I picked it up with my fork and it wouldn’t even tear in half. My partner and I laughed at this point, returned the dish and asked them very politely and demurely for the check saying needed to just go at this point. The waitstaff turned completely to ice, wouldn’t look at us and eventually literally threw the check on our table and stormed away. So we were blamed for the poor food quality ultimately, which is honestly the #1 reason we won’t be back.
Just save your money for a better spot with better customer service and great food time and time again. There are too many good spots now in Durham to go back to a bad one.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Peter Mueller
Place settings are in a box, use a card to signal a service need, the Chicken Ludhiana was delicious.
If I could give more stars I would! Such an incredible experience, start to finish. The staff were extremely helpful and kind. They went above an beyond. Can’t wait to come back!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love thos restaurant so much. We are always treated like family when we go. Food and the staff are amazing.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loved the ambience of the place. The little nuances in the decor take you back to India. The naan was so exceptionally soft. The mutter paneer was very tasty. The pakoras were addictive. This place serves a meal that feels like home. Last but not the least, the jeera cookies were just spot on and soooo nostalgic. Definitely worth a visit !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Some of the most delicious and certainly the most well curated Indian food in the Triangle.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Worth visiting once
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Chili Paneer
The restaurant setting is attractive and the staff were exceptionally kind, so much so that they proactively took 50% off one of my items due to a delay, which I genuinely appreciated.
That said, the food itself was disappointing. This is clearly gentrified Indian food. I have no issue with Indian cuisine in an upscale setting with a significant price markup when it is done with authenticity and depth of flavor - as places like Semma in NYC demonstrate very well. Unfortunately, that was not the case here.
I ordered the Kerala beef parotta as a starter and the kasundi fish in banana leaf as my main. The kasundi fish was passable but unremarkable. The Kerala beef parotta, however, was particularly underwhelming. The Malabar parotta felt more like baked bread than a flaky, layered soft parotta, and the beef was quite dry and lacked any real flavor. As a point of contrast, I would invite people to try the Kerala beef parotta at Grand Malabar in Morrisville to see how flavorful and authentically prepared this dish can be. The ice cream dessert was decent, but it was essentially a straightforward kulfi.
Overall, this felt like Indian food that has been heavily westernized. That impression was reinforced by the clientele, I was essentially the only non-white diner in the restaurant. The food may appeal to a Western audience looking for an “Indian-inspired” date-night experience, but if you’re desi or looking for authentic, flavorful Indian food, I would probably save some money and visit Anjappar next door instead.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
The dishes were beautifully served, and full of flavor. The cocktails were unique flavor, punches as well. The food had depth and felt soulful.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We were pretty bummed by our experience. I wanted to love it because the beautiful family stories and funky decor set them up for success—- but even after ordering the highlighted things in the menu, we couldn’t find any dish that impressed us, especially considering the price-point. Even the paratha was dry and crunchy, like it had been reheated or leftover. Service was good, but there’s just too much delicious Indian food in Durham to go back.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 5
Unfortunately, this restaurant misses the Mark in terms of accuracy, price, and taste.
I had checked with a waitress to make sure that they could do a proper substitution in one of the dishes where instead of beef, they would put chicken. They confirmed this was correct, and it even showed as documented on the receipt as correct. However, once I got the dish, I noticed that there was beef in it. Unfortunately, the restaurant was only willing to provide a 30% discount for the price of the dish rather than a full refund, even though the dish was not touched.
Second, the price is quite a lot for the quantity you get. Portions are extremely small, and you are easily paying $20-30 per dish.
Lastly, taste is seriously lacking. Everything has zero spice in it, and the dishes themselves are mild at best. They have some dishes that they claim are with crispy chicken, but it was definitely soggy.
I don’t recommend this place unless you want to be disappointed.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 1
There were several items which I thought were fantastic however it was about 50/50. Other items were over seasoned to the point where the spice overpowered the natural taste of the dish. Great ambiance and vibe and the speak easy is a nice addition. The drinks were delicious but the food was not all to my liking. The lamb chops were bland and the jeera biscuits is a strange combination. I don't think I would go back since we tried about 6-7 dishes and it was not a traditional or authentic Indian taste but rather a fusion restaurant.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Cheeni was on my list for quite while and finally had the opportunity. The place has a nice chill vibe with an open kitchen. The menu has lot of options that will appease your tastebuds and your appetite. Highly recommend getting a reservation. I am sure walkins can be accommodated or can wait at the bar.
Food was great. We orders varied dishes, maybe one too many. Portion size is pretty good. Drinks were good. Also on the way out we picked up jeera cookies and chocolate chip cookies - both really good.
Will definitely dine again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Aloo Chaat, Naan, Dal
Good food makes a good restaurant; good food and good people make a great restaurant. Cheeni's got both. Their food is some of the most delicious Desi fare I've tasted (and believe me, I've tasted a lot). If you have a soft spot for street food like I do, their samosa chaat absolutely slaps. And I'm not usually a big fan of fish curries, so it's saying something when I say their Goan fish curry blew me away. The staff are always extremely nice, the bartenders if you eat at the bar are great at reading people - friendly and chatty if you're in a mood to talk, and the leaving you be if you're enjoying a night with a book or your own thoughts without missing any of your needs. And, Cheeni's kindness and care towards the hungry of Durham in this cruel times are the kind of community mindedness we all need right now, and the type of thing that makes Durham Durham.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I never write reviews, but this was truly a horrible and stand out occasion that bears reviewing.
First off, I’ve been to Cheeni twice before this last time, both times it was great, save for maybe slightly cold waitstaff. Whatever, I prefer a hands off waitstaff anyway, truth be told. This last Sunday however, almost everything was so off that I won’t be going back. We arrived after having made a reservation and since been there before I knew the drill with the monkey card left out to order. Unfortunately we waited for someone to even walk by to tell them we had no monkey card in our box. No biggie, it happens. We ordered our starters and drinks, then mains.
What happened next still baffles me. First, one starter arrived, the seasonal dips, which were actually quite good. Then came the cabbage medallions which were 2 sad, soggy, tiny slices of cabbage that clearly had been steamed then tried to be rescued with a grill. They were soggy and pretty tasteless, and for $14, I mean cmon, cabbage is cheap as hell, why just 2 tiny cuts from a cabbage? Then 20 min later or so, the mango lassis finally show up. Zero complaints, I like them, just know they are very floral, so if you aren’t into that, just don’t even try. Finally they come out asking if we are sharing, which we hastily reply yes, and they flop down what can only be described as the nastiest piece of fish I’ve ever tasted. (fish curry) Overcooked massively, salted so badly it made my eyes burn, and not to mention it’s the saddest little end piece of a fish. Sitting in some sauce with a dumb little circle of rice. That’s all. $30 this fish was. We sent it back after nearly vomiting after tasting it. It honestly tasted like it had gone bad too. I ordered the fish moilee instead, which I was sure would be great- I had it months ago and it was. In the meantime my partner’s overcooked lamb chops arrive with crunchy undercooked rice that was literally inedible. We let the waitstaff know
all of this, and they thanked us for the feedback because they were training a new cook. Ok, that’s fine, but Jesus, you are letting someone completely unqualified (clearly) cook for customers paying a lot of money for a great experience.
The kicker was when the second fish arrived, it was equally small, but literally the center was cold, I picked it up with my fork and it wouldn’t even tear in half. My partner and I laughed at this point, returned the dish and asked them very politely and demurely for the check saying needed to just go at this point. The waitstaff turned completely to ice, wouldn’t look at us and eventually literally threw the check on our table and stormed away. So we were blamed for the poor food quality ultimately, which is honestly the #1 reason we won’t be back.
Just save your money for a better spot with better customer service and great food time and time again. There are too many good spots now in Durham to go back to a bad one.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 2
Place settings are in a box, use a card to signal a service need, the Chicken Ludhiana was delicious.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amazing
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Naan, Vegetable Samosas
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