Thava Indian Restaurant — Contemporary Indian Fine Dining, Durban
Thava has won the American Express Platinum Fine Dining Award for four consecutive years — a recognition that reflects the consistent quality of a kitchen that has positioned itself at the summit of contemporary Indian fine dining in South Africa. The restaurant is celebrated for its creativity, fresh locally-sourced ingredients, and diligent use of herbs, spices, and extraordinary cooking techniques that take the Indian culinary tradition as their foundation.
The cooking at Thava goes beyond the Durban Indian tradition of bunny chow and biryani — though both appear in elevated forms — to engage with the full range of Indian regional cuisine at a level that would be distinguished in any Indian restaurant in the world. The Durban-grown spices, the KwaZulu-Natal coastal seafood, and the fresh vegetables of the region all appear in dishes that demonstrate genuine culinary intelligence.
The wine programme takes South African wines seriously alongside the beer and cocktails that complement Indian cuisine: the Chenin Blancs and Viogniers that handle spice with grace, the bubblies that the AmEx Platinum recognition warrants.
Thava is the restaurant that demonstrates to visitors from Mumbai or Delhi that Durban’s Indian culinary tradition, developed over 150 years since the first indentured workers arrived from India, has produced a food culture of genuine standing in the global Indian cuisine conversation.
Best Occasion: Impress Clients
Four consecutive AmEx Platinum Fine Dining Awards communicate instantly to any client who understands the South African fine dining landscape: Thava is Durban’s most recognised kitchen and the most powerful client dining statement the city can make.
Best Occasion: First Date
Creativity, fresh ingredients, and extraordinary cooking techniques in a contemporary Indian setting: Thava is a first-date venue that communicates both culinary knowledge and genuine appreciation for what Durban’s Indian heritage has produced.