Our second visit to this delicious, hidden gem. Seriously, it's tucked away in a neighborhood across the street from CCS in midtown and in the basement of an international center building. I am a lentil soup fan and this soup is my favorite, anywhere. It's thinner than most soups, with a tad of spice with lemony overtones. We always stop by on our way home and grab a quart of soup for home. The menu is international with Indian, Middle eastern, Italian and American entrees. We've only tried the falafel, hummus, tabouli platter. Wow. Excellent! And so affordable @ $10 per plate. It comes with a thin flatbread that does not taste made-on-site but it's good. My husband tried the chicken tawook platter with hummus and fries. It was tasty but we both agreed the vegetarian platter is better. We have had the same young woman as our server and really like her. She is genuine, friendly and attentive. It is fun to roam the building and check out the eclectic shops and artwork. Excellent food at reasonable prices served with kindness. What's not to like? read more

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Great selection of food, fast, friendly service, and a unique little spot with great ambience in downtown. It is a hidden gem. The food was good and with the wide menu everyone in my party was able to find something that they like. Would highly recommend. read more

Family run spot Attentive service Fresh, good-tasting food The chef will work with you to get the dish perfectly as you like it Casual, at-homey feel read more

The food was great! Huge portion for good price and delicious. The staff was very attentive providing excellent service. And we enjoyed the meal thoroughly. Would absolutely eat there again!! read more

Detroit's most unique hidden Gem next door to Detroit Art Institute. Small World Kitchen 5 different cuisines all made to perfection,  wondering why our local media doesn't show this small family business some Love.  Open 6 years now hidden in the basement of International Institute on Kirby with a big sign out front.  Open 11am till 4:30 Monday thru Saturday in a bright beautiful dining room. Baba, ma and daughter working in front of the house,  just walk up order take a seat. They bring your meal to the table.  Abe runs this cafe with his family, and always provides a delicious meal for an affordable price. It completely fits the location at International Institute to have a variety of ethnic dishes to choose from, and Abe has a way of bringing out the flavors in a dish that is hard to find for this price. A hidden lunchtime gem in the heart of the cultural district Detroit.   He's a Lebanese Master Chef trained in France,  the menu includes food and drinks from 5 unique cuisines and symbolizes the true inclusiveness of Detroit. See the website full menu and reviews https://small-world-kitchen.business.site/. We had a marvelous mixed plate of Indian Lamb and Chicken Curry with Naan bread. It was some of the very best ever eaten.  A delicious Falafel Plate with Tahini for dipping.  She had Chicken Tawook with Fatoush Salad and Hummus totally fabulous.  She had a bowl of Indian Daal Soup OMG such explosive flavor .  Please see all the great 5 star reviews around the web Yelp and Google,  place is a must visit for all you foodies.  Prices are cheaper than any restaurants Downtown Detroit,  hey they cater too.  #smallworldkitchendetroit @smallworldkitchendetroit #worldcusine #lambcurry #chickentawook #falafel #daalsoup #lowprices #detroithiddengems read more

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We went after visiting DIA and everything was amazing. Great selection of cuisines (everything was very good), all very reasonably priced. The service was quick and our waitress was kind. The place was quiet. I would 100% recommend. read more

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I ate here while in town for a conference and was surprised and pleased by the food and service, which were both wonderful.

This place was absolutely amazing. I had the Chicken Briyani and it was delicious! This place is located right next to the DIA in the basement. You would do yourself a favor to stop in here after visiting the DIA or any other museum near by. The food is worth it and I would recommend this to anyone around here! Thank you! read more

Very good food, had chicken swarma daal soup and we had chicken Briyani everything was wonderful.

Small world kitchen was suggested by a friend for a group lunch. Many people who are current or former CCS or Wayne students also know about this place. They highlight Indian, American and middle eastern foods. The. Biriyanas were popular with our group. I had a schwarma which was good. You order cafeteria style and they bring the food out. The atmosphere is casual but good and clean with excellent service. If you're spending the day or going to the DIA this is a nearby affordable & good option and relatively unknown as it's in the basement of a building across from the museum read more

We stopping here after visiting DIA. The food was delicious! So many cuisines and choices. You order at the counter & they bring to your table. People we nice and friendly. read more

Service was not overly friendly. The two women working here gave us the impression we were an inconvenience. No "hello," or "thank you" or any smile. Just seemed impatient with us as we decided on our order, wrote it down, flipped the square reader around for us to pay, and walked away. 20 minutes later . . . no food and we had to ask for our drinks. They were simply room temperature cans of Coke with no cup or ice . The tuna sandwich "sub" was two tablespoons of tuna salad on a sesame hot dog bun that was soggy from the moisture in the tuna. Personal pizzas were undercooked. Despite asking for "no peppers" all food had generous amounts of banana pepper throughout. The atmosphere was dark and stuffy. They need to turn up the lights and turn on the air condition. With all of the options available in Detroit, no need to go back here. read more

The food is fantastic and the portions are large for the price! I have had the Mideast feast and the veggie samosa, both of which are excellent! This is my second trip back here and I'm sure there will be more in the future! read more

This place is absolutely amazing, I highly recommend it. They have fair prices and excellent food. I like the mideast feast and paneer samosa. Their hummus is hands-down the best in town. Great service too! It is a go-to spot for us. read more

I love this place. The owner is so kind and generous.. it reopend under new managment (used to be mini cafe) they added to their menu lots of things my favorite is the shawarma ! They also offer buffets every saturday for only 7 bucks ! Thats amazing! read more

A hidden gem that's just down the street. I'm embarrassed at how long it took for us to try this place, but we will definitely be coming back. The food is tasty and you get A LOT for your money. We've tried their chicken curry, tandoori chicken, and samosas. The rice was great - not too dry - and the chicken in both dishes were totally on point. The International Institute is also a great organization and it's worth stopping into. This isn't a five star review because of the limited hours of Small World. read more

This place is truly a hidden gem in the midtown area. Food is top-notch delicious and the staff truly has a heart. I highly recommend the chicken Shawarma wrap as well as the chicken curry. You can't leave without having the mango lassi, it will blow your mind. Every time I leave there I dream about the next time I can go back. It's in the basement of the international center, museum. read more

This cafe has the best Indian Curry Chicken and Curry Lamb. We will definitely come back. Our go to in Detroit

Absolutely amazing customer service. I have always loved chili's Grill and Bar. Cajun shrimp Pasta is my fav!! My food came fast, hot and the waiters and waitresses were happy to be there. Ask for Antonio My kind of place! read more

I get food from them at least once a week - it's vegetarian friendly, absolutely delicious, and extremely reasonable. The family that owns it is lovely, the quantities are extremely generous (the veggie and bean curry combo lasts for 2 solid meals and is only $10), the service is fast, and the food is sooo yummy. Can't recommend enough! read more

Literally my favorite restaurant. I crave their chicken biryani everyday, if you're going to go there I recommend it, it's absolutely delicious!!!! And if you're vegan they have a vegetarian curry and biryani i believe. They're also available on grub-hub making it easier to order during this pandemic. Great customer service and the best food ever read more

This place is so cute, it's nice and daint. The food is great. I've tried a lot of their choices. Some of my favorites are the chicken wrap, quesadilla, and of course their fries are phenomenal. They're crispy on the outside and soft on the inside and perfectly salted. The service is great too. The workers are very nice and the chef comes out occasionally to ensure you're having a good experience. The prices aren't bad either. The place won't hurt your wallet but it'll leave you well fed. My favorite bit is the to-go cup for your drink, it comes with ice! read more

My husband and I love the chicken curry dish. It's very flavorful and a generous portion. We also like the fresh tomato, cucumber, and onion garnish which compliments the curry. Just the right amount of spice for us. All served on a fluffy bed of rice. Yum! read more

We asked an information desk person at the Detroit Institute of Arts for lunch ideas, and she said that her son recommended Small World Kitchen. It is located very close to both the DIA and the Detroit Historical Museum. We were there on Saturday and had the buffet. It was not as well stocked as many buffets, but the price wasn't as high as those, either. The food was excellent. Great flavors, enough variety, and no real heat to the curries. The service was also good. The atmosphere is not terrific--bright lights, TV on, more like a cafeteria, and it is in the basement. But, great food at a great price. read more

food is SO good and SO affordable. love that it is run by a dad & his daughter too. detroit's little treasure!