5 star Indian food in culinary wasteland Ocala?? WTF?! But yes, it's true. Amrit Palace is a great little Northern Indian restaurant tucked into an unassuming strip mall (wait, every restaurant in Ocala is in a strip mall...). Friendly service, although our server wouldn't really elaborate on the preparation of our dishes to my Gudjerati co-worker, which even I found annoying. When an Indian asks how it's prepared, don't say "the usual way"! Anyways, great little restaurant. I was very happy to find it. read more

I really wasn't expecting it. A really yummy Indian restaurant in the middle of Ocala? North Central Florida? Where the biggest city is a small college town? We went, we braced ourselves for disappointment and yearning for the big city. But, instead, we found a delicious array of foods! Ok, I haven't had the opportunity to try my favorite - Chicken Vindaloo yet. But, we had their sample platter and let me tell you, we left full and smiling! With promises for our return!!! And return we shall :) read more

As Jon J said, this is 5 star Indian food in the most unlikely of places. It's mind blowing, but it's true. I've been to Indian restaurants all throughout Florida (including most of them in the Orlando area) and NYC and I've never had anything else that can hold a candle to Amrit. Really, I don't know where to begin with this one. The food is spiced better than any other Indian food I've had. The meat is more tender than any other Indian food I've had. The rice is absolutely delicious. The curry is probably the tastiest I've ever had and the tandoori chicken is a prize winner. And this doesn't even touch on the owners. It's all around a top notch place. I actually get excited about driving to Ocala at times because of the chance to go here. Now, I know that everyone's hyped this place up. It's very small and casual. Don't expect anything fancy as far as decor goes. While I would be feel more than comfortable taking a date here, you're going here for the food, not visual stimulation. Also, while this is a hole in the wall, don't expect hole in the wall prices for diner. For dinner, you're most likely going to spend over $20 a head. Their lunch specials, however, are an outrageously good deal at around $8 (from what I can remember). If you're a fan of Indian food and find yourself driving 75 through Ocala, make it a point to try this place. You're not going to find better Indian food in Florida, period. I would assume you'd have to go to a highly rated, much more expensive restaurant to even find better in the country. I'm not even joking about how ridiculously great the food is here and, unfortunately, I'm spoiled against going other places now. I'll try any new Indian place I can, but I'm usually disappointed after going to Amrit for so many years. read more

It's not easy, and often unfair, to write a restaurant review after stopping for only a quick mid-afternoon snack. However, Amrit Palace is the sort of place one cannot ignore, no matter how fleeting the experience. We missed lunch by an hour or so and, needing gasoline, we pulled off the interstate. Amrit Palace is a stand-out. It looks good from the exterior and we felt it was necessary to go in for a quick nosh. This is a lovely place. It is clean, well laid out, bright and airy and Indian in a thoroughly modern way. To be politically incorrect, and to generalize wildly, the hallmarks of many Indian establishments (plastic curtains, cheap furniture and worn flooring), were all missing. The place was spotless and is obvioulsly meticulously cared for by very proud owners. Amrit Palace is a very nice restaurant, staffed by attentive, polite and knowledgeable people.We shared a mixed appetiser platter and two vegetable samosas. Everything was wonderful. We will be coming back through Ocala in the next few weeks and an evening meal at Amrit Palace is definitely on the cards. read more

Wow! Just ordered the Chole Palak takeout lunch and it is so much food for such a great price! Their food is always so delicious and exceeds my best expectations. I love that Amrit is always a reliable source for tasty food with great service. The atmosphere is clean and welcoming, and the staff is very attentive. Give it a try and you won't be disappointed! read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Florida. I love their chicken tikka masala, naan, and dal soup. I go to this place any time I pass by it on the interstate since I don't live in Ocala. Parking is so easy and the staff is so sweet and kind. Family owned and operated. read more

Amrit Palace - Chicken biryani. - Indian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

The food is as fresh and authentic as I have ever had. The waitstaff are all well trained and have a better than working knowledge of all of the ingredients and preparation of the food. They have many off-the-menu options and suggestions. I cannot wait to return and try the tandoori chicken. The Indian ice cream, made with almond milk and drizzled with rose water, was the perfect accompaniment to a pleasantly spiced meal. I wish I could give it a 6! read more

Very friendly staff and some great food. Pretty much everything on the menu is perfect. Med Spicy wasn't as spicy as I would have liked so if you want real spicy you definitely need to ask for the spiciest they have. Other then that, I have now complaints. read more

My son and I love trying new type cuisines and stopped in to Amrit Palace. The decor inside restaurant is beautiful and the customer service was awesome. Our waitress took the time to go over the menu with us and explained the type of seasonings used in Indian food. The curry was very good along with the Nan bread. We tried numerous dishes and each one was excellent. We will be coming back weekly to this restaurant. The owners take the time to come by your table and make sure that everything is ok and if you need anything. read more

I got take-out food from Amrit Palace after a difficult, mind-frying 3 days of class at the Chi Institute. The lamb mushroom dish was exactly what I needed to tonify my qi! It made for a perfect comfort food dinner. I called in my order and they had it ready for me in about 15 minutes. The portion was about 4 cups of meat and gravy. It was nice and warm and the "medium" spiciness was just barely spicy. They gave me 2 or 3 cups of rice that was warm and fluffy to go with my lamb, and about 1/4 cup of a tomato-based (?) condiment. I don't know the proper name but it was kind of like the pickled condiments I've had at other Indian restaurants (not spicy). The chunks of lamb were very tender and the gravy was thick and creamy. The young man that helped me was polite and the lobby was quiet and clean. I thought the price was very fair, especially for a large portion-- under $16 and I still have enough for breakfast. Finally, it was easy to access the place as it's only a short distance from I-75 and has a big sign and adequate parking. GREAT! Will be returning. Next time I will try my dish "spicy." read more

Every time we come here the service and food are excellent. The restraint is super clean and the staff is always friendly.

I felt as if I was pushed into a room with a toddler. No thoughts were given to the fact that we did not want a noisy talkative toddler just behind us. This was just the beginning of the experience. It was obvious that they have a certain area that is open at a certain time. The restaurant was all but empty. There were so many tables. The people seated behind us had a really obnoxious child and honestly, they had to know it way before we arrived. I'm sorry but that does not cut it when you charge $16 for a very small portion of food. They charge for everything- chutney- you name it. Imagine going to a normal restaurant and getting an extra charge for condiments, crackers, etc. Expect to pay in excess of $28 per person if you are drinking water. If you have never been to a similar restaurant, you might be impressed. We were not. Honestly, I tried to be impressed because they have such good reviews. I really don't know how to cook Indian food but I realized that my cooking is actually better than the dish I ate here - from watching cooking channel. Spice Lady or something like that... Staff is nice but clueless. Examine your crazy prices. You are in Ocala - NOT NYC! read more

Let me start by saying I'm from San Francisco, the foodie capital of the US, so I'm quite spoiled. My parents live in the Villages and I have yet to have a decent meal there. They wanted to try indian food which shocked me since I've have had tons indian food. Also I did live in NY City. Armrit Palace was great if you're stranded in Florida and in need of a truly good meal! We had the lunch and we all ordered different dishes and tasted everything. Every dish was a pleasure to eat and we raved and raved. The restaurant is spotless and has a nice clean interior. The service was perfect! It's family run and many little kids were there when we had our meal - I loved the sense of family. We ate right between the lunch and dinner hour and the restaurant was 2/3 full. They do a very good biz in that area and for good reason. I highly recommend it - you will not be disappointed! read more

We stopped here for lunch while driving from Charleston, SC to Naples, FL. We had wonderful service and a really great experience. From the moment we walked in the door, we were greeted by the wonderful aroma of indian cooking, and friendly, attentive service from the staff. We started with the Amrit Palace Indian Special appetizer sampler platter containing Vegetable Samosa, Meat Samosa, Bhujia, Aloo Pakora, Chooza Pakora, ' Cheese Pakora, and Papadam. My only complaint is that we didn't get the tamarind sauce I'm used to accompanying these appetizers, so they were a little dry. For my entree, I ordered the chicken shahi saag, which I was very pleased with. It was quite flavorful and delicious, and was some of the best chicken saag I've had in a while. Ben ordered the chicken tikka masala, which he raved over. I stole a bite and I have to say it was quite delicious. If you like tikka masala, you definitely won't be disappointed. We also split an order of garlic nan, which was delicious. Overall, we had an awesome experience and we will definitely go back next time we find ourselves in the area. read more

Was driving through the area and decided to stop by with my wife. We were seated immediately and everyone was courteous and polite. We immediately went to check for any lunch specials, and some were available. We ordered the two vegetarian chole items, and some samosas. The lunch special consisted of a dal soup which was creamy and definitely made from puréed chick peas. Had good flavor and I added some of the mango chutney for spice. The entrees came out at a reasonable time, and wow there was a lot of food. Each item had tons of seasoning and just as expected. Indian food will definitely leave a taste in your mouth. Medium spice so the flavors weren't overwhelmed with heat. Overall the service is on point, fully staffed and it was busy by the time we were leaving (Sunday Brunch crowd). Atmosphere was clean and welcoming. The lunch prices were very reasonable especially for the amount of food you're getting. If I'm in the area and craving some Indian, I'll definitely be back. read more

Best Indian Food ever!! Vegans this is a must try!! I was looking for a good Vegan restaurant and stumbled across this hidden treasure. I highly recommend there Vegetable Curry Yummy. JD was also a big help and very sweet!! read more

I had business in Ocala today. After seeing the business's address, a tiny 2-watt light bulb went off. Wasn't there something in that vicinity that I wanted to eat? ... oh, Amrit Palace! Great, I love Indian food! And they're open for lunch! And they have mango lassi! Double score! So naturally, with such high hopes, I could only come into town and go the wrong way multiple times before getting to the appointment too late, having to reschedule, and deciding to eat lunch instead. And Amrit Palace, where are you? Oh! You're by the Papa John's that I've passed five times in the last half-hour! My directionally-challenged behavior aside, this is a good restaurant. The staff is attentive (and significantly more friendly if you're a regular, I noticed). Patrons ranged from businessmen to people who came into town just eat there, to regulars, to first-timers like me. The lunch special is $7.95, a good value if you consider that you get soup in addition to the main dish/basmati rice/naan. I thought I might need a lassi (fine, I just wanted a lassi) but their mild really is mild, so it turned out to be as unnecessary as it was delicious. I ordered the lamb, which was five or six cubes of very tender meat in aromatic curry. Unlike other reviewers with a great deal of experience with Indian food, I have only had the opportunity to try a few restaurants: the now-defunct Sun Center Kabob House, Indian Cuisine, Chutnee's, Radhika's, and now here. The food here just reminded me of Indian Cuisine for $2-4 less per dinner entree (offset by the 80-mile round trip). So while I liked it, I wasn't wowed. I'm almost a fan. Almost. Since I'm likely to have more business in Ocala soon, I'll be back to try other dishes--possibly even lug a dinner home every now and again. 3.5 stars. read more

Great flavored sauces, small pieces of meat in the sauces. Overpriced for what is served. Nice atmosphere. Probably will not be back. Eg, lamb curry only had 4 small pieces for 14.95. Tasty but overpriced. read more

Not authentic indian but watered down mild microwave like meal. Pricey but not worth it as portions are very small. Moved to this area few months ago and was looking forward to try but not disappointed. Madras shrimp was ok but chicken curry was terrible (very pasty) and sugary. If you are craving Indian food I recommend Orlando. read more

Wow, this place is SUPERB! I am from New York and the first time I ever tried this place was when it first opened at its new location. Being from up north there are a tremendous amount of Indian places to go eat at but in all honesty, I have to admit that there is no place thus far that serves Indian food like Amrit. The atmosphere is very calming and the people there are very welcoming and the food is just amazing. The owner is such a wonderful person and his daughter Jeeth is so beautiful and charming with a awesome sense of humor. I was having a terrible day one time and I left there smiling. If you are reading this, THANKS JEETH!! :):) read more

I had heard good things--outstanding things, even--about Amrit Palace from friends for years now but somehow I had never gone there before last night. My friends and I were coming home from a day at the springs in the Ocala National Forest and before getting back on I-75, Amrit was a good choice for dinner. Though somewhat under-dressed perhaps, we were warmly welcomed and found the interior to be very nice and comfortable if not exceptional or unique: pretty much a generic, somewhat large, restaurant with some Indian touches and it looked as if it had been renovated within probably the past decade--possibly the past five years. I once had a room-mate who was from India, so while I won't say I'm a true expert on Indian food, I know a fair amount about it and cook it at home some. Neither of my friends were that familiar with Indian cooking so I helped them navigate the menu and we all got dishes that we found exciting with my friend Justin getting a tandoori chicken dish, Peter a vegetable set-price dinner, and I a lamb curry. As with most Indian restaurants, you get a small amount of rice with your meal, but naan has to be ordered by itself if you want it. Peter's dinner, for around $20 or slightly less, came with a soup, a mini-lassi (which was adorable but not enough to drink at all), samosas, two vegetable curries, rice, and naan. This was a whale of a deal: it was far more than he could eat and while some items like the soup were very small portions, the ability to sample all these treats would have cost about $10 more if ordered off the regular menu. I would recommend at least considering going this route, and they also offer this type deal for the curries and tandoori dishes--at least for the chicken ones. My lamb was very tasty but a bit small a portion. I had not ordered naan, either, which was a mistake as I missed having it. I did however order a mango lassi which was very good. I also ordered some Indian mixed pickle (Justin kindly gave me some naan he'd ordered to eat the pickle with) and it was ok but no better than standard pickle in a jar you can buy at any Indian grocery. I've had Indian pickle of higher quality at a restaurant in Athens, Georgia, though most (even very good) Indian restaurants offer pickle of this middle-of-the-road quality. (If you're wondering what the big deal is about, I'm such a fan of this unique, bitter, sour, hot, citrus-based Indian condiment that I actually keep a couple jars at home because I love it so much.) Overall, very good food. Slightly small portions except the set-price dinner Peter ordered, though. One waiter was somewhat rude, though the waitress was very nice. By "rude" I mean when Justin asked him questions about the menu he gave very flat responses such as when Justin asked, "is that curry, if I order it 'hot', going to be very hot or slightly hot, what would you say?" the Rude Waiter responded "eh hot". Ok, that helps a lot. And it was more how he said it than what he said (or failed to say). For as good as everything was, I just feel the staff could have been more welcoming in this regard. That aside, this is probably the best Indian food I've had yet in Florida though I've not tried the one on Woodlands in Orlando, which I hear is superb. read more

Bonafides: I lived in Singapore 11 years and visited india on several occasions This is the real deal. Although slightly toned down for American tastes but there were a lot of Indian folks eating there when we were so that means something to me. The Tandoori chicken was excellent and the naan really good. You can specify spiciness level medium good for me. Portions very generous. Very, very good Indian. I wish this was in Charleston Very clean fresh decor upgrade read more

So delicious. The decor is lovely inside, waiters were very helping and calm demeanor. Food was beyond Amazing tasted so authentic and fresh!!! read more

Wow great indian. I'm from south fla and we have great indian. I had butter chicken and it was so good I have been craving it for days. Naan bread was fluffy and light. Highly recommend this place. read more

Fantastic service, wonderful food, personable and involved owner. A definite repeat needed! If you are driving through, stop. If you live nearby, date night! Don't let this place go untasted! read more

Amrit Palace - Owner on the left, amazing and attentive staff on the right, and that's just the bar! Talk about being on top of things! - Indian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

I was in Reddick, FL for educational purposes and at night, my friend and I decided to look for a place for dinner. Luckily, we had a person who knew the area and he told us to check this place out and we are so glad we did! This little gem is outstanding. I ordered a paneer masala, my friend ordered an eggplant curry of some sort, and a vegetable curry was ordered as well. They were all awesome! You have the option to choose mild, medium, or hot. I chose mild and I found that the amount of spice for me was already sufficient. The paneer they had was absolutely wonderful - although it still didn't beat Spice 11 (see my review for Guelph, ON, Canada) for that. But it was a great treat. Entering the restaurant, you were surrounded by this wonderful smell of their food cooking. If I had a chance, I would definitely come back! read more

Love everything about this restaurant, I stop there for lunch on my way to Tallahassee with my boyfriend and we ordered the lunch special plus some samosas and nan bread. Service very friendly and food delicious. No to mention that all under $30.00. We recommend it 100% Rucht D read more

I decided to try this place out while driving to Naples ..... I thought okay another Indian restaurant with food which is so so..... but am actually surprised. They had a good selection of vegetarian and non vegetarian food , exceptional service, and the lamb roghan josh was excellent, spiced exactly right with lamb tenderly made making it great. read more

Don't be fooled by the rave reviews. My experience was absolutely terrible. The food was bland and even with "medium spicy," had no flavor. They claim to serve basmati rice, but clearly they served long grain rice with neither the flavor nor the texture of basmati. In addition, their service was dismal. No dinner plates were brought with the food and had to be requested. Then, instead of distributing the plates to every guest, the plates were placed as a stack at the end of the table. None of the waiters seemed thrilled to be there. PSA: Please don't go. TL:DR = Do yourself a favor and actually enjoy the food at another establishment. read more

Extremely good food. Great portions. Best Indian food around. The staff has always been super friendly.

I decided to stop by on my way from Tampa. By far the best Indian food I have ever had. The service was wonderful, several people stopped by to ensure that we had everything we needed and the food was great. I reccommend the Goat Curry. The meat is so so tender and the curry is seasoned to perfection! read more

Service, atmosphere and food here were excellent!! Spice levels were right on, menu variety good and portions were plentiful. We will definitely be back! read more

Deep was an excellent server. Food was delicious and plentiful. A touch of India in downtown Ocala. read more

Amrit Palace - Deep was an excellent server. Food was delicious and plentiful. The curry was perfect. Highly recommend. - Indian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

I wanted to try authentic Indian cuisine and this place was absolutely a great find. When I got there I was seated promptly. The waiter was super nice to me and after browsing through the menus I opted for the meal for one special and boy did I get what I paid for. Lots of sides and entries, after I finish one there comes the main entry. What? How is this call meal for one, more like meal for 3. I was so happy. The presentation was great, all the dishes were delicious and delightful. The atmosphere is welcoming and clean, the staff is polite and service is superb. Every time I travel along I75 this will surely be one of my regular stops. read more

Amrit Palace - Indian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Love the chitneys, Pakora & service. One of my favorite Indian restaurants I've been too. Everything had great flavor combination. read more

Amrit Palace - The Chutneys are made in house. Awesome service. Perfect flavor combination. - Indian Near Me - Ocala, Florida

Indian can be hard to come by in a small town, that's why I appreciate Amrit palace all the more. The lunch specials are incredibly reasonable and the soup they serve with it is incredibly tasty. The naan is well prepared, especially the fruit naan. There are a wide variety of curries to choose from and the naans compliment them well. The service is very friendly and timely with just enough to feel waited on. The restaurant is well kept with clean bathrooms and prompt cleaning of tables. I would definitely recommend ton get that Indian fix. read more

Wow! My girlfriend and We're in Ocala for business and after trying some pretty boring standard fare options in Downtown, we looked for something a bit more stand out and found Amrit Palace. This place was the best surprise of the trip by far, absolutely delicious Indian fare in a super cute, clean, very well run family restaurant. Our only regret was that is was not open Monday so we could not go again. read more

Food quality is good and amenities are welcoming. However, portion size is less if you are planning to share dish among partner.

Great food, fast take out. Had the lamb mushroom hot spice, enough for two dinners. Will be going here every week.

We were driving through back to Orlando from vacation, when we decided to eat something different from the usual drive-by fast food. We called ahead to place our order after checking Yelp for the nearest interesting restaurant. It was AMAZING in every way. I forgot what we ordered specifically, since we got several things, but all of it was well made with good sized portions, and really delicious. The atmosphere was great too, wish we lived closer so we could dine-in. Some of the best indian food I've ever had. Note: we stopped there roughly a month ago. I am adding this review today because I realized that I never reviewed it after having found the restaurant on Yelp, and Yelp kept asking me for a review. It was well worth it! read more