Had a friend group brunch and my friend suggested we try Batika India Bistro. We walked over but there'a plenty of street parking. We walked in and were immediately greeted. They have both indoor and outdoor seating but it was still a little chilly to be outside. We were given both the lunch special menu as well as the regular dinner menu. I ordered the Salmon Curry which was salmon with coconut masala sauce ($18.95) as well as a mango lassi ($5). The lunch special is a deal with the entree coming with rice, plain naan, two sides and dessert. The two sides were a soup and palak paneer. The dessert was kheer served in a plastic cup and lid. I was surprised by the amount of food and was thankful for all the fluffy naan that was included. Everything was so tasty. Service was warm and attentive. There's plenty of spacing between tables. They have one bathroom that was clean but watch out if you're using the hot water. They put up a sign warning people of the hot water being too hot. I will definitely be back again to try something else. Happy to have another restaurant to add to my go-to's! read more

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This is our go to Indian in Novato. We looovvee the cheesey naan. The lentil Dahl is kid friendly. We always cook up extra paneer and tofu to add to our vegetarian dishes from here because the paneer is light for our taste, but consistent with other restaurants. They do a great deal where you try lots of dishes in one pack, which is great value. read more

Great food and amazing service! I highly recommend the chicken curry it was amazing!!

OMG this place is so good!! We sat inside but they have really nice outdoor seating. Our server was very kind, and I was impressed he was able to remember our whole table's order without writing anything down! We got chicken tikka masala, lamb curry, garlic naan and white rice. The chicken tikka masala was different than any that I've tried before, it was more savory and a little less creamy, and extremely delicious. Both dishes had HUGE portion sizes, there was enough meat per dish to serve 2 people comfortably. The rice was made with pieces of cardamom and clove so it gave it some subtle extra flavor. Everything was so good, I'll definitely be coming back!! read more

Batika India Bistro - Entrance - Indian Near Me - Novato, California

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We stopped at this place for lunch enroute to Napa Valley. The food and ambiance is excellent, the dishes were freshly made and was served really hot. The restaurant is also in the heart of the town but it was tough finding a parking spot. Everything was good except the service. We had to call the waiter multiple times to take our order and they were busy chatting and laughing with some customers, this could have been improved. read more

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Delish! I went for lunch as I had a big craving for Chicken Biriyani. I ordered that from their lunch menu and it was so yummy. I was able to sit outside as it was a beautiful day. The service was timely, never rushed. The food was fresh, full of flavor, served hot, and sooooo yummy. I will be back! read more

Their staff is always so welcoming. My favorite is the saag paneer and garlic naan. Lovely decorations.

It was an unusually warm March evening so we sat in the outdoor seating area. This place is still very good. I hadn't been here in a while but wanted to note that the menu offers some items that I don't see in the typical Indian restaurant. The staff is very attentive and friendly, but not intrusive. We ordered the Methi Murg (chicken), Lamb Vindaloo and the Onion & Cheese Kulcha. Similar to Mexican restaurants, they start you off with a basket of papadam (?) (gratis) which are lentil "chips". They also bring 3 different sauces with the chips. Everything was very good. I have no complaints. I will be back. NOTE TO OWNERS: Please put the papadam sauces in reusable containers / dishes. read more

Food is excellent, staff is amazing, and they have a beautiful outdoor patio to enjoy a lovely meal outside. We love Batika! read more

This place has Excellent food. The sauces are amazing. It's a family owned restaurant that does a great job making their customers feel at home. It's so good that we go here a few times per month. Yummy read more

Food was great. I visited this place after 7 yrs abd food tastes very different ( in a good way) than it was before. Staff were very friendly. The decoration showed the mixed of traditional and modern touch read more

Delicious veggie talli plate! Saag, naan, gulab jamin, curry, rice, and chutney. Very reasonably priced lunch.

Lunchtime on a sunny weekend: The patio, with its lovely fountain and beautiful plants, is such a serene spot. We felt so welcomed. Our two dogs were allowed and we were very grateful for that. I chose the vegetarian option and it was so delicious. Mushrooms, onion, broccoli... and more. The rice was amazing as well. We'll return! read more

Very so - so. Coming in from Colorado is looking forward to a great Indian meal in California, where there are much better Indian restaurants. Sadly, this did not deliver. The papadam had no fenugreek seeds, a weird texture, it was clearly deep-fried. It tasted rancid. The chutney were all watery and came in little plastic dishes. I took two bites and gave this away. I ordered the chicken tikka masala as a spicy level 10. Out of 10. The waiter double checked that I could handle this, and predictably when it came out it was about a six out of 10. Not very spicy. The chicken was generously a portion but was a bit chewy and tasted old. I ordered a half order of the dal makhani, and admit it was an unusual treat to be able to do a half order. Unfortunately it looked more like mulligatawny and tasted a bit like dish soap. I think they added kesuri methi. The garlic naan bread seems like it was baked in a traditional oven rather than in a tandoori oven. If you're craving Indian, the food is not terrible, but I would not go back. The ambience is pretty good for an Indian restaurant, though the place was empty so that detracted a bit. read more

The food is amazing and the service is very efficient and friendly. It's sometimes a bit chilly during the winter but the staff does their best to make things comfortable. Not much atmosphere but definitely excellent cuisine. read more

After becoming regulars here for the last 9 months, I felt the need to update this review. I had said that this place is more like 4 stars, but 5 for Novato, but I want to give it the legit 5 it deserves. We've eaten such a good portion of the menu here on a regular basis and truly, it is outstanding. In particular, the palak paneer, achari eggplant, paneer tikka masala, butter chicken, the tandoori chicken, the sheek kabab, the spicy chicken salad, and of course, the samosas. Those are a lot of dishes to point out, but that's because they're really, really good. First off, the samosas are some of the best. What makes it really good is the pastry portion of the samosas -- it's a thick and flavorful crust and the filling exactly as you want it spiced perfectly. The palak paneer at an indian restaurant has to be good. It is perfect here every time. Spinachy and loads of paneer. The achari eggplant is to die for! it gets me everytime. I forget how amazing it tastes, and then I taste it and I think i'm in heaven. It's hard to really even describe. If you like eggplant, give this one a try. My husband who didn't use to like eggplant likes this one, so who knows - if you don't like eggplant, maybe you haven't found the right dish! The tandoori chicken is also amazing... how do they get it so tender and flavorful?! So yummy. ....We don't know what we'd eat if Batika didn't exist in Novato. So glad it's here for us! read more

The food is delicious. But they won't let you use their bathroom. we were there with a person who could not walk and they made him go across the street. They told us they were having it fixed the next day. This is three days later and there is still no bathroom available. Something tells me that's what they do as a rule. They sent us across the street to Finnegan's restaurant to use their restroom. I wonder how they feel about this? California Retail Food Code Public Restroom Access Requirements Section 114250 and 114276 Beginning January 1, 2004, any building that is constructed that provides space for the consumption of food on the premises shall provide clean toilet facilities, in good repair, for patrons, guests, or invitees. Patrons, guests or invitees shall not pass through the food preparation, food storage or utensil washing area. read more

Wowza! Now, this is some very tasty Indian cuisine. Of all the cuisines that I enjoy eating, I'd have to say that Indian fare is one of the cuisines that I'm very picky about. Don't ask me why, but I generally always seem to not be super impressed with most Indian places that I try. However, Batika blessed me with some of the best Indian food that I've tasted in a long while. Came here with a friend last year after doing some hiking in the area. We had already planned to come here just based off of the glowing reviews alone, but didn't decide what we were going to have until we got there (a bit unusual for us Yelpers). Batika is located smack dab in the middle of downtown Novato. I've always thought of Novato as sleepy town, but I was kind of shocked to see so many cute little places bustling in their down town area (this place included). The patio is super adorable! You can enter through the dining room or right to the patio. It was such a nice day out, so we decided to dine outside. Service from the host started out a tad slow and rocky but ended on a good note by the end of our dinner. We ordered the following: *Butter Chicken - Absolutely fantastic and the BEST dish on the table by a landslide! I believe this is Batika's most popular entrée and I completely understand why. The spices, the flavors, the creaminess, and tenderness of the chicken are ALL on point here. Beautiful flavors with a light spiciness. The aroma was enough to win me over but the taste and consistency is what did it. Very similar to tikka masala but creamier and a tad bit spicier. We loved this dish. *Lamb Vindaloo - Another tasty entrée! I'm not the biggest fan of lamb (my friend chose this entrée), but I have to say that again, the flavors completely took a chokehold on my palate. It was so flavorful and the spices were delicious. I also really enjoyed the potatoes (I love vindaloo dishes). *Garlic Naan - Fragrant garlicky goodness! This naan was simply perfect. It was warm, fluffy, buttery, and had just the right amount of garlic to make it wholly enjoyable. I really enjoyed dipping this in the butter chicken sauce too. So amazingly delicious! *Coconut Rice - Not super coconut-y but still solid. The coconut flavor was subtle and the rice was nice and fluffy. *Raita - So yummy! It was thick and creamy. The perfect balancing agent to all of the elaborate spices. And it tasted very fresh. Really enjoyed this with our meal. We also indulged in a mango lassi and traditional Indian chai tea. I tried a bit of my friend's mango lassi and it was really good. Not too sweet which was nice. I had the Indian Chai tea and it was delightful. It came piping hot which I loved, and the Indian spices were well received. For the portions, the prices are very reasonable here. We ended up taking boxes to go as it was a great deal of food. I'm not in Novato often, but I would without a doubt return to try more of their tasty food. Really excited that we were able to dine here after our hike. Would highly recommend to anyone who's in search of good Indian food in Marin. read more

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We thoroughly enjoyed our meal. We had plenty of food, the flavor was excellent, fresh, and authentic, not greasy or overly spicy. I will definitely go back again. The outdoor seating is very nice on a balmy evening. read more

Not as great as the other Indian restaurant in Marin County i.e. Cafe Lotus in Fairfax, CA. I wanted to like this restaurant but the flavors just didn't come together very well. Batika was closed during the pandemic, so I went to Cafe Lotus in 2020 to get some spices while I lived and cooked in seclusion in a remote cabin in the middle of the woods in an extremely sparsely populated part of Marin. read more

Reliably good, standard Indian food with quite good service, and a lovely outdoor patio. Run by Nepalis, as are most Indian restaurants around here. That's probably a good thing, I can say as one who actually lived in India a couple of years. Great selections from the sideboard, if you want to go that way. Downtown Novato. read more

Amazing! Best Indian food in Marin county hands down. I recommend trying the tikka masala or butter chicken.

I love Indian food. Indian food doesn't love me back. What I mean is: have you noticed when you eat Indian food it is deceptively filling? I already do not eat a lot in one sitting so feeling overwhelmingly full after four bites is heartbreaking. I want to eat more, all of it. Indian food is so delicious with the spices and the heat from the chilies. Indian food is so beautifully delicious yet deceptively filling so order a bunch of things and eat it with your friends. Or family knowing you will have leftovers. I am so good to eat those leftovers in my attempt to eat as much as my heart desires. This is the only time I eat leftovers. The food is delicious: tender chicken,perfectly cooked rice,spicy is spicy, deep fried samosas were crispy and not greasy so someone had that thermometer minding the oil. I wish they had creamy dishes. Maybe it's from another region they don't prepare. Order, have it delivered. Enjoy your fully satiated belly after a few delicious bites. Thank me later. read more

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We love this place! We drive up from the Bay as often as possible. The Boti Kebab (Tandoori Lamb) is my favorite and I get a serious craving for it sometimes. This last time I got it medium rare and it was perfect. Seriously, it's one of the best proteins I've ever had. It's super cute inside, the prices are definitely reasonable for Marin, and the staff is nice and attentive. Everything is solid here. I recommend giving them a try. read more

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Great food in beautiful outdoor setting with attentive staff. Fabulous! Went there twice this week!

I usually do delivery and I'm not really familiar with Indian Food. Everything I've ordered so far has been really tasty. Can't wait to try other entrees. read more

Best Indian food in Marin county! Service was great. Good was fresh. Very friendly staff. We're a returning customer only having delivery before. The outside patio was nicely done Somosas: Chicken Tika Masala: Soup: Naan: read more

They have a new lunch menu with lunch specials. I tried the lamb curry. It was served on a cute metal tray. I loved the fresh pile of buttery Nan. The rice was perfect. The main dish was pretty good, but had no spiciness to it. The side dish was a lentil dish that came with the lunch special. It was not good as the lentils were underdone. I did ask the waiter to tell the chef, and he replied that the chef said it was fine as it was. Oh, well, I tried to give feedback. I didn't finish the lamb and didn't eat much of the lentils. The chai tea was perfect, and I had two cups. I missed the buffet offerings. I can see how it would be expensive to provide. The food did come out quickly though, so not a long wait. read more

Batika India Bistro - New style of lunch, served on a metal tray, patio dining. Lamb curry. - Indian Near Me - Novato, California

Delicious and authentic Indian food in Novato, California! The food is delicious. The atmosphere is relaxing. They also have a patio that is cozy with heaters. The staff are all wonderful! Highly Recommend! read more

I still love this place whether it's there, to go, or delivery, it always satisfies my cravings for delicious Indian food! There are other good Indian places around but this one also has great atmosphere and a great location if you want to go to a wine bar before or after. I'm a fan. read more

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Not only is the food consistently outstanding, it is a pleasant place to sit and eat. The outdoor seating area is greatly appreciated. Thank you. read more

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What a delicious spot! Popped in right when they opened for dinner and we were welcome to sit anywhere. We started off with two chai teas which were the perfect temperature and all the spices were delicious. I then ordered the non vegetarian thali to share with saffron rice. Was a delicious combo! First came out the sizzling pan with meats on it and onions. Then our thali combo with plain naan. The butter chicken was my favorite but everything was great and more than enough food for two people! What a great value read more

Batika India Bistro - Indian Near Me - Novato, California

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I have come to this cute Indian place with friends for a few years already, and they never disappoint. Friendly people, great customer service, and best of all, tasty delicious Indian food. During spring or summer time their patio always gets packed. Make sure you call ahead and see for availability. Also, if you are sitting in the patio area, relax and enjoy the water fountain noise while you are enjoying your delicious food. When it comes down to parking, we'll you are in downtown! Expect to look for parking for a while. When downtown is busy, parking sometimes can be difficult. But once you have it, you have 2 hrs max. read more

This is my husband's favorite place to eat around. Food is delicious and comes out quick. It makes for a delicious family dinner. Restaurant is small but they also have seating outside. read more

We've dined here a few times, the most recent being last evening. The food is always amazing, every single dish we've had. We always order the Mulligatawny soup, the Subzi Malabar, and the Tandoor Roti as we love them too much to skip. However, we always try to add different dishes on each visit as well - it's hard to go wrong with any of the rice dishes. We especially love the coconut rice and the chicken dum briyani. (Still need to try the saffron rice!). We also enjoy the Salmon Kali Mirchi that comes on a sizzling platter with caramelized onions. The service is always spot on and friendly. The patio is so beautiful that I'm surprised that we're often the only ones taking advantage of it. Batika India Bistro is truly a gem in our community. read more

Delicious spicy authentic Indian dishes. Always a treat to eat here.Excellent service as well.

This was excellent Indian food. I had gone on a run of bad Indian food especially in major cities so I was hesitant. But the chicken was very well cooked and extremely flavorful. Even the butter chicken, which is usually a very plain dish, was well seasoned. read more

Please update your hours if you guys close in the afternoon. So that we will not waste our time to go here and see on the door closed sign.

I went this restaurant for lunch twice and they were great! I really like their butter chicken curry! read more

Batika India Bistro - Butter chicken curry lunch - Indian Near Me - Novato, California

By far one of Novato's best restaurants. Yeah I said that. If you haven't been there yet you need to fix that problem. Their food and service is on point and the best part of it all is that they are still offering the same great food and error-free service during the pandemic! If you do go there there are a couple things to try. The Samosa's. Amazing. Eat them fresh and hot. the Chicken Tikka Masala is out of this world. the sauce they make is good just by itself. The Tandoori Chicken and Lamb Vindaloo are also great main dishes. For the sides, the Palak Paneer, Aloo Gobi and Dhingri Mattar are all amazing. The latter probably being one of my favorites. The Naan is AMAZING too. I believe they make it fresh there. Did I mention that the Samosa's are amazing? If you like spicy foods, this is your place too. I love Spicy but no need for me to go past medium. That's good enough for me haha. To wrap it all up, I would HIGHLY RECOMMEND this place! Enjoy! read more