I came here this past weekend with my friend for an early dinner. The restaurant is on the small side with a nice dimly lit ambiance. My friend arrived first at like 5:40. They seated her at a table and said they had reservations at 7 and we had to be done by then. Now I get it. Small restaurants try to ensure space is used appropriately. However, there were so many tables open so it seemed a bit weird that we were told we had to rush. We ordered drinks first, and took a little bit to decide what we wanted food wise. The drinks were great. We tried the bitter battle, kali kooler, and the spice is nice. All were so good and refreshing. We honestly loved every drink, which is why we did many rounds lol. We ordered our food all at once and decided to try a variety of things to share. We got the tikka chicken tacos, the blue cheese chicken kabobs, murgh makani (tandoori chicken entree), bread (naan) basket, the black daal burrata, and pomegranate aloo. Everything was yummy. I wasn't blown away by anything per se, but everything tasted good. My favorite was the black daal burrata. I will say though that the drinks were the real star for us. After dinner, we wanted to do another round of drinks, and our server, who was the bartender, asked if we'd move to the bar if we were having just drinks. We had no problem, and we had actually sat longer than the 7pm reservation deadline they previously stated. It still wasn't busy but I suppose they were expecting a rush. It seemed like they were very anxious about not having space. It was slightly off putting, but I understand their space is small. Maybe they need to work on logistics a bit more so guests don't feel rushed or have to worry. The bartender who served us was great. She had excellent drink recommendations and although she was the bartender making all the drinks for the restaurant, she never kept us waiting long or seemed to rush us when ordering. Despite the minor set back re: moving seats/reservation deadline, we enjoyed our night overall. The food was good, the drinks were even better, and our server/bartender was attentive. read more

Daru - Kali kooler - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Incredible flavors, inventive dishes and an end to end incredible dishes. From the wonderful naan bread basket to the desert menu the choices were diverse and delicious. My favorites by far were the lamb chops and daal Burrata. Service was impeccable and the vibes were cozy and cool. I can't wait to be back! read more

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We came here during birthday weekend 2023, and they proved to have a great atmosphere for a special occasion, or a chill dinner if that's what you're looking for. It's a smallish space, so you will probably need a reservation most days and times. Everything was tasty, but the real star was the cauliflower tacos. Their tacos may be the best in DC, which is pretty amazing to say considering this is an Indian restaurant. So unique. So delicious. We also really loved to start our meal with the scallops moilee. And hey, garlic naan is always a winner. The chicken tikka masala is good, too. They complement the food with plenty of very unique cocktails. The bard of bengal is a manhattan variation with a hint of banana, and the lock and ghee is a boozy but sippable old fashioned variation with brown buttery and jaggery. I never heard of that before, but it's a lot of fun to say. Jaggery. Apparently it's a type of sugar. The drink did have a buttery sweetness unlike any old fashioned we have tried. Good stuff. Overall, we had a nice time and would love to come back, especially for the tacos. read more

Food warrants a 5 rating... excellent The only complaint is the NOISE level When the restaurant is full it's very hard to have a conversation read more

Excellent food! Kids enjoyed too! Loved everything, specially their gulab jamun's. Definitely will come back!

This restaurant was so delicious! It was more than dinner, it was truly an experience! The restaurant is intimate. I felt like I was having dinner in a family environment. The servers were knowledgeable and recommended a family style approach to ordering dinner so that we could taste as many things as possible. The Thai-chini is also AMAZING! I can't wait to come back! read more

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Absolutely loved this place!! Kinda new age Indian, with a very vegetarian friendly menu. - Good vibe, lil hard to get a resy but they accept walk-ins at the bar - The dal was insane, 10/10, doesn't even need the buratta - mushroom biryani was amazing, aromatic, raita was really rich & complemented the rice perfectly - paneer was good but all paneer in America is pretty hard to chew lol - great service Would highly recommend!! read more

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It is truly a lovely Indian restaurant with new style of fusion food that you will absolutely love. Both the time we arrived early to enjoy their happy hour menu with awesome cocktails as you can see them in the picture. read more

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Visiting from San Francisco. Found Daru written up on "Infatuation". Anyway , were we surprised/satisfied. A wonderful Indian restaurant! The waiter, EJ, only heightened the meal with his enthusiasm & knowledge on every dish. A thumbs up when visiting D.C. Did I mention the food was excellent! read more

Unfortunately Daru didn't live up to the hype in my recent dining experience. Reservations have to be made 4 weeks in advanced, which lead to a lot of built up anticipation. Perhaps I prefer traditional Indian food but overall I don't believe the food introduced interesting new flavors, and what we got wasn't quite worth the price tag (~75$ pp but ymmv) The good: Scallops Moilee: scallops were fresh and the coconut curry sauce was delicious Black Daal Burrata: really delicious daal with well developed, deep flavor although the Burrata taste was a bit lost Murgh Makhani: I prefer the makhani at my local Indian spot but the tandoori chicken in this dish is superior, chicken was moist and had great flavor Pear and cardamom lassi: delicious, fruity yet herbaceous, NA drink option! Only complaint is that the portion is so small The average: Blue cheese reshmi kabobs: the chicken was super moist and the texture was as if the chicken was boiled, if that's your thing. Chicken was mildly seasoned, lacked blue cheese flavor Zaatar naan: good earthy flavor but was kinda thick Garlic naan: not the strongest garlic flavor and was nothing special Chai teani: it's very alcohol forward, hence the "martini" word play The bad: Lasooni lamb chop: paid $42 for 3 tiny servings, also the lamb was cooked well done? Not sure if that was intentional but it was tough, dry, and not special at all.. mushroom biryani: average biryani served with a tzatziki that tasted like it was from Costco Bison momos: this was the most disappointing. momos weren't seasoned and didn't seem quite right with the tikka sauce. I'm used to momos being packed with flavor but these were bland Donna our server was exceptional, explained all the menu items and helped us choose our entire meal. Unfortunately the quality or flavor of the food didn't deliver. read more

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Yum yum and yum again! And just a shout out to Dawn, truly the best server I've encountered in a long time. She knows the menu in and out and all her recommendations were spot on, she will not let you down! Dani Puri- tangy and incredible Scallops- you'll want to lick every drop of sauce off Top sirloin sekuwa- incredible! Wish it came with a bit more herb labneh, just ask for some more Daal burata - the smokiness went on for days! Needed just a pinch more salt, but with that addition it was great! Garlic naan- chef's kiss, delicious! This place will not disappoint, a must visit read more

Well, the food we had was very good. Spicy but good. Was excellent service. And the restaurant was very nice inside. The area around was not the best, but looks like they are trying to revamp it. read more

It is hard to churn out better Indian food than the juggernaut called Rasika (both locations) does, but, in my humble opinion, Daru accomplishes this! This is high praise from a huge fan of Indian food, first, and Rasika, second. The food is fantastic! For starters, we had scallops in a beautiful sauce of coconut, curry leaf and "gun powder" masala. Crazy good! The sauce was so good that we took our bread and sopped up every drop. Our second starter was Blue Cheese Tandoori Chicken kabobs! Yes, blue cheese and cherries!!! So unique and, like the scallops, had a wonderful sauce. Both dishes were perfectly balanced with all the exotic spices available to Indian food. As the food rolled around in our mouths, the various ingredients set off different taste buds - first the heat, then the deep dark sweetness of the sour cherries and finally the blue cheese (in the case of the kabobs - seriously, who EVER heard of blue cheese in Indian food???). And on and on. I do not know how they created a sauce that perfectly complimented the protein while retaining the individual component tastes - BUT THEY DID!!! It was beautiful and reminded me of why I love Indian cuisine so much. Our main courses were Chicken Tikka Masala and Nariyal Lamb Shank. The lamb shank was a huge piece of lamb with fork tender lamb perfectly cooked. Delicious! The sauce here was very robust - strong and luxurious! The spice took me to the brink of excess but stopped short thankfully. I loved each bead of sweat that popped on my forehead! But - as good as that lamb was - it was the Tikka Masala that was by far the star of this show! I have never had such delightful Tikka Masala. The sauce was so unique and so great that I am not sure I would have identified it as Tikka Masala if I had not ordered it myself. It did not taste of tomatoes so much as a creamy sauce made of perfectly balanced Indian exotic-ness. Again, the balance of each ingredient was amazing; one minute tasting hot spice, the next a luscious creaminess that took my mouth in a different direction. Perfection! Without a doubt, this was the best chicken Tikka Masala I have ever had - certainly way better than I have had at Rasika (either location). The dining room is pretty bare bones. An old Washington DC rowhouse that was renovated - we have seen these all over the city. You do not go to Daru for the elegant interior. You go to Daru for the perfect party of Indian spices that delights and makes you crave more. I am certain you will want to lick each plate! The service was fantastic too. Each staff member was happy to explain the dishes and take time with us. It is a loud restaurant so listen carefully. Highly recommend Daru to everyone! Call ahead and make reservations - for sure - because the dining room is small. But get there as soon as you can! read more

The absolute best Indian food in the dmv, one of the best meals I've ever had. You cannot order wrong, I promise you that. read more

Daru - Appetizers - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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There's a reason why there's so much hype surrounding Daru.  The food is absolutely amazing, and they deserve all the accolades, and then some! For starters, definitely make sure to get their Baigan Paneer Bhurji, their Blue Cheese Reshmi Kebab and their Bison Momo.  It's tough to pick favorites because everything was so tasty, but the momo and eggplant dish were standouts. For mains, I ended up getting their Lasooni Lamb Chops, their Wild Mushroom Biriyani, their Wok Fried Cabbage and their Bread Basket.  The highlight of the night was their mushroom biriyani.  It was made with cremini, shiitake, mace, and apricot, and it came with this really beautiful seasonal raita. DEFINITELY make sure to get this with your meal. The lamb was exquisite!  The flavors were out of this world, and if you're big into said protein, I have no doubt you'll enjoy this as well.  Made with black garlic, pink peppercorn, and dahi yogurt, this entree's priced per chop. And pro tip:  don't pass on bread.  The basket we ordered came with plain naan, garlic naan and herb laacha (two pieces each), and I really loved dipping it in the raita we got with our rice.  For those of you interested, they also offer different chutneys and sauces for a small upcharge.  If you like spice, make sure you get their habenero-kashimir chili sauce! read more

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After having dinner here, I'm mad at myself for not coming sooner. It's really close by, but we kept putting it off thinking that the menu isn't what we typically go for when eating Indian food. Mistake! Some of the selections are a bit different than what we normally order, but they were so good that it was worth venturing out. We were worried we wouldn't get a table because we showed up about 40 minutes before they closed. The hostess and waiter were really kind, and let us know we still had about 20 minutes before the kitchen closed. We got a small table near one of the windows and proceeded to order a bunch of stuff that sounded great. From the 'Snacks' section, we tried the chicken tikka tacos, scallops and the short rib. Ya'll...we were silent as we enjoyed every single bit, then just locked eyes like "That was amazing". I can't even really describe it other than to say it was perfection and all the dishes had very interesting flavors that just worked. From the 'Mains' section, we ordered mushroom biryani and lamb chops. Once again, speechless. The biryani was so savory and delicious, and the lamb was the best I've ever had. I still can't pinpoint the seasonings they used, but I'm all about it. We also tried the garlic naan with our entrees, and even though it was good, it could've used more garlic for me. Overall, a wonderful experience and we can't wait to go back to try more dishes. read more

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I've come here numerous times and have yet to write a review. The food is delicious, and has a unique menu that adds a creative take on traditional Indian food. When I went this time I had the murgh makhani, sunchoke chaat, black daal burrata, and a side of the bread basket--all delicious You have to get the daal burrata it's amazing!!! And one tip on the bread basket--you can ask to switch up the breads, so we asked for 2 za'atar naan and 1 regular naan this time around. For drinks- had the mango cocktail which was spicy and had a nice sweet mango aftertaste. The service was great, everyone was really kind and helpful. read more

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Went here last weekend, hoping to finally find a good Indian restaurant in the DC area. Overall we were disappointed with the food. Given that we've never thought that highly of food at Rasika, perhaps this isn't surprising since I believe the chefs formerly were at Rasika. Together, we ordered the baingan paneer bhurji, the crab momos, the chicken tikka masala, the black daal burrata, and the wok-fried cabbage, along with an order of roti. The tikka masala and the daal were quite good. The cabbage, the momos, and the baingan bhurji were mediocre- I cook a lot at home, including a decent amount of Southeast Asian and Indian food, and if I made them at home I wouldn't be happy. My husband (who is Indian) and I agreed that the paneer added nothing to the eggplant, and the burrata added nothing to the daal, which was otherwise good. A global comment for the restaurant is to try to serve things hotter- the tikka masala was served room temp, and the roti would have benefited from being wrapped in a napkin or something to preserve heat. The service was fine, ambiance was fine, but we're there for the food. Funnily, I tried to give some polite feedback about what we liked and what we thought wasn't great, and the two servers we interacted with acted like they were hosting us in a private home instead of a retail establishment in which we're paying a non-negligible sum for the food- I mentioned that we didn't love the crab momos, and they both said basically "Oh, too bad, everyone else loves them and it's a waste that you got them, since they were the last order available." read more

Loved the food! The waitress made a lot of recommendations, most of which we ordered. Pani puri, crab momos, lamb chops, dal, and garlic naan. We were seated in the outdoor seating that was protected from the cold with plastic curtains and heaters. More comfortable than I expected. Service was friendly and helpful. I look forward to trying more of the menu. read more

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Finally stopped by Daru recently and tried some stuff - all of it was fantastic, great flavors and very good execution. Favorites were - sunchoke chaat, bison momo, makhani, paneer pesto tikka and black daal burrata. The bhartha and mushroom biryani were also good, and the Raita was delicious. If I have to be picky, I thought the breads were just ok (garlic naan and herb paratha), and they don't have mango lassis read more

Daru - Delicious - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Excellent, I would definitely come back! I really liked my drink, the Bandit Queen. The restaurant was very patient with us, we were late (I called to tell them we would be) and then it took part of our party a while to find parking. Our awesome waitress was very clear about what two in our party could and could not eat as they have some restrictions and was never irritated. Food was delicious with the bison momo and duck kabob being standouts. I was surprised by how much I liked the duck kabob as it was more like kofta, which I don't like the texture of normally. They had many delicious options so I hope to return soon! read more

We were finally able to get a reservation for Daru (the earliest one available was 3 weeks later than the day we searched so heads up to book early!). We went there on a Monday night and it was still quite packed. I had heard a lot of rave reviews about Daru and was super excited to try it, especially because the head chef is Nepali and I'm Nepali too! We ordered the following, ranked according to what we thought were the yummiest to the least yummy: (would order again definitely definitely!): 1. Black Dal with Burrata - my brother thought this was the BEST dal he's had in the DMV area, and we love love Indian food so you know we've tried a LOT of dal 2. Pear and Cardamom Lassi - so refreshing and yummy! 3. Zaatar Olive Naan - packed with Za'atar flavour, so soft! (thought it was yummy but not mindblowingly spectacular): 4. Paneer Pesto Tikka - the flavours for this were so unique! especially the granny smith honey sauce combo paired so well with the paneer! 5. Beetroot Halwa - very much similar to the traditional carrot Halwa, couldn't taste the beetroot much, but thought it was yummy! 6. Gulab Jamun with Cardamom Sorbet- the gulab jamun was a bit too sweet for us, but we though the sorbet paired great with the Halwa! 7. Masala Chai : a little too heavy on the cardamom (wouldn't order again) 8. Grilled Lions Mane Mushroom - the price is also a bit steep for this, thought the flavour wasn't completely absorbed by the mushroom 8. Chaitini - didn't suit our taste palate very much i think the ambience of this restaurant wasn't the best, it felt a little too loud for us! also felt that compared to restaurants with similar price point in DC, there wasn't as much intention put into the cutlery! however the playing was stunning !!! read more

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FOREWARNING: Overall if it wasn't for our terrible service this would review would be a 4/5. Food was decent and flavorful, they put a special twist of many Indian dishes which I enjoyed, could have been a bit spicier but I realize who Indian restaurants in DC cater to. If you're in for a story time...read below. Our experience: we were greeted at the door very nicely and handed a vegetarian menu (same menu but vegetarian dishes were starred). Our waitress (I really want to include the name but I won't, maybe she was having a off day, which I get but recently being put on the Bib Gourmand, the service should be on point, I digress). Our server raved about the vegetarian dishes and we put in our snacks/appetizer order of Baigan Paneer Burji and Roasted Cauliflower Phulka Tacos based off of her recommendations. We were served our snacks, and without inspecting the food (I mean why would I?) I took a bit into the tacos. What we were served was the Chicken Tikka Tacos.... We called our server over and she denied it and said they were the cauliflower tacos. Then she takes our tacos to the back room, opens them with her hands, takes her phone flashlight out and inspects them to only bring them back to us, open the tacos with her hands again, opens her flashlight and says "You won't believe this but these ARE our cauliflower tacos." My girlfriend, who is also vegetarian but has ate meat in the past, pulls a chicken piece out and tears it in front of our server and says this is not cauliflower. The server grabs the dish takes it to another waiter who probably confirms that it was NOT cauliflower and maybe apologizes to us and goes to the kitchen to replace it. First off, who re-serves food with her hands on it (twice!), then says the customer is wrong, then doesn't mention it again like it didn't happen. Moreover, being a vegetarian for all my life (religious reasons) I took a bit into it screwing up my stomach for the next day. I'm not one to "talk to the manager" but after that experience and her handing us the bill for the tacos included, I had to. I spoke to a very polite server who spoke to the manager, comp'd the tacos and gave us free dessert. What went from waiting weeks to get a reservation and celebrating us moving in together, turned out to be a terrible experience. I'll get off my soapbox for now... If you've made it this far I'll rate what we ordered! Baigan Paneer Burji: 5/5 amazing combination of flavor Roasted Cauliflower Phulka Tacos: 5/5 loved the tacos Chicken Tikka Tacos: 0/5....did not order, wrongly fed meat Paneer Pesto Tikka: 2/5, could taste no pesto, tasted like cilantro chutney and slabs of paneer Wild Mushroom Biryani: 4/5, loved that the biryani was vegetarian, and the raitu was great as well Black Daal Burrata: 4/5 nice combination, wish it was served hotter, burrata didn't do much flavor adding Zataar Olive Naan: 5/5 must get, never seen this combination before Garlic Naan: 5/5, traditional taste but done well Red Beet Halwa: 4/5 nice flavor and combination of beet into a halwa Overall, I think it's a must go place to eat, just a terrible experience and probably won't be going back...I left thinking, it really do be your own people (I'm Indian lol). read more

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I had been trying to come here for months so make that reservation early, folks! that said, i am a huge supporter for elevated indian cuisine and modern indian cuisine, and i wanted to love this place, so we basically ordered the whole menu, and while i applaud the creativity of the menu, other than duck seekh kabobs (which taste like normal seekh kabobs and are so good), there is nothing i would be back for. The highlights: - Spicy Nawabi Duck Kabob -Baigan Paneer Bhurji - Chicken Tikka Masala - Scallops -Black Daal Burrata - Garlic Naan the low lights: - Cauliflower tacos - Paneer Pesto Tikka Also, the acoustics in here are horrible, we were a party of 4 and it was so hard to hear anyone. Nothing was terrible, but it was underwhelming.... read more

If you are a fan of Rasika definitely give Daru a try! We absolutely loved everything we ordered for takeout. The standouts were the eggplant and lamb. Positively delicious. The eggplant had a lovely smokiness to it and the lamb was soo savory and perfectly cooked. Highly recommend will for sure be ordering again and cannot wait to try some other dishes. read more

I had read about Daru for the last few months and could not wait to try it out. We were able to get reservations from the waitlist. We jumped on it. The restaurant is so worth it!! It is in NE DC and the area. We parked on the street. There was plenty of street parking relatively close to the restaurant. The restaurant is small but does have a nice feel to it. We were seated as soon as we got there on a high table. The waitress shop helped us was very nice and positive personality. We found her to be helpful and seemed to really like talking about the food on the menu. We ordered some appetizers based on her recommendation. We got the blue cheese reshmi kabob and dahi puri. The apps were amazing!! For our main dishes we got the lamb chops and chicken tikka masala, and again just blown away by the food. It was so good we have been talking about the food we ate for over a month! We can't wait to go back and try other dishes. One of my friends loved it so much he got delivery from here the next day!! The price for the food is great. The portions are small but we were full after our meal. We did not feel like we needed to order more. Definitely worth coming here to eat at least a few times!!! read more

Made a reservation on a Saturday evening. They ask you to show your proof of vaccination before being seated (which was good). The place was clean and they made sure our table is clean after each course. The staff were friendly and polite (everyone wearing masks) and the service was great. They have a crafted (limited) cocktail menu. I got the Monsoon Mood which was perfect. Coming to the food: DON'T GO WITH THE PRECONCEIVED NOTION OF INDIAN FOOD SHOULD ALWAYS BE SPICY WITH BOLD FLAVORS. IF YOU DO, YOU MIGHT BE A BIT DISAPPOINTED. The menu is a fusion of north Indian food. Most of the food was on the mild side. Here is what we got: 1. Black Daal Burrata - A must dish here (I am not a big fan of Dal). The cheese in the center was a nice touch. 2. Scallops Moilee - A pinch of gun powder on top of the scallops was a great touch and the sauce complemented the spice. 3. Spicy Nawabi Duck Kebab - This dish is spicy and the meat was super tender. 4. Paneer Pesto Tikka - This was good but wish there was more pesto and the Paneer cubes were a bit smaller. 5. Wild Mushroom Biryani - This was on the lighter side. A bit on the bland side for me, but had a good flavor to it. 6. Nariyal Lamb Shank - This portion was huge and you can pull the meat with just fingers (it was that tender). But it had a pungent lamb flavor (which I am not a fan of). But it was a good dish. 7. Bread basket - Apart from the Herb Laacha, the other two were mundane. 8. Gulab Jamoon and Beetroot Halwa - I would get the jamoon and the Ice cream had a slight smoky flavor and the jamoon was perfectly cooked. 9. Masala Chai was also good. I would get a side of raw onion and green chilli on the side (a typical thing to do with north Indian food). I would get 1,2,3, 6 (if you are a lamb fan) and 7 without hesitation. There is street parking for two hours (free), finding a spot will be difficult. Overall a good place with a nice atmosphere. read more

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Very interesting and chic take on fine indian dining! Its a chill yet classy vibe, the perfect date spot, especially if you're trying to impress someone with something unique. In terms of service, the people were soooo nice! They changed all our plates and silverware between each meal. They checked on us to make sure we had everything without being too much. Also, I asked a million questions because I am a picky eater and the waitress was so helpful and kind. Parking here is a pain, so I'd leave some time allotted to find it! In terms of food, here what we got for apps: - Sunchoke Chaat which had a date and green chutney on it that added a delicious tang to it, Avocado, Black Salt and the base was Marble Potato. - Pesto paneer tikka, which is like a dry paneer with onion and pepper. Highlight of the meal, totally my favorite part! It is slightly spicy in the most delicious way. The green apple and honey sauce is light, refreshing and the perfect pairing with the dish. A must try if you go! For the main course: - We got the za-atar naan, which was a first for me and very herby and tangy I enjoyed it. I think its worth a try! Also got the garlic naan which is my absolute fave and this place did not disappoint. The naan isn't huge like it is at a lot of indian places, but it is fluffy and clearly very fresh. - We got the Mugh makhni which had Tandoori paneer, Spiced Tomato, White Pepper, Jaggery, Served with Basmati Rice. I wish this dish had a little more sauce but it was so so good we ate it all up! Literally nothing was left. We paired all the food with a pair and cinnamon lassi, so different and so refreshing. This was perfectly paired with my meal. Quantities overall were reasonable here and the meal left us feeling full without feeling like we were going to explode (as indian food sometimes does lol). Anyways, this place is a MUST TRY if you're in the DC area, lovely new spot! read more

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The food here is excellent--elevated Indian cuisine that delivers on flavor and creativity. Unfortunately, the service is another story. Our server was slow, forgetful, and made multiple mistakes, which maybe stemmed from a lack of motivation. Why bother earning your tip when a mandatory 20% service charge is tacked onto every check, regardless of party size or the service experience? This new trend sweeping through DC feels like a disservice to diners. Amazing food, but the forced gratuity left a bad taste. read more

The service at Daru is amazing! From the hostess to the servers, we were well taken care of. Any time an employee walked by, they checked on us. They have a limited, but refined cocktail list. My fave was the Monsoon Mood because of its little kick of spice. The food: The spicy duck kebabs- super tender with good flavor and spice. Murgh Makhani- So creamy and perfect with the white basmati rice. Lasooni lamb chop- fall off the bone with unassuming, but great flavors. The vibe of the restaurant is relaxed, perfect for a date night or night out with friends! read more

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Loved everything about this place! Michelin Bib, best new restaurant in DC... all these accolades really created a hype that had me wondering if it was gonna be anticlimactic. But not at all - the excellence starts from the get go - folks answering the phone, the maitre-d, the wait staff, the servers, bartenders - all super attentive, enthusiastic and professional. The ambiance is carefully crafted to be somewhere between a bar and restaurant (dark painted walls, dim lighting, and with indoor seating for 40, quite cosy/intimate). Wine selection is awesome (cocktails looked good but we didn't try any)... we had a couple of appetizers - eggplant/paneer (4/5) and shrimp/bhel (5/5 - MUST try)- both were oozing with flavor and like nothing we've had before. Main course was mushroom biryani (5/5), stuffed bell pepper (4/5), and masala tikka chicken (5/5) with raita. Everything was just right - full of flavor without being overwhelming in spices. Desert was server-recommended gulab jamun (5/5). Can't wait to come back and try their other dishes soon! read more

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Best lamb chops ever! Tender and seasoned perfectly. Order the 5 chutney sauces to taste the flavors of India. We sat outside one evening and it was perfect. I've read that reservations were essential because the place is small. Chicken Marsala was tasty as the sides were too. read more

Daru - Our order! Garlic Naan, Chicken Tikka Masala, lamb, fish, dumplings and chutneys. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We visited Daru for the first time on Sunday evening. We were really excited for the opening and finally had some time to give it a try! We didn't make a reservation so we didn't know what to expect but when we arrived we were easily able to snag a table for two around 7pm. Everyone who works at the restaurant is super friendly and attentive which made our experience that much better. The cocktails on the menu looked AMAZING so we had to give them a try. We ordered the Kali Kooler, Monsoon Mood, Smokestack Lightin', and The Other Apple. Smokestack was a personal fav! Food wise we definitely over-ordered, but everything was amazing so was hot complaining when we had leftovers! We started with the Sunchoke Chaat which we loved! The tangy taste worked well with the sunchoke and crunchy potatoes. We also ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala (I didn't try because I'm veggie), Achari Pumpkin, Black Daal Burrata, Dhungar Bhartha and a bread basket! I really enjoyed every dish and was especially pleasantly surprised by the Achari Pumpkin (super Fall and super good)! Another fav was the Black Daal Burrata...like idk why this works but it just does! I wanted to try the Paneer Pesto as well but we were absolutely stuffed so I'll just have to visit again! 5 stars! I'll def be back for some great cocktails and great food. read more

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I was in DC for a couple weeks and wanted to check out Daru. The restaurant is nice but it sits at an angle and is a bit small so you will definitely want to make a reservation if you're planning to come as a bigger group. Everyone I interacted with was nice. For food I ordered one of their bread baskets with different types of toasted bread and the paneer pesto tikka with rhubarb. The pesto was interesting but the flavors worked well together and tasted great with the bread. To drink I got a mango lassi which was dense, not too sweet, and quite good. For the bill, you actually pay online so you don't have to wait and do the whole back and forth with a card payment which I appreciated. Overall, I'd recommend trying them out if you're in the area. read more

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Absolutely love this place!! Food was very tasty! Here are the must get: Snack: spicy nawabi duck kabob Entree: chicken tikka masala Paneer pesto tikka Wild mushroom biriyani Drink: the brave bunch Beauty & the bee We will be back! read more

The food is so flavorful, and I am never disappointed with my order. This is my favorite Indian restaurant in DC!

It is very difficult to find modern Indian fare that doesn't completely remove the traditional base spices. Daru was able to hit the nail on the head with keeping those key traditional flavors and base ingredients while also having a fun and modern take. We tried a few different items and every one of them had an amazing blend of flavors and such attention to detail. Would highly recommend for a date night or an upscale dinner out! Bread bowl: came with 3 or 4 different naan breads and worked as a fun treat to dip into the sauces of our main meals and the appetizer. Each one was delicious! Black Daal and Burrata: this was a perfect appetizer. It was a lot more mild than I was expecting - having a little more spice would have really brought out the burrata in it overall. It still had great flavor and creaminess. Murgh Makhani: I was absolutely obsessed with this dish. The chicken was very tender and flavorful. The sauce was tomato based and creamy. It had a lot of deep Indian flavors but the cream really made it into a modern take for those worried about spices. Wok Fried Cabbage: this was one of the best vegetable dishes ever. It was a side but honestly a pretty large portion. It had this charred flavor which was just strong enough. read more

Daru - Black Daal Burrata Murgh Makhani Nariyal Lamb Shanks Bread Bowl Side Wok Fried Cabbage - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I was so excited to finally try daru hearing the buzz around the concept for over a year and finally made my way down back to dc to try it. Let me just say the smoked dahl (lentils) alone are worth the trip! I am not a vegetarian by any means and I don't particularly like lentils but when a place does such an amazing job at lentils and it becomes my favorite dish, they're doing something damn right. The only other time I've had lentils this good is in france and I've been chasing those french picnic lentils like a dragon. The aromas, flavor, texture, and smokiness is so on point and was just perfectly well balanced. Not too spicy, not gummy / overcooked, not too smoky. It didn't even need the burrata but i with with it, it becomes the cherry on top. It's fantastic on both the bread and basmati rice. I had some leftover the next day and it was still balling. My second favorite thing here is the hari daiq. I knew the cocktail game would be on point given that Dante, the owner, was my bartender at Elle and as a fellow bartender I know he knows his stuff. That daiq is just the perfect mix of vegetal and tart sweetness. If you didn't think you could improve on the daiq you thought wrong. The coco-lime gin and tonic itself was excellent as well and had the right touch of coconut and lime (kefir?) essence without detracting from it being essentially an elevated, very well done gin and tonic. The zataar bread is also super dope and not to be missed. Last but not least, those lamb chops are crazy flavorful and moist despite being done well (they don't ask for temperature and despite a request, was not able to fulfill it, understandable.) I am jonesing for my next visit already and can't wait to try the rest of the menu! read more

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I drive by to this place very often, however I ended up never stopping by to get some food. Today finally inward able to walk there and seat at the bar. I was served by the lovely bartender Mathew, he was very pleasant to talk to and was very knowledgeable about the food that the restaurant serves, the was pretty nice and spacious. The food was outstanding, full of flavor, pretty good wine and very well priced, my food came pretty quickly, I will definitely coming back to this place more often read more

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We were excited to try out Daru. A bit hard to get to via metro so we had to Uber. Ambience isn't too extravagant, simple building with a nice bar. Food: Jackfruit tacos - A nice spin on tacos. 2 tacos with each order. Paneer pesto tikka - Really loved this dish. No gravy though. Mushroom Biryani - pretty good, although I'm not huge fan of mushrooms Black daal burrata - Burrata was such a good addition to amp up what would normally be a pretty boring dish. Very tasty. Za'atar naan - Never had this before, still liked my garlic naan better, but would recommend everyone try this on their visit. We were disappointed with our drinks, took about 20 minutes to get them and didn't taste that different from their "Western" equivalents. Overall 4/5, host and staff were all very friendly. Excited that there's now another option for upscale Indian food in this area. read more