Essence Indian Cuisine was SO good! Everything we ordered was full of flavor, perfectly seasoned,…read moreand tasted really fresh. You can tell they put a lot of care into the food because every dish had its own distinct flavor instead of everything tasting the same. The sauces were rich and delicious, the portions were generous, and the food came out hot and fresh. I also really appreciated how friendly and attentive the service was. The whole experience felt warm and welcoming. This is definitely one of those places where you leave already thinking about what you want to order next time . If you're craving Indian food in Vacaville, I would absolutely recommend giving Essence a try. We loved it and will definitely be back!

This was my second visit and was a delightful meal. I first came with a coworker and they ordered…read morethe pani puri, something I'd never had. After trying it I had to come back with my wife to share that experience. It's a crispy and savory appetizer that comes with a tamarind and mint juice that when combined is an experience itself. Both refreshing and comforting - it tastes like a healthy snack that is also a close comparison to texture of potato chips. We also ordered two naan and we each got butter chicken. They were delicious, flavorful, and filling. To celebrate Father's Day we each got a dessert. The saffron ice cream was super unique, and was enjoyable. The pudding was very tasty and was our preference. The ice cream we both felt was refreshing and not overly sweet. Our service was wonderful - reservation and they called to confirm (about 5 minutes before) and had us seated immediately. Our waiter checked on us often without being too frequent, a good balance of support. Ambiance is intimate - smaller indoor seating area of about 10 tables and you can see the staff the whole time. Clean and comfortable restaurant and great service. Highly recommend - and I'd recommend the naan, butter chicken, and pani puri (going to adventure out and try more when we come back again!)

Okay...today it was amazing and just what we wanted! The service was amazing and spot on! Food was…read morescrumptious and so not boring. We had yellow curry with prawns and needed mild plus not mild. Mold has no added spice to the food. we didn't know. Hubby likes spicy. Will do it next time. Thanx to Gilzen and Prateek. So fantastic a team. Mango Lassi and a Diet Soda. Easy ice. Yep... and yes, goat cheese naan. Yum. Next time it will be more gravy or soupy or saucy. So greatly anticipating greatness next visit. It was our ordering, that sucked. lol. Never them. So here is our order that has been for years and years...now finally fine tuned: Yellow Curry with Prawns Mild Plus (With more potatoes and red bell peppers and no onions) Saucy (more gravy or soupy) Goat Cheese Naan Lite ice for drinks and water. Two waters even. ;) With a Mango Lassey for me and a diet for Hubby. Two straws pls. Okay you're in the know. It is called "DeClue Special Order for Years and Years" jk but truly never thought to share our exact order on Yelp. Might help some. Pls share yours. Would love to see them. Remember "sharing is caring" Best day ever and the ambiance of the place...cool new menus, lunch specials available, drink menu with ALL available beverages (nice touch etc) very clean, quiet but not silent, full tables, table chat just right, all thumbs up.

took awhile brown people were here which was a good sign…read moreamazing malai chicken and mixed veggie dish.

DELICIOUS!!!!! Been coming here for the past year. 10/10 definitely recommend this place to others…read moreand will definitely be back soon too.

The Gobi Manchurian did not disappoint, absolutely amazing! Punjabi Grill and Lamb Vindaloo were…read moreboth tender and flavorful.

Good food and best customer service by Savita and Preet. Very tasty food and also variety of sweets.read more

This place is the best Indian food in Fairfield. I have been coming here for years and they never…read moredisappoint. The food is always fresh and delicious and the portions are always more than reasonable. The inside is decorated nicely with some authentic Indian decor and the staff are always so inviting and attentive. We also got the chai tea And it was so good! I could hear the tandoori chicken as it was coming out of the kitchen because it was sizzling on the cast-iron skillet. It was so moist and juicy and had an amazing flavor. I highly recommend this place if you want some good Indian food.

If I could give this place 10 stars, I would. We stopped here on our drive back from South Lake…read moreTahoe to San Jose, and it was easily the best decision of our trip. First, the restaurant itself is fantastic. The Indian buffet is excellent, everything was fresh and packed with flavor, and the ambience is wonderful. The entire staff was incredibly welcoming from the moment we walked in. But what happened next proved that the owner is a genuinely amazing person. Our car broke down right in their driveway, and we were stuck waiting a long time for a tow truck. The owner Dilawar didn't just tolerate us blocking the path; he actively took care of us. He checked on us constantly to make sure we were comfortable, let us plug in our phones to charge, and when it became clear we had to spend the night at a nearby hotel, he personally drove us there himself. This level of hospitality is almost unheard of these days. Incredible food, immaculate vibes, and a business owner with a massive heart. Please support this place--they deserve every bit of success!

We visited this place after long time. I had dinner buffet on weekend. The taste and quality of…read morefood was really low. Nowhere close to old punjabi dhaba food. Looking at the number of items they had for the buffet, it was expensive $22 something. I think, this is under new ownership right now. I didn't see anyone who was working here before. The naan was very disappointing. Other curries were lacking flavors of old punjabi dhaba food. Overall, We got very disappointed that it is not the Old Punjabi Dhaba anymore.

For a South Indian living in the Indian hub San Francisco Bay Area : the food here is sooooo…read moremediocre and bland. Honestly we had no choice but to order here for dinner as pretty much everything was closed by the time we finished all our Napa activities. The biryani is a joke. It's exactly how it would be at a non Indian neighbourhood. Basmati rice mixed with curry. Also who adds bell peppers, corn, carrot to biryani. Oh god the horror. The dal tadka was made with channa dal. Never heard of that before. I wish everyone who live in Napa get a chance to eat real Indian food. This isn't it. I am giving 2 starts coz they were the only ones open when almost everyone was closed.

GREAT SERVICE! My husband and I went for our anniversary and the mood was set! Very nice people and…read morehost. As soon as you walk in, you are greeted with warm smiles that seem familiar. The food was beyond delicious! We got the butter chicken and if you love spicy, definitely recommend the extra hot! Will return!

Absolutely delicious Mediterranean food. The rice was fluffy and so flavorful, the kebabs taste…read moreexcellent and the grilling is impeccable. I also really like the service and the pita bread was freshly toasted as well. This is the first time I've been here with my family, but we were thoroughly impressed with the quality of food, the service and the kind hospitality Next time we come back, we definitely want to try to baklava.

Writing about a takeout experience…read more Ordered a Beef & Lamb Gyro Wrap and a Mo's beef burger. Took about 15 minutes for us to get our food. I thought the Gyro Wrap was pretty good. I think I would ask for easy lettuce if I got this again. The burger was ok but a good portion. Could have used a better sear. I chuckled when I saw the cheese since it wasn't a slice or shredded - it looked like partial slices put on there piecemeal. Fries needed a few minutes longer in the frier.

We decided to have some lunch here this afternoon. Food is always delicious and prepared nicely…read more The dining area is very clean.The young lady was multitasking all areas of this establishment as the cashier/ cook/ waitress and yet, was courteous and friendly. That's impressive. Chicken this time could have used more seasoning but was still tender which I prefer.

I returned to this place after some time, but the food or customer service wasn't as good as I…read moreremembered. The Chapli Kabob and Bolani were both heavily oversalted, and the kabobs were uneven in size and quite charred. The salt overwhelmed the flavors on both dishes. Overall, this was disappointing, especially since I had been positive enough about earlier visits to leave a 5-star review despite the salt issue. The excessive salt is a significant dietary concern when ordering take-away food for my family, so I had specifically hoped the issue I mentioned in my original review was just a one-off. Unfortunately, it appears to be a recurring issue. I chose to return here over other halal options, even for a smaller order, but this visit didn't match my first impressions in either food quality or customer service.

Chicken wrap is amazing! Baklava very good…read more Our favorite place in town. Always fresh ingredients and pleasant interactions. Highly recommend to try it out!

MAR2026 Got food for takeout since it was a work lunch…read more Pickup was quick. I had ordered the chicken salad, garlic naan, veggie samosas, 2 oz tzatziki, and one falafel to try things out. I'm glad I got the naan along with everything. The chicken salad had good flavor, and was great on amount aside. Not dry which was great. I kinda wished I had more salad to balance things out. I was using the naan to build little tacos with everything and tzatziki to bind. The veggie samosas were pretty good though I wanted more flavor wise. I had different things to dip and add but it needed something. The falafel was decent, a bit dry and grainy for my tastes. I think a garlic sauce, sriracha, or something to really bring things together. All in all worked pretty well. I'll certainly try other things next time through.

We ordered food from Chaat of India for a family party. Rajinder ji was very nice to work with. He…read morewas very patient with all our queries and answered our questions promptly. Food was delivered to us as requested. Everything was delicious, the guests loved all the items. Alu tikki chaat, veg pakora, dahi bhalla, biryani were absolutely amazing! Spice level was perfect (we requested mild). Great experience! Totally recommend this restaurant!

The buffet is amazing! The food is so flavorful and the price is right. Definitely recommend it!read more