Our visit to Dvaraka was fate-filled, since it was one of few restaurants in Princeton's downtown that dared to be open during a serious snowstorm. We would have been grateful enough for a warm restaurant and decent food, but I certainly didn't expect to find my favorite Indian food in New Jersey here (I know that's a big claim; it was just that good). Let's address the elephant in the room here: sometimes Indian food doesn't look camera-ready. For instance, my absolute favorite thing here was the chana palak, an extremely flavor-packed curry with chickpeas and spinach. What shows up (regretfully) as a greenish mud in pictures is actually an absolute flavor bomb in the mouth. Truly, I still have dreams about this dish. If looks matter to you, I also highly recommend the salmon tandoori special. It arrived on a sizzling platter (the kind that makes heads turn and eyes lock as it approaches the lucky table). There was more flavor to be had here, and I adore a dish that's hot enough to carry a blister risk while eating...especially in the middle of an icy snowstorm. Service was incredibly warm, welcoming, and efficient. Our server checked in with us the exact right number of times, and he repeatedly asked about whether we wanted to take leftovers home, the way a friend or kind auntie might after you've dined sumptuously at her table. read more

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10/10 service! I accidentally left my food at the table and my waiter actually chased me all the way up to Nassau street. I was extremely grateful because the CTM was absolute heaven. I am now writing this about to dig back in to what was a great meal. If you're in the Princeton area, Dvaraka should definitely be on your must-visit list. read more

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First time there. Loved the tandoori salmon. But the chicken tikka masala was just not good. Way too sweet and no other flavors. I'll come back to try more from the extensive menu. read more

Never disappoints. Food is very good. Service is excellent. Well lit space with music in background. Bring your own alcohol if you want.

A great Indian restaurant near Princeton. Fast service and the food was great. Cute interior and easy to find. Parking can be tough, but we found a spot down the street. Walkable area. read more

Dvaraka Indian Cusisine is a nice addition to the downtown Princeton restaurant landscape. We recently had a group dinner here on a Friday night. Over the course of the evening, the restaurant was full of patrons as well as take-out orders. The service was friendly and efficient. Overall, we enjoyed all of our food, with one exception. The good: The Palak Paneer, Malai Kofta and Lamb Rogan Josh were all wonderful. Each entree was flavorful, delicious and on-point. For dessert, the gulab jamuns were a great sweet treat to end the meal. The bad: The Whole Tandoori chicken left a lot to be desired. The chicken looked good, but was bland and lukewarm in temperature. It almost seemed like it was a left-over or re-heated chicken. I was honest with the manager when asked how our food was. She graciously listened to our feedback and apologized. We were given free dessert. We will definitely visit Dvaraka for another meal, but will skip the Tandoori chicken in the future. read more

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Service is perfunctory- they are doing you a favor by letting you order and eat their food. Food is the standard Indian fare available everywhere in the US- a disappointment in NJ for sure. read more

Tandoori chicken is my favorite Indian food because the flavor is distinctive, and of course I don't have a tandoor at home. I'm very fussy about it, because it is often overcooked or not spiced properly. We've been to Dvaraka twice recently, and the tandoori chicken was perfect each time. Also their pricing is great because a whole chicken at $20.99 is plenty for two people with one naan creating an inexpensive meal but a delicious one. The service was also excellent. We'll be back - again and again. A delicious reasonable meal in Princeton. What a treat! read more

Servings were plenty! We were a party of two and shared the chicken palak and an appetizer, and still had some leftover. Staff was very friendly and patient, since it took us a while to decide what to order. They also recommended the samosa chaat, which we were going to get, but we decided on the Gobi 65 instead. Cauliflower was crispy and good, but I didn't like the sauce as much. It was slightly sour and a bit spicy. Chicken palak was delicious, and I would order again. Overall, great food, service, and ambiance. I would recommend this place if you're in the Princeton area and looking for Indian. read more

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Stopped in after seeing their lunch specials and lunch buffet advertised outside on Witherspoon Street. Decided to come on a Saturday afternoon. There were a number of tables open but they told me it would be 15 minutes. Not really sure why but oh well. I decided to walk around for 15 minutes to kill some time. To be honest, it's a little unclear how much the buffet is until you go up to pay. It's not clearly listed on any of the menus outside or on the website at all. The selection of items that they have for the lunch buffet is pretty good. As for the quality, it was okay. Not bad but not the best I've had either. The goat does have a lot of bone though beware. It was about $19 for the buffet before tip. If you're hungry it's a pretty good deal. If not, maybe not so much. All in all, the experience was okay but I'm not sure I'd rush back either. read more

Dvaraka Indian Cuisine - Buffet Plate - Indian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Very big portions for biryani here, and tastes very good with fragrant seasoning. Butter chicken is also yummy, although the portion sizes of rice and butter chicken don't quite align with each other (a bit more rice would be nice). Service is normal and people are nice. Colorful inside, with a balance between people eating in and getting takeout. read more

Enjoyed it here. Service was a bit slow. But all in all it was a good experience. Great location in Princeton. Street parking and garage parking (for a price) available. BYOB as well. We started with the veggie pakora - quite good. We also did the Bhel mix, quite tasty. Entrees we did lamb vindaloo and chicken tikka masala with a butter and a garlic naan. The vindaloo had good flavor but the sauce was too runny, needed to be a bit thicker. The chicken tikka masala was quite good. Naan cooked well. Would come back again. read more

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We are regulars for dine-in, but have now gotten takeout twice. We always find that takeout for most Indian cuisine restaurants come with smaller portions than if you dine in, but I can confidently state that the takeout is just as good as dining at the restaurant. 10/10! read more

Dvaraka Indian Cuisine - Chicken Chicken Chettinadu (left), Lamb Vindaloo (back), Saag Paneer (middle), Garlic Naan (right). - Indian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

If you're looking for some comfort food within walking distance to campus, this is the spot! I used to come to this here in between my shifts, back when I used to sell Christmas Trees down Nassau St. I needed a heavy, hot plate of food before committing to another 5 hours out in the cold. The shop is small, and is pretty empty during the work day if you're looking for a quiet spot for lunch. At night this spot is crammed with students, so be sure to get in before the dinner rush, especially on weekdays. I've ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and the garlic naan, religiously. The portions here are generous, and everything is served in its own dish, which makes sharing easy. The rice is very aromatic and soft, and the chai tea is very mellow. My family gets so excited when I bring home left overs too, as the leftovers reheat wonderfully. The staff is very kind, and makes the effort to get to know you and learn your order. This is easily one of my favorite spots on Witherspoon St. read more

Indian restaurants often have a plethora of vegetarian options, and absolutely nothing vegan since the presence of ghee in almost everything. Dvaraka is one of the few Indian places that actually has 4 different vegan entrees, CLEARLY MARKED, that require zero modifications. I ordered the Bagara Baingan, which was the most delightfully creamy eggplant dish. Naturally, being an ever-skeptical vegan diner, I had to ask the server what they used to make the dish so creamy. The server looked at me very seriously and said "Ma'am, no cream! It cannot be cream because it's vegan! We just use coconut milk!". Test passed! I appreciate that they not only understand the difference between vegetarian and vegan, but take it seriously. Not to mention, the food was absolutely delicious too. The Bagara Baingan is a new favorite of mine. It's absolutely nothing like the overly oily Baingan bhartas you see at most places (although I love those too). This was a creamy sauce that was almost nutty, laden with mustard seeds and whole pieces of Indian eggplant (yes, they actually used the tiny Indian eggplants, not the giant globe ones). While the place is small and can get busy, they really won my heart with the deliciousness and vegan-ness of the food. read more

There are any number of places to spend your dining dollar in Princeton. None of them, however, are as spicy or easy on your wallet as Dvaraka. Don't ask me to pronounce anything on this menu. Read the description, point and order. I started with the Bombay Chatpati Aloo Chat. Fried crisp potatoes topped with chatpata masalas and chutneys, chopped onions, with fresh coriander and lemon juice. Think of it as spicy potatoes. For the mains it was a trio of tandoori chicken kebabs - each different flavors, but all marinated in yogurt. They were served with fried white onions, a little green pepper and lime. Pretty tasty when wrapped in whole wheat roti. The winner of the night was the chicken Chettinadu. Traditionally it consists of chicken marinated in yogurt, turmeric and a paste of red chillies, kalpasi, coconut, poppy seeds, coriander seeds, cumin seeds, fennel seeds, black pepper, ground nuts, onions, garlic and sesame oil. There was something warming about the dish. To me, I feel like it would be fantastic around Christmas for some reason. The wait staff was attentive and quick to clear plates and replace water carafes. It was full for a weeknight close to closing time. On weekends, I'm sure it gets pretty busy. Regardless, it's a good spot to add to the rotation. For $70 out the door with a mango lassi, it was a pretty tasty night. read more

Dvaraka Indian Cuisine - Bombay Chatpati Aloo Chat - Indian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

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I ordered for delivery in a pinch and it did not disappoint. There are many restaurant here in Princeton to choose but after forgetting it was holiday and finding myself needed if last minute arrangements I decided to go with the closest place I could have delivered. Let me start by saying I've lived in Jersey city and have had some of the best Indian food from various regions you can acquire in NewJersey. I honestly was a bit skeptical based on the photos available here on yelp. The metal prison trays and small child like portions made this place seem less ideal for a foodie like myself even having fair prices was a bit of a turn off here in Princeton where you pay more for "good" food. To top that off I was having it delivered, food needs to be prepared and packaged with that mind to maintain heat and texture. Even with delivery and an extra 10 min wait while I set the table, this food was immaculate. The chicken curry was mostly white meat and still incredibly tender. Every single dish was spiced wonderfully and they spared no flavor, nor did they dumb down the dishes in order to meet "western" taste buds. Which typically leads to a sweeter more processed leases authentic taste. Everything was delicious and left me craving more. I felt like I was eating in somebodies grandmas kitchen, straight out the pot. This is a must have if your in the area and definitely a bit of a hidden gem. read more

Craving Indian food while on the Princeton Campus? This is a place to check out then! This was tasty, filling and the lunch option was enough food for a great price. Service was nice, the place is clean and great flavors. It was nice to come into a restaurant with good options, good spice and everything tasted fresh. With a lot of good options in town, I'm glad we went here and would highly recommend. Hope to visit again before I leave town. read more

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It is located in the Princeton town Centre. It's a very nice location. The staff is very nice and courteous. Some good items were very nice like biryani and garlic naan. Others not so much which inlcludes butter chicken & keema naan( something was off about it). But can't complaint for the price they're charging. They also had one of the best gulab jamuns. Absolutely delicious. It's a new business and I'd recommend this place but not ordering north Indian food. It's a 4+ for me but not a 5 pointer. read more

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Excellent food, I tried recommended meal and it was wet happy with it. Service was also fast and polite.

Really great casual and BYOB spot for Indian food! I've been to a few places in the area and Dvaraka seems to have more depth of flavor than others in my opinion. Service isn't always consistent but maybe they're short staffed on occasion. We've gotten take out a couple times but this last time I was a bit disappointed by how little rice we got compared to last time, only receiving a small 8oz container. Not sure it was a mistake or they reduced their portions but I would've like more to sop up all the delicious sauce! I'd recommend ordering extra rice if that's the case. Hopefully they're around for the long run! read more

Food was amazing!!! Best Indian I've had in years. It was so flavorful and the perfect amount of heat. Only took a star off because they put gratuity on our check and we were a table of 4. It was kind-of insulting. It was also ultimately a mistake as we tend to tip pretty high and they put 18% on. Had we been a large party I would have left extra on top of that but as a party of 4 we decided to go with what they dictated. read more

We had a wonderful meal this evening. The plates were all delicious from lamb vindaloo, to shrimp curry to tandoori chicken. What made the experience all the more pleasant was the attentive service. They wanted to make sure we were happy. The music provided a great ambience. Definitely recommend.! read more

Everything was great. Service was amazing. Food was tasty and portion size was quite generous. I took my whole family and they had a great time. Our server was super nice. I would def recommend this restaurant to others. Hyderabad dum biryani, butter chicken, and their garlic naan was really good. read more

Wow! From the start to the end this was an epic meal! I was starting to think I may no longer like mango lassi's but their mango Lassi restored my faith in mango lassi's! Our waiter was kind and attentive. The lamb Korma had just the perfect amount of spice for my delicate palette and the samosas were so tasty! Wonderful Indian music played in the background to accompany the meal! I noted this place for the next time I am in the area! read more

the lunch sets are so worth it-- delicious, and really filling! the naan was fluffy and warm, pairing so nicely with the rich and flavorful curry. personally i got the chicken palak and subbed rice for veggies since i wanted something a little lighter, and they were kind enough to accommodate. it was served with fried potato slices, mashed and sweetened carrots, and dal. according to my friend, the place is quite authentic. the place was clean and service was friendly. afterwards i got some indian mouth freshener which was fun! read more

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I came here with 1 other friend on a Monday night. The service was very quick. We ordered the Gobi 65 which was fried cauliflower and the chicken palak (spinach). Both dishes were average and didn't stand out much from other Indian food I've had. read more

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Ordered kadai chicken and chick tikka from Uber eats delivery. Kadai chicken was flavorful and delicious. Chicken tikka was good BUT small quantity- only 7 pieces for a full order. Taking a star out for that reason. read more

Dvaraka Indian Cuisine - Chicken Tikka $15.99 - Indian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

Decent service and a good place to order catering from. Straight up forgot to make an order that was placed a week ago though and charged to my card - they apologized profusely and made up for it so overall was ok but yeah, not many complaints other than that. read more

I am so unimpressed with this place. I ordered takeout with this restaurant on New Year's Eve and after waiting well over an hour, they pretended to deliver my order to my house without actually ever dropping off any food. They literally told me to look at the pictures they took, "we dropped it off at the children's playpen" I wrote extremely clear instructions as to where to drop delivery and I have zero idea what this person is talking about. If you're looking for good quality food with great service....this is NOT the place for you. read more

we have a go-to order here: butter chicken is excellent -- the flavor is so rich and the meat is cooked perfectly boneless chicken 65 biryani is also excellent -- we always have leftovers to take home service is also good, generally very fast overall, dvaraka gets good business but i still think it's underrated, a hidden gem if you will read more

Dvaraka Indian Cuisine - Garlic Naan, Butter Chicken, Boneless Chicken-65 Biryani - Indian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

I really loved this spot! I was looking for an Indian restaurant around Philly, and this one did not disappoint. Street parking is available nearby, but there are also a lot and a garage within walking distance. It's a small restaurant, and it was surprisingly crowded for a weekday evening, so we waited about 10 minutes to be seated. There was only one waiter working the entire restaurant, but he did a great job and was very helpful and pleasant. The food was great - portions were pretty big, and everything we had was delicious. The biryani was my favorite, and the naan were very good too. I'd definitely come back here again! read more

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First of all the food was extremely delicious, and the taste was out of the world. It was very packed; so it took a long time to be seated, and receive the food. The ambiance is great with traditional music, and Indian posters. It was great in summary. read more

Me and family had a blast. Enjoyed delicious food in the heart of Princeton. We will come back. Thank you for your hospitality and yummy food. read more

I went and had lunch at the buffet on Saturday 7/13. Within a few hours, I had the worst food poisoning of my life. Avoid this place at all costs. There are plenty of hygienic places around that do not serve expired products. It's truly sad when businesses do not care about their customers and aim to make any profit, even if it comes at a consumer's health. I normally do not write reviews, however, I want to truly help and prevent anyone from getting sick. There are plenty of good places in Princeton to eat. Please be careful. read more

The food is decent here! It is not my favorite place in Princeton but I will definitely be back. Not super fancy, but in a good way! Service was good as well. read more

Awesome Location but what a waste!! The food is totally unsatisfactory, the sanitation and decor is from the past. They need to update their food and themselves, people will still go and eat there but won't be super happy and say Wow!! read more

So this time I dined in and let me just say.... AMAZING. Please check this place out and support. read more

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Short review: Food 1/5: we ordered chicken tikka masala and lamb vindaloo. I can't taste the usual spices from these dishes. If I have to be honest, this is the worst Indian food I tried in Princeton. Service 2/5: the only times they proactively talk to us were when we enter the building (to sit) and when it was time to pay. Other than those, we had to try our best to get their attention. Ambience 2/5: there was indian music playing. read more

I think this is the best Indian restaurant in Princeton. Located in the space formerly occupied by Tandoori Bite, but way better and now nicely decorated. I normally would not rate a place after just one visit, but these guys are doing really good work on Witherspoon Street. Had the creamy and nicely spiced Malai Tomato Soup as my starter. Then had the Chicken Vindaloo, medium spiced with Garlic Naan. Again, creamy and nicely spiced, this vindaloo was very heavy on the chicken and light on the potatoes. Thus, it was very tasty and a good value. Nice garlic naan too. Good service with a fair number of eat-in dinners, as well as a healthy take-out business. read more

Dvaraka Indian Cuisine - Malai Tomato Soup - Indian Near Me - Princeton, New Jersey

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