A really family-friendly spot, you'll usually see folks enjoying a casual meal together, giving the whole place a relaxed, welcoming vibe. The food is consistently on point. The chicken tikka masala is a classic and definitely worth getting; it's flavorful and reliably good every time. But what really surprised me was the shrimp curry. I went in expecting the shrimp to be a bit overcooked or limited in quantity, but that wasn't the case at all. The shrimp were actually cooked really well and there was a generous amount in the dish, making it feel like a great value. One thing to keep in mind, rice doesn't automatically come with the curries, so you'll have to order it separately if you want it. That said, we usually skip the rice and go for naan instead, specifically the potato naan and garlic naan. Between the two, you get a really nice contrast in texture. The potato naan is thicker, soft, and fluffy on the inside, almost like a comforting, filled bread, while the garlic naan is thinner with a slightly crispy edge. Make sure not to sleep on the free chai tea, it's easy to miss if you're not looking for it. Off to the right of the cashier desk, there's a little self-serve station with cups, sugar packets, stir sticks, and a large container filled with hot chai. You can pour as much as you want, whenever you want, which is a nice touch and a great way to round out the meal. One thing to note about the atmosphere: there are occasional slow periods where the place can get really quiet, and you might even find yourself as the only table there. It can feel a little awkward in those moments, but it just depends on the time of day. When it's busy, though, it has a much more lively, energetic feel. Overall, it's a solid, low-key spot with good food, a family-friendly environment, and a few nice little perks that make it stand out. read more

We were in birthday celebration mode and stopped off for favorite cuisine of the celebrant. The restaurant welcomes you in with their neon sign and upon entry to the dining room, have a large framed photo of his holiness, the Dalai Lama overlooking all present. It did give an added warmth, in my opinion. The menu was varied and the options great. We enjoyed a variety of dishes there and took some home. We had prawn biryani, shaptak pork, shahi paneer, chicken vindaloo, lamb tikka masala, aloo gobi, prawn coconut, chicken tandoori, yellow curry dal, garlic and onion naan bread. We ate well and all the sauces, curries and favors were amazing with everything being just what we had hoped. I was especially fond of the shrimp coconut, but the birthday girl loved the spiced up lamb. There were no complaints, which is miracle enough with a big family meal. We'll be back to try more of their menu! read more

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The food here is very tasty and well prepared. My friends and I always order vegetarian. Servers are kind and explained some of the dishes. One friend grew up in India and had some things in common with the staff. I have been there twice this past month--taking different friends. I highly recommend this place. read more

Can only speak for the Tibetan menu. We both ordered the thaen-thuk. It's their traditional Tibetan hand pulled noodle soup. You'd think it's weird to order noodle soup over curry and momo, right? It wasn't a bad pick though!The noodles were a bit harder to eat since it's square shaped (no slurping ramen style). I noticed my bowl had a looooooot less meat than my partner's so that's kinda annoying. The wait for the food was long too.. close to half an hour after ordering. Did see monk while eating here so this place must be pretty legit. Also the chai tea was complimentary. read more

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Wow, what a gem in the neighborhood. Guru Curry House off San Pablo is a great addition to El Cerrito serving Indian Tibetan food in a spacious and comfortable environment. The staff is so kind and welcoming, high chairs available. We ordered a mango lassi to start for the kiddo and that was a hit. We were able to have a few sips and it was refreshing and delicious. We then ordered Saag Paneer and Chicken Tikka Masala with Garlic Naan. Everything was full of flavor and so comforting. Also, very much kiddo approved too. The Saag Paneer (creamy and aromatic spinach with homemade cottage cheese chunks) was a fan favorite this meal. There's complimentary tea and I noticed they also have alcoholic bevs on the menu. The menu is filled with yummy finds and I would love to come back and try other dishes including wraps, noodles, stir fry's, momos, and a few other meat dishes to name a few like the Chicken Korma with cashews and the Prawn Coconut. They have a small/private parking lot and street parking is available too. Check their hours ahead of time - they do open for lunch and then close before reopening for the dinner hours. All in all, what a nice experience and weekday lunch find. read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Saag Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala, Garlic Naan - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

We ordered cauliflower curry and lamb curry with cheese bread and rice. We asked for mild and the food turned out to be tasteless. We have been to other places where "mild" means not spicy but still flavorful. The ingredients are all fresh. Perhaps we will go again and try the not-so-mild version and see how it goes. read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

First off the food served here is very flavorful just as you would expect and it's nice that the ask you what spice level that you would prefer. I ordered my dish of potatoes and peas medium and it was prepared and spiced perfectly. My wife ordered the momos and they were steamed and came nice and soft and yummilicious! Beware tho the side of sauce will light you up lol. They also came with a small side of some sort of coleslaw type of dish. We enjoyed the service and the dishes and silverware were clean. The only dish that we will never order again is the chicken tikka. It was literally so thin and dry almost like eating jerky! It did have a good flavor but it wasn't the cubed moist pieces that were accustomed to being served. In light of that, 5*'s becomes a fair 4*'s and we will definitely return because of the good quality and bold flavors that our other dishes had. read more

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Update: the service is still abysmal and now the food is steadily going downhill as well. Nearly empty on a Friday evening (and very few takeout orders). They brought out pakoras with no plates, cutlery, or chutney. They let the dirty plates and empty wine glasses pile up on our table. And the lamb tikka masala was tough. The tingmo were good as was my husband's stir fry pork thingy. Every time someone suggests Guru Curry I gently try to deflect, but it looks like I need to try harder. read more

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Been here twice and have had a great experience both times. We really love trying the Tibetan items here and highly recommend the Shabhaklay - it's juicy and smells so good! Restaurant has a nice ambient - customers are usually very quiet and lofi Nepalese music is played in the background. We saw a lot of Tibetan customers walking in to get takeout, they seem to be long term customers. Best of all, free unlimited chai tea! read more

We were a party of seven on the Fathers' Day. Tasty samosas, mango lassi, yellow dal, lamb rogan josh, tandoori chicken, biryani with vegetables, biryani with chicken and potatoes with cauliflower curry. Chai on the tap. Patient and helpful service. We plan to be back soon. read more

I have been to this restaurant several times now and also got takeout and the restaurant has been truly outstanding every time. Among the dishes that I truly adore are the Saag dal -- a spinach, yellow lentil dish that is perfectly seasoned, vegetable korma with plenty of veggies in a scrumptious sauce, the curry shrimp-- a brilliantly tasty broth with many large prawns, and the fish tikka masala -- chunks of perfectly cooked fish in an exquisite creamy sauce. The service has been great, and the endless cups of both delicious and generous. This is a restaurant not to miss. read more

Stick to the Himalayan/Tibetan food on their menu. The Veggie Samosas tasted good, but we felt that the shell was too thick and crunchy. The Tamarind/Mint Chutneys and the Papdi Chana Chaat all tasted somewhat sour, which we found off-putting. The Chicken Tikka Masala was decently flavored but a small portion. The highlight of the meal was the Beef Momos--meaty and pretty juicy. All in all, it seemed more like a Tibetan restaurant serving their rendition of Indian food read more

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Truly outstanding experience for our lunch today everything we ordered was utterly delicious, and the people were so welcoming, the atmosphere so pleasant, I can't wait to go back The saag paneer was the best I've had - and I've had I don't know how many my life. The momos were beautifully done. The tofu chili had complex interesting spicing, the garlic naan was both beautiful and delicious I want to come back with more people so we can try a lot more dishes. Can't wait to return. read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Garlic Naan, Chilli Tofu, Saag Paneer, Vegetable Momo - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

I tried to order Togo in this shop.Food is very good!Service is not sure.Ambiance is not bad. read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Delicious curry. Big seating area. Free chai tea and very quick service. I really like that they have a small parking lot. read more

Me and my friends had an amazing experience dining at this Indian-Tibetan restaurant in the Bay Area! The food was absolutely delicious fresh, flavorful, and beautifully prepared and presented with authentic Indian and Tibetan spices. Every dish tasted homemade and comforting. The staff were warm, friendly, and attentive, making the service feel genuinely welcoming. The restaurant has a calm, cozy environment with relaxing music and a clean, inviting atmosphere. I also appreciated the safe and convenient parking, which made the visit even better. If you're looking for a place that serves incredible Tibetan and Indian food with great service, this spot is a true hidden gem in east Bay . this gonna be our new hot spot . read more

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Parking was very easy, plenty of spaces in the lot and also on the street. The self serve tea is really nice! The curry we got was great, but the chicken was dry in both dishes. If it wasn't for the dry chicken this would be my new favorite spot. read more

This location opened not to long ago and we decided to to try it. We were not disappointed! We sorted through so many menu options and landed ond the Chicken Curry and Chana Chicken with basmati rice. You pick the spice level. Medium for me was perfect. Spicy was good for a taste and too spicy for me! The food was delicious! The service was great. Very kind and attentive. Definitely returning to try more dishes! read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Chicken Curry - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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The curry was mid and the portions were bad i got chicken curry but there was only like one piece of chicken.

The best flavors, selections and quality of Indian Tibetan food we have come across in a very long time. It's very casual, with bottomless Chai. The wait was more than worth the quality and savory flavors we enjoyed. The service was great! We are definitely going back when we are in the area. read more

Very authentic experience - spices were amazing and lamb incredibly tender. The Momos were good but be careful when you take a bite since they tend to explode. Will definitely be coming back here read more

After noticing Guru take over an old Chinese food spot, have been trying to have a meal for a couple of months now but we keep trying to eat dinner at 430pm . Finally made it in and I think it's my new fave Indian spot in the area (sorry Cafe Raj). Friendly service, clean dining room. Quick service! The best chicken I've had in a curry in that it wasn't dry and over cooked; same with the prawns- perfectly cooked! We had aloo palak, chicken coconut curry, prawns tikka masala, veggie biryani, onion naan and chicken momos- after tax = $83! Great value! read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Chicken momo - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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Delicious! Affordable! Clean place! Clean food! Great energy! Free chai! Nice staff! Dalai Lama vibes... we will be back with the kids! read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Lamb tikka, saag paneer, Samosa chaat, rice, raita and pickles plus beef momo (not pictured) total: $65! Great deal - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

Lamb korma excellent. The meat was very flavorful and tender. Chicken tikka masala, sadly suffered from dry meat, which is a usual problem woth using unbrined breast meat. Mango lasso, naan and saag paneer, also excellent. read more

I recently had lunch here with Toni and Lori. I have driven by the restaurant several times since it opened and have wanted to stop. I was pleased when Toni chose this for our monthly lunch. We started with an order of vegetable momos, they were just okay. I would not order them again. What I would order again, and even make a special trip for, was the garlic cheese naan, it was so tasty. For the main course, I had chicken tikka masala with jasmine rice. For some reason I ordered it mild, I would enjoyed it more if I had ordered the medium sauce. The complimentary chai tea was excellent. After the naan and momos, I was pretty full. I brought home most of my lunch and enjoyed it the next day. The food is good enough for a return meal. read more

Funny enough when a friend was in town both my partner and I had this restaurant on our list of places to take her to. Additionally, both of us named the Samosa Chaat as a must try. On a cold winter night, the flavors here feel like a hug in your mouth. The complimentary self-serve chai doesn't disappoint not the garlic naan ever disappoint. The curries are tasty and presentable though a bit on the smaller side for the price. Still, we keep coming because of the explosion of flavor that is the samosa chaat. My newest discovery here and second favorite option is the saag paneer. The staff here is friendly and parking never an issue. Highly recommend giving this place a try. read more

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I like the food a lot and that's the main thing. But the environment could be better. It's too brightly lit, not at all cosy, and they don't play any music so there's just no atmosphere. These things are easily improved so hope this review helps. read more

Tonight I ordered takeout as I anticipated last September. I called and ordered lamb korma again, mild/medium and the garlic cheese naan for a 6:00 pickup. I had brown rice already cooked at home. I arrived to pick up the food and parked in the lot and walked in. The man at the desk greeted me and I identified myself. He brought out my order in a white paper bag, which pleased me because it's more readily recycled than a plastic bag. I paid and then he walked me to the door to the parking lot, opening the door and holding it for me. He was very kind and thoughtful. When I got home the food was still hot. I heated up the rice and poured the lamb korma over it and put the foil wrapped naan on a small plate and opened the foil. The lamb korma was delicious, flavorful w/o a lot of spice heat. I could have handled medium, I think. The lamb was fork tender. I finished it as well as two pieces of the naan. I will finish the other two at another meal. It was as good as before. I added some pickled carrots from Picnic to the meal and they complimented the rest of the food nicely. It was a good, tasty dinner. Looking over the menu online I see they an abundance of lamb dishes, though not the lamb saag I usually go for, but enough dishes that are new to me that the options are worth exploring. read more

Ok I've been here enough times to comfortably give Guru the well deserved 5 stars!!! Now officially my favorite restaurant in my 'hood. BB read more

Always great to see new restaurants come alive in the neighborhood, so you know we had to go try. Let me start off and say, they can accommodate a group of 24 on one long table. I felt extremely bad because as soon as our kids rolled in, it really killed the relaxing dinner ambience. Nonetheless, we still were provided with great friendly service. I've attached photos of what we ordered. Everything was delightful and tasty. My wife appreciated that the dishes weren't cooked in heavy oil and felt "healthier". Excited to go back to try other items on the menu. read more

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The Tibetan food at Guru House is very good. The momos are my favorite. I've had chicken and beef momos and they are both so delicious and really taste homemade. Each order is a big portion and my husband and I always have leftovers. The staff and owners are also super nice and the service is great. I can tell the owners really care about this restaurant. It shows in the food and service. I highly recommend trying this restaurant out. This place will definitely be in my household's regular rotation. read more

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They use FRESH CHILIES!! OMG it makes the world of difference in terms of spice level and freshness. This will be my new Indian restaurant! I got the chicken saag, rice, and naan. It was all so good! Come here if you're in the neighborhood. And they have a parking lot. read more

Quick Summary - If you haven't tried Indian or Tibetan food yet, you're in for a treat. Guru Curry House may even set your "bar" too high where this is the only place you'll want to eat. Excellent food, attentive staff, complementary chai tea, and clean restrooms! Ended up here on a whim. The original restaurant we were trying to go to was a noodle spot in Berkeley, though it had a very long line out the door which we weren't willing to stand in. Being from El Cerrito I have always liked trying new restaurants that open as old restaurants retire (I miss Yummy chinese restaurant, especially their pot stickers and dry fried string beans), move locations, or go out business. As we passed the old Little Hong Kong building which I've seen a handful of other restaurants come and go I noticed a "Grand Opening" sign across the entrance. Drove around the block, pulled into the parking lot, had a meal, and found Guru Curry House was a very pleasant surprise and I hope it is here to stay for a long time. They had one lady as the host and the waitress who was very welcoming and attentive. I give huge props to restaurant employees who have to host and wait on patrons at the same time. Reminds me of working by myself during the pandemic years being a service writer and mechanic at the same time, lol. I'm assuming they will hire more staff as they become more busy? Though we did arrive within an hour of their midday 3PM closing time so maybe they already have more staff for the evening shift? Everything we ordered was fresh tasting and perfect temperatures. We started our meal with an order of Papadi Chana Chaat (forgot to take a photo). Something we had never had before and we absolutely loved it, especially the 6 year old; he literally ate a third of the dish to himself. We also ordered Fish Tikka Masala, Lamb Gosht, Basmati Rice, Garlic Naan, and Roti. The Fish Tikka Masala was ordered mild spicy since it was primarily for the 6 year old. It's his favorite type of dish when it comes down to South/East Asian food. A lot of similiar restaurants when ordering mild spicy just don't have any flavor since the spices are what makes many of the dishes, though however the chef prepared their mild spicy it was perfect. Not too spicy and very flavorful. The Lamb Gosht was the best we've ever had. The lamb was very tender and not too gamey, the okra was perfectly cooked, and the sauce was excellent. Our 10 year old even said, "This is my favorite dish" and he typically doesn't really care for okra since it can be a bit slimy. We ordered this one medium spicy which was actually still mild enough for the 6 year old, and it had even more flavor than their already flavorful mild spicy The Beef Momos were great, lots of delicious juice trapped inside their dough pockets. Eat them with your hands and watch out for your white shirt. The Basmati Rice was very aromatic, the Garlic Naan had the perfect blend of seasoning, and the Roti had the proper ratio of crisp and doughiness. There was even a complementary self served hot chai tea station which we of course took advantage of. The next time I'm at Guru Curry House with the kids I will ask for some type of hot sauce on the side or just order one dish spicy, or even very spicy if there is such a thing. I'm accustomed to "spicy" at South/East Asian Restaurants to be almost too spicy sometimes, though I do not recommend their chefs upping their levels of spice due to the general demographic of the area. I'm excited to go back again to try items off their Tandoori, Briyani, and Soup menu sections. read more

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I gotta admit, I'm a sucker for a place with a parking lot. Frankly, for me, half the battle of going out is finding parking. The restaurant is clean and spacious, and our server was terrific. Very kind and efficient. My boyfriend ordered the Coconut Lamb extra spicy, and he was very happy with dish, and the sweat on his upper lip told me they weren't kidding about it being extra spicy. I ordered the Saag Tikka Masala spicy. Really yummy with a heat that sneaks up on you. Is it a dining "experience"? No, but it checks all the boxes for a very pleasant dinner out. read more

Quiet, chill atmosphere. First time eating here and came here with a friend. She was able to give me some background on some of the food. Nice surprise. I also ordered cheese naan, mango lassi and bhaingan bharta (Eggplant cooked in a clay oven and stir fried with onion, tomatoes and spices). Didn't take pictures of the rest of the food but it was GOOD! You get to order your spice level which I picked medium. The server/host was attentive and very polite. read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Vegetable Samosa - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

I do think you can find tastier Indian food places in the area - everything here was OK. I would try this again because it's so close to home, just try different dishes - I had the Saag Paneer and the Chana Chicken. The cheese in the saag paneer didn't taste very good, it didn't really have a taste at all, had to make sure it was cheese and not tofu. read more

Food, service, ambience, everything was so good. Must visit place in El cerrito to get the best food. read more

Guru Curry House - El Cerrito - Chilli Tofu and Tingmo - Indian Near Me - El Cerrito, California

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I enjoyed my lamb kebab. They kindly accommodated my request to have it as a wrap, which is not on the menu. The self-serve chai is nice and would bring me back. I am very glad I ordered appetizers for the table as our entrees took more than 30 minutes from ordering. The veggie pakoras were very good. The chaat was good, but I wish the papdi was fresher or heated before serving to freshen. I did not enjoy the mayo on my wrap, and I do like mayo. It was unexpected. I would have expected just chutney and maybe yogurt. My MIL's paneer wrap came as a wrap of lettuce, and I had to go back to work. She shared my FIL's paneer wrap and we had to send back her order. Husband enjoyed his beef noodle soup. read more

Wished we had gone in sooner!! Got the momos and chili tofu and were blown away. Nicely spicy that doesn't overpower the flavor. So affordable too!! Everyone please go so it will remain a mainstay in El Cerrito! read more

The tandoori chicken had this weird smell - it either smelled old or had been sitting out in the room for too long. They decided to use it anyway and serve it, which was a bit disappointing. Momos were too small and not juicy at all. We were really hoping to find some authentic Nepali food, but unfortunately, this wasn't the best choice. read more