This is an upscale restaurant with consistently good cuisine. The one drawback was their failure to package the leftovers for us. Instead of doing that, they brought out containers for us to do it ourselves. Not a big deal, in the scheme of things, but completely inconsistent with a restaurant of this quality. read more

On Friday evening three friends and I enjoyed a delicious and delightful meal. It was easy to make the reservation on line and when we arrived we were greeted and taken to our table. We tried two different beers, Monk and Taj Mahal. Both went well with our food. The servers were all very attentive and helpful. Our server, Sam, patiently explained the dishes and how they were prepared. There is a very wide variety. There are many vegetarian and gluten free options. For appetizers we had two orders of the Tamarind eggplant (a real favorite) and a chicken tikka stuffed naan. Fresh and interesting flavors; nicely spiced. Then we got our main dishes. We each ordered our own dish because we were eager to try different things, but we easily could have been satisfied with fewer main dishes. We were able to take the remainder home and enjoy it the next day. When the main dishes came we were pleasantly treated to being served all of our dishes together...no waiting for that last dish...we were able to all eat at the same time. Sam brought our food out on a cart...why don't other restaurants do that!!! I ordered a dish called spinach kofta which was little spinach dumplings in a tomato cream sauce. The sauce was so good...I practically wanted to drink it! Others in our group ordered lamb kadhi, which was nicely spicy but not too much. The lamb was very tender. Our other friends ordered chicken dishes that also received rave reviews. We chose Karavalli because I had recently been there to experience their over the top tasty lunch buffet and the dinner dinner disappoint. The ambiance is casual and bright and the decor is reflective of India. The restaurant has been renovated and updated over the last year or two and the menu and the service is super. The owner took the time to come to our table and we were all very impressed by the attention and warmth extended to us. read more

I have been to karavalli three times, and gotten masala dosa each time. The actual dosa and masala have been off in terms of salt/seasoning each time, but the sambar and chutneys are delicious. My partner got the chicken tikka masala and loved it. The restaurant is a little fancier than a typical Indian restaurant, and the ambience and service is nice. read more

Truly outstanding, fresh and delicious food. They start with bringing free papadum and chutney and mint sauces. We had an appetizer sampler, chicken malai kebab, mali kafta and garlic naan. The portions were so ample that we had enough for the next day! Everything was very good, and especially the chicken and the naan! Staff were very friendly and attentive. Highly recommend it! read more

Best Indian food in the capital district ! Good friendly service, no rush, no one trying to clear the table to get you out, for the next customer. Good Indian beer selection ( why not ? When in Rome.... Kingfisher is back and now made in Utica instead of Saratoga). Good ambiance, although background music can be a little loud. Not too loud to stop conversations though. read more

One of the best lunch buffets in the area by far. I was a good, food is delicious, wait staff is super helpful. No brainer. read more

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Possibly my favorite Indian restaurant in the Albany area. Great weekend brunch buffet, and one of the best buffets in general. The most and best seafood out of any other area Indian restaurant, and excellent goat dishes. I've tried the goat curry and goat chettinad, but have not ventured to try the third goat dish due to the anticipated spice level. Both of the goat dishes were excellent with tender meat on the bone with great flavor. A great place for vegetarian, vegan, keto, or gluten free. Also, no issues having a kid here, and fancy enough for a date. A spot "worth a detour". read more

The best Indian food (lLatham) in the area, hands down. I have been here many times really enjoy the food and the service. Since the lockdown I really missed their buffet. They have a great section of dishes, including vegetarian. The buffet is fully stocked, the food is fresh. I really love their cabbage dish, the cream of wheat blend dish as well as the mix grill. On the other side of the main dish section, they have an amazing fresh salad section filled with chutneys and sauces. Fresh Naan is served at the table. Don't forget the dessert! They are incredibly efficient in service and water is always filled. Great prices for the food. Consistent and always clean. I look forward to my visit there every time! Get there early as it fills up fast! read more

Best Indian food in Capital Region in my opinion. They remodeled the whole restaurant so it looks very nice inside. I love everything here. I highly recommend the Masala Dosa and the cauliflower dish here. Enjoy :-) read more

Nice setting and excellent food. The sauces are full & flavorful; I've used the extra sauce on eggs! Service was good also.

This is one of my favorite Indian restaurants, I always make sure to come here when I am in the area. This round, I tried their lamb kebab. I preferred a different type of kebab (can't remember the name) that I had on a previous visit, but this still had good flavor- it was just a bit tough. I always get their masala dosai and vegetable samosas. The dosai is the best I've had anywhere- the texture of the crepe and flavor of the filling with the sambar is delicious. We also tried the shrimp mango curry, which was really good. I'm not a huge mango curry fan but the spice balanced the sweetness well. Would highly recommend this place for those looking for Indian food. read more

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Best Indian food in town, city and the entire capital region!! The food actually comes spicy when you ask for it and vice versa.

Would have been 5 stars, but the end was bad. First, nicely remodeled restaurant. Moderately busy on a Saturday night. I like heat, and the waiter was attentive, letting me taste the chili's and making recommendations. Short but decent bar list, and I chose a full bodied cote du rhone. Of note, i only saw vodka and rum cocktails, but they really need to add a gin for Indian cuisine IMHO. The food was delicious, small chutney on the table, ample rice. I also tried the garlic naan which was well charred and yummy. Eating alone at Indian non buffet is tough, but this worked. Many of the desserts were not available, so i opted for the rice pudding. It was essentially a bowl of sugar milk and virtually no rice, and was served to me by a young woman in a flannel shirt (not my waiter) who didn't even put it in front of me, but down the table, and left. No one came back to check, or I would have returned it. Same flannel girl tossed the check on the table then walked behind me; no opportunity to speak on my part. So i paid and left. If you're going to strive for excellence then all your staff need to be polite and serving rice pudding as milk is a cheap cop out. Sad ending to an otherwise excellent meal. read more

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Number of items in the buffet were substantially a lot. Five stars for that. Taste wise about 4( some items just mediocre 3). Service 3.5. Ambiance 4. Overall between 3.5 - 4. Good neighborhood place for a variety of Indian food but I feel the cooking staff in the restaurant can do better. Some of the dishes are 4/5 while others didn't shine as such. read more

It has been some time since we've dined in and admittedly, I'm not as familiar with many of the dishes on the menu so I like to inquire with servers about what other diners are having. I've been a little lazy and only ordering standby familiar; they have a really good but always really tica masala, chicken biryani and my all time favorite, chicken makmuri. The combination of the cashew sauce with the raisins is so delectable! Last week, I was feeling the need for something new, I do ordered a specialty dish, the mahi mahi in the banana leaf. It was just ok and $25 I was disappointed. Maybe because we had it as take out the goodness didn't translate, the way it should have. I can't say for sure. We're unfortunately not able to dine in due to the current health crisis, so it's back to just the basics for us. Overall, Karavalli is very, very good and very reliable & that makes us very frequent, very happy customers. read more

excellent service and delicious food!! love the ambience and always happy to dine in!

This is indeed a fine place to enjoy indian cuisine with great service. For one, they offer both North and South Indian offerings and for second, they have a delightful place with charm and ambience (tho its quite a big place). Dined here on Diwali, the big holiday of lights, and the place was packed. Naturally, serving was a tad bit slow, of course, well worth the wait. Try their South Indian platter. Also, the mild level of spice is really mild - so if you can handle it, go a bit more bold. One weird thing - their appetitive veg platter had Vada (lentil-based donut which is deep fried) but t was not offered with any Sambar (spicy soupy side accompaniment to dip the Vadas) read more

Great food! Warm & friendly staff! Best Indian food in the Capital region. Special recommendation for the southern Indian dishes.

I am sitting in my kitchen eating the leftovers from my amazing meal last night. Good thing, because my coworkers would be a little disturbed by all the audible expressions of delight at how good the food is. I just keep shaking my head saying wow - now why I have not eaten here lately.... And there is simply no good reason... okay maybe Covid. I shared a few dishes with a friend... We ordered a chat to start after our appetites were wet by the crips peppery pappadum that they have on the table to start your off - accompanied by two chutneys - a mint and an onion - both mild and delish. We started with the tamarind eggplant... what great textures! Creamy chickpeas and sweet yogurt with tangy tamarind and crisp slivers of what I can only describe as eggplant chips! So good- I highly recommend! We then ordered palak paneer - a classic with nice chunks of paneer and a smooth earthy green blend of greens... just right, not bitter not too earthy... just truly the dish that you can eat and eat and eat until you have eaten too much because it's so good. With this we also ordered the Avial Malabar (A Kerala Specialty) ... curry leaves make me soooo happy to find in dishes particularly with plantains. The mustardy spice and curry flavor transports me back to many of my travels. The dish is full of veggies that make for a delightful stew which we dipped or rather I scooped up in the garlic naan. I must say the naan was fresh hot and crisp in all the right spots and soft and airy where it should be... I have recently suffered bad naan at other places - and this amplified for me how good it is when a place does it well - they excel in this and I would say ordering breads here is a must! I am also excited about the vegan and vegetarian options.... So much to offer and that just opens up the list of dining companions I plan to come back with. This place truly is amazing... and the decor is lovely too! read more

This is a wonderful place to eat. We went with 6 people (and a 4 month old baby) and had a great time! Wonderful service and fantastic food. SO much that we took leftovers home. It was a birthday celebration and they even brought us a tasty treat with a candle on it to sing Happy Birthday! Love this place. read more

Got takeout from here this past weekend for a small group and was pleasantly surprised. Had zero expectations for finding good Indian food near Albany, but the food here is actually much better than most places in the Boston area. Paneer Kurchen - not typically found in most Indian restaurants, the ingredients are similar to kadhai paneer but the preparation is refreshingly different. This was a hit with everyone and would be my top recommendation from here. Malai Kofta - very creamy, nutty, and sweet; I love sweet malai kofta but if that's not your thing, don't order this one. Note that the gravy is not tomato-based. There was very little gravy compared to the amount of koftas so it was on the drier side but still tasted good; the koftas were soft and were basically all paneer. Samosas - smaller sized, and a little under-seasoned, but not bad Special props to them for not overloading everything with ginger-garlic and cumin, as too many Indian restaurants do. read more

When I was a child the only Indian restaurant in the Capital District was Sitar on Central Avenue. Over the years various locally designated curry houses, Shalimars, and countless Pakistani-Indian restaurants with interchangeable menus designed for American palettes have come and gone (especially following the pandemic). Karavalli is consistently incredible with an extensive menu offering the more accessible and widely recognized entrees and appetizers (chicken tikki masala, palak paneer, various iterations of korma, naan and vegetable samosas), in addition to regional variant, Indo-Chinese fusion, vegan and vegetarian dishes, dhosa and street food not found elsewhere including the deliciously deadly, habanero laced, Phaal. It is one of the few Indian restaurants in the region with a bar offering wine, beer and distinctive cocktails. Every time I try a new Indian restaurant (in Albany, Seattle, Montreal) I order Palak Paneer (Saag Paneer) to determine basic culinary aptitude. Karavalli surprised me with a subtle and proprietary blend of seasonings that even after repeated orders and a lifetime of eating Indian food I cannot readily identify. Individual dishes and sauces have a layered complexity, even the vindaloo, rogan josh, and phaal bring both heat and distinct flavors for those seeking to challenge their mouths with Scoville Heat Units. Each of these spicy entrees is designated on the menu with one to four chili pepper icons depending on severity, and the wait staff always affirms the awareness and consent of the person ordering a spicy dish. read more

I went there with friends for lunch and arrived at 12:30 pm. We were seated right away. There were a lot of patrons there. We opted for the buffet. The food selection was limited and the hot dishes were cold or room temperature. The naan was not fresh, it seemed like they batched cooked in the am and served it as needed. There is not an order for the buffet, so there were constant lines past our table. They could do a little rearranging and have the buffet one line. read more

If you're looking for authentic Indian food this is place you need to go. The food is outstanding. No one else makes Lamb Vindaloo better or Chicken Korma. The restaurant is beautiful inside and the staff are very friendly and attentive. Best Indian restaurant in the Capital District, IMO. read more

One of the classiest Indian restaurants, excellent breads, very good and tasty vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Service was exemplary, attentive but not intrusive. Full bar, and I went with their exotic ginger-lime martini instead of a Johnny Walker Black on the rocks - perfect balance of ginger and lime. I wish I could name the 2 chicken dishes and the shrimp dish we had, but others ordered. They made us a vegetarian appetizer plate and a non-vegetarian appetizer plate - the tandoor chicken wings were meaty and the most tender and perfectly done. I'm sure we will return the next time we'll be in town. Back again, first week in June. Had the Rack of Lamb with sauce (next time will try the dry Rack, made in the tandoori?), and it's well worth the 20-25 minute wait! You get an 8 rib rack cut up and in a mildly spiced sauce, with this awesome garlic naan, a vegetable (not fried at all) rice, and a great mixed salad, all on a large plate. The mango shake, real solid mango with milk (not yogurt), was refreshing. read more

Karavalli - Photo bombed! - Indian Near Me - Latham, New York

This is one of the best Indian restaurants in the area. We have eaten here a few times and recently have ordered food to go here.

There are two bad reasons why I haven't been to Karavalli more. 1) I'm pretty darn good at cooking Indian food, if I do say so myself 2) It felt like a neighborhood place trying to be an upscale restaurant Let's tackle the second one first. When it comes to lunch buffets, Karavalli is among the most expensive in the region. Maybe given the prices of some of their dishes, I expected the experience of going there for dinner would be even more expensive still. But on my recent outing, with ten people, we ordered more food than we could eat, and the bill including tax and tip only came to $21 per person. That was mighty reasonable. Especially since most of what we ordered were dishes that are an incredible PITA to make at home. Yes, we got the dosa. If you've never had one before, this one is certainly fine. I've made these at home once. Once, and never again. My spiced potato filling and coconut chutney are still better though. What I've never tackled at home is biriyani. And I was very happy with the chicken version. The boiled egg biriyani was interesting in its differences, but I wouldn't get that one again. I just love how aromatic this dish is, and am thrilled to be able to eat it without all the effort of cooking it. One of the other big winners of the night was the fried cauliflower from the Indo-Chinese section of the menu. Sure, it was shockingly red, but that didn't make it any less fun. I was also glad to finally try the lamb phaal which has been heralded as being one of the spiciest dishes available in the Capital Region. Spicy? Yes. Mind blowingly so? No. Still, there are better things to order. The menu is incredibly large. And maybe one of these days I can return to make a dinner entirely out of starters, chaat, and stuffed breads. The one time I went for lunch I was hoping to order something from the starters menu, but I was told those are only offered during dinner. So that's a bit of a let down. However, I am looking forward to returning. Those two bad reasons I had for staying away have been obliterated. The menu is so big, there are plenty of dishes to explore that either I don't have the patience to make at home, or simply don't know how to prepare yet. Maybe next time I'll figure out a way to order and eat more reasonably so I have room for dessert. But I do think the best call is to go with a group. And if you can't find one to go with you, hit me up, because I'd be down for another adventure. read more

It's not very often you get a pleasant dining experience, unique decor and fantastic view! We've only been in one but we will be again! Also a very long vegan menu read more

My loves and I were craving some good eats and they recommended Karavalli. Haven' t had good Indian food in a while sO i was down. This place is pretty small and it gets packed quickly but turnover rate is fairly good. I was told this is a good mix of Northern and Southern Indian dishes and I will say, some thing offered on the buffet were new to me, but man, was the food AMAZING!! Everything was packed w flavor but not overkilled, and the cooked perfectly and seriously.. my mouth is watering now thinking about the tikka masala and tandoori chicken! Beyond tasty!! $15 for the buffet is more than affordable and you will leave happy and full. I only recommend not driving the two hours home like I did afterwards because you will definitely need a nap! Coming back here again when I'm in the area and cannot recommend enough! read more

Due to the panicdemic, only takeout was available. With many menu items, it was difficult for me to make a decision. Assisted by the staff, I went with the CHICKEN VINDALOO (A Konkan Specialty) as I enjoy spicy with flavor. Cant be just hot for giggles. This meal was a fantastic choice.. Spicy and flavorful, excellent portion size, fantastic service. I will definitely return when in the area. read more

The quality of food has dropped significantly. The nans used to be my favor are not fresh. They look like leftover. Most food look not fresh including fruit salad. I am wondering whether the chef is different for Sunday read more

Came here for a bday dinner. Restaurant is very blue inside. Their staff are very friendly & tentative. Great customer service. As we sat there we noticed they were very consistent with pick up orders. For apps we had the uthappam ( a flat bread tomato pan cake) you have to eat it with the sauce that it comes with, if not the pan cake is not as good. -Kheema samosa was excellent! Not spicy. Normally when i order samosa at other places it tends to be spicy. Inside is ground lamb meat. We also tried -sheekh kabab. It was spicy for me but everyone else seem to really enjoyed it. -Chickpea salad is a must try! It's amazing!! I enjoyed every bite. It was so flavorful. Fresh green, cucumbers, red onions tossed with their tamarind yogurt sauce. Entree: -Palak spinach, this dish is usually my favorite dish however it was really bland here. I had better. -Lossani Gobi battered fried cauliflower. It was cooked perfectly however i didn't really like the lemony taste to it. -chicken korma is delicious!!! My favvv. Creamy, flavorful & the chicken was soft not dry. -Goat vindaloo- spicy spicy spicy!!! Believe them when they say it's spicy. Of course i did not eat it but my family seemed to enjoyed it. They said the goat meat was so soft! Be careful because you may have to spit out some bits of bones. That's how long they shimmer and cooked the meat. We also tried their specials -meen Molee: fish of the day cooked in curry leaves. Unfortunately this dish was not good. The fish was completely dried. Even drowning it with sauce did not help it go down. -last dish was a shrimp dish. I don't remember what it's called but it's large shrimp tossed in a red powdery sauce. It was pretty good. Little kick of spicy. Doable for me. I wasn't a big fan of their naan bread. It's thicker than other places. It was still a little doughy. This place is a bit more pricier than other places however you can see why, nice water glasses, nice silverware etc... great service. read more

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Probably my favorite place to go for Indian food in the area. Every so often we come here for weekend brunch. Food is nice and spicy. Service is good. Place was recently remodeled (within the last year) and looks great. Really like the spicy goat dish that's part of the buffet. Naan was unexceptional unfortunately, but the Dosa was very good. A couple of bucks more than other local places for lunch buffet but worth it. read more

We ordered delivery and live only 2 miles from the restaurant, our food was cold by the time it got to us and our order was wrong. We were given only one order of rice for two orders of chicken tikki masala which was not enough for the both of us and we had to make more ourselves. For the price of their food, we at least want our food to be hot when delivered and the order correct. read more

Best Indian restaurant I've ever been to! For my wife's birthday, we decided to splurge and visit Karavalli. I'm so glad we did! With our daughter in from NYC, we just wanted a good meal to celebrate but this was much more than good. The sauces especially were amazingly distinct with layered flavors. We had palak paneer (always my go-to on a first visit to an Indian restaurant because even though it's a pedestrian dish, it can be special when done well. It was excellent.), a lamb curry and a mango cream sauce chicken. Wow! Huge portions and very good service. The owner is from Kerala, India, and next time we will try their Keralan menu. Also there are lots of vegetarian and vegan options. I'm not surprised this restaurant is reputedly the best Indian restaurant in the Capital Region. Excellent. read more

By far the best Indian food around. Tough spot for last minute takeout diners so plan ahead. On one occasion I was told there wasn't enough time to make my lunch because they were closing (even though they were open) and more recently 80 minutes for a dinner pickup order. So plan ahead. Couldn't ding them for my last minute cravings for Indian food though I guess it argues that they make all their dishes fresh. Everything is solid and the puffed rice is a hidden gem that I don't see anywhere. Try the whole fish options if you're tired of chicken tikka masala and that chili chicken is no joke. It's very spicy. read more

The lunch buffet is the absolute best deal in the 518 if you value your time, nutrition, and finances. At $11.95 the food is always hot and fresh. Flavorful and consistent. Great service. Naan is included in the price. Clean and high quality. Can't say enough good things. Give it a try but don't take too long In line I'm probably behind you ready for more read more

Not the best buffet for me... I have a weak tolerance for spicy food, so the food at lunch buffet from Karavalli is too spicy for me, even though I read other reviews saying this is the best buffet, I would suggest people who don't like spicy food to be careful. The sign outside the restaurant says "Regional Indian Cuisine", and at the buffet they cooked the cabbage dish differently, and had a rice with lentil dish that's not at any other Indian restaurant, that was nice. read more

Karavalli - Lunch Buffet on Thursday - Indian Near Me - Latham, New York

Wowwwwwwwwwww this is the first ever fancy Indian place I have ever been to and I was amazed. First of all, best mint chutney of my life. Secondly, wowwwwwwww. This was a whole new world. It didn't smell at all, which surprised me. I almost didn't believe it was a real Indian restaurant. Indian food usually has such an intense smell that I don't know how the kitchen covered it up. They served us water out of these amazing metal pitchers that keep the ice from entering your glass right after trying to sell us fancy saratoga water bottles. It's safe to order family style, but our group had two vegetarians and a celiac, so we mostly had individual things. They start you off with those crispy lentil things (I forget what they are called) with two different types of chutney to dip it in. They are both delicious. The place has a wide variety of drinks to choose from, Angry Orchard being one of them, so keep that in mind. I got the lime juice because I wasn't feeling alcohol and I was curious. It was like a less sugary limeade. It was great and refreshing. My friends got the fruit and nut naan from my suggestion, even though I can't have it, and they said it was incredible. I don't remember the name of what I got, but it had two spicy pepper symbols next to it. Usually, when I go for spicy at a restaurant, it's not very spicy. They also have a level 3, but let me tell you that level 2 is insane. It was so spicy, it kept me from wolfing down my food, so that was good. I was nearly sweating and I never do that with food. I didn't finish the leftovers because I was sick the next day and I wasn't sure if it was from that, but overall, it was a great experience and I would be happy to go back. read more

My favorite Indian restaurant in the area. Their buffet is amazing - a great way to explore their menu. Also great for takeout.