So I've been here for dinner a few times to take advantage of the 50% off groupons that sometimes run. The food is solid and the ambiance is probably nicer than you would expect from looking at it outside. This makes it a surprisingly good date spot. They also have a full bar and bollywood music playing in the background so it might be a decent happy hour spot too although I've never been. I am a fan of the lamb dishes here, and the kitchen special one with rack of lamb and a creamy spinach curry is one of my go-tos. Like most of the "indian" in Davis, it's actually Nepali, but all of the usual indian food is there, I order the chicken tikka masala pretty regularly as well. On the downside, some of the other indian stuff I really like isn't very good here, like paratha. It's a bit pricey - about $15-20 per person, but you get a lot of food. read more

My only regret is not coming here at all when I was a Davis undergraduate. I drove through Davis last week with my boyfriend and we decided to try this place since we had never been. OH MY GOD. so. good. I had the lamb something or other.. i think it was called the kitchen special? and i had it so that it was the full meal version.. i think its called thalia or something? SO GOOD. the lamb was tasty and delicate. The things that came along with the meal was YUM YUM. I should have ordered more Nan bread though. Go here. Especially if you live in Davis. Do not be a fool like me. Oh, and actually, I dont know if it was because we were starving or what, but it did seem like our meal took FOREVER to be prepared, but i am still sticking by the five star rating because OH MY GOD good. mmm. read more

I think they switched owners, and their food seems to have changed along with it for the better. Back when my family and I first came here in '10, the food was extremely overpriced and mediocre, but now, though still overpriced, the food is now quite good. We went on a Saturday, and I knew that we couldn't have lunch buffet as a buffet is no way to eat food and looked quite old because i don't think Davisites flock to a hot indian buffet on an even hotter Saturday. So, we ordered a tikka masala, for my parents who don't enjoy spicy food as much as I, and I got a chicken vindaloo. Whoo! The vindaloo was extremely spicy, but still maintained an incredible flavor profile that wasn't just overwhelmingly just pepper and curry as most Indian places seem to be resorting to. The tikka masala was quite good as well as the yoghurt wasn't too overwhelming. Their naan was quite fluffy and buttery. The only downside to our meal was the price. Each dish was around $12-$13, and though it did include rice, they were still asking for a lot. Oh service, was pretty good also. Decor reminds me of a round table 'restaurant' that caught on fire a few months back. read more

I have to give it 5 stars for the kabuuli naan alone- so sweet and tasty, this kind of naan is similar to dessrt, with little bits of pistachios between the puffy dough layers. My other favorite here is the tikka masala. I usually get mine with chicken because the sauce is actually so tasty and flavorful it overwhelms more delicate meats like shrimp. I ate here last night, and the only thing that was a little "off" was the diet coke, which tasted like Diet Jolt, with a slight root beer undertone. maybe they didn't change the soda syrup tube? who knows? The service isn't overtly friendly, but not rude either. . totally adequate, and the cozy booths near the front of the door are semi-private and give a warm, homey vibe to the place. read more

So far the best Indian/Nepalese food I have tried. I usually come here for the lunch buffet, though I've tried dinner service as well. The food at Kathmandu is fresh and hot, even the buffet. The saucy dishes are hot all the way through and the fried dishes are crispy and never soggy. The buffet has a nice selection of dishes both vegetarian and meat. I would recommend the Vegetable Korma, which they serve in the buffet as well. The environment of the restaurant is open, good for groups or one-on-ones. The service is efficient and hassle-free. read more

Fantastic and very inviting atmosphere. Will definitely be back. Live singers were great.

I must say, I haven't had much Indian food, but this place has all kinds of delicious dishes. It's a bit on the pricier side but definitely worth a try. They make a mean Chicken Vindaloo (hot cherry sauce chicken) and I'm absolutely in love with their garlic basil naan. It's just soooo good. Plus, I like the decor. It has this 'rustic feel in a fancy restaurant thing' going on. I took my boyfriend there for Valentine's Day and we got our quiet dinner for two in one of their booths with high walls (so people can't watch us eating). It was a wonderful dinner and now he's a fan too. read more

OVERALL: Service THUMBS DOWN Flavor THUMBS DOWN Value THUMBS DOWN The food was simply not flavorful. The chicken curry was watery and flavorless. Simply not worth the money. If you had delicious flavorful food you wouldn't need a belly dancer. I've been to Mediterranean restaurants that had belly dancers and it was great, it just felt really awkward and out of place here. The service wasn't good. The food and service weren't worth it. I'd rather drive a few extra minutes and go to Dixon for actual delicious food. Curry, naan, saag, appetizer sampler, none of them were worth the money. Just not well done. Perhaps, if you are not familiar with Indian food and how it's supposed to taste this will work for you. otherwise, drive to Dixon there's a delicious place there. I haven't tried the other places in town. I think most of these reviews must be from college students who don't know better, but INCONSISTENCY seems to be a pretty strong theme. Bar drink was also weak, tiny, and expensive. read more

Highly recommend ordering appetizers that include the Special Jumbo Platter and the Assorted Tandoori Mix Appetizers. Both plates are about 10 dollars but they have a special that is 50 % off and totally worth it. If you like Indian food this is the place. By the way...the spicy cilantro margarita is awesome read more

Kathmandu Kitchen - Spicy cilantro margherita - Indian Near Me - Davis, California

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Kathmandu is the Nepali/Indian restaurant I compare everywhere else to. It was actually the first Indian restaurant I was introduced to 15+ years ago. I go back here every time I can. I have had most of the different curries and appetizers but for the sake of this review, I had vegetable samosa, chicken makhani, wife had chicken khorma, and some onion kulchas. The samosas were far from average with flakey crust and rich vegetables inside with two tasty sauces. The curries were vibrant in color and spice, rich in texture, and the charcoal grilled chicken really makes the dishes shine. The kulcha was fresh, soft, chewy and stuffed with spices and onion. We took the leftovers for breakfast. The decor is a little dark inside, but let's be real this place is 5/5 seal of approval. I ate it for breakfast and I want to go back again tonight. read more

First time eating at Kathmandu. Yummy food. I will be returning and bringing my family there.

My mentor from Sac chinese community center took me here for dinner long time ago, it was my 1st Indian experience! I love their seating; high booth tables with drapes. We had a spinach and cheese dish, chicken skewers with peanut sauce, and another entree but I forgotten cuz its been SO long ago!! I do think its the best Indian restaurant around, nice elegant decor and cozy feeling... I will definitely come back and be eat adventurously!!! read more

After seeing "The Namesake" I was jonesing for some samosas, so my boyfriend and I decided to walk over here for dinner the other night. We shared an appetizer sampler, with delicious samosas along with naan, three different chutneys, some kind of fried veggie patty and some Tibetan momo dumplings. It was delicious and a bargain at $6. We also shared the Chicken Vindaloo. This was nice and spicy in an unusual cherry sauce. It was almost cloyingly cherryish, but I still enjoyed it. We chose the option to get it with extra naan, daal, rice, and some other things. Next time I think we would just order it with rice and maybe order a side of naan. The daal and other things that came with it weren't that interesting. read more

The food quality here has gone down significantly, IMO. I used to love the food here. Last visit I went for dinner. I ordered chicken tikka masala, and I swear it tasted like they used canned tomato soup as the base for the sauce and then just added cream and spices. Not at all the flavor I was looking forward to. I wanted to give this place one more try before I wrote it off, so I went to get the lunch buffet today. Well, apparently they no longer have the lunch buffet--they have replaced it with a lunch menu. So I headed around the corner to Preethi and had a nice lunch buffet there. Sorry Kathmandu Kitchen, but I won't be back. read more

Ahhhhhh sooo good. I went here with friends and we tried a number of dishes. By far top favorites included: benghan bartha and the palak paneer. The palak was more of a cream sauce that I am used to but still flavorful. I also appreciated that the spinach was still in identification stage, meaning it wasn't blended to resemble baby food. I will recommend if you are not sure whether to say spicy or mild, go mild, because medium spicy was still pretty intense. Also the owners have been doing this for a long time so they know what they are doing. I have been eating at their place of business for over 10 years, following them from SF. Still yummy! read more

I don't understand how this place is averaging a 4 star review. This place was horrible! Maybe I have high expectations when it comes to indian/pakistani food, but this was horrible. We ordered the lamb marsala, lamb tandoori, and some sort of chicken in a red "spicy" sauce that tasted horrible (I believe it was the vindaloo). The lamb tandoori was the only thing that was somewhat acceptable. Everything else which relied on the sauces was absoutely disgusting. It tasted like the sauces came from a generic box of powdered instant mix where you "Just Add Water" and throw in some meat. Neither sauces tasted like it was from scratch. The naan which came with the meal tasted like it was packaged and store-bought, not freshly made. It almost tasted like there was some sort of preservatives to help keep it fresh. The mango lassi was just ok, nothing special. Bottom line, I would never come back here even if they paid me. We stopped here on the way home from Tahoe in hopes of finding some decent Indian food, boy was I wrong. read more

My favorite Indian restaurant in Davis! And believe me I have tried almost every single one! Kathmandu's service is excellent: the staff is always very attentive, they are quick to seat you, give you enough time to figure out what to order (although is you are like us you already know what you want when you walk in the door and could order immediately). Our water glasses were never empty, and they checked in on us just enough to feel valued but not too often. The food is oh-so-delicious! We ordered Veggie Momo's as an appetizer which was the perfect amount for the 2 of us to get our mouths watering for the entree. These little steamed dumplings filled with flavorful vegetables were accompanied with 2 perfectly spiced dipping sauces. For the entree I ordered the Saag & Tofu with Paratha (the whole wheat naan substitue) and a side of rice was included. My boyfriend ordered his go-to Indian entree - Chicken Tikka Masala with a side of Basil Naan. When you place your order you will be asked how spicy you want your meal on a scale of mild-medium-spicy-very spicy. I went for "spicy" which was perfect!! Oh my mouth is watering as I am typing up this review. I can not wait to go back soon and use the Group-on I purchased this morning! --GO TO GROUP-ON NOW! TIP: happy hour ends at 6pm so take advantage of not only their drink deals but also the appetizer discount! read more

Every time I visit Davis I always stop here for lunch. The buffet is reasonably priced and the food is delicious. Because everything is so good you have to pace yourself with servings otherwise you will end up in a food coma like one of the posters said. If you enjoy meat they have a great selection of meat dishes to choose from and if you prefer vegetarian/vegan they have outstanding dishes that are To. Die. For! It's a popular place to eat at in town so depending on when you drop in there is a bit of a wait to be seated but if you can take your order to go call ahead of time and they will have it ready for you when you arrive. This place is the gem of Davis! K.J. read more

I was not a regular consumer of Indian cuisine, but when my friend took me to Kathmandu I quickly became a fan. I went to school at UC Davis and I can't figure out why I never discovered the culinary delights of Indian food. My foods of choice are the Veggie Korma and the Chicken Tikki Masala. All dishes come with rice, but make sure you order some naan too. You can't go wrong with plain naan, but the garlic naan is delish too! You can order the food thali (it comes with naan, more rice, and a few other extras), but just having it with rice and naan is more than enough. I've always had great service here as well. Staff are very polite and more than willing to go through the menu with you especially if your new to Indian food. The last stop I made in Davis, the waitress was super excited for my sister's boyfriend to try all the food and spent several minutes explaining different dishes he might like. Now go stuff yourself with food, it's what I'd be doing now if I didn't live 45 minutes away. read more

Highly recommend their chicken tikka masala. It is just consistently cooked to perfection. The place is pretty nice and although it is a bit pricey, you do get great food so it is totally worth it. Also, getting the thali plates are also worth it because you get to sample all sorts of different curries and vegetables. I do not, however, recommend the lunch buffet. Usually the items end up being cold or even don't taste as well. Also, I usually like eating spicy food so I ask for my chicken tikka masala to be spicy! Great Indian food! read more

the tandoori chicken is the best i've had and staff is super friendly! always love coming here

This place isn't too bad. This was my first buffet style lunch at an Indian restaurant. Nothing out of the ordinary like Chinese food in the selection so I felt that everything was pretty authentic. There were a lot of strong flavors, so choose accordingly and match it up with some bland food and have a cup of water ready to dilute the taste. The interior design of this restaurant is fancy looking minus the buffet location in the front of the restaurant. I would definitely come back to this place and try this place again. read more

Kathmandu has excellent Naan and delicious sauces; the chicken Makhani is delicious. I always love the Mango Lassi. When dining in I love to sit in the booths except this last time when they had a welcoming fire in the back! This made the whole place comfy and cozy! Delivery is slow. read more

The food at Kathmandu Kitchen is decent. Not exceptional, not bad. I love Indian cuisine, especially fiery hot vindaloo (which was what I ordered here). I think some places take it easy on us white guys unless we insist on extra spicy, but I was not disappointed in the level of heat. Still, the vindaloo just didn't have as much flavor behind the spice as the better ones do. The side dishes were also ok, but nothing I will remember one way or another. My greeting upon entering the restaurant was a bit lackluster, and the ambiance (or lack thereof) didn't do much to enhance the experience. My server, however, was very friendly and attentive--probably the bright spot of the meal. Overall, this place will do in a pinch (e.g. craving Indian food while passing through Davis, CA), but I wouldn't go out of my way to go back. read more

If it was possible I would take a bath in the Tikka Masala. The best I have ever eaten. Combine that with Garlic Naan and I am in heaven. The waitstaff is always very friendly and we always enjoy eating here. read more

I tried the lunch buffet and everything was fresh and well prepared, with a nice selection of Nepal / Indian dishes they even had a Nepal style chow mein noodle dish that I thought was pretty good, I really liked the lentil soup it went well with my meal , the flat bread was pretty good , the tandoori chicken was made of very small pieces smaller than usual but was satisfactory, I also like the Pakoras they were excellent, they are a batter fried vegetable snack food, not bad for $8.95 I would definitely come back to this restaurant again! read more

This is my favorite Indian Restaurant!! And I am from the Bay, so I know good Indian Food. They have a lunch buffet and then regular dinner, both are fantastic and very affordable. The staff are all very nice, and the food is always of consistently high quality. Five stars just doesn't quite cover it. :-) read more

I got some food from them at the farmers market wasn't good as it was fried beforehand and brought to the stall hence got cold and stale during transportation. However, I went to their restaurant later with my friends for lunch, it was AMAZING! A hearty lamb dish only cost 11$, and the vegetarian dish costs only 9$. Most importantly they taste soooo good! Dinner was a bit more expensive but still very affordable. Order a dish with the whole meal option, and you'll be a happy foodie. Desserts were unique. I have never had them elsewhere. But all tastes good. read more

This is my favorite restaurant in Davis! I have never had anything here that wasn't delicious. Servings are always very generous and I always leave with leftovers for my lunch the next day. My husband loves their veggie samosas as an appetizer. My favorite dinner is the chicken korma with garlic naan. So yummy! The wait staff is always super friendly and attentive. This is our favorite spot to bring out-of-town guests. read more

don't know why, but we went to this place twice, and in both times the experience wasn't great. Nothing bad, but just not exciting. the food was oily, the taste was O.K... well... I will not go there again. read more

This place is AWESOME!! The lunch buffet is reasonably priced and the food is really tasty. On my most recent trip I tried their makhani chicken and it was so good that I had to make it myself at home later because we were craving it so much! Yes, it can get kind of busy during lunch, but if you go at a slightly off time you can have full run I'd the buffet almost! I've been here for dinner and had their take out as well. Both are fine, but the real deal has to be the buffet!! This is another one of those great places to go if you're in a budget and really hungry for some good food. Great for students in town! Probably more like 4.5 stars, but sometimes the service can be a bit slow when eating there not at buffet time...usually everything is great though!! read more

In a town filled with ethnic food (Thai, Indian, Japanese, Chinese, etc.), it's hard to stand out when your entrance is not that prominent. Kathmandu Kitchen sure blends in, you could walk by the restaurant 20 times and not notice it, the entrance is that inconspicuous. They definitely could use a larger sign out front! After battling the crowds at Mikuni and deciding we were far too hungry to wait 30 minutes to eat at an insanely crowded place that Yelpers only thought was okay, my sister, a UC Davis vet student, asked us if we felt like Indian/Nepalese food. What struck me the most about this place is how FAST they get the food out to you. I swear, we ordered our 3 dishes and BAM! there they were in under 15 minutes. Sure they weren't crowded at all but nevertheless impressive. The naan here is to die for, hot, fresh and oh so soft! Hands down the best naan I've ever had. We ordered Paneer Tikka Masala, Vegetable Korma, and Chicken Coconut, each dish came with it's own large side of rice (brilliant idea in my opinion since rice is so cheap!). I would not order the Chicken Coconut again, it wasn't anything special but the other two dishes were great and I would get them any time. One great thing about this place is that you can earn Groupon rewards if you register the card in advance. You'll get $5 off your next visit! read more

The lunch buffet here CANNOT be beat! Many imitators in Davis but Kat Kitchen has them beat. The curries and the chicken tikka masala are phenomenal as is the service. Nepalese nirvana for under 9 bucks! read more

The food was incredible. That was hands-down the best bhindi masala I've ever had. My mango sunrise magarita was also amazing, and my friend really enjoyed the glass of wine he had. But the service... One must insist on everything. Menus. Ready to order. Repeating the order again and again. Requesting the check. Requesting a container for delicious leftovers--if you have any. The staff there seems more than happy to let their customers sit and wait into old age. read more

This place has the worst momo that i ate in my entire life. I usually go to yeti Restaurant when i pass by davis but unfortunately they close on monday, so i went to kathmandu kitchen. The filling inside was so dry and the wrapper was extremely thick and it felt like i was chewing rubber. read more

My husband and I stepped in to this restaurant by accident. We were so glad we did though. Service was great, up scale decor, and food was fantastic. It is a little more expensive than your average Indian restaurant, but they do serve great food so I did not care. They have a lot of vegetarian/vegan menu as well which it helps me a lot. Side note: Don't be brave when you order. If you say spicy, it comes really SPICY. I ordered mine with mild and it was just right spicy level for me. (Trust me, I can eat spicy food) My husband, however, he was sweating after eating his spicy curry. I can't wait for the next visit! read more

They have some bangin' chicken coconut curry that i get with garlic/cilantro and basil naan, their mango lassi is pretty tastey as well. I've been aboit six times, always getting the same thing; it's so good i think I'd be missing out if i didnt get it; i have to limit the number of visits though so i dont lose the "what about Bob" reaction when i go (over enthusiastic reaction to eating great tasting food) The bathrooms are decent...but they make up for it in the dining area decorations and music. Waiters are ok too, room to improve Quality of food weighs most in this rating read more

This is really a 2.5 star review. The ambience is dark and not very comfortable or inviting. It may just be me, but if there aren't any windows to allow natural light to come in then I wouldn't paint the walls a dark color... It is just an odd atmosphere... Almost like it should be a bar. The buffet was average... Nothing to write home about. The price was reasonable though (I think about $10 or so). read more

Came here with my roomie and my cousin and we had a good meal. Good meal indeed. Portions are good and prices are cool too. I had some unidentifiable vegetable mush but it was pretty good. read more

I recently went back to this restaurant and it was fabulous They made me shrimp pakora which wasn't on the menu as our appetizer and we all loved it. It came with two sauces, a plum sauce and a mint chutney, both excellent. Then, I asked if the tandoori chicken could be added instead of the standard chicken. It was really tasty that way. We also shared the butter chicken and the chicken curry and loved these dishes also. We had the cilantro and onion naan and some more mint chutney. I was really glad we went back, it was a most excellent meal!!! read more