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    Kismet Modern Indian

    4.0 (93 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 2:30 PM, 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM

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    KISMET MODERN INDIAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Intimate
    Happy hour specials
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Kismet Modern Indian

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    Taneisha O.

    I ride past this place so many times and have wondered! Then one evening I brought my curiosities to life . The food was entirely too good!!!!! Drinks so perfect . Instead of the traditional Old Fashion , they have "The Distinguished" The service was on point . Didn't have to wait long at all. The vibe was surely demure !

    Parantha
    Lauren M.

    Always a great experience here at Kismet. The ambience is one of my favorites in Richmond, initially designed by a chef...and the attention to detail is well executed. Perfect for date night or a casual night out with the girls. If you're looking for heavy, greasy Indian cuisine, go somewhere else. If you want the essence of Indian cuisine with the right balance of spice, textures, flavor, and consistency, Kismet will not disappoint. I highly recommend drink pairings - some of the best cocktails in the city. Familiar faces (add Roku gin) uses fresh hibiscus and you can taste it. I'd drink this daily. My favorite dishes: Chickpea kofta Braised lamb Laccha parantha Mumbai sliders Tandoori cauliflower

    Inside
    Ry L.

    I had such a great experience here! There wasn't a single menu item that I ordered that I didn't love. There's a parking lot adjacent to the restaurant, but it's small and used for by other businesses, so parking can be elusive. We had a 6pm reservation on a Thursday and the restaurant only had a handful of patrons. By the time we left (a little after 8:30), the restaurant was packed. As a party of two, we were originally seated at a table for two, but the two-seaters are small and too close to other tables for my liking. Since we DO NOT PLAY when it comes to dining out, we knew we needed to migrate to the bar or a larger table. As we were moving to the bar, thankfully a table capable of seating four became available by the window which was very pretty at sunset (great lighting). If you order a wide array of menu items like we tend to, I would suggest sitting at the bar or requesting one of the larger tables because the tiny ones couldn't have accommodated us well. Again, everything we ordered was delicious, fresh, and well-seasoned, even the rice that came with the curries: -- Familiar Faces (a mocktail to which I added vodka instead of the suggested gin): so good I ordered two -- Garlic naan -- Mint cucumber raita -- Dal makhani -- Tandoori shrimp -- Laccha parantha -- Nilgiri chicken -- Homestyle chicken curry I look forward to returning to try the desserts and other menu items as well. Big thanks to our server, Danny, for being so kind and helpful. Another gentleman occasionally checked on us as well (perhaps the manager?), and he had such a great sense of humor. Made for quite the fun experience.

    Jayli E.

    I took my family here for graduation weekend. Since we were a large party, the restaurant preselected our menu and served a panoply of appetizers, entrees, and desserts. By the end of the meal, anyone who was before skeptical about Indian cuisine was won over. It was very fun to sample everything, and the service and atmosphere provided a stress-free experience. I highly recommend Kismet for parties large or small!

    The table
    Gianna S.

    Kismet may be pricey, but it is well worth it! I've been a few times and each dish I've tried has a unique depth of flavor. Their menu has a little story about the spices they use to give you further background on the food you're about to eat. The Calcutta Jhaal muri is a must try to start (even though I did not take a picture) and I have thoroughly enjoyed every dish I've tried from "the journey continues" part of the menu. The naan is fluffy and garlicy, the spice level varies for each dish, so I highly recommend chatting with your server about your tolerance when choosing dishes. All of the staff is super knowledgeable and friendly, and willing to share their opinions about the dishes! As a heads up, the curries do not come with rice, you'll need to order that separately. The restaurant itself is so well decorated and the wall tiles are gorgeous! All in all a great vibe. Perfect for groups since the plates are all shareable and it's wonderful for special occasion celebrations!

    Lamp chops
    John M.

    SLooooowwww. We arrived early for a 6:15 reservation on a Friday night. Not crowded when we arrived. Ordered drinks then placed our appetizer and meal order together. The appetizer arrived in a timely manner. Dinner arrived one hour twenty minutes later. Yes one hour twenty minutes later. This is a two person table. Sitting next to the waiters/waitress station. Literally sat there for over an hour be for anyone even talk to us again. Our waitress never came back. A new waiter finally after the hour how we were doing...an HOUR!!! Slooooowwww!!! The food is good but I will not return. Not with that type of service. They took 20% off because we complained about the wait. This used to be our top place, now we go out of my to tot tell you NO!!!

    Naan
    Atif S.

    Went here with some friends the other night and loved it. We were seated at the bar and the two bartenders there were absolutely amazing. They went above and beyond answering our questions and even had some time for conversation throughout our dinner. We each ordered a different dish and shared a bit so we could all try something different. For appetizers we had pesto paneer, lamb seekh kebab, and tandoori cauliflower. I usually hate paneer, but the flavor and texture of this one got my stamp of approval. The lamb seekh kebab had a great mix of spices and the chutney that came along it was a nice spicy addition. The aspect of the tandoori cauliflower that stood out to me was the smokiness imparted into it from cooking in the tandoor and I loved that. For our entrees we had chicken curry, butter chicken, biryani, and lamb ghee roast. I also had a side of grilled okra. The butter chicken was creamy, aromatic, and slightly sweet from the tomato. The biryani was very fragrant with some nice tender chicken. The chicken curry was slightly spicy with a nice little tang to it as well. The lamb ghee roast was tender and had a nicely thickened deep sweet oniony sauce. The side of grilled okra was insanely crispy and had a nice salty sour seasoning on it. I didn't eat any of the naan since I have celiac disease, but my friends loved both the garlic naan and goat cheese naan. I'm typically not a fan of bar seating since I don't drink, but the two bartenders (Chelsea and Nick) were awesome and made our night even better with their knowledge and good vibes. I hadn't been out to any of the desi restaurants in RVA for a few years since I usually just cook for myself and I'm Pakistani so I can make most of these dishes at home whenever I want, but this was quite the experience and definitely worth it.

    May-May R.

    Kismet is so delicious! I love the attention to detail in everything from the decor (they placed a happy birthday sign on the table), to the food (loved the presentation) to even the Mrs. Meyers soap in the bathrooms. We were larger party and pre-ordered apps and they were on the table 5 minutes after we sat down. Highly recommend adding this to your must-try list! Even if you are unsure about Indian cuisine, I promise there is something for everyone to enjoy!

    Flamingo Dance, Evening Chill
    Connie T.

    I had no idea Kismet existed, not sure why I don't see people talking about it online! I consider it as upscale Indian. The restaurant is clean and modern, and felt intimate in the evening. The service was top notch. Our server and two different managers checked in on us throughout dinner. Reservations can be made on Resy and they get bonus points for actually paying attention to the occasion specification on reservations. The birthday sign was on the table before we arrived! All the food we got was delicious and cooked perfectly, though I wish the portions were larger. The drinks were unique. The flamingo dance had a spice to it. They give you a rose water ice cube to cleanse your palate between the appetizer and main. It was too strong for our liking but did the job. Highly recommend for a special occasion or date night!

    Michael S.

    I'm noticing a trend towards high-end Indian fusion. On the one hand it's good because it means many people are eating Indian food, on the other hand, I'm wary about potentially ruining a good thing and paying much more for that privilege. The good: you're paying mid-to-high-end prices and you're largely getting that level of service and presentation. The space also has a lot of character and is bright and spacious. The less than ideal: I still think the prices being charged for what it is is too high. I've had much better Indian food for just over a third of the cost many times. I don't see compelling enough reason to choose this over better, cheaper Indian food (not that there's much competition in Richmond in that regard, honestly). The parking lot also is very tight. If one person parks like an A, you literally can't get past (which happened to us). In terms of the food I loved their Indian take on puffed rice. It was inventive and tasty. The paneer masala dish was very tasty. It was a little too tomatoey though. The goat cheese naan was interesting as well. Dipping that naan in the masala tasted more like an Italian dish. Still tasty though. Garlic naan was good, a little thicker than it should be but it tasted better than it looked regardless. The dal makhani was the dish most true to standard Indian fare. All-in-all for the reasons stated above I can't say it's perfect however it's inventive and tasty enough to make me want to try a couple more dishes to see if there are more wins.

    Tandoori shrimp
    Xenia C.

    Made a reservation for 5pm Saturday about 1 week in advance to dine w/my best friend. The restaurant was nearly empty for the majority of our time there since they opened at 5 pm. The music was great, the decor was beautiful, and everything was clean and inviting. All the staff were welcoming and our server Grace was beyond helpful. I don't think I've ever been to an Indian restaurant and I had questions about each course and she gave great recommendations from cocktails to when to order our naan. I had the lotus as a cocktail which was pretty balanced to me, my bestfriend felt it was strong but I don't mind a strong drink lol. All of the food...and I do mean all was delicious. We both ordered different apps, naan, and entrees in order to taste everything. I loved the balance of the mango salsa and tandoori shrimp, there was more salsa than I needed but loved it. After the appetizers they gave us a palette cleaner (rose water & cranberry) which I thought was so cool because I've never had one before. The nigiri chicken dish was delicious and came with rice. I ate it assembled on my naan (garlic naan and goat cheese) and topped it with the mint cucumber raita that came with my best friend's dish (hyderabadi dum biryani which was also delicious). This restaurant would also be great for those w/dietary restrictions because there was a variety of protein and meatless options. The day after my best friend and I were talking about how glad we were about dining there and I would absolutely recommend this restaurant to anyone!

    Pistachio kulfi
    Sara R.

    First time dining at Kismet. My sister and mother had been here a few times, so I was really looking forward to trying it out. Especially since we were celebrating my mother's birthday. The restaurant was empty for a Saturday (lunch time), with the exception of a private event (engagement in the back). Our only complaint would be the wait time. We had to wait about 45 mins for our meals, the waiter apologized many times, and eventually, we got our meals, they provided us with extra drinks (complimentary). If you're wondering, yes, it was worth the wait! The food was absolutely delicious, and big portions (dinner menu). Enough for us to share and even had left over. The drinks were delicious and complimented our meals. I will definitely be returning!

    Butter Chicken
    Amy L.

    Enjoyed the food here would absolutely go back. Everything was very flavorful and the service was thorough and attentive.

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    8 days ago

    It was lovely! Kind staff, quick service, and excellent food! Keep up the good work guys!

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    7 months ago

    Everything about Kismet was on point. Ambiance and food was perfect. Please try for yourself!

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    4 months ago

    the food was bad but the service was pretty good, the food is not good.................................. Ambiance was ok

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    Tulsi

    Tulsi

    4.4(382 reviews)
    0.9 miCarytown
    $$

    We parked across the street from Tulsi. There was ample parking in the lot, and street parking,…read moretoo, on a Wednesday around 8 pm. The decor here is fabulous. Tulsi feels extravagant and upscale from the moment you enter. The lighting was lovely, each of the different lamps exquisitely lining the walls provided a golden hue throughout the space. We were seated immediately with no reservations. The atmosphere was quiet and cozy, great for couples to catch up and talk about their days or get to know one another. Our server was attentive and polite. He gave us time to peruse the menu at our leisure, while he brought out the gratis before-the-meal appetizer. It was like a crispy naan with three distinctly different sauces. It really was quite delicious. I ordered the Chicken Konkani and my partner had the Chicken Curry. As connoisseurs of a great many Indian restaurants, we quite enjoyed the entrees at Tulsi. I savored the coconut creaminess of the Konkani. I also tried my partner's curry, and it had a rich aromatic flavor as well. We didn't try dessert because we were simply too stuffed by the end. The choices were almost tempting enough to persuade me, but we refrained. Tulsi is for lovers, just like Virginia, so we were in great company. I wholeheartedly recommend giving this spot a chance. We will definitely be back to partake in the fine dining experience on offer here.

    It was a beautiful day out and I didn't wanna go home to figure out dinner. I wanted to be out and…read moreabout amongst the peoples! Picked my sons up....they didn't wanna hang with me, even a little. SOOOO I went to dinner at Tulsi. BY MYSELF The place would be great for a date or a little romance. The ambiance was a lil sultry as the sun went down. The amount of food they give you is substantial. I had the lamb tandoori it came out sizzling like fajitas or the east(I'm sorry if that was racist) The naan was delish But the STAR was the lemon-drop martini I had. Bartender must have saw, me a solo diner that had been abandoned by her own younglings and felt for me because that thang was STRONG and I appreciated it. I was a little tipsy(I don't usually drink so it did not take a lot) it was cool because my big one will drive. At the end I had plenty of leftovers that my sons will get NONE of. It was enjoyable. Will recommend

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    Tulsi
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    Carytown Indian Cuisine - Paneer Makhani (GF) Naan

    Carytown Indian Cuisine

    4.6(115 reviews)
    0.9 miCarytown

    Trying to work through my yelp review drafts and came across this gem. This was such a lovely meal…read moreafter a long day of travel to Richmond for work. Here were our hits and misses: Potli samosa: cute presentation, but ultimately just a samosa. Not a miss by any means but not something super innovative in the flavor department (in case you look at the menu expecting that) Lamb rada curry: def a hit! Lots of lamb, lots of flavor. Do ask for mild if you can't tolerate heat Iike my husband and go for a side of raita also. Kadhai paneer:medium is perfect, these guys do spicy FOR South Asians which, as South Asians, my husband and I appreciate but it's worth keeping in mind for those not used to "desi spicy". Plenty of paneer which I appreciated and it was soft not rubbery. Hit! Lost in lychee: such a pretty drink! I like the rose ice in the middle but it does dilute the drink a bit. Still very floral, very pretty, very light hit! Bombay smash: spicy, smoky from the cumin, and exactly what hubby likes in a cocktail. Hit! We arrived on a pretty quiet Sunday evening and had zero complaints about the service. A worthy spot if you are craving Indian food in Richmond!

    This place has a small private lot in addition to street parking, which I wish I'd realized because…read moreI came in during a thunderstorm and even the block I walked to get here I would have been happy to have not had to walk. It is a fairly upscale place, and while I had some skepticism of the need for another Indian restaurant in this neighborhood, this one was excellent. Offering a modern and largely North Indian menu, it had an interesting range of choices. The salad I started with had some herbed goat cheese balls and an excellent crispness to the greens, and my chai was full of flavor. I challenged them to deliver the maximum spice level on the entree I tried, a spinach and potato dish I hadn't seen before. It was quite venomous, to the point where I felt the lining of my stomach had probably had enough punishment for the weekend so I took half of it to go. The average diner will probably not be well served by the Indian hot, but at a lower spice level will find a delightful mix of tastes. Adding a bread filled with pureed mushroom was a good way to add a milder flavor. I would be happy to come back.

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    Carytown Indian Cuisine - Restaurant interior

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    Kismet Modern Indian - indpak - Updated May 2026

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