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

Severely disappointed. Home style curry was watery / separated. Butter chicken was the same - with the yoghurt element of the sauce being bitter and too tangy. Chicken in both was grisly, and less than ideal cuts. I wouldn't complain if this was an AYCE buffet and this was one or two items, but for $22 dollars an entree it was very disappointing. read more

We chose Kismet for Valentine's Day and unfortunately had a very disappointing experience. The special menu was advertised as including a complimentary drink, but you were actually limited to just two options, and it tasted like cough syrup. The restaurant seemed very understaffed with only three servers, which led to slow service. The appetizers from the Valentine's menu were half the size compared to the normal menu, and our naan didn't arrive until we were almost finished with our meal. At $55/person, we didn't feel that it was worth it. We've had much better experiences at Tulsi in Carytown and would recommend that as a local alternative. read more

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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 ! read more

Kismet Modern Indian - Indian Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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 read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

Kismet Modern Indian - Indian Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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What a shame. We went to this restaurant for our anniversary when it was first opened and had an amazing experience. Years later we decided to return for another anniversary. Such a disappointment. We walked in and decided to start off at the bar. It was during happy hour so we tried ordering a "bartender choice" cocktail, but the bartender didn't know what the cocktail of choice was and said beer was the only special during happy hour even though the bar menu clearly states otherwise. We finally got the bartender to ask about wine as I don't drink beer, and she came back and offered a random bottle. At this point I just took what was offered and decided not to try and ask any other questions. We ordered a few happy hour bar food items which were really good. Then we went to grab our table at which point things continued to fall apart. There seemed to be confusion over whether we had a reservation although we had clearly checked in and told the host what we were doing. We waited several minutes and were finally seated. And then the eternal wait began. And ended because it was clear they were not at all bothered that we sat at a table with no silverware, menus or drinks. At this point, we decided to cut our losses and we left. We went to India K'Raja where we had a fabulous meal! read more

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! read more

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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!!! read more

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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. read more

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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! read more

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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! read more

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Having just moved to Richmond, this was our first time at Kismet. My wife and I were celebrating an anniversary, but hadn't made any plans, so I made a last minute reservation here. The interior is modern and sleek. We were greeted by the host and taken to our table which is a Happy Anniversary sign on it. We were greeted by our wait staff and the managers who each came by to wish us a Happy Anniversary. One of the managers even brought us a couple glasses of champagne before our meal, which was very thoughtful. Our server, Joe, explained the menu to us, and gave us some recommendations. We ordered the Tandoori cauliflower appetizer, and a couple of drinks, all of which came out promptly. The drinks were really nice and the cauliflower was delicious. For dinner, we ordered the braised lamb and chicken curry with a side of the palek paneer. Everything was really tasty. The meat was tender and flavorful and the spinach was a perfect side. They also have a variety of naan. We tried the olive naan, which was a crispy baked naan with an olive tapenade on top. It was amazing. Very savory and an unusual choice, but glad we made it. Overall, a fantastic meal with excellent service and we'll definitely be back. read more

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. read more

Kismet Modern Indian - Indian Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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I had my birthday party here and it couldn't have been better. The manager and bartenders were extremely attentive, the food was incredible, the cocktails were unique and delicious, and the restaurant has such a nice vibe. I highly recommend. This will be one of my regular spots from now on. read more

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! read more

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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! read more

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

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I recently visited Kismet Modern Indian for a birthday dinner on a Wednesday around 6:30 pm. We had a reservation for 7:00 pm and were able to get our table upon arrival. The manager was friendly, wished my boyfriend a happy birthday, and provided a table card with a birthday greeting, a thoughtful touch. The restaurant's atmosphere was modern and well-decorated, with an airy feel. Our waiter was attentive and helpful, guiding us through the menu since we were first time visitors. We started with drinks. I ordered the Evolution Lot 6 DIPA, and my boyfriend had the Salt and Pepper Gimlet. Both drinks were flavorful and enjoyable. The DIPA was very orange flavor forward, and the Gimlet was close to a lemonade. For an appetizer, we shared the delicious Garlic Naan, which we would definitely order again. For our main dishes, I chose the Homestyle Chicken Curry, and my boyfriend opted for the Hyderabadi Dum Biryani. Both dishes had a great mix of spices and were quite satisfying. The Curry had a good spice level that wasn't too hot, but also not just "spicy" in the name. The portion sizes were adequate but not overly generous, leaving us full but without leftovers. The service throughout the meal was attentive, and the staff ensured we were well taken care of. However, we were offered more bread at the time of ordering our entrees, but I was unsure if the bread was complementary or not. I think it should have just been brought out with the entrees. Although we enjoyed our experience at Kismet Modern Indian, the main issue we found was the value for the price. Our drinks ranged from $8 to $14, and our meals were $22 and $25. With tip, our total was around $100. While the food was delicious and the ambiance was upscale, we found the price to not be worth just going to another local Indian restaurants, such as Lemon. In conclusion, Kismet Modern Indian offers a pleasant dining experience with attentive service and well-crafted dishes. However, considering the higher price point, we may opt for other Indian restaurants that provide better value, like Lemon, which has a more casual atmosphere but similarly enjoyable food. While we enjoyed our birthday celebration at Kismet, we may try a different upscale restaurant next year for a special occasion. read more

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Service was incredible. As our first time, we did not know fully what we were doing. We were guided extraordinarily with our wine selection, and every question we asked (as complete newbies) was answered so thoroughly and kindly. Loved the vibe of the place as well! Not too busy, but just enough to where neither of us felt uncomfortable. We were able to have a nice conversation the entire time without any worries of noise around us. Of course the food was excellent. Every dish we got was phenomenal. Highly recommend! For everything pictured, our bill was about $115 before tip. I'd say that's a FANTASTIC deal! :) read more

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By far the best dal makhani I've had in my life. The perfect amount of spice and tanginess. The naan were nice, soft and crunchy in all the right areas. My fiance had the chicken curry and he said it was the closet to the one he had in India. The place has a modern look and the ambience is peaceful. Our server was very knowledgeable about the dishes. They have specials that include beers and wines. Will definitely stop by again when we have the chance! read more

Came here on opening night out of curiosity and was pleasantly surprised. We ordered the butter chicken, naan, shrimp, and two cocktails. In between, we were served a complimentary rosewater palette cleanser. The Lion's Paw and Leap of Faith cocktails were refreshing and not too overpowering. Compared to other comparable Indian restaurants in RVA, the food quality and taste here is good but the small portions left more to be desired once we finished dinner. The entrees range from $22-$40 and the dips $12-$16, naan ranges from $5-$8 and drinks are $9-$15 which are okay prices for a larger city, but for RVA, it's overpriced. Our bill was $200 for the three of us and we left unsatisfied. Service on opening night was good but not complete. Our server was knowledgable in explaining the food and providing suggestions, however, we had to remind them to refill our waters and to remove empty plates and glassware. This is a good date night spot but not somewhere I would frequent for a casual weekday dinner because of its small portions/price. +1 Vibe +1 Taste +1 Presentation +0 Service +0 Value read more

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A beautiful modern take on traditional Indian foods. The spices were mild but balanced beautifully and the restaurant was able to accommodate my gluten allergy easily. Service was fantastic. Alex took great care of us and we enjoyed the other team members rotating by as well. Everyone worked well together and the ambiance was lovely. The restaurant was clean and well lit. Drinks were smooth and balanced. We enjoyed our conversation with Mark the GM who offered suggestions on the menu and shared some of his local favorites with us. We have a lovely evening and will definitely be back. Glad to see more upscale restaurants in Richmond doing well, staying busy, and having a good time. read more

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

Delicious food and cocktails. I suggest going with a big group and ordering one of everything! I've been there twice and both times the food was outstanding. Be aware that there is a 20% service charge automatically no matter the size of your party. The waitstaff should tell you this upfront, but it does have a suggested tip section on the bottom that makes it confusing. read more

Slightly expensive but such good food. Slight twist on normal Indian dishes and made fancier -- everything we had was so good. Service was quick and waiter was really nice, restaurant ambiance was lovely too. The naan was delicious, got the goat cheese and the herb one. All the entrees were great, the sauces especially were amazing. They also give a palette cleanser that was delicious Highly highly recommend the dessert, pistachio one was amazing and the rice pudding was so good. Felt light and not too sweet read more

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Food was at best mediocre - not sure about the meat options but not a vegetarian friendly restaurant. Service - was subpar from the waitress - had to remind her 3 times to bring out the drinks for the kids, messed up the order and then had to be requested to fix the bill as the item that was forgotten to bring out was never served yet charged - once I brought it to her attention she fixed it , the gentleman (host) was great and he pulled in the overall review to more positive . Will probably not come again as there are superior choices in terms of restaurants Ambiance- is good - but nothing out of the world ! read more

Food was delicious! Everyone in our party was very satisfied. We had the butter chicken, nilgiri chicken, and zucchini softa. Was very surprised by the softa--the sauce had a nice spice to it, the chickpea + zucchini were cooked very nicely, was very filling, and it even came with edible silver on top! Service was great--we felt very well taken care of. Special was explained to us in the beginning and we were checked on an adequate amount during our time. Ambiance was nice as it had a stylish, modern interior. Loved the wall tile pattern and the light fixtures. Overall, great experience and would go again the next time I'm in Richmond! read more

Kismet Modern Indian - zucchini softa--has edible silver on top! - Indian Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

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

Came back to try Kismet again and the food was amazing once again! My husband is not a fan of lamb due to the smell but we wanted to try the lamb sheesh kabob because the server highly recommended it And my hubby was very impressed and really loved the aromatics inside the meat. There was no smell! It's really difficult to cook lamb without that gamey taste/smell and Kismet perfected it. If you're going to get dessert, you must get the pistachio kulfi - it's so delicious. Thank you to the assistant manager for treating us kindly and treating us to an appetizer. We appreciate your hospitality. We can't wait to come back again and bring friends! read more

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Absolutely amazing new add to the RVA scene. Truly unbelievably delicious dishes. Properly spiced, so no need to order mild, hot, Indian hot, cobra, etc. -- just let the chef do the magic. BLOWN. AWAY. by several dishes including the pesto paneer (drooool!), the tandoori cauliflower (omg!), the chicken jodhpur (WOWWWWW!!), the tandoori shrimp (remarkable), and the AVOCADO COCONUT TIKKI (MIND. BLOWWWN!).... Also.. their butter chicken.. And then there's the staff... very friendly, confident of their menu, incredibly educated humans who made the experience extra special. Shout out to Ash, who made our lunch experience extra amazing -- their brilliance alongside their kindness made the meal extra special. I will request them again and again! read more

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The food is amazing, flavorful without being overly spiced. The service is always excellent and knowledgeable about the menu. It is warm, inviting and comfortable seating with quiet music so you can hear your friends. Will be back! read more

Our first visit and I will start with the food, which was very good with unique flavors, nice presentation and reasonable portion. I was a little disappointed in the naan portion size though. Advertised as a modern take on Indian, the flavor profiles were elevated from a traditional Indian restaurant, though we do have a few other elevated Indian spots with unique profiles so the competition is strong. The overall atmosphere is ok, I say ok because while the space is beautiful the music was a little loud and the tables are too close. I was surprised the bar featured none of the local Distilleries (Reservoir, Virago, Cirrus to mention a few) nor any local brewery or VA wineries. Probably because it is a DC restaurant. The main reason for the three stars is the service. Service is what really sets a place a part from the others for me. When we walked in the owner and maitre d' were at the host stand. The greeting was along the lines of what you might expect from a low tier chain, I gave my name for my reservation, they did not initially see my name, and from their reaction, I seriously thought I was going to be turned away, even though the restaurant was half empty. We were a little early, I guess I should have prefaced my name with that. Being a new restaurant I was expecting a more welcoming experience at the front of house. You only get one first impression. At one point, the owner did pause by our table ~30 seconds, for the perfunctory "how is everything" The maitred' , Harde did stop by several times checking on us which is a positive, he clearly was trying. I ordered the Union Sacre Dry Reisling. A wine I've never had before, though as a dry reisling, I was expecting something with wet slate minerality. The wine tasted very much like a savigion Blanc ( grapefruit, bracing acidity) I questioned this and Harde did take the glass and ask the bar tender, then returned to simply tell me it was in fact what I ordered and that it was a dry wine. No tasting note descriptions, no bottle, no offer to get me something else. Not really the service I'd expect from the caliber restaurant I believe they want to be known for. Our server Aleshia was very friendly and considering the restaurant has been only open 2 weeks she did a very nice job taking care of us. She gets 4 1/2 stars. I'm not sure there was enough to set Kismet apart from the many other dining options in RVA read more

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First of all it's very hard for me to give a five star review. I really have to be blown out of the water. The restaurant has been open two weeks and I think the staff is very well trained. Our waitress, Allie, was a delight and had a good understanding of all the different dishes. I haven't eaten a lot of Indian food in my life, The restaurant had an interesting twist on the Indian dishes that really did make it modern Indian. My boyfriends favorite dish was the tandoori cauliflower.We had two different kinds of non-the garden had this mustard seed on it and it was very unique and yummy. Dal makhani is one of my favorites and they had one of the better ones I've had in the United States. We really enjoyed the palate cleanser which was rosewater and cranberry. They have a nice selection of wines and I really enjoyed my cocktail! read more

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I went for my friend's birthday dinner. The food was delicious (contemporary Indian food with some creativity), and the presentation of the food was very aesthetic. I really appreciate the service as well. I recommend if you want a bit elevated dinner with some friends or loved ones. read more

Kismet Modern Indian - Butter chicken with fried okra, pesto paneer, garden naan and garlic naan - Indian Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

I love Kismet! Kismet consistently has excellent cocktails and delicious food. The service is always great and almost every time someone from management checks in to make sure everything is perfect. The inside is so cute & has beautiful *but small* patio area. My husband tried Indian food for the first time here and enjoyed every bit of it! read more

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From my perch, I would say this - it's a newly opened placed and so we checked it out. Excellent experience overall. Great vibe, probably not a routine dinner spot or even a place I'd take kids, but more for a special occasion - not cheap but worth the price for an experience with friends or to impress a guest. Service was friendly and responsive without being hoity. Drinks were very good. The dishes we had were a bit spicy but quite good, you really have to make sure you get the naan to soak up the sauce. Lots to options to choose from on the menu so we will be back to try more. read more

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Updated review. We can't find fault in this restaurant. Ambiance, service, food quality and originality are top notch. We have eaten at all the signature Indian restaurants in RVA and Kismet tops the charts. read more

over-priced, white washed Indian. service was inattentive and slow despite the restaurant being almost empty. had to remind our waiter 3 times regarding an appetizer and wine selection on list was out of date. read more