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    Malabar

    4.5 (23 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 3 months ago

    Malabar Reservations

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    Nancy R.

    Any place that serves this amazing palak chaat is someplace I want to be. That includes any of the restaurants in this group and now this latest, Malabar.  The vibe and décor are very similar and the dishes, featuring more seafood entrees perhaps, are just as good.  We started off with the tamarind margarita and the sunset in Goa.  Both were enjoyable.  I am definitely finding more and more great uses of Tamarind and they are always really tasty.  We shared the aforementioned palak chaat (which I have a hard time sharing with anyone because it is awesome!), the scallops and the lamb samosas.  For entrees, we chose the cod, the duck and the lamb shank.  The shank was definitely the favorite.  The duck was really highly recommended by our server (who was very helpful) but we didn't find it to be the most flavorful of the selections.  The naan and chutneys are a must to sop up all the great sauces.  For dessert we had the coconut crème caramel which was good and the chocolate bebinca which was good but not what we expected when they said multi layered coconut pancakes.  You can never fail to have a great meal at any of this family of restaurants establishments.

    Austin G.

    Across the street from Bread Furst is a South Indian restaurant serving coastal dishes like garlic black cod and scallops with coconut from a James Beard Award-winning chef. One block from the Van Ness-UDC Metro and near easy street parking, Malabar is worth a visit. Open every day from 5-10 p.m., the space is huge with a spacious dining room and bar. Service is on point and the food is very tasty. To help feed two of us, we ordered the palak chaat, scallops, arancini, chicken curry, and garlic black cod. Everything was beautifully presented and full of flavor, but the winners were the scallops, arancini, and palak chaat. If you love Indian food, go here. Its coastal southern style is unique and worth your time.

    Drink menu
    Ama A.

    If I could describe this restaurant in one word, it would be flavorful. The menu is thoughtfully curated to perfection, with outstanding and creative flavor pairings throughout. Service and Ambience was 10/10--everyone was incredibly attentive, friendly, and helpful, which truly elevated the experience. Must-try: the gin and tonic. I've never tasted anything like it before--absolutely standout and unforgettable.

    Chris C.

    Malabar opened just a few months ago in the old Rosedale space under same restaurant group. Would have tried it much earlier had we not had all that snowfall and then we were out of town. Finally went on a weekday evening. It started getting busier around 7 pm. The dining room decor is not much changed which is great as I have always liked the way all the tables were set up, most very well spaced and a few quite secluded so you could have privacy even in a busy environment. We had the palak chaat (crispy spinach), lamb biryani, okra, crab cake, coconut rice and for dessert coconut crème caramel. Of which I really liked the crab cake and okra (Bhindi pepper fry), as well as all the coconut dishes. Especially happy to see that they have a relatively extensive and interesting dessert menu which you don't usually get at many other restaurants. Service was good overall - very attentive and water glasses were never empty - although some trainees could use a bit more training.

    Manglorean Chicken curry
    Sandhya J.

    Today, we went to the Malabar in DC, and it was absolutely amazing. The restaurant has a warm and cozy ambiance, perfect lighting, and the decor is beautiful with detailed leaves on the walls. As for the food, 10/10. We started with Meen Varuval, which is sea bass with an orange sauce. The sauce was mildly spicy, and the sea bass was delicate and flaky. The feeling you get from biting in -- absolutely delicious. Our next dish was Scallop Caldine, which is scallops in green sauce. The scallops were soft and smooth that sliced like butter. The scallops were not for me, but my parents loved it as the sauce was tangy and flavorful. We also got Red Snapper Pollichathu, which was a Red snapper, draped in banana leaf, with a side of lemon rice. Which was tangy and spicy. All the dishes overall was amazing, and I definitely recommend it. The last dish we had was mangalorian chicken curry with parotta. The chicken was tender and delicious, while the sauce was tangy and had a hint of coconut. We also got Payasam and coconut jaggery Empanada for dessert and we loved it! In my opinion, the Malabar is a great restaurant with great ambiance and even better food. It is a perfect place for a fancy dinner or party. - Reviewed by my 12year old foodie!

    Camille J.

    really really good indian food like yum the spinach is the same as rasika which is my fav & the service and atmosphere was super classy & great, even had good desert options like chocolate mint dessert we had was really good!!

    Halibut Goan Curry, Butter Chicken, Lamb Shank Chettinad, Ginger Black Cod
    Craig, T.

    We tried Malabar last week, and it was sooo good! Definitely a great new addition to the neighborhood. It took the place of Rosedale on Connecticut Ave across from Bread Furst. Same restaurant group as Rasika and Sababa. Delicious food, great service, good cocktails, great experience. The crabcake appetizer was amazing, the cauliflower bezule so good, the ginger black cod delicious, butter chicken, lamb shank, everything, so so good. Definitely make it your next night out in the neighborhood!

    Dishes top to bottom: Red Snapper Pollichathu, Halibut Goan Curry, Garlic Naan, Paneer Lababdar, Dal Makhani, Butter Chicken
    Michael M.

    We had an amazing dinner at Malabar last Saturday. We have been regular patrons of Rasika & Rasika West End for over 20 years and wanted to be one of the first to experience this new Knightbridge restaurant concept. It did not disappoint! Service was on point. Kudos to our server Shelley, and Veronica the hostess. Every dish we ate was delightful and exhibited the complex flavors Vikram is famous for. For starters we had Cauliflower Bezule, Palak Chaat, Randall Pattice, and Paneer 65. For our mains we had the Red Snapper Pollichathui, Halibut Goan Curry, Paneer Lababdar, Dal Makhani & Butter Chicken. All were remarkable but the standouts for us were the Red Snapper, Halibut and Butter Chicken. Malabar will definitely be on our list of go-to restaurants!

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    Our server Abhi was phenomenal! The food was sooooo yummy & everyone who waited on our table made us feel so welcomed!! 10/10 experience!!

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