It is small and almost covert hiding on the ground floor of an older small office type building in…read moreBethesda. Don't be deterred by the outside. This was very good for a completely unplanned quick lunch (45min).The curry sauce was so good you could neglect the fig and paneer (which were good) and just eat the sauce with the rice. I've never felt that way about a curry sauce and I have had a fair bit of Indian food in a few trips around the sun. Versatile offerings; including things you don't get elsewhere along with the traditionals. Generous portions. Get the mango lassi with your meal. Polite sincere service. Stop in for lunch. The stars aren't lying about this one.

Other food plans let me down, but fortunately I have more than one plan, and I wandered over to…read morethis place on the edge of downtown Bethesda. It is on the smaller side, and one group was turned away for not having a reservation. I got a dumpling appetizer which delivered a mouthwatering array of vegetables, and a reasonably interesting fruity drink. The thing I came for, however, was a chole bhature. This fried bread and chickpea combination came with all the right accompaniments, and the chickpeas were richly flavored. It was a fantastic meal down to the last bite. It would not have been as good to go, and I recommend eating in. Service was a bit slow and they could have used another person working, but it was a clean and pleasant place to eat.

I've ordered from there twice I do like the restaurant. I've ordered chicken korma which is a…read morechicken dish creamy with almond sauce. The first time I saw it. I didn't think that they would add dairy to it. I don't think that they do but for the most part I believe it's an almond cashew sauce. It's sweet creamy and a little bit of heat, but it's not too too overly spicy and I got an onion salad, which is chopped red onion with green chili, small green whole chilies and lemon wedges and what you do is you freeze the lemon over the onions and you rub the whole chili onto the onions and you eat it it actually balances out the richness of the dish and I had garlic naan as well we got Carrie out and I got it from DoorDash. I will definitely order from the spot again.

We got takeout and ordered the Butter chicken, tandoori Chicken Tikka, and lamb Rogan Josh. The…read moreonline option to add allergies for each of the dishes was awesome and very helpful! We liked the lamb josh Rogan. The chicken in both of the chicken meals was a little dry though. Otherwise a good experience

Great lunch buffet - same owner as Haandi in Falls Church, VA! Enjoyed the weekend lunch buffet…read more$21.95 for adults ($18.95 weekdays) and $8.95 for kids. There are about a dozen dishes, 1/2 vegetarian and 1/2 meat with fresh plain naan. I came 1/2 way through the buffet at 1pm (buffet is from 11:30am - 2:30pm) and the dishes were all warm and tasted fresh. There's amble seating with tables and booths, and 1/2 dozen patio seating as well. The Palak Paneer was creamy soft tender cubed of paneer while the Malai Kofta was a sweet gravy. The Lentil Dhal Makhani was flavorful and savory.The crispy vegetable Pakora fritters were tasty and glad that they were freshly refilled when there a few left in the tray. The Basmati Rice was flavrful and paired well with the curry dishes. The crispy Cauliflower Manchurin was the only dish that was a bit brittle and soggy from sitting out and lost its fresh, crunchy soft texture. It was a slight bummer that Samosa wasn't offered in the buffet. The naan was made to order and pillowy soft. Note that Garlic Naan is not included and paid an extra $4.50 for it (I was expecting a small upcharge, not to pay full price, not a big deal). The service was great and I chatted a bit with the manager. The food tastes exactly like Haandi in VA and used to be named Haandi as well. You can get carry-out buffet - 2 pounds worth and will be back for it!

It honestly pains me to write this one-star review because I've been going to Kadahi for years and…read moreit's always been one of my favorite spots. Unfortunately, the last few visits haven't been great, and tonight was the worst it's ever been. I ordered the matar paneer and it was watery and almost completely flavorless, which is very unlike what I've had there before. The rice was even more disappointing -- it tasted old and was hardened into clumps, almost molded into the shape of the container instead of being individual grains. It was difficult to even break apart. The samosas were good, which was the one bright spot, but the garlic naan barely had any garlic on it. Normally their naan is amazing and very flavorful. I'm really disappointed because this used to be my go-to spot for Indian food. I'm hoping this was just a bad night, but after a few recent experiences that were also lacking in freshness and flavor, I may have to start looking for a new place.

Masala is one of my favorite spots. Their tandoori gobi is my all-time favorite. The service is…read morefriendly, welcoming, and accommodating, which makes for a pleasant experience.

This review is for their lunch buffet after it came up on dcspot. The reel make it look real…read moreappetizing and high quality. What I got in person was not that. The dal was all watery, didn't see any split peas in there really. The spinach was pureed too much but also didn't taste very good, very grassy. The tandoori chicken was too soft. Overall, nothing really stood out and I didn't think it was that good of a quality. Definitely was not like what the reel made it seem. Aditi and Raaga has superior quality and taste, definitely won't be coming back here.

Mumbai Central has quickly become my favorite Indian restaurant! I've visited many times since it…read moreopened, and the food is consistently delicious. The quality, generous portions, and reasonable prices make it an incredible value. As a vegetarian, I'm always impressed by the variety of options. I literally go here whenever I'm craving authentic Indian street food! Their appetizer selection is fantastic. The samosas, chili garlic noodles, pani puri, kamal kakdi chaat, and vada pav are among my absolute favorites. The vada pav is especially authentic, and I also love their pomegranate raita. I've tried several entrées, and every single one has been excellent. What I particularly appreciate is the balance of flavors. The food is beautifully seasoned and never overly spicy, allowing you to truly enjoy the ingredients and authentic flavors. I love stopping by for masala chai on cold winter days, while their cocktails are perfect for summer. The music is another thoughtful touch. It's calm, thoughtfully selected, and creates a wonderful atmosphere for conversation. The service is consistently warm, attentive, and personal. The staff genuinely take an interest in their guests and remember you when you return, which makes the experience even more special. One more tip for electric car owners: There's an EV charger in the same complex! I often stop by to charge my car and take the opportunity to enjoy a cup of masala chai with an appetizer. There's something wonderfully nostalgic about casually stopping for chai and samosas. It brings back memories of those simple, spontaneous food experiences in India. Between the authentic flavors, excellent service, generous portions, and welcoming ambiance, Mumbai Central is a restaurant I happily return to again and again. Highly recommended, especially if you love Indian street food!

Pani puri: good -- pani should be spicier since the chutney is sweet but still pretty good overall…read more Veg momo: the chutneys are excellent. Momo's come steamed which I don't mind at all (actually prefer it this way) and I enjoyed them very much. A hit for me. Mango mojito: delish. Not too much alcohol and you get the sweetness of mango and the refreshing mint so it's balanced. Veg korma: creamy and spicy (it isn't made spicy for everybody just make sure you ask for spicy if you roll like that). Garlic naan: fluffy, comforting, classic. Malabar chicken: finger licking good (he was literally licking his fingers lol). Fantastic "loud and proud" Malabar flavors. Aromatic in the best way not just in a "curry" way. They give you a good amount of chicken. My husband's hit of the evening. Everything we had here was good or very good. We went in July (my review is laughably late I know) but the service was the issue here. I'm giving it 4 stars still because the food, decor, ambiance, and concept were all well executed. As for the service, Our server assumed 1) that I wouldn't take alcohol in my drink and I had to tell her twice that no I actually do want the alcohol and 2) once my husband ordered that was it -- she didn't even ask what I wanted for an entree and just assumed I would have what he was having. 3) when I specifically said spicy she countered with "oh so medium spicy then" -- no ma'am. Spicy. I said spicy. I will handle it. Just put the order in. That being said still well worth a visit because the food is actually very good and there's so much my husband and I want to try.

Great lunch specials (11:30-3pm) and happy hour deals (3pm-6pm) every day. The build your own bowl…read morelunch special with Saag Paneer and Lemon Tumeric Rice is a must as well as the Naan flight during happy hour. The cozy restaurant has about 10 tables and nice patio seating. The lunch special is fully loaded with your choice of curry, protein, rice and comes with a fresh naan, Choola, side of aloo potato, and crispy pauper (a thin seeded cracker). I ordered 2 bowls with Saag Paneer and Korma Paneer. The spinach curry, Saag with tender, cubed Paneer cheese was mild and not spicy. The Saag Paneer paired well with white rice. The Lemon Tumeric rice is very flavorful. While I enjoyed the orange creamy Korma curry with a spicy kick, my pick is for the Saag Paneer. The bowls are very filling. The Maharani Veggie Burger also on the lunch special had a very thick and dense patty. While I enjoyed the complementary raw onions topping and flavorful chutney sauces with the burger, it was too thick. The shoe string Indian spiced fries were tasty paired with the green sweet and tangy chutney dipping sauce. The Naan flight is very tasty with a pillowy soft naan paired with dips of Saag, Tikka Masala, and Dhal Makhani. The curries were mild and not spicy and enjoyed all of them. The Paneer Kathi roll was a like a spring roll stuffed paneer. It was very small and not a fan of it. The fresh watermelon juice was delicious and my daughter and I savored every sweet sip! It made up for the unsavory Berry-Licious cocktail. I wasn't a big fan of the tangy Berry-Licious cocktail with berry chutney sauce, definitely doesn't taste as good as it's pictured. The Mango Lassi was a bit thick and not that sweet. The Indian pizza on the lunch special looks very appetizing and excited to come back to try it!

We walked in right before closing. While they weren't able to accommodate us, we placed an order…read moreto go. The vegetable korma and chicken tika and naan were excellent. The server was very accommodating and kind. So impressed with this place!

I've been ordering from this spot a lot recently. Looking beyond the AI-generated menu, and the…read moredated exterior, this is probably the most underrated Pakistani joint I've ever been to. Might just be my luck, but I've ordered dishes to be made 'very mild'. They end up being spicy. So I know English isn't their strong-suit. The levels of spicy: very mild, mild, spicy, medium spicy, very spicy. Ignore that part. Hopefully they make it for you, it the way they make it at home. You deserve that. As an American-palated person, if you've never traveled, no problem. They take you to Pakistan. The flavors are very bold. But only one problem... now I'm hooked. If you're looking for fancy, or food made around what you're comfortable with, find another spot. This one is for people who love to go 'nom, nom, nom,nom' from beginning to end.

delicious, authentic Pakistani & Indian Cuisine. My sister enjoyed her first kabob, which she…read moreadored. we were equally blown away by the very unique, punchy spices and flavors of all the dishes. it seemed like this restaurant was being run by one single dude, who was incredibly kind and accommodating to vegan diet. i tried to bus our table at the end but he was insistent that he should do it himself, really hospitable guy !! the food was a wait (or perhaps i was just ravenous and impatient) but it's probably cooked fresh so i'd rather a wait than a rush for succulent meal. plus, there seems to be parking in the back as well as on the street. tldr: authentic food, friendly service, driving accessible

I love this place. We usually go on the weekend for lunch and the place is almost always empty. We…read morelove the veggie thali, momo, naan, navratan korma. All so good. Service is great.

The butter chicken was sooo good! Very good flavor…read more The paneer tikka masala was ok. I wish it was a little spicier. The garlic naan was pretty good! The samosa chaat was also pretty enjoyable! The house special naan was alright- it had a good aftertaste note The vegetable samosa was horrible. It was like a blended mash consistency and tasted like freezer samosas - not even the good kind

Oh the food here was incredible, we'd love to go back again. The service was great, the people were…read morekind and helpful and ensured that our food was spicy and delicious. A great place :)

I'm being challenged to find good Indian food in Washington DC. Back in the day, I used to visit…read morefor work for a day and always thought Bombay Club had the best dal makhani. Over the years, I don't find Indian food to retain its depth of flavors at restaurants in DC - if I'm missing the hidden gems, send me a message! Nothing here tastes fresh - it was all over-fried, over-oiled, etc. The sambhar was nearly all oil (see photo), the chutneys were heavily diluted leaving no flavor, the parathas were leaking oil when touched, and the kadhi pakodi/ malai kofta were clearly refried and overcooked with no flavor. I was highly disappointed in the meal here. The only one item, if I had to find a positive, that I liked was the paneer pakoda - but I wish the chutneys with it weren't so watered down.

A great spot for groups with different dietary preferences!…read more I came to Tikka with a group that had a variety of dietary preferences, and I was really impressed by how easily they were able to accommodate everyone. There were plenty of options beyond the usual, including the vegan jackfruit biryani and tandoori wings. I had the chicken tikka masala with lamb naan, and both were delicious. The mocktails were also a standout! I tried the Cucumber Collins, and it was refreshing, flavorful, and honestly one of my favorite parts of the meal. The service was excellent. Our server was really kind, attentive, and made the experience feel welcoming without being overbearing. As for the atmosphere, it's moderately noisy, but you can still comfortably have a conversation at your table. It wasn't overly crowded or cramped when I visited, which I appreciated. Getting a reservation was easy, and there's metered street parking nearby, which is reasonably priced for DC. Overall, you can have a really nice meal here for around $50 per person, depending on what you order. Definitely a spot I'd recommend for a group dinner, especially when everyone has different dietary needs!

I came here for my birthday lunch with my aunt and my cousin. I had the Saffron Chicken and Mango…read moreLassi. It was delicious and I enjoyed it because I hadn't had any Indian food in a long time. It was a nice set up and the server was attentive and helpful. I enjoyed this and I live close by so I'll be sure to check it out in the future.