Vegan options. EXCELLENT BUFFET! $22.95 Lunch Buffet: Vegi samosa: love Fish curry: mid Mint chutney: GOOD! Chickpea curry: good I was enjoying my plate so much, I ended up going back to sample everything else and overate. A couple of mids but overall really well prepared. Absolutely worth the price of admission even if you aren't trying to load up and just trying to eat sensibly. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

We're 3 families, 11 people total including young kids and an infant, playing at the park nearby while we waited on a togo order we'd placed in person. Told 40 mins. Ten minutes in, it got too cold for the kids, so I called and asked if we could just come dine in instead. Guy on the phone said sure, come on over, he'd get us a table. So we scrambled, packed up all the kids and diaper bags, and rushed over. We get there and he just shoves our food at us and says we have to leave. No table, no explanation, nothing. Ten minutes earlier he told me on the phone we were good to come sit down, and now suddenly that's not a thing? Then he has the nerve to bring up the 20% gratuity for groups of 10+, in this smug, condescending way, like he's trying to bait me into complaining about money so he can act like I'm the cheap one. That was never the issue. I told him straight up we'd wait the 30-40 mins he'd already promised us. He still said no. Flat out refused, didn't care that we had little kids and an infant standing there. Honestly the food could've been mediocre and I wouldn't have cared. What I won't tolerate is a staff member lying to my face and then acting condescending when called out on it. Completely unprofessional and disrespectful. read more

After checking into my hotel in Monterey I caught a scent of curry on the way to my room. After settling in, I had a craving for butter chicken for dinner so I searched for Indian restaurants and Namaste India Bistro came up. Looked great and it was a short walk from my hotel. When I got there I was greeted immediately and got a table right away. I ordered the mild butter chicken with basmati rice and a side of plain naan. The butter chicken was delicious and the rice was fragrant and well cooked. The plain naan was a surprise to me. It was warm, crisp, and flavored with fennel and other herbs. A great dinner in Monterey. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Butter chicken, basmati rice, and side of naan - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

Friendly service and really cute interior. Everything was pretty decent! I didn't like their eggplant but just a me thing. They did keep the stems on, I guess some people do eat it? The butter chicken was rich and flavorful. The cauliflower reminds me of sweet and sour chicken sauce - esp with the breading haha it was so tasty! Butter garlic naan was also very delicious. Street parking, metered times~ read more

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OMG this is the best Indian Restaurant I've been to. It is too bad we haven't discovered a good Indian restaurant like this where we live. This restaurant is cute, small, and has an intimate ambiance. It wasn't busy when we went, so we were able to walk in without a reservation. We ordered chicken korma, vindaloo, and garlic naan. The spice level on both the korma and vindaloo were a medium; however, the vindaloo was slightly more spicy than the korma. The korma was perfectly creamy and tasted perfect with a hint of sweetness. The dark meat chicken included with both the korma and vindaloo were super tender and juicy. The bread was perfectly soft and didn't flake as easily as other naans I've had in other Indian Restaurants. read more

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We went around 11:30, it was pretty empty but they have the buffet during the week and weekends. There was parking right in front. The food was warm but not hot which is why they are getting a 3. The naan was buttery and hot, they bring out the naan fresh, that was the best part. The food was tasty and had flavor. read more

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We drove in from the Bay Area specifically craving Indian food and decided on Namaste Indian Bistro. While the food is authentic, be aware that it is strictly all-you-can-eat for lunch, which was a bit of a disappointment since we weren't looking for a buffet. read more

Overall good food. We tried the butter chicken, goat curry, daal makhani and paneer butter masala. Every dish had a distinct taste. My only negative feedback is that the goat curry had many inedible pieces that that were hard to check or just looked organy. There was a lunch buffet but we took a carry out. read more

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We stumbled across this gem a few blocks away from the main wharf area while trying to avoid the long waits at nearby restaurants. Honestly, we had no idea what we were walking into--but it ended up being one of the best meals of the trip. The menu features some really unique items (like avocado chaat--trust me, it's a must-try), and everything we ordered was flavorful and perfectly cooked. I went with someone who grew up in India, and even he was seriously impressed with the authenticity and creativity of the dishes. We finished every last bite. The ambiance is warm and vibrant, decorated in a way that makes you feel like you've been transported to India. Service was friendly and attentive, and prices were reasonable for the area. read more

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The wait is long, wait for someone to take our order and wait for the food. We had the garlic naan (crispy and crunchy, the best) , egg plant curry, butter chicken curry ( it was served room temperature, not like other curry dishes which were served hot) , tandoori salmon (the fish was kind of dry). Gobi manchurian was a bad choice, the batter was hard and thicker than any other fried food, worst of all it's cooked in sweet and sour sauce. Everything comes with rice, so we ended up with lot of rice left over. read more

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To be clear we went for lunch. We didn't know it was buffet only so we were a little disappointed. I was also a bit intimidated by the don't waste food sign next to the food. The overall taste was good but it could have been much warmer. Maybe dinner would be a better experience. read more

We decided to get some takeout from here and we were quite disappointed, especially their portion sizes. I ordered online at 6:41pm and opted ASAP. When I got there at 7:05, the food still wasn't ready. The restaurant wasn't overly busy, maybe half the tables were filled? I didn't get my order until 7:12pm. We ordered 3 items. Chicken tikka, garlic naan and gobi Manchurian. When I opened the container of gobi Manchurian, I was appalled. It came with 5 pieces of cauliflower and filler. The naan was a bit soggy. The tikka was ok. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Gobi Manchurian. 5 pieces. The batter tasted old as well. - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

Wonderful lunch buffet at a pretty fair price. Lots of vegetarian options, both the chicken and paneer masala's were my favorite. Plenty of seating, and they also have a dessert. Great flavors, would definitely recommend. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Buffet plate - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

5 stars - hands down. Best Indian food I've had on the Monterey Peninsula. I've lived in the area for a while but never visited this place. Everything was hot, fresh, and super tasty. The service is top notch. Very friendly and patient. We ordered butter chicken, chicken tika masala, butter naan, cheese naan, paneer, and a shrimp dish. Highly recommend giving this place a try. Parking can be hard to find. You might have to circle the block. The interior was sparkling clean and very nice. read more

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Wonderful surprise with this place Ordered butter chicken and tandoori chicken Both were delicious Will definitely come back and this place seems to be frequented by the locals read more

Namaste India Bistro - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

the best Indian food in Monterey. nice staff, great food, great portions. very reasonable pricing as well. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Vegetable Samosa. - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

The best chicken masala I've ever had by far! Establishment is also clean and nice inside. Staff was super nice and attentive, not over the top it was just the right amount. They let us enjoy our food in peace but also checked in time to time. Would definitely come here again. read more

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Very cozy vibe. Food was amazing. We ordered the mixed grill which had chicken, salmon, shrimp, ground lamb and lamb chops. Served with vegetable rice and chutneies. Lamb chop was my favorite. Service was great. They answered my questions explaining the chutneies. Will definitely return. Need to try the lunch buffet. Best Indian food I have had in all of Monterey. read more

This restaurant offers a buffet during lunchtime. We visited this place for dinner. The food is good, but the naan could have been a little bit softer. The dishes are a little overpriced. But the overall service and the ambiance were good. Very difficult to find parking. read more

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Pretty good Indian cuisine overall. We started with the chicken momo and these were below average. It took about 20-25 minutes to come out and it was room temperature. Don't order these. The naan was also just average. We ordered garlic naan and cheese naan. First time trying cheese naan and it tasted like a little quesadilla. Naan was not fluffy enough. But, we ordered the chicken tikka masala and murgh malabar, and these were both EXCELLENT. Some the the best curries I have ever had. I'd skip the appetizers and unfortunately the naan, and stick to the curries. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Garlic naan, cheese naan, chicken tikka masala and murgh malabor - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

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Food was tasty. However, the portions were rather small. And service was extremely extremely slow. I assume that they are the best in town, and so were swamped with takeout orders as well as diners. But if you're prepared to wait, the food was tasty. read more

The restaurant itself isn't a big restaurant but it's really nice inside. We came for the all you can eat lunch on a Wednesday. As soon as we got there we were greeted right away and seated right in front by the window. The service was really good and they were friendly. When we went up to get our food when we got back they had placed a bottle of water at our table and brought us some naan bread. The food was really good and fresh. The butter chicken, chicken Tikka masala, and the tandoori chicken was really good. The vegetable samosa looked a little different than what I was used too but it was so good! The wrapping was so soft and the inside flavorful. My daughter had a lot of watermelon and tried everything they had. This was her first time trying Indian food and she loved it! The price was also really good. With tax is about $19 total! Can't beat that anywhere in town. If you want some good Indian food and all you can eat I highly recommend this place! read more

Namaste India Bistro - Lunch buffet items - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

We came here for the lunch buffet. It was good but I've had better. The naan bread was serviceable, but again, I've had better. Wouldn't go out of my way to go here but if I was in the mood for Indian, it's a good option. Just nothing stood out. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Outside - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

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Excellent, inexpensive food in Monterey. We didn't expect much and were pleasantly surprised.

I am a huge Indian food lover and it has been a tradition for years to eat it after a marathon. I ran Big Sur and decided on here to reward myself. The buffet provided everything I needed. The butter chicken and garlic naan were favorites. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

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I thought I was in little India Singapore here. This food was actually blowing my mind. I was about to throw my fork and eat with my hands like you are supposed to. Also the staff were very kind and accommodating. Also don't forget your Mango Lassi and you crush your spicy food maybe a KingFisher too. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Cucumber Raita, Naan, Dal Makhani, Lamb Biryani, White Basmati Rice - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

1 point taken off for buffet being bland. However, naan bread was ok. 2nd star taken for playing the same extremely religious Hindu song (chant) for almost 1 hour on repeat from 12:00 PM to 1:00 PM. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Just bread left on the table, had their buffet - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

I really like their goat curry there when they do it. Usually on Fridays. It is my absolute favorite.

We wanted something light. A snack really. Picked up samosas and pakoras and they were just what we had a taste for. Yay. We ordered take out so the service was excellent as they handed us our goodies as soon as they were ready, hot and ready to eat with dipping sauce. read more

Pleasantly surprised with this small Indian restaurant. The food was good. Service is good. The quantity of the portions are big. The only thing is the time it took to bring our food could be improved, but we went during the dinner rush. So you can expect delays with the main courses. read more

This place has nice ambience, great service, and delicious dishes. We have been here for years and we are happy every time. Only thing I didn't like was their Seafood masala which 1/3 of all "seafood" were fake crab meat and they tasted like pure gluten. All other dishes were amazing. Especially vegan options are fabulous. We will keep going to here....just will not order seafood masala again. read more

Food is always good. Restaurant is always clean. I recommend this place if you're looking for a nice buffet in a decent price range.

Food was quite bland. Barely any flavor in Kheer or any of the curries. Place was hot. No air conditioning or air flow. For an afternoon buffet the price was high, and the options were very limited, especially for vegetarians. They seemed to go with cheaper ingredients here. We were not even offered iced or cold water. Just room temperature water. We were charged closed to full price for a 6 year old that barely ate anything at all. A lot of Indian places understand this and generally wave the kids meals off at buffets. Overall, quite disappointing. They can use a lot of improvements. read more

Was craving Indian food and my fellow yelpers came thru again! This place is pretty good. I had the butter chicken, the serving was just right for me, and it came with rice. It was nice little place, it was a bit cold inside, but not too bad. The garlic naan was the reason for the 4 stars, it wasn't as good as I had elsewhere and the serving was pretty small. But overall. It wasn't that bad and I will most likely come here again when I am in the area. read more

Namaste India Bistro - Vegetable Samosa - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

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Maybe my favorite food in Monterey. Beautiful ambiance, mind-blowing Indian food, and service on point! I honestly would recommend absolutely everything we ordered. The veggie pakora was a delightful way to start our meal, crisp and light and so flavorful. It came with three traditional, dipping sauces. Only four pakora, I wish there was double that amount! The tandoori chicken came out steaming on a platter. So succulent, we were exclaiming praises after every bite. The lamb biryani did not skimp on the meat! We got it medium spicy, which was perfect. The mushroom masala was a perfect lighter balance to our very meat heavy meal. The garlic cheese naan was superb, although for the price, I wish it came with eight pieces instead of just four small ones. We initially thought portion sizes of the entrees were pretty small, but soon realized that everything was sooo filling. We were able to save leftovers enough for a full meal the next day! Just wish the appetizers and naan came with a bit more, but overall so so worth it. Can't wait for the next time I dine here! read more

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This is my first time trying out Namaste Indian bistro and I'm pleasantly surprised. I fully expected the buffet options to be filled with various items focused on vegetarian and cost-saving items but the variety of chicken and even goat options were wonderful. The chicken tandoori and tikka masala were both excellent. The goat was also good and didn't have any hint of gaminess to it, which is how I prefer it. It just wasn't as good as the chicken! The salad bar gets a small mention here but it's nothing special and it certainly isnt in theme with the other more authentic food options. It's just your basic spring mix and salad dressings. I would have loved to have seen Kosambari, Pachadi, Kachumbar, or Laccha Pyaaz. There are so many wonderful Indian salads that I think could appeal to American taste buds and this is really what I would have liked to have seen in the salad bar section. We came by towards the latter half of lunch (1:30) and some of the items in the buffet line were either empty or quite sparse. We were assured by one of the staff that they were working on refilling the items. When we sat down, we requested a basket of naan. That naan never came and when we returned to the buffet line for "round 2" we requested a second time for the basket of naan. Customers who arrived after us had received theirs which leads me to believe that they weren't out of the item and preparing a new batch but that our table was forgotten. No big deal in the greens scheme of things. We received a fresh basket and it was delicious. The ambience of the dining area feels a bit dated and dark but it's otherwise functional and serves its purpose. The buffet area can get a bit dirty with spills here and there but it's not really any fault of the staff. This is my general annoyance with buffets; when parents allow their children who are too young and incapable of reaching the items to "help themselves" and make a mess. I'm sure the staff share my frustration as well. Hot take: should there be a minimum age limit for buffet lines? I think so... read more

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Heard they had a new menu decided to go check it out. Ordered the veg momo and avocado chat, Yum. Showed up right after they opened on Friday night. The ambiance is welcoming with interesting wall art. Wife and I were greeted and sat down rather quickly. The waiter brought us waters and gave us the new menus. My wife is from Pakistan and I'm your average white guy that loves spicy stuff. We opted for something new as we are both tired of the same chicken tikka or butter chicken. The avocado chat caught our eye as well as the vegetable momo. The momo arrived first, I was not expecting the amazing presentation nor amazing taste. I would honestly go back just for these momo's. So good. The chat was interesting but not my favorite, for me it didn't have much flavor but my wife loved it. We also ordered some spinach paneer and butter naan. So good, best Indian food on the peninsula. Props for the chef for willing to try something new. New works. read more

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Ordered take out. Was given a pickup time when I placed the order. Given a revised pickup time a few minutes later. Arrived a minute before it was supposed to be ready, found the servers to be confused and unfriendly and told it would be ready in five minutes. All in all 50% longer than originally told. Also did not care for the weird pakora patties. read more

As a vegetarian, this spot hits the mark -- fresh, flavorful, and full of love. The lentil soup was soul-warming and the naan? Fluffy perfection. A true local gem! Lunch Buffet done right read more

Namaste India Bistro - Vegetarian plate - Indian Near Me - Monterey, California

My girlfriend and I chose to take our business here on Valentine's Day. The restaurant did not look busy at all by the time we were sat down. It took us about 40 minutes for our orders to be taken. We ended up waiting an hour and a half for our food, despite seeing countless DoorDash and pickup orders going out the door. After this point we decided we would not wait any longer and just take our business elsewhere. I can understand a 30 or 45 minute wait for your food, but waiting any time over an hour is just embarrassing for the business. On top of that, we would see people who sat down later than us receive their food long before us. Whatever the situation was, whether it be that the kitchen was actually that backed up or that they forgot our order, some honesty and communication from the restaurant staff would have went a long way. But they chose to give us empty promises of the food coming soon and they would lie to our face about the other table receiving appetizers even though they were clearly entree items. When considering taking your business to this restaurant, be weary that depending on how the staff feels, it might take your whole evening just to get your food. read more