Very attentive owner , great to talk to .Excellent service and food 5/5. we had a very enjoyable experience . True Indian cooking

I have been going to Nirmal's for about a decade now. The restaurant itself is in a great location, very close to Pioneer Square Station and on the lovely brick street in the historic neighborhood. The interior has charm and is well-decorated to match the old building. The restaurant has always been a nice stop before events at the stadiums, or, in my recent case, a good lunch spot during jury duty (the thali was a nice chance to try various items on the menu). My partner and I were recently looking for local restaurants which can do catering for a large event - and preferably with a Bengali focused menu. Fortunately, we were in Pioneer Square around that time and stopped in at Nirmal's. Oliver, the owner, was making his rounds at tables checking in on guests; we decided to ask him about catering and he assured us it would be possible. He had Chef Sunit come out and meet us as well, who further assured us they would be able to handle it no problem. We exchanged numbers and began discussing possible menu options over text; Chef Sunit suggested we come visit in person to try a sample of the proposed menu. Over the course of a couple hours we got to try many dishes which are not on their typical menu; and which are generally hard to find in the Seattle area. It was clear from this point forward that Sunit & Oliver were the right team for our event. The event itself went off flawlessly with Nirmal's as the caterer. Many of our guests asked about where the food was from and we happily mentioned the restaurant and introduced our guests to the Nirmal's team. Sunit was on-site the whole time ensuring everything was operating smoothly. So, overall, a big thank you to the Nirmal's team, and we look forward to visiting the restaurant again soon to say thank-you in person. read more

Nirmal's - Egg curry, luchi, masala lassi - seasonal - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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We came here for lunch with friends. Food: We tried the veg thali. This comes with kadhi, sabji (beans and peas), fried cauliflower, sambhar, raita, one naan, rice and sweet dish Seviyan. This was $18. The sambhar and kadhi were excellent, being from Delhi, we are very particular, and I really enjoyed this. The fried cauliflower was a little bland, felt just fried with sauce poured on top. The raita quantity is very small. The naan is not true naan at all, it is just pita. As expected with thali, most items were delicious however a few need improvement and the pita quantity is very less. We also tried the lassi and it was delicious! Ambience: Nice place with a lot of space, especially between tables, ensures privacy. Bathrooms are nice and tidy. For some reason there are a ton of flies in the restaurant and they kept coming around our food. I am not sure why or how because the doors are kept closed. Service: I feel for how popular this place is, it's very understaffed. There is only one server and it look very long for him to take our order. The food itself took a long time to get delivered. Also the tandoor items are not available during lunch time, so it knocks off atleast 4 items from the menu. It was a good Indian place to try, and will try more dishes next time! read more

Nirmal's - VEGETABLE THALI - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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One of my closest friends took me here for my birthday while she was visiting for a work trip. It was a little slow since it was before dinner time on a weekday, so we mostly had the place to ourselves. The owner ended up taking a lot of time to chat with us, sharing samples of different dishes--we ordered a few but had been curious about others, and he took the time to tell us a little bit about his background and a little bit of info behind the dishes. We loved everything we ate, though admittedly I was unprepared for how spicy one of the dishes would be. That was the one I planned to bring home for leftovers but my friend was nice enough to read the room and said I could take the more mild dish home and she'd bring the spicy one to her less sensitive husband. It may seem silly, but what I especially loved was the layered, flaky Roti. Finally, the owner treated us to an ice cream dessert. They had many yummy dessert options I'd love to try if I wasn't so full. Overall, I can see why this space has been in Pioneer Square for at least a decade and hope it stays! read more

The best chicken korma I have had outside of Los Angeles. I also enjoyed the samosa. Because the samosa was on the smaller side they offered me a free dish! People here could not be nicer and more polite. You can tell they really care about their customers. Seeing I was carrying paperwork from the courthouse, she offered me a bag to carry everything. Food was amazing and definitely the best Indian I have had here since Justaurant closed in Bellevue. Korma wasn't spicy but that is probably because I am blonder than blonde and very unfamiliar with Indian food. I am positive they could make it any way you want it. I couldn't figure out how a restaurant this small could be in the Columbia. However, now I have tried the food, I know why. I hope they get a lot of the local catering business because this food is delicious and really inexpensive for such good quality food. The amount of food and sauce is super generous-way beyond what we get ib Kirkland for sure by five times over! Although I took my food to go , I really appreciated the ambiance of the couches and tables. Definitely a great place to sit and hang. Highly recommend to the extreme! read more

Located in a popular area near Pioneer Square, this is a very cute restaurant with super friendly and helpful staff. Not having been here before we asked the server for his recommendation and he picked two dishes for us to share. We got one curry type dish called Chicken patiala. And for the life of me, I cannot recall what the second dish was, but it is the green dish in my photo. Forgive me. I'm not doing it justice. Each dish comes with rice or naan so we got one of each. Portion sizes are generous. Each just was filled with wonderful flavor. I was most impressed with the chicken patiala. It had a wonderful slow heat that went along with a nice curry flavor very impressed with the garlic naan. Prices are reflective of downtown Seattle and this location read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Rooted a small walk away from Seattle downtown, this was an absolute gem :) loved the ambiance and warm and friendly staff greeting us. Reservations are recommended! In $94 (before tip), we got: - seekh kebab - 5/5 - juicy lamb spiced up with indian authentic herbs and served with yummy green chutney sauce. Loved the texture!! - paneer amritsari - 5/5 - juicy cottage cheese cubes of fluffy flavorful paneer.. yummmmmmyy!! Recommended for vegetarians - chicken rassa - 5/5 - slightly expensive but that is because it comes with side of bread. Loved the curry and chicken was coming right off the bone. So tender :) - 2 fresh lime sodas - 4/5- decent but not worth $5 each, just saying.. haha! Most recommended north indian food i had in seattle.. mazzzzaaaaaa (it means fun in indian language) No outdoor seating. Clean restrooms. Beautiful and clean indoor seating. Loved how owner came and spent some minutes gathering real time feedback and making sure we were comfortable :) read more

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I'll admit, I had my doubts when we got there at 5:45pm and we were the first ones there. (We probably would've made Amy Poehler proud, haha.) But I am happy to say that those doubts were short lived. We looked to our server for recommendations. He recommended the Vada Pav to start and we added a half order of samosas (because how can you go wrong with potatoes). Both were great, especially the Vada Pav! For mains, he recommended the Pork Vindaloo with garlic naan for me and the Beef Ularthiyathu for hubs. He enjoyed his dish quite a bit and I really enjoyed mine. The pork vindaloo didn't seem as spicy as other vindaloo dishes. We ended up taking a decent portion of our mains home (to avoid overdoing it) and are quite excited to have leftovers! read more

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Overall pretty good Indian cuisine, we ordered a beef and chicken dish. The steak was a little tough but the curry was delicious. The naan was great too. The service was friendly and attentive. The restaurant has great energy and interior design. read more

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If you want AMAZING Indian food look no further than Nirmal's. The food is exceptional, the service is first-rate, and the ambience is delightful. Check out all my photos of the spectacular cuisine and the yummy drinks. The owner of the restaurant also came by to speak with us while we were enjoying all the delicious food. This year marks Nirmal's 10 year anniversary. This restaurant is spectacular and I expect it will be around for at least another decade. Keep up the wonderful work, Nirmal's! read more

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Very slow service, the servers kept forgetting what we asked for, the food is also subpar!

Nirmal's has been around for years but for some reason I had never been there before. Went there for the first time with some friends and was totally wowed. So decided to take the family there for my dad's birthday! The service feels personal with the chef visiting every table. The food is the highlight though. Seattle is weird about Indian food. It's just hit or miss. But Nirmal's shines through. We got the seekh kabab, unexpectedly spicy (Just like they should be), goat biryani and Rogan Josh. Everything was spiced and delicious. None of the bland Indian food. My dad, a big biryani fan absolutely loved it enough to take it home. My husband and I took leftover Rogan Josh home. He was disappointed I made him share. The samosa was meh though. Didn't feel like authentic samosa. I would actually give 4.5 stars but yelp doesn't have that option - overall service was a bit lackluster. But tbh if the food shines all else is forgiven. read more

A pretty establishment and delicious Indian food! Recommended to make a reservation by calling or doing it through here on Yelp! They even have Mumbai street food which I'll be trying next time! I believe their menu regularly changes up. We got the Paneer as an appetizer and it was very good! Soft yet flavorful with their spices. I got the white pea curry which looked like chickpeas with rice. With the entrees, you get a choice of rice, parotta or dosa. My bf tried the parotta and it's so good! It was like a soft buttery wheat bread! He got the chicken patiala which was tender chicken and the sauce was delicious! The owner came by and asked how everything was and even shared some history that we are under the old train station that used to operate in Seattle many many years ago and sure enough, the ambience gave off that vibe and it's beautiful! We had the garlic naan and it's 4 big pieces...sooooo good! Lastly, we had the Indian ice cream for dessert. Loved it! read more

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Located in pioneer square with plenty of paid parking nearby. We had a grilled paneer appetizer a chicken curry and a lamb kebab. They have a great wine/beer selection and a good sized food menu as well. The service was excellent, the ambiance was good, however I would have enjoyed some Indian music instead there was no music playing when we were there. The food portions were small considering the price but the food was good and I am happy they are still in the location where several other restaurants have unfortunately closed. read more

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We phoned multiple times today, even after 5:30 when the restaurant says it's open and nobody picks up. How can you help people make a booking to come to a restaurant you don't pick up the phone read more

The food here was Amazing, and the staff was really friendly. If you have someone in our group who has food restrictions (like we did), they can accommodate and provide a separate menu that more carefully lists allergens. They were able to seat our 8 person group easily on their huge center table as well. I don't think there was a single dish that we ordered that was bad. Loved the garlic naan! read more

The best Indian food I've had in Seattle. I think the prices are justified, the food is phenomenal and the portion sizes are really generous. My husband and I ordered two entrees and one appetizer and we were very full at the end of the meal. Can't wait to return and try the other dishes. read more

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Food we never tried but it is overpriced. Service was pathetic and we were ignored for 20 minutes even though we were sitting right by the bar and kitchen. Every staff member walked past us and the host was roaming around. Ambience is good but parking is difficult in that area, which is okay because that isn't the restaurant's fault. However, this was the worst service experience we have ever had. The staff are arrogant and rude. This restaurant is highly overrated and overpriced. read more

Came here for lunch one day and it was pretty quiet on a weekday. The lunch is a good deal! You get to choose between the meat option or the veggie option. Both platters come with naan and a few sides and a dessert. You can even have unlimited servings of the prepared food, but the naan costs extra. I went with the veggie option. Everything was very flavorful, albeit a bit on the spicy side! Service was very friendly and quick. I loved the interior of the restaurant, it has a lot of nice brick and very tall ceilings. Hope to come back here one day! read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had a fantastic meal at Nirmal's for a big corporate sponsored dinner. They were busy serving our party of 20+, and we received great service. Big open space good for groups. The owner personally came out and chatted with all of us about the food and the establishment, and I hear he does this frequently. Food was incredibly filling, and we all left content with full bellies. My favorite of the night was actually something we did not order. The owner wanted us to try their pork vindaloo, indeed a rare find on Indian restaurant menus, so he provided one for us on the house. It was incredibly tender and flavorful. I also enjoyed the dun biryani. This took some time to come out because of the cooking method, but worth the wait. Appetizers were okay; I could skip on the samosa, the paneer was good, while the lamb kebab and tandoori chicken were great. Do not skimp out on dessert! There are a lot to choose from on the dessert menu. I remember the jalebi being very delicious. read more

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We had a nice dinner to celebrate by husbands birthday here. The food is pretty good we liked most things we tried and the ambience is nice with the warm toned bricks and tall ceiling. The menu called out the chocolate cake as popular but I found it just ok. Infact I found that Jalebi is a absolute must have for dessert which the owner was really sweet enough to give on the house. Service was friendly and quick it's very close to the pioneer station in case you don't feel like driving . I would highly recommend trying this place out. read more

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I visited on a Saturday, so I expected it to be busy, but the restaurant seemed seriously understaffed. When we arrived, the front desk was unattended and there was confusion about seating. After being seated, it took so long for someone to take our order that we eventually had to get up and ask for service ourselves. Refills and basic table attention were also difficult to get throughout the meal. Unfortunately, the food did not make up for the experience. I found it mediocre and not particularly memorable, especially given the price. It also didn't hold up well as leftovers the next day. I couldn't even finish it. What bothered me most was that when the bill was brought over, a 22% tip had already been selected and highlighted before I signed. The waiter also hovered over me making it an uncomfortable experience, especially considering the level of service we received. Overall, this was a disappointing visit, and I do not plan to return ever. read more

Extremely disappointing! Arrived at the time of our reservation and had to wait. The host seemed very confused and very overworked. Finally sat down and there was a dirty napkin on the chair. Sat at the table for over 20 minutes then had to leave because nobody came over to take our order. As we left, a server saw us leaving and didn't even acknowledge it. Small menu and fairly expensive for no service. The owner was there and instead of taking care of all her guests, she was busy collecting money from guests done with their dinner. read more

What a phenomenal dinner! Had only a short time to dine here, and the staff did a great job and made it happen! The food was out of this world. From the moment you open the door, you're embraced with the scent of spices and an inviting space. A total treat! The owner came over to check on us and I mistook him for a former colleague I hadn't seen in 15 years, so after a giant hug and a good laugh when it turned out he actually knew my colleague, we got to share how much we loved the restaurant and promised to come back when we have more time to enjoy the full experience. Absolutely loved it! read more

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Please note that parking in this area is paid; we were charged $39 for our vehicle. We had made a dinner reservation and drove over 100 miles after spending the day at Mount Rainier National Park. The restaurant was also about 15 miles from our hotel, so we made a significant effort to dine here. Unfortunately, the experience was very disappointing. After being seated, no one attended to us for 30 minutes. We eventually received our food an hour after being seated, and only after we flagged down a server to ask about the delay, as our kids were very hungry. In addition, not all of the items we ordered were initially brought to the table. After waiting another 10 minutes and asking again, the remaining dishes were served hastily and were undercooked. Overall, this was a very very poor dining experience. read more

We had a reservation for eight on Valentine's Day, but the management was very poor. No one was available to check us in, and guests were seated based on who was "visible" rather than by reservation. A party of two with an 8:15 reservation was seated before us simply because they were noticed first. The food was equally disappointing. The Bharwa Shimla wasn't seasoned properly, the Veg Kolhapuri was the saddest I've ever had, and the Veg Dum Biryani had only about five pieces of vegetables. Overall, it was a waste of time and money. I would not recommend this place. read more

Nirmal's - MIX VEG KOLHAPURI - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

I'll start of by saying the food is wonderful! Every dish we had was great. I'd probably get it again takeout. The service though, was too bad to ever consider eating here again. Multiple issues that compounded into just not an acceptable experience. A few of the highlights, we ordered the goat Rogan Josh, the manager/owner stopped by to tell us how good it was with rice and that we should order some. We had ordered rice, it had just never arrived and the staff never came back after dropping the food. We did wave down a server at some point who brought rice, but at that point the goat was mostly finished and the curry itself was cold. After that they brought out the crab curry, with two whole crab clusters. Beautiful, and the curry was quite tasty, but the crab was very difficult to eat. Cracking the claws with no tools by hand was not even possible. When we were finished and the server asked us how things were, we told her the crab was very difficult to eat, and she said "that's what the crackers are for". Brilliant idea, unfortunately they never made it to the table and no one stopped by to check in until after the meal. We would have asked about that then, and probably asked where our drink order was that never arrived. Even leaving was a challenge, we had to ask 2 different staff members for our check, and the second one we had to ask 3 times. When he finally came back, he brought out a chocolate cake "on the house". Pro tip, if your table has clearly not enjoyed their time, and has asked you for a check 3 times, probably best to just bring the check so they can leave. read more

Main course was great, skip the soup, it was bland. Mocktail was overpriced. service was very slow.

Delayed food and when it came after 45mins it was cold and not fully cooked. Poor experience and costly for the quality of food and service provided. read more

I had Nirmal's Vegetarian Thai for lunch today. The rice, paneer, and thimble of raita were ok, but the dal was watery and french fries with manchurian sauce was absurd. I will never eat there again! read more

I've walked by a couple times and always say I need to try this place. I'm so glad I finally did! It's open later than almost every other place in pioneer square and that already made them a winner in my book. But then they blew me away with the food, flavors, and service. The space is wonderful. It has high ceilings and they've done a great job at making the space still feel intimate. Every single person we interacted with was friendly, kind, knowledgeable, and was focused on making sure we (and everyone in the restaurant) had a nice time. It was such a delight to have this level of care when dining. And then the food! Wow. They have about half and half veggie and non-veggie options. I had the Vegetable Kofta Curry and naan. It was phenomenal. You get to choose naan, rice, or roti as your side. Hot tip: eat with others and try all three! Each portion is enough to share. I will definitely be back. This place is a gem. read more

The ambience and atmosphere of Nirmal's is so lovely. The food is a little bit underseasoned for some of the dishes, for example the paneer Amritsar, but others like the biriyani were delicious. The vada pav was really stunning with a crispy crunchy layer in the sandwich and the chickoo ice cream is unusual and fun. The owner comes around to chat to the customers but wasn't able to help his staff when our table needed to cleared of dishes. Overall, I don't think I'd go back again but an ok experience. read more

A great place to go in Pioneer Square before a concert or a game. I was a big fan of the Vegetable Kofta Curry and Garlic Naan. We made a reservation through Yelp for 5:30 on a Thursday, right when it opened, which was super easy. There were only a couple other groups there early like us, but it got busy as we ate our dinner. Overall good experience! read more

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We did the restaurant week menu which was a lot of food for the price! It came with two full appetisers, mains and desserts for two people. Favorites- harra barra kebabs, both curries we tried The service was great and the owner/ manager (?) came and checked on us as well which was nice read more

Nirmal's - Lamb Vindaloo Chicken Tikka masala - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Love Nirmals. Been here for dinner twice and loved it both times. Appreciate that the menu changes a bit so it makes it fun to try new things. Laid back ambience and sometimes I have seen them give food to homeless people which is sweet. read more

Delicious food and owner is extraordinary!! We had a large group and all couldn't stop talking about this restaurant. Highly recommend!!

Got some pretty good Indian food from this restaurant in the historic Interurban Building. It happens to be one of the popular places in Pioneer Square. Nirmal's has a classy yet casual atmosphere with the prices being the only bad thing. A lot of the classics. There's many vegetarian options if looking to eat healthier. Came at lunch when it has smaller bites. It wasn't as busy so we got some good seats. There were a few at the bar, as well as plenty of tables. Bad thing is that it can get expensive. It's about $17 for appetizers, including Samosas. Even more for the entrees. We tried to keep a good budget here. Samosas were stuffed and full. These had a pretty good spiciness. Has a pretty okay menu if you're okay with paying more to get classic Indian food. It's on Occidental Avenue at Yesler Way in a building with lots of history. They close between lunch and dinner on the weekdays. read more

Nirmal's - Samosas - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Went to Nirmal's in Seattle and had such a lovely experience. The service was excellent, attentive, warm, and made us feel really welcome. The ambience is cozy and elegant without feeling stuffy, perfect for a nice dinner. The food truly stood out: modern Indian dishes that still taste comforting and home-like. You can tell a lot of care goes into both the flavors and presentation. Definitely a great spot if you're looking for elevated Indian food that still feels familiar and soulful. read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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This is probably my favorite Indian restaurant in the Seattle area. They have the most scrumptious pav with their misal which already is excellent in itself. The menu is unique and has each dish stand out from the other. The service was excellent and the owner came to our table to make sure everything was up to the mark! He was very sweet and gave us a complimentary dish to try!! The dessert was so unique- I have never tried jackfruit icecream and I was completely blown away! Love the ambience as well. read more

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This is the best Indian food in Seattle- hands down. The flavors are authentic and different than what you'd get at any other Indian restaurant in the city. The atmosphere and service are amazing. read more