I came here for dinner because of all the good press, and was very disappointed. I knew the dishes weren't supposed to be authentic Indian, and accepted that, but I just didn't like any of their dishes. The small dishes in the thali were just mediocre, and their seafood dish had an overwhelming fishy smell that was unusual for a seafood dish. The stuffed chicken entree had great sauce but the meat was dry... also I wish their naan was more fluffy and soft. I think I was the most disappointed with their paneer dish, as it was so springy and rubbery... their servers were all generally nice, but I was quite annoyed when one of our servers kept coming to us every like 2 minutes to ask for our orders when we were still looking at the menus... read more

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We celebrated a birthday and retirement last night and it was perfection from the warm welcome, excellent service to the over the top amazing food. Executed to perfection the food was inspiring and everyone enjoyed their choices; lamb, chicken, veg and salmon. Don't hesitate make a reservation now. It is so worth it! read more

We tried the Vegetarian thalli and Meat platter, both were really good. Worth the price and enjoy the food. Good ambience as well.

Food was outstanding. Excellent vegan, dairy-fee, and gluten-free options. Service was exemplary. The owner of the restaurant came to our table to discuss the food, socialize, and ensure we were having an amazing time. Highly recommend. Might be my new favorite restaurant in Seattle. read more

An excellent lunch experience from start to finish. Warm, inviting atmosphere, and fresh, flavorful fare. While there are definitely some Indian mainstays (like Thali lunch we shared), they have great Indian-influenced sandwiches and rolls. We had the Tandoori Chicken Vegetable Roll and it was fantastic! If you're in the Downtown Seattle area and you're lamenting the lack of Indian options, definitely hit up Nirmal's for lunch! read more

Best Indian restaurant in Washington state. One of the best restaurants - period. Had the best time with the most delicious food. The naan in itself will make you want to go everyday. Our server Ryan treated us like family! Oliver the owner was so gracious as well. Highly recommend this for a date night, birthday, or just a sparkly treat! read more

We went to Nirmal's for an early dinner on a Saturday night. We had not made reservations, but they were able to seat us before it got too busy which we appreciated. The menu isn't your typical Indian buffet style fare, which is good...we've got plenty of those! We ordered a variety of dishes, but my favorite was the pork vindaloo. The meat was so tender and the sauce was amazing. Our server informed us that the tandoori dishes take longer than we might be used to. That was helpful, so we ordered that with the starter to get it going. They cook their tandoori chicken in the tandoori oven the whole time, no shortcuts. It shows. I'll definitely be checking Nirmal's out again, possibly for lunch too! read more

Went to this place for the first time this week. It's a small place with a nice vibe and excellent food. The menu offers many unique items without being pretentious and the wait staff is friendly and very accommodating. The owner came over and introduced himself and we had a nice chat. This place does allot to better their community which says a lot because they are in Pioneer Square. I am looking forward to going back there! read more

Super tasty thali style indian food with the option that they will bring you more of whatever dish you enjoy (at least, this was true at lunch). For 2 thali lunch options (we had the non-veg thai) plus chai, taxes, and tip, expect to pay $50. read more

Came here for dinner with my boyfriend and my parents. I made a reservation the night before on Yelp which was super convenient. Yelp even texted me the morning of to confirm my reservation. For 4 people we ordered the hara bara tikki and samosas to start. The tikkis were fantastic and definitely something unique you can't get everywhere. The samosas were okay but nothing too special. For dinner we ordered the sabzi khazana, yellow daal and the murgh patiala. The daal and cauliflower were great. The murgh patiala lacked a lot of flavor and was incredibly dry (the main reason for taking off a star). It was edible but I probably wouldn't order it again. The reason for taking off another star is that this place was more on the pricier side for Indian food. I haven't had a lot of Indian food in Seattle but I didn't think the food here was worth the price. Overall most of the food, the ambiance and the fantastic service would warrant another trip here but I'll probably stick to the veggie dishes! read more

Nirmal's is undoubtedly the best Indian restaurant in Seattle and the PNW. The food is not only finger-licking delicious, but also extremely authentic. The place has a hip, quirky vibe and the cocktails are great. Don't miss the salted lassi! It wasn't on the menu but spot on! We also got to try the mango ice cream which tastes like real mangoes! read more

Review is for lunch, I still want to go back to try the dinner menu. We had the thali and a tandoori platter. The meat in the platter was dry and did not have the juiciness I would expect in a restaurant that knows how to "tandoor" meat. The Thali was on the whole blah and overpriced. The vegetables were under-seasoned and borderline bland, this is what someone would get in india if you are sick or in a hospital. The fish in the thali however was exceptional, best indian fish curry I have had in seattle area including aahar. The carrot halwa (dessert) was excellent. I doubt I am every going back for lunch and getting a thali, I might get the a la carte meat curry though. read more

Best Indian food in Seattle! Great atmosphere and amazing service. The owner is an amazing man & his food represents his care and pride! If you eat Indian food you must come here. My dad loves it and it's the first time I've gotten him to eat Indian food in 10 years. read more

Nirmal's - Daily lunch special! The pork is out of this world. - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Small portions for lunch at premium price. Everyone was left hungry in our party. Service was really slow at lunch even though the place was only half full. 15 min just to get water. Flavors were great though, would eat again if portion size or price were fixed. read more

Bland, bland, bland. I was looking forward to this meal as I was craving some serious Indian food. But alas, I left feeling so much disappointment and hated that we spent the money we did without either my husband or so feeling satisfied. We ordered an appetizer (cannot recall the name) but little patties of jalapeno, spinach, garbanzo, etc served with their chutneys. This was very good and the chutneys were flavorful and spicy. Main entrees were the Murgh Mughlai and the Palak Paneer. Here's where things with south. Both were so bland, lacking a depth in flavor. When we inquired with our server about this, she suggested more chilies for spice but it wasn't the heat factor that could've repaired it alone. I also asked for more chutneys hoping this would help. But, I have to be honest...this was some of the worst Indian food ether of us has eaten and we love Indian food. Our bill for a drink, appetizer and 3 meals plus naan and rice (lame to pay for rice) was over $60 and we were just overly disappointed. Save your money. read more

We had a wonderful experience for dinner here as we were looking for authentic Indian cuisine. We were not disappointed. Nirmal, the chef, had clearly gone back to his roots and prepared some lovely Mangalorean and Goan dishes that brought back as many memories as it did finger licking moments. I appreciate the attention to the time intensive, labor intensive prices that real Indian cooking takes and will be bringing my other Mangalorean friends here in the future. The wait staff was very attentive, knowledgeable and pleasant. The owner is a very friendly, engaging personality who's entirely happy to carry on an extended conversation about the cuisine, the chefs experience, his philosophy on food or even the different cuisines from various parts of India that they are planning on introducing. Overall, this is one the best experiences I've had for an Indian restaurant in Seattle. read more

Definitely the best indian restaurant in seattle - in terms of food quality, service and ambience. It took us a while to get seated despite having a reservation, as they're super packed (understandable!) we went during the Mumbai street food special and tried a couple of items, everything was really good. Special mention to the misal pav -beyond amazing for us standards! The entrée portion sizes are medium and not large unlike standard Indian restaurants. read more

The vegetable curry wasn't cooked right. It was overdose of Indian spiced powders. The balance just wasn't right. The spices were also undercooked. Needs the right amount of spices cooked right . Very disappointing read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Sub-par Indian food for on par prices. I originally went to try the lunch thali but was told they don't serve those on the weekend. The restaurant had about 5 patrons in it. The service was excellent, the food was not. The burji (Indian egg scramble) I got had a lot of cumin, nothing else was really tasted. the chai had a really rich color, but tasted like water with a hint of black tea. I would steer away for brunch. Might give this place a try for lunch when they're serving the Thalis. 1 star for food 5 stars for service Avg rating 3/5. read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I came here excited to try a new Indian place near my work. We waited for probably 45 minutes for our food during lunchtime but before the place was full. read more

I had the Tandoori Vegetable plate for lunch - it was fantastic, and I don't say that often. I don't know which I liked better, the big mushrooms or the crunchy okra. Everything on the plate was delicious, including the small green salad, and filling enough for lunch. The chai tea was a warming accompaniment. The waiter was fast, friendly, and knowledgable. read more

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Two stars for ambience and decor... the rest, not deserving of much. We were seated after waiting awhile at an empty host stand. The papadums were served somewhat quickly, but only after we finished were the chutneys delivered. The food: the "award winning stuffed chicken" was dry and drenched in a soup's worth of sauce- I'm guessing to cover up the dry chicken. The paneer masala was super sweet. It almost tasted like a pumpkin curry. The paneer was very tough. Not to mention, the waitress dropped the bowl of paneer masala on the table, splashing it onto my lap and nearby jacket. There was no apology or attempt to make amends. I was so disappointed by the food and service after having such high hopes. I will not be returning, unfortunately. read more

This place was amazing. Hands down the best Indian food I ever had. Every dish on Thali platter was well seasoned and can't complain about anything. I had seafood thali and the sauce was so good I ate everything on it. We will definitely go back for more. read more

Nirmal's - Seafood thali - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Amazing food and service, lovely atmosphere, well worth the price. Plates are large enough to share but also a good size for a personal entree. Definitely go for the garlic naan and rice with your meal. read more

I had been looking forward to eating at Nirmal's because a number of friends had recommended the place. Tried their lunch thali (chicken). Although we did not have a reservation they were able to accommodate us on a Thursday afternoon. The food: naan was perfect, some of the curries including dal were good. The cauliflower was too oily. Chicken gravy had too much tomatoes imho. The owner is pleasant, but the waitstaff left much to be desired. They were okay, but gave off the impression that they were disorganized. For the food, it might seem expensive. However, given the ambience and location in Pioneer sq, it might be worth it if you are dining out with folks with a western palate. It you are looking for authentic indian thalis or an indian feast, this is not the place. read more

The food is great and ambiance is nice too. My favorites at this place are kulfi and ras malai. Three stars because these guys lack in service, pretty slow in getting the table ready. We had to wait 20 mins for our table even after reservation. The food comes out after a long wait. We went there twice and it happened both the times. But I would definitely go there again for ras malai. read more

I enjoyed the food. We had a wide variety and everything was good. The place was so loud and noisy, however, that I couldn't hear half the conversation. Street parking is not easy. read more

Enroute home last night from my dining experience at Nirmal's or more appropriately AbNirmal's would be a more fitting name. I was torn between being brutally honest or blatantly insensitive. For starters, our party of 4 made reservations which were met, however, on this particular evening after 6:00 p.m. we were drenched by a unexpected downpour. We entered the restaurant and were received by the hostess who showed us to our table. As we walked I was astonished to discover upon sitting down that we were left to fend for ourselves i.e. there were no accommodations for our outerwear i.e. no coat check/rack or even mention to offer hanging our coats. Your only option(s) were to put your coat on the back of your chair (if it was a short jacket). Unfortunately, this wasn't my case. I had on a full-length trench coat. My only option(s) were to set it on the floor beside me or fold it up and hold this wet coat in my lap. I opted for the latter with annoyance. The wait staff seemed indifferent in assisting me with this dilemma. As for the restaurant wait staff i.e. our waiter, in particular, seemed a bit abrupt and impatient. I found this unusual for a person in his position, especially when the restaurant was relatively slow in business at 6:00 p.m. He was attentive initially, but quickly became less patient and more agitated after visiting our table several times as we were still undecided while getting settled in from being drenched from the promenade to Nirmals! After his 3rd attempt for an order we finally decided on drinks. Instead of our waiter delivering them, a waitress came and did his bidding. It was another awkward moment as she dispersed the drinks and failed at that attempt? We had to intervene and exchange our drinks as a result. Now for the food. Although our waiter who struggled to maintain a professional and courteous demeanor, his abruptness, impatience and disgruntled demeanor was very recognizable in spite of his failed attempt at professionalism. He took our order with what seemed to me a combination of subtle chagrin, annoyance and displeasure. My partner ordered the 1/2 portion tandoor chicken which turned out to be 2 pieces consisting of an attached thigh with leg! This is what they consider a 1/2 of a chicken? I ordered the Prawn Rassa more aptly named Pygmy Prawn Na da .I couldn't believe my eyes upon receipt of this dish placed in front of me!!! It was a soup bowl half filled with a flavorful sauce (one positive) and at first, I was wondering if this dish was indeed the prawn dish (i.e. marine crustacean which resembles a large shrimp) that I ordered. I thought there must have been some sort of mistake? Was I chosen to be on America's Funniest Home Video's that evening? However, after analyzing the dish more closely with an electron microscope (I always seem to have to carry one whenever I dine out) as I occasionally run into these particular situations. After a very careful examination and analysis there indeed was evidence of something "akin" to a shrimp or more fittingly a schrimp! It resembled something in stark contrast to a prawn. When the menu item mentions the word "prawn" my mind immediately envisions a crustacean of substantial size i.e. a large sized shrimp NOT small sized rock shrimp that fisherman use as bait! It was appalling and shocking to discover that my order was nothing more than a dipping sauce devoid of Prawns? I think if my traumatized memory still serves me well, there consisted a total of 4 of these tiny so-called prawns that I to be quite honest, would be embarrassed to serve to my patrons if I was the owner of this restaurant! They served me this dish without any shame!!! I was astonished and baffled if I may be so bold to state. On a more positive note, my guests were quite pleased with their order of lamb and chicken dishes as they had nothing but praise and accolades as they enjoyed their dining experience at AbNirmals! In summary, I would highly NOT recommend this restaurant to any of my friends, colleagues or enemies for that matter. There are many other options that will rival Nirmal's and even eclipse their offerings in the category of Indian Cuisine. However, if you have a taste for marginal Indian food and have already undergone Gastrointestinal by-pass surgery this is the place for you! read more

Nirmal's Seattle- A dining experience one can avoid. Firstly, the place stinks of wet grass/ wood. I think it's because of the new furniture, but this problem needs to be fixed. Secondly, the number of items on the menu is limited and very ordinary. Thirdly, the taste of food is bland and below average. We did not get reservation when we visited last week. So wanted to check out what the hype is all about. I was excited to visit Nirmal's but was disappointed as soon as we sat down. I do understand that the place is new but that is not an excuse to improve the taste of the few items that are on the menu/ thali. Even the restaurant looks like a dingy dark corner which needs an upgrade. Sorry to give my honest feedback among all the stellar reviews present here. read more

This is an amazing Indian restaurant. Certainly the best in Seattle. Love their Hara Bhara Tikkis and Bharwan Shimla Mirch!

Finally something beyond sandwiches in Pioneer Square! Having a non-buffet Indian restaurant is very welcome! I had the meat Thali and got a great sampling of a vast array of dishes ranging from soup to curry to an awesome deconstructed carrot cake dessert. I think next time I'll settle on just one entree, but the Thali is great if you are indecisive. I can't quite describe how this food is different from others beyond saying it doesn't feel so heavy. Not everything is a thick coconut / cream base and I like that. The space is very open, it could use some work feeling cozier, but I imagine this works great for larger lunch groups. read more

Out of this world! Good food, great service! Tender and spicy chicken! Felt pampered totally!! Authentic, flavorful, fresh food! Amazing hospitality! Very nostalgic! Surely a keeper...can't wait to come back!!! read more

Clean restaurant, atmosphere is pleasant, food has lots of flavor. Servers help assist which items are spicier than normal so you may enjoy your meal. read more

Food is delicious - they've still maintained a reasonably good quality. Service needs a serious upgrade. The restaurant was empty and the servers were just not interested in serving us. Missed on alcohol (as in we ordered and they never brought it!), and never once stopped by to ask if we needed anything - including filling water. Come here ONLY if time is not a concern and you're willing to be ignored. Otherwise, there's plenty of other places with delicious food and good service nearby. read more

On a one day/night visit to seattle on our way from the UK my partner had researched this restaurant as we never had an 'Indian' while we were away. Nicholas our server was knowledgable and enthusiastic and made the overall service seemless. The Food was outstanding with some interesting new takes on the classic dishes, specially the Rack of Lamb which had so many amazing flavours. We are from Vancouver, B.C. and wish we had something as good as this at home! read more

Service was pretty good. Lunch menu was VERY LIMITED and no buffet. Dinner might be better. Not a good choice if you have food restrictions or sensitivities. Food was really bland. I don't like writing not so good reviews but feel being honest is important. read more

My husband and I had a great dinner. The owner Oliver came to our table and made a few suggestions. Every dish was delicious. You have to try the crab curry. The service was superb. Everyone was very friendly. We would definitely come back. read more

I've been looking for a while now for an Indian restaurant with great ambiance and great food. Don't know why this particular combination is so hard to come by (a notable exception is Mela in Asheville, NC). Sadly, Nirmal's doesn't deliver on this combination. Great location, ambiance, and service - but the food lacked flavor. read more

If you have a bad stomach and need some good comfort try this place. Pumpkin, potatoes, peanuts, carrots. Very few spices. I would venture to say.... bland. It seemed like something was left out of every dish. The vegetables looked like they came out of a frozen bag at QFC. The lamb shank was... just lamb. Nothing special; disappointing for being the most expensive dish on the menu. The basil mint can on Seattle cider was about the only thing with any interest on the table. Cool space but wouldn't go back. Staff really hustled. read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Small portions and confusing menu. Food was good. Service was good. I probably will try other places when I'm back in Seattle