Excellent spot for a fancier Indian dinner. Everything we tried here pops with spice and comes well presented. We started off ordering the Hara Bara Tikki fritters, which were crispy, flavorful and great with the provided chutneys. For our mains, we got the Yellow Daal Tadka and the Bharwan Simla Mirch. The daal was spot on and well-balanced with all its spices. It even had a bit of chili oil to give it a bit of zing, which was nice with roti on the side. The Bharwan Simla Mirch was an interesting stuffed pepper dish that I've never tried elsewhere before. The spicy tomato sauce was a little sweeter than I expected but the peppers were packed with a delicious mix of veggies and paneer. read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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My husband and I ate at Nirmal's while visiting Seattle. Great restaurant! Cool space, delicious food, and personable staff. And the owner is fantastic - chatted with us and even sent us home with a care package so we could make one of the delicious appetizers at home! We had such a nice experience, and this restaurant would be a regular place for us if we lived in Seattle! read more

We dined at Nirmal's as a party of 4, for dinner on a Saturday. Despite not having a reservation, we were able to be accommodated without a problem. We were seated at the center long table, set up family style. This was great, as it provided plenty of room for our group and allowed us to take on the ambiance of the restaurant. For drinks, we stuck to simple water, ginger beer and a chai. Two in the party went for the saoji chicken curry, one with the lamb, and one with the paneer masala. As described, the chicken and lamb were well flavored, spiced, and delicious. The star of the show for us all was the chocolate cake with chikoo ice cream. Delicious! This will be joining our list of go-to places for nights out. read more

Nirmal's - SAOJI CHICKEN RASSA - the flavors were as described on the tin - lovely smoky spice. - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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A warm & ambient place for family and friends to gather or a date night. Either way, you can't go wrong with Indian food here! It was hard to choose what to get because everything looks and sounds amazing- definitely ask the staff for their picks and they'll also have a hard time choosing. Highly recommend the rista palak- so much flavor and punch packed in the spinach, my taste buds were dancing read more

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Great food, lots of wonderful flavors and many vegetarian choices. Staff was helpful and explained the specials read more

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

We brought a group of seven here to celebrate a friend before he moved away for medical school. Our choice was based as much on convenience (near Smith Tower, where we wanted to have drinks) and the need to accommodate multiple diets (particularly vegetarian) as anything, but we could not have made a better choice. Oliver and his staff are Southeast Asian food anthropologists. They have tremendous knowledge of different regional cuisine styles and recipes, and regularly change up the menu to both take advantage of what is available locally and internationally, and to keep the menu fresh and diverse. This is not a dumbed-down takeout menu for Western sensibilities; their food showcases the grand diversity of Indian and other Southeast Asian cuisines, at various levels of heat, libraries of seasoning, and styles of cooking. Our group ordered across the menu - samosas (perfectly cooked, super flavorful) and paneer cubes to start, and a broad selection of dishes including vegetarian, fish, chicken, and red meat options, plus many breads to accompany everything. Our guest of honor had the Dungeness crab curry, a star of the night, but each dish was its own delight, from "humble" yellow dal to the Gujarati-style goat. Meanwhile the staff was consistently friendly, attentive, and skilled. Drink orders were regularly taken and promptly filled. Multiple servers and Oliver himself kept us feeling well cared for and like special guests. We got to hear about Oliver's encyclopedic knowledge of cuisines, his care for the diverse community in Pioneer Square, and his commitment to offering jobs and food to local unhoused people. An unforgettable meal both in terms of the food and the hospitality. We can't wait to come back. read more

I really enjoyed the food here. This is one of the best Indian places I've been to in Seattle. While I wasn't a huge fan of the location, the food made up for it. I went with my usual order and split the Paneer Makhan Masala and Vegetable Kofta Curry with my dinner buddy. Both were delicious (and I get these two things at almost every Indian place I go to). Service here is also great. Worth the trip to Pioneer Square even though it can be a little dicey sometimes. I'll come back. read more

Definitely recommend this place if you want good Indian food. I dined with someone from Mumbai, whom also agreed the food was great! To start we had the pav bhaji, which was delicious! It was very flavorful and the pav was toasted and buttered to perfection. For the meal we had the vegetable kofta curry, Dhingri Mutter, and garlic naan. The standout was definitely the Dhingri Mutter but the dumplings in the vegetable kofta was also amazing. This place is located in Pioneer square which isn't as crowded as Belltown so street parking was easy to find. There's also an open lot next to the building as well. read more

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The food and service left a lot to be desired. The restaurant looked nice inside. We ordered a few dishes but we got served after another party even though we ordered and arrived first. For the portions, $25 plus for 5 pieces of small bite sized chicken was not worth it. Masterclass is WILD. The food was pretty mid in my opinion and you're better off with more hole in the wall joints or even those buffets. read more

Had a dinner date here with a friend and I am so excited to share my review! Nirmal's is located in Pioneer Square - the place is super cute, intimate, non-pretentious. It is a great place to do on a date night. Lots of great menu options for every type of eater- my friend is vegetarian and I am an omnivore. We were both able to find things we can share together and also for me to order separately. Cocktail menu is amazing - I had a really hard time picking which cocktail to order. Lots of Indian inspired flavors! Super creative and delicious! For food, I ordered the Saoji Chicken Rassa. This was super flavorful and spicy (but not too spicy - although for people who can't handle their heat, this could be dangerous). My friend and I shared the Bharwan Simla Mirch (stuffed bellpepper) and a mushroom based curry (can't find the name on the menu on their website). Both were delicious! We also ordered Misal Pav, which was fun to eat (although we both initially struggled how to eat it). It was like an Indian sloppy joe with Indian chex mix (much better than American sloppy joe). Next time I come, I would love to try their dungeness crab curry! I usually eat my Indian food on the east side where I live, but I am willing to come out here to eat at Nirmals! read more

Nirmal's - Saoji chicken rassa - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Love it! Wanted to try something different and saw this place on Yelp so decided to give it a try. Spicy level is acceptable for people who don't normally eat spicy. Pav Bhaji 4/5 It comes w/ 2 buns but forgot to take picture before start eating. The bun is good compare to every where else I had. The sauce which is mixed vege is good too. Just it's more like regular mixed vege thick soup and as street foods $14 may seem a bit too much. However it's in Seattle not street food you get in Mumbai. Hara Bara Tikki 4-5/5 Fried mixed veges. Nice appetizers before the main dish. Nizami Goat Curry with Garlic Naan 4/5 It's good. I actually expected thick curry but this turned out more like soup? That why I gave it 4 but some people may love it this way. :) 2 appetizer 1 main dish for 2 people and we were so full that we were thinking to go. Over all it's good. Definitely want to go back for other items! Hope these information are helpful! read more

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The food and atmosphere is great. The entire staff was friendly and you can tell how much the owner cares for his restaurant. Will be coming back read more

They know how to cook beef + parotta Kerala style ! Must try beef ularthiyadhu which comes with 2 malabar parotta ( not paratha ) read more

Nirmal's - Beef ularthiyadhu - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Great drinks. Great dessert. Had a few minutes before our flight back to Portland so we stopped into this unassuming place. When we got inside we saw it was clean, modern and beautiful with a fun little bar in the middle of the restaurant. Service and appetizers were great too. We will be back to try the entire menu soon! read more

Outstanding restaurant. Came here for dinner with another couple and brought our 3 year old. He's a super picky eater so naturally we were worried (and brought backup food instead). The owner and staff were exceptionally accommodating, offering to make several off-menu items and they were super sweet with the kiddo making him feel right at home. That on its own was terrific. But the food itself was also on-point. It's a concise menu (a good thing) and everything we tried was A+. The vindaloo, dum biryani, samosa were all super. They even had these chili margaritas that were unique and excellent. Would absolutely go back anytime and highly recommend to anyone else. Great place, great atmosphere, great staff, great food. read more

This place is a spacious fancy Indian restaurant! I really enjoyed the ambiance and did family style with my friends. We got different dishes and the rice portions was a lot! The service was good and the hot rice takes a little bit of time but it is worth it because it is really good. Since the wait was longer they presented us with a dessert and it was perfect because we were celebrating two of friends bdays. I would definitely come back here! read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

This restaurant not only has amazing Indian food, but I'm more blown away by the customer service, the workers' down to earth personalities and friendliness. They make you feel so comfortable and want to make sure you have the BEST experience at the restaurant. I felt the people were genuine and warm-hearted in the brief time I was there. Okay, back to the food - their chicken biryani was delicious... an explosion of herbs and spices (in a really good way). I do wish they could add more garlic in their garlic naan but I'm a garlic fanatic. The Saoji Chicken Rassa was spicy but had a great kick which complemented well with the chicken and butter naan. The ambience is perfect for a date or a night out. Just beware of the parking. The parking garages are ~$30 and they're not secured (homeless people are doing shady activities inside). Besides that, you have street parking which will be difficult to find. Definitely returning for my Indian food fix soonnn! read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Love this place as always! Especially their Vada Pao and Chicken Saoji Rassa. We also tried their Missal Pav which was not bad. read more

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We went here for my husband's bday celebration and so glad we did it. One of the most amazing Indian food experiences we have had in Seattle. Everything from Appetizers to Desserts were so flavorful and perfect. We are definitely coming here for more! Harabhara kebab - the dish dint look that appealing, but trust me the flavors were quite good. Vada pav - this is a must have if you are from Mumbai. Reminded me of street side food. Nothing too fancy. Just pav, wada and peanut chutney. This pav is hands down the best best best pav I have had in US - perfect Mumbai feel :) Chicken angare and Paneer Tikka - Again pretty good! Char flavor was coming in so well Veg Kofta - This probably was the most average dish we had. Soaji Chicken - Wow! Again took me back to Mumbai. Chikoo Ice cream with cake - This was recommend on their menu, though I felt it was ok. Ice cream was good, but cake was bit sweet for my taste. My kid loved it though and finished it :) I would like to add the owner is probably the sweetest person I have met in Seattle. He was so nice and kept recommending some amazing dishes! Definitely an awesome experience! Can't wait to be back here - we don't mind the drive :) read more

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Heard a lot of good reviews about this place when were in Seattle. This place gets booked pretty quickly, so we took a reservation well in advance. 1. We ordered the crab curry with a side of rice and roti. This dish was on the pricier end but was totally worth it. Just be ready to get your hands dirty :P 2. We also ordered the chocolate cake which was so decadent. Overall the food was delicious and service was really good. Would definitely visit again, especially for the crab curry. read more

Nirmal's - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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The entire experience just okay. We had a decent enough meal here, but would never rush to come back. We ordered tikka masala, tandoori chicken, garlic naan, samosas, and their "award winning" cake. I thought the tikka masala and naan were great and flavorful, but the samosas were dry and the cake was not only a disappointment, but also a waste of my time, calories, and money. Service was slow, but I had nice company so it didn't bother me too much. Overall, I would not come back on my own free will, but will not object if someone wanted to come here. read more

Nirmal's - "Award winning" cake . - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Nirmal's is such a lovely, kind, and wonderful place! We came here with a party of 11 with several dietary restrictions and Oliver and the entire staff were so accommodating, and made us feel right at home. They helped us find lots of gluten-free and dairy-free options, and even brought us specially made dishes to ensure everyone was well taken care of. The building is also a beautiful old train station, giving it a cozy but elegant vibe that we loved. Also- the chicken rassa was fantastic!!! Personally, this was the best food I had while in Seattle. So much love from South Carolina! read more

This was one of the best Indian food restaurants I've ever been to. The food was amazing and had an incredible flavor depth. The hospitality was amazing, the owner was so welcoming and kind. Our waitress was so helpful and attentive. Their restaurant was beautiful and historic. Definitely worth stopping by and trying. read more

Finally! A restaurant that serves AUTHENTIC INDIAN CUISINES! I say cuisines because Indian food is more than just tikka masalas and makhanis and this place covers more than just the Northern region of the country. They have a section of the menu that is rotating and covers different regions of India. I've tried 3 cuisines, one of which was from my local region, and I can assure you the flavors are authentic! My favorite dish in this place is Mumbai Vada Pav. Hands down, the best vada pav I've had in the country. The pav (bread) served is very soft and melts in the mouth. We've also tried Tandoori Chicken, Chicken angare which were very delicious. If you are interested in experimenting with spices, I'll highly recommend their Saooji gravy which is very delicious and is blast of flavors. Last but not least, you have to try their Chikoo Ice cream with Chocolate cake! The service is great, no complaints! The owner is very friendly and it's always a pleasure to talk to him. Try this place if you want to explore what real Indian food is! You will not be disappointed! read more

I am wistful for the early days of Nirmal's, when the food was inventive and high quality and the service attentive. The dishes from the Restaurant Week prix fixe menu that I and my friends ordered were ordinary. Not bad, but not great. The level one can find at just about any hole-in-the-wall Indian joint. I went on the last day of Restaurant Week. The place was about 1/2-3/4 full. I would think that by the end of that week, and given the limited menu choices, the service would have been speedy, but we waited about 20 minutes after getting our drinks to order, and each of the three courses were very slow to arrive. Not sure whether they were short staffed or disorganized or disinterested. They only asked once if we wanted another drink. The owner was affable and chatty. read more

Top notch!! Went here with my husband and a friend for a small get together. We ordered Saoji chicken: The gravy was too good, the chicken seemed frozen a bit, but still one of the best chicken curries Stuffed Capsicum: Very unique( in a good way) vegeterians go for this!! Samosas: They were crispy, Great masala Hara bhara kabab: The best !! Naan, Roti: Naan was but like kulcha, Roti was good Complimentry Chatney: just so good!! Great hospitality . The manager is polite makes you feel happy to be here, Staff is courteous as well read more

Nirmal's - Sutffed Capsicum - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Good ambience, food was good too but a little mellow for my taste. We tried their Vegetable Kofta Curry, Murgh Patiala and Chicken Saoji Rassam - Saoji food is supposed to be spicy but it was really mild. My favorite was Vegetable Kofta curry. Most of my vegetarian friends love this place which makes me think their vegetarian food is better than their non-veg. Their location seems to be in a shady area. We went there around 8pm and there were a bunch of homeless people and druggies around, I think this used to be one of the happening areas back in the day but it is pretty deserted now. Overall it's a decent up scale Indian restaurant to check out read more

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Amazing restaurant in pioneer square! Lovely atmosphere, amazing service and delicious food. Came for my birthday dinner and had the briyani - note that they make this fresh so it takes longer but I thought it was worth it! The dish came out pipping hot and the goat was really tender. I ordered naan on the side since I love bread and it was fluffy and warm. Our server heard it was my birthday and brought us a mango ice cream dessert! It was so good and creamy it tasted just like a mango lassi. Later the owner came up to check on us and asked the server to get us a cake for my birthday! It was a huge slice of chocolate cake that tasted SO delicious. I really loved how they care about their customers. The restaurant is on the pricier side in comparison to other Indian restaurants but I love Indian food so I will be back for a special occasion again! Thank you Nirmals :) read more

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Had an unfortunate experience on our recent visit to Seattle. The menu was overrated and missing some classics; more so the items they did have were sub par. Our waiter was terrible, he barely knew the menu and was unable to support with food options. The server brought the wrong item to our table due to him incorrectly putting in the order. They took the item off the table, and the owner proceeded to scold him infront of us. The food was dry, over fried, and overtly spicy. The lamb nihari was our biggest disappointment. It was so over cooked, dry, tough, and when we spoke with the owner about it he tried to counteract us instead of be supportive. Overall, I wouldn't return, but the concept is cool. Maybe the chef had a bad day, but our experience was less than pleasurable. read more

Took my out of state family for dinner. Ambiance and service were very good. Loved the kofta dish

We have been wanting to try this place for a really long and and were finally able to make it to this place. It definitely lives up to the hype! The food is beyond delicious. Finally a restaurant that serves authentic Indian food. My favorite dish has to be the Saag Kofta, it has just an amazing spin on the usual kofta curry. Loved the flavor profile that saag added to the dish. If you are interested in experimenting with spices, I'll highly recommend their Saooji gravy which is very delicious and is blast of flavors. Just a tip, its on the spicier side and you can certainly feel the heat after a few spoons. Last but not least, you have to try their Chikoo Ice cream with Chocolate cake! The cake is a little decadent for my choice but my husband loved it. I absolutely loved the chikoo ice cream. Coming to the service experience. The owner is very friendly and it was a pleasure to talk to him. But we unfortunately feel like we got the worst server. Firstly he started rushing us saying that the kitchen was closed. Then he completely avoided us as we were trying to order desert. While ordering he said that the kitchen was closed and he can't promise anything and just left keeping us wondering what was happening. When it was time to ask for our bill, he was nowhere to be seen. At this point all the other customers had left and me and my husband were the only ones in the restaurant. To our surprise, all the wait staff were in the back cleaning up for the night, leaving us just waiting in the main restaurant which seemed a bit odd. After about 10-15 mins I asked the first person I saw for the check and she was a little rude to me and my husband as well. I would give -1 for the service if I could. The food however is extremely delicious but me and my Husband both were of the opinion that next time we would just do a take-out instead of being treated so badly. read more

Nirmal's - SAOJI PATODI RASSA - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Nirmal's has fantastic Indian food, best in Seattle I think. Part of their menu is usually a rotating regional specialty and every time we have been there the owner has come out and greeted every table. read more

Food was amazing, but service was slow - a waiter blamed it on his coworkers when he took our order. It took about an hour to get dessert after we finished dinner. We were there for a total of three and a half hours. read more

Nirmal's - Paneer Makhan Masala; VEGETABLE KOFTA CURRY - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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I love Nirmal's. Their thali is delightful, especially paired with a masala chai. Based on a recent lunch there it appears they no longer have the broad menu they used to and are doing only thali options, veg or non-veg. They also do additional portions of things you'd like seconds of (part from naan). I look forward to visiting again. read more

I have been meaning to try this place out for years but my own procrastination and the universe kept findings ways to put off my visit. Its in Pioneer square so parking always sucks, so i ended up here on a sunday evening when parking is marginally better? Stuff tried: Hara bara tikki: i have never had this appetizer before but i love it! Sort of a fritter-like snack, cross between a falafel and a pakora. More please! Samosa: i am a sucker for samosas and always impulse buy them whenever i see them on the menu. And of course they are on every indian menu. Inside were the standard potato, peas, onions and cumin. Fried outer dough was yummier than most places! I am not sure what their secret is but i want more. Paneer makhan masala: or paneer butter masala. It is so buttery and sweet in a good way. You will be shmearing this on rice and naan trying to lick every last drop of it up. Garlic naan: nicely lightly charred and a great scooping option to wipe any gravy off your plate (or to go container). Their menu changes between lunch and dinner so plan your expectations accordingly. I am intrigued by some of their specials I see on other posts! Will be back! read more

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All of our dishes were delicious, and by default (as we didn't specify otherwise) spiced at the 3-4 stars out of 5 level, which made for a very lively and tasty meal read more

Food was okay overall, best thing was the garlic naan. Service is good but the value wasn't great.

My friend and I went as soon as they opened at 5:30 on a Wednesday night and good thing we did because it got packed! I loved the ambiance of the place. The ceilings were incredibly high, making the space feel much more spacious than it was. Don't get me wrong, it was a decent-sized space with lots of seating and there was a large long table right in the middle of the restaurant, made for large groups. This was the only Indian restaurant I've ever been to that gave a little free appetizer in the beginning. It was a crispy spiced cracker that was super delicious! My friend and I ordered the dum chicken biryani and paneer makhai masala with naan to share. When we ordered the biryani, the waiter warned us that it would take 45 minutes for them to make, but let me tell you, it was well worth the wait. It comes with a raita and oh my goodness, this was probably the best biryani I've ever had. The chicken was so juicy, the rice was perfectly spiced, it was incredible. And although the bowl looked tiny, don't be fooled because it was more than enough food. The paneer masala also looked like it wasn't enough at first because it looks like they gave very little paneer cubes, but again, don't be fooled because the paneer cubes are gigantic and the plate was deeper than it looked. The sauce itself is a little bit sweet but we asked for it to be spicy and we got a spicy paste and wow, I have no idea how they make the spicy paste but it was EXTREMELY spicy and a little sour so be careful! Definitely try it first before dumping a spoonful into your curry like I did. The spicy paste was so good though I would buy it if they sold it! Overall, the paneer dish was absolutely delicious and paired very well with the naan. I think the most disappointing part of the entire experience was the naan itself. It was pretty plain and didn't taste very garlicky at all. But it was still pretty decent! I'm glad it wasn't dripping in oil. By the time it was 6, the place was packed, so you know it's a good restaurant and the waiters and waitresses are all very friendly and efficient at their job. Although this restaurant is a bit on the pricier side with the biryani being $21 and the paneer being $25, I actually think it was worth it for the quality of the dishes, the service, and the amount of food that you get. read more

Nirmal's - Paneer Makhai masala, dum chicken biryani, and garlic naan - Indian Near Me - Seattle, Washington

Had the stewed lamb shank - spicy lamb forward flavor. Delicious. Saag kofta - great silky sauce with a lovely mild yet delicious flavor. Chicken biryani - not a biryani expert by any means. The taste was good but the chicken got a little dry. Vada pav - delicious and the tomato chutney is the stuff dreams are made of but insanely pricey for two. Service forgot our order three times but Nirmal himself is a peach of a human. Food is fancy, but tasty. I'm not Indian so I can't speak to authenticity but I'm also starting to hate that word so I'll say this - food is good. Full stop. read more

This place was great! So airy and open inside and cute with the exposed brick. Our server was excellent. We also had what looked like the manager or owner check in on us which was really nice. Food was great. It is on the pricy side for Indian (elevated / modern Indian) but worth it. The paneer starter was not only delicious but a big portion. Might have been my favorite Indian appetizer I've had. The samosas were nice too... lots of filling. For entrees we shared a chicken biryani and two masala dishes (I think that's what they're called?) All delicious. The garlic naan and butter naan could not have been more perfect with the dishes. The spicy level was also impressive. Great date night spot or just a place to get together with friends. Elevated but not in a stuffy or forceful way. read more

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