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    Rivayat

    4.8 (48 reviews)

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    Ami A.

    Amazing Indian food in a beautiful setting! This restaurant has an extensive menu with unique dishes you wouldn't expect on an Indian menu (although they have the classic favorites too!) Came with a friend and shared three large dishes-the Gun Powder Dosa filled with potatoes came with three standout sauces including a fabulous masala, Hariyli Paneer also delicious with a mint chutney sauce, grilled veggies and a side salad and the Toddy Shop Beef Fry which was melt in your mouth delicious! Each dish was filled with flavor and a balance of sweet and spicy. Definitely elevated Indian cuisine. Make a reservation and prepare to be wowed!

    Forget the name of it.  It was an appetizer. Peri something or other?  Interesting and different.  Probably the best part of the whole meal.
    Michael D.

    Really wanted to like this place. After all, the interior / ambiance was very nice. The service was impeccable. It was the food. Everything was extremely bland. We got the prawn korma, the lamb korma, a saag dish and garlic naan. Everything was very bland. I guess we should've ordered everything extra spicy, because there was very little flavoring on anything. Heck, even my non-alcoholic beer and Diet Coke were both flat. Oh well...I guess the quest for a good Indian restaurant in Charleston continues... One last thing: place is very expensive for what you get. We ended up dropping $250 with tip for a meal for two. I don't mind spending that kind of money if the food is great. Alas, it was not.

    Matthew B.

    This place is an absolute godsend! A friend told me about this place so I decided to stop in after a doctors appointment and I am so happy I did! I am relatively new to Indian food besides like buttered chicken so when looking at the menu I never know what to get. On their lunch menu they have an option for only $20 that includes naan, rice, and lets you choose from one vegetarian item and one meat item. So I took this as the perfect opportunity to explore my options. I asked the bartender to select hit favorite options for both and he did not disappoint! The vegetarian dish was creamy with a touch of coconut and the meat selection was spicy red sauce and came packed with flavor! I will educate myself on this glorious cuisine and Rivayat shall be my teacher! Looking forward to going back again and again!

    Papadum tray
    Anne O.

    What a beautiful spot! We started our meal with Papdum and chutney..for me, a must. We each had a cocktail..one a reimagined margarita with salt foam, and the other a tamarind gin cocktail...both were amazing! For our meals I had the appetizer mussels, not over powered in spices and delicious. My husband loved his butter chicken at spice level 3. We also had samosas and they were tender and flavorful. Everything is a la carte, so expect a pricey date night...but the food was so good it was worth it. Our servers were wonderful, and attentive. Couldn't ask for better. The low was in the welcoming, or lack there of. We made our reservation through resy, confirmation in my hand on my phone. But because they didn't see it, it was a full 5 minutes of rude and uncomfortable questioning and standing there as they wonder what to do, before putting us in a dark wall corner. Mind you, 5 pm and the place was empty, nor did it fill in the less than 90 min we were there. It really was a sad start to what was supposed to be a nice evening supporting a restaurant family we have loved.

    Masala chai
    John B.

    I stopped in specifically because the label said creative Indian cuisine, and a more detailed read, suggested that they were trying to bring the flavors of Kerala. However, dinner reservations were hard to get so I stopped in for lunch. At lunch, they didn't really live up to the premise in the sense that the menu was pretty basic. It was a pleasant atmosphere and they have decorated the space well. It is a smaller space and does not have outdoor seating unlike many other local restaurants. From the lunch menu, I was able to get a small thali with chickpeas, paneer, one chutney, rice, and bread. The paneer dish brought a little bit of spice and it was a pleasant meal. It seemed like they were still working the kinks out on their services. I ordered a chai but had to wait for it until I was basically done with my actual food. It had a strong flavor and I didn't require any of the basic sweetener options they provided. I'm appreciative of what they're trying to do, and I would like to stop in and sample the full menu sometime.

    Spring croquettes
    Linda W.

    Lovely dining room and nicely appointed table. Service was a little standoffish, it wasn't busy but other than keeping my water glass refilled, no one asked how my food was or if I wanted another glass of wine. The food is very good but I found it expensive for what it was - 3 croquettes, and tiny oysters broiled in tandoori butter were small appetizers for the price. The meen manga fish, nicely cooked swordfish pieces, was very good and the rice with it was excellent. The spice olive cake was a huge slice and tasty but it really needed a sharp knife because there's thick, rather tough, slices of carmelized pineapple layered in it.

    Menu
    Elizabeth S.

    Rivayat had some seriously delicious and tasty food!! We started off with an order of Calicut Calamari as an app: very tasty but had more of a rubbery feel as it wasn't fried up. Drinks: we ordered the Aam Panna (left) and Coconut Lassi (right). Very yummy although you had to search for the liquor a bit. Entrees: I had the butter chicken and my friend chose the lamb vindaloo medium spice. Heads up: the medium spice is spicy (but also not spicy enough to make you doubt a spicier option if that makes sense.) the plates came with a decently sized portion of rice and there was just enough food to take back a little bit of leftovers for lunch the next day. The plate portion was decently sized however the sauce to meat ratio was off for our plates(not a bad thing though, the sauce was terrific!) we also ordered a side of garlic naan which suited the meal deliciously. Waiter was very kind and friendly offering his favorite selections and explaining menu items. We recognize this is a new restaurant downtown at the time we went so service was a bit slow to bring our plates. You can tell they put a pretty penny for the establishment as the ambiance is nice and elegant although it is a smaller building so you are likely to sit close to another table. Overall, super tasty food and would likely dine here again. :)

    Malai, pistachio, cardamom and mango ice cream, Light "graham cracker like" bottom Raspberry swirl
    Karen L.

    Lunch photos First time trying the lunch service at Rivayat. Portions were great, just right and the restaurant offers a lunch special everyday. Lovely dark themed relaxing environment and a great space to unwind during the day.

    atmosphere
    Tatum B.

    i've only had Indian food about once or twice but this place definitely makes me want to eat Indian food as a more frequent meal. i got the garlic and cheese kulcha as an appetizer and it was so delicious, the sauce that came with it was perfectly spicy. for a meal i got the chicken tikka masala and it was so good, so much flavor. the service was wonderful and the atmosphere was so nice. it was fancy but not too fancy, had the same vibes as a jazz bar. the only thing i wish was that they played indian music, it was all american music. i 100% recommend this restaurant!

    Honey cardamom gelato
    Julie H.

    I absolutely fell in love with this restaurant the first time I dined here! The atmosphere is so stylish and cozy - the decor, lighting and music are just right for a delicious meal and great conversation. The staff are extremely gracious and knowledgeable. We started with the unique and delicious Pani Puri - delicate bites with the flavored Pani changing daily. The curries here are out of the world amazing! We ordered butter chicken, Dhaba chicken, and pork Vindaloo. Each dish came with rice and the portions are generous! The garlic naan is a must do. For dessert, the honey cardamom gelato was phenomenal. I can't wait to dine here again!

    Entrees
    Kat T.

    It was super cute in there. The staff was great! Everyone was really nice and helpful! Started off with a Coconut Lassi for my drink. I didn't love this. Ended up switching with my friend and had her chai expresso martini. It could've been more chai for me. 7/10 Then had the Pani Puri, Tandoori Oysters & Spring Croquettes as our appetizers The Pani Puri are hands down the best thing of the night for me! It comes with a different Pani each time ours was blueberry and the flavored profile was just amazing! 15/10 The Tandoori oysters were also good but were small since it's not oyster season the flavor was good. I bet they are even better during season. 8/10 The spring croquettes were delicious and came with a delicious dipping sauce kind of a spicy sweet chili with mayo. 9/10 For my entree I had the Chemmeen Manga Curry. This would've been more amazing but it was a tad too spicy for me even though I asked for mild. It was definitely the spiciest entree on our table. But the flavoring was good! I would rank it higher if I wasn't slightly dying the entire time I was eating it. 8.5/10 We also got rosemary naan which I loved! Great to dip in my curry! 10/10

    Kingslayer Beer
    Maxine C.

    This place was delightful! The lunch special comes with a good amount of food, everything is flavorful and well cooked! Loved the spice factor. The staff were very kind! Soft and intimate ambience indoors.

    The center area of the restaurant. It's empty because we are here late! It was completely full.

    Our concierge at our hotel "Zero George" recommended this resturant. It passed our expectations of Indian food! The service was excellent. The atmosphere fantastic! The food perfect. It's truly a restaurant with fantastic Indian food and the charm of the South. If you like Indian food or if you've never tried Indian food go here! You'll be glad you did.

    Dhaba Chicken and

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    3 months ago

    The food here is great, hard to find good indian in downtown but this place is great. The service was great.

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    Spectacular. Food was incredible. Great Service amazing food. Very cool little spot. You are paying fine dining prices though.

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    Taste Of India

    Taste Of India

    3.9(270 reviews)
    3.4 miWest Ashley
    $$

    This place is absolutely wonderful! The food is amazing and reasonably priced. We went for dinner…read moreand the staff were so kind and welcoming. Excited to go back for the buffet! It's a very clean and inviting atmosphere.

    I walk into Taste of India in West Ashley and immediately my brain is like CURRY. CURRY. CURRY. The…read moreair smells yellow and red and brown all at once, like every spice in the universe had a meeting and decided this was the place. Turmeric? Yes. Cumin? Absolutely yelling. Cardamom whispering secrets in the corner. Menu too big. Brain too small. Butter chicken staring at me like it KNOWS me. Vindaloo threatening my future. Saag paneer glowing green like it's radioactive but in a comforting way. I order too much. Always too much. Curry math is fake anyway. Food arrives. Time stops. Sauce everywhere. Rice soaking it up like a sponge that trained for this moment its entire life. First bite: boom--warm, rich, spiced, comforting, slightly aggressive. Second bite: why am I sweating? Third bite: I would defend this curry in court. Naan shows up late but forgivable because it's soft, pillowy, and clearly designed to shovel curry into my face faster. Garlic naan specifically--because I respect myself. Curry on the naan. Curry on the plate. Curry on my soul. Everything is curry now. I am curry-adjacent. By the end I'm full, euphoric, mildly confused, and absolutely convinced I could eat here twice a week and never emotionally recover--but in a good way. Taste of India isn't subtle. It's not quiet. It's curry curry curry lots of curry and I would like more, please.

    Photos
    Taste Of India - Decor

    Decor

    Taste Of India - Kadahi Chicken is the best, round 2!

    Kadahi Chicken is the best, round 2!

    Taste Of India - Garlic Naan

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    Garlic Naan

    Naan At Northwoods - Channa masala

    Naan At Northwoods

    4.5(145 reviews)
    11.9 mi
    $$

    I will admit, I love a good trough festival now and then, I mean a buffet ... the ultimate has…read morealways been the golden trough, a.k.a. golden corral, I am also a big fan of Chinese buffets .. but they are sort of like eating candy or drinking alcohol, it's fun, but it's not good for you, and you know you shouldn't! Looking for a Chinese buffet today, the map gave me a buffet choice of Naan. I'm very happy that I tried it, because it was truly amazing. Not just the flavors in the taste, this Indian buffet with straight up only Indian food was delicious. I will now drive home in a near comatose state in need of a nap. If you are on a health kick, and you are only eating one meal a day (OMAD), which I am trying to get into the routine of, I can see myself coming here again for my one meal!

    Meh. The Chicken 65 we received tasted more like yellow curry chicken than what Chicken 65 is…read moresupposed to be. It was weird and lazy. The Chicken Vindaloo had good spice, but the portion was disappointing -- I only got three pieces of chicken and two pieces of potato. The app tacos appetizer also weren't the same as they used to be. They previously featured a fried wonton wrapper with Chicken saucy Shizusan chicken, but whatever changes were made really missed the mark and ruined what used to be a favorite. Overall, the service could have been much better. I'd really love to see the restaurant return to the previous menu and quality. We won't be back.

    Photos
    Naan At Northwoods
    Naan At Northwoods - Tandoori chicken

    Tandoori chicken

    Naan At Northwoods - The indoor decor was very modern and beautiful.

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    The indoor decor was very modern and beautiful.

    Bombay Bazar & Indian Restaurant - Butter chicken and chicken vindaloo. Yum!

    Bombay Bazar & Indian Restaurant

    3.8(240 reviews)
    9.3 mi
    $$

    I've been coming here for our girls day lunch for a while and can not rave about it enough. The…read moreservice is quick professional and polite. We are seated immediately and drink orders are taken. We primarily get biryani and butter chicken then if we are feeling extra we get another dish and share among the table. We did just that today and got Chicken Tandoori and it didn't disappoint. The butter chicken is our favorite but we can't not order the biryani also. The spice is perfect. Their garlic Naan is perfection also. It's smells incredible and taste even better. We highly recommend Bombay and will be forever customers.

    Stopped in tonight with my three kids and walked out stuffed to the gills with some really great…read morefood! I have suspected for a while that most Indian restaurants are getting their food premade from somewhere else and are just hearing it up. Bombay did not give me that impression. The food actually tasted different from most Indian restaurants and I really liked it! We started with the lamb samosas which had a bit of spiciness to them that liked. I had a lamb vindaloo, medium spice, and it was just right (I usually get "Indian hot" but wasn't in the mood for that tonight). Two of my kids had chicken curry, a third had butter chicken. We shared butter naan and Kashmiri naan. Mango lassis around the table. Everything was really good and tasted fresh, and didn't come off as pre-made. Food was a little slow to come out but I can tell it's a family place with only two people there tonight so I don't mind. My kids really liked the food here, it was the first time my youngest had Indian food and he is a big fan now. There is also a small Indian grocery attached which is worth checking out as well. J.Ja

    Photos
    Bombay Bazar & Indian Restaurant
    Bombay Bazar & Indian Restaurant - Butter Chicken

    Butter Chicken

    Bombay Bazar & Indian Restaurant - A great tasting Indian lager with lunch

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    A great tasting Indian lager with lunch

    Rivayat - indpak - Updated May 2026

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