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    Royal Durbar

    4.9 (40 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm

    Royal Durbar Reservations

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    Recommended Reviews - Royal Durbar

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    Dee D.

    5 stars across the board! We were greeted promptly and really enjoyed the lovely cultural decor and welcoming atmosphere. The food was delicious -- we ordered the SEL roti with curried potatoes, the Thakali chicken thali, shrimp chow mein, and a mango lassi, and everything was a 5/5. The chicken thali was especially satisfying with rice, spinach, lentils, fresh cucumber and carrot garnish, plus a flavorful Nepali chutney. Everything tasted fresh, flavorful, and well prepared. Definitely worth a visit!

    Veggie Bara
    Neeva S.

    Absolutely loved this authentic Nepali restaurant! The food was outstanding...especially the momo, which were perfectly cooked and bursting with flavor. The menu offers a great variety, and everything we tried was fresh, rich, and truly representative of Nepali cuisine. I also appreciated being able to choose the spice level to suit our taste. The family style portions made it easy to order a few different dishes and share, which made the whole experience even better. Forgot to take pictures of the main dishes but we ordered the Nepali goat curry, Aloo Bodi Tama and Chicken Fried rice and they were all great. Highly recommend if you're looking for something unique and flavorful.

    Alo Ko Achar (Napali potato salad)
    Mark M.

    A very beautiful restaurant inside. The atmosphere is very nice and the service went above and beyond. My wife wanted to try Nepalese food and this is where we landed the day after Christmas. The ambiance was creative and provided a very nice dining experience. Neither of us have tried Nepalese food before and it was fun trying assorted dishes. I believe it was the owner who came over to us and made recommendations and spoke to us a bit about the different food options to help us decide. I highly recommend visiting this restaurant and trying a few different dishes to experience just a bit of Nepal in Rockville.

    Steamed vegetable momo
    Victoria S.

    Such a beautiful and serene restaurant! From the moment you walk in you are greeted warmly by staff and welcomed to a beautiful dining space with Himalayan art and decor. The menu has mostly traditional Nepalese dishes (curries, thali, buffalo, momos). They have indo-Chinese items as well (fried rice and noodles). Everything was reasonably priced. I got the tender eggplant curry. Instead of mashed eggplant, the vegetable was cut into matchsticks and cooked with tomatoes, coriander, ginger, cilantro and other spices. It came with rice. Lived up to its name, eggplant slices were tender abs flavorful. My companion got the vegetarian thali. It came with several piles of vegetable concoctions (sautéed mustard greens, daal, potatoes, bamboo, rice, lentil cracker, gulag jamun in yogurt). He liked his choice. We also shared an order of vegetable momos. Those steamed dumplings were stuffed generously with cabbage, carrots and other veggies and came with a spicy dipping sauce. Comfort food at it best. We also shared a strawberry lassi, which was thick, refreshing and not too sweet. The highlight was seeing the owner/manager come around each table to greet and chat with the diners. She explained some of the menu items and talked about Nepalese cuisine and culture. Wonderful food and service!

    Momo Dumplings
 Dumplings made with choice of meat & vegetable with achar
    Dan R.

    HEADLINE: Run, don't walk, to Royal Durbar. This new occupant of a space in the Woodmont Station shopping strip (recently highlighted by Store Reporter) along Rockville Pike has a bright future based on my first visit there. It's got only a few reviews so far on Google and surprisingly one here on Yelp, but believe me that won't be the case for long. Royal Durbar is in a space that has struggled over the past decade -- previous occupants were Indian and Korean establishments. The interior has now been completely re-done, with Nepali artwork, framed swords at the entrance. It's a good job and the impression one gets upon entering is that a lot of attention was given to turning this location into an attractive and welcoming place. We were met by the owner/manager and through the course of our 90 minutes or so we engaged him in a lot of conversation about Nepal, the food on the menu, and other topics. So, over to the food. A friend and I started with the Momo dumplings and Sel Roti -- both were superb, but the Momo is a standout item. We moved on to Goat Curry and Mustang Dal. Both were similarly excellent, but I thought the Dal was superb with black beans, Himalayan spices, and wild onion and garlic. We learned during our discussion with the owner that he actually shipped garlic in from Nepal (if I recall this correctly). The Goat Curry and Dal were accompanied by a thankfully large bowl of basmati rice, which was also super. Service was excellent, and toward the end among those bringing a dish to the table was a woman who the owner identified as the cook. We didn't get a chance to speak with her unfortunately, but will on our next visit. Royal Durbar, which describes itself as blending elements of Indian and Tibetan cooking, takes its place among the 15 or so Nepal or Nepal-influenced restaurants in the DC/MD/VA area. This is a home run right from the start and I look forward to their grand opening whenever that occurs. All restaurants these days face challenges from rising prices and we can only hope that Royal Durbar can hold the line for a while because the price levels at this great place are now surprisingly low. If they can keep it that way they'll be able to build a loyal clientele and if the quality level of the food here is also maintained, they will soon be far more crowded than they were when we visited.

    Thukpa! Noodle soup -- this one is veggie. De-li-cious!
    Ashira M.

    Excellent! Yes, this place is wonderful -- full of wonder because it's been filled with wonder -- but that could be happenstance, whereas the more purposeful approach of excelling is a far better situation, and this place does that! The décor is absolutely beautiful, encompassing a large open space while also containing cozy corners of booths and plumply-cushioned chairs that hug you while you dine. Imported-from-Nepal decorations adorn the walls and ceiling so you can be surrounded with that authentic Nepali feeling. Everything I've tried (been three times so far and tried a lot of things!) has been delicious, the food is comforting and nutritious and served in a very visually appealing way. This place overall has a very high aesthetic value in every aspect -- the food, silverware, plates, bowls, cups, tables, chairs, walls, statuary, art, uniforms and service. The staff is very friendly and polite, highly professional and very caring and attentive. The music -- thank goodness! -- is also all Nepali. I love it when a restaurant includes that touch! I want to stay in the experience of the place I'm 'visiting' rather than be taken out of it the way so many places make happen with their musical selections. It's an overall edifying, delightful experience! Highly recommended! Oh, and they are very accommodating as well, having choices for so many of the dishes that can be made vegetarian or not. Here, it's up to you! What a relief and a joy to have this place nearby! I'm so glad they opened! Blood sugar tip: In the three and a half weeks I've been wearing a glucose monitor, the Vegetable Thali I got here is the only meal I've had that didn't lower or raise my blood glucose -- it was steady for five hours after eating it (and I had a milky chai with sugar!), the longest my blood glucose has been steady in nearly a month, so clearly, they really know what they are doing! Amazing! A very healthy meal!

    Keith F.

    This place is a real gift. It serves authentic first rate Nepali food. There are items on the menu that I haven't seen since my last visit to Kathmandu. Plus the service and decor are wonderful. You couldn't ask for a better evening out.

    Sel Roti

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    4 months ago

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    2 months ago

    An excellent Nepal Restaurant with great service. Took my wife for her birthday and we weren't disappointed.

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    2 months ago

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    17 days ago

    Excellent family run business. Great voices, excellent food and service. Offers some small plates perfect for lunch.

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    24 days ago

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    1 month ago

    Great food and service. Delicious. Some plates were hot spicy but manageable. Just ask carefully. Highly recommend mango salad

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    6 months ago

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    3 months ago

    Went here with a group & everyone enjoyed their selection of food. Service was excellent!

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    6 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Amazing food.cool atmosphere. Fresh good. Owner has other restaurants and is very nice and puts out an awesome product!!

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    4 months ago

    Very friendly staff, great food. We will be going back soon to try other menu items. The spinach chatt is as good as Rasikas!!

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    Ask the Community - Royal Durbar

    Himalayan Heritage Restaurant DC - Decorations.

    Himalayan Heritage Restaurant DC

    3.7(593 reviews)
    11.3 miAdams Morgan
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Minority-owned & operated

    This is my go to Indian restaurant in DC. Great atmosphere/interior, friendly staff and the food is…read morealways on point. Check out the heritage naan, paneer masala, and chaang (similar to sake).

    We wanted to order from Moh Moh Licious, but it literally closed 3 minutes from when we were trying…read moreto order so we settled for this spot. And I'm sad we did, because the food was NOT good. We ordered - Impossible meat momos 3/5 - they were okay...not the best and not the greatest. The flavor was hiding and the momo did not stay in tact at all. The sauce that they served alongside did not enhance the momo at all. Veggie momo 3/5 - again, they were okay. In fact, I think these were worst than the impossible meat momos. Didn't seem like there was any flavor and just veggies mushed together with salt and pepper. Raita 3/5 - way too liquidy for my liking. I thought they would at least provide rice, but no. So it was just basically liquid yogurt with a couple of strips of cucumbers and carrots. Paneer chili 0/5 - the container literally said 'paneer chili' and after 2/3 bites, I asked my friend if this was actually paneer because it was kind of chewy? Of course it wasn't and it was chicken!! I'm vegetarian so I was so disappointed that they put the wrong item in our order, especially since the container explicitly said paneer. This morning I woke up with a terrible stomachache. The food definitely did not sit right with me. I'm definitely going to skip this place and try Moh Moh Licious next time.

    Photos
    Himalayan Heritage Restaurant DC
    Himalayan Heritage Restaurant DC - Savory MO:MO

    Savory MO:MO

    Himalayan Heritage Restaurant DC - Chicken Tikka

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    Chicken Tikka

    Himalayan wild yak

    Himalayan wild yak

    4.4(202 reviews)
    22.6 mi
    $$

    Love this place especially their Mutton biryani! I would definitely say, this is the best one in…read morenova area. And the pickle they serve it with, is delish! Awesome service and nice ambience!

    t's been a long time since I last visited Himalayan Wild Yak, and I realized I never left a review…read more We went for dinner this past Friday and headed straight to the bar. The bar area is big and spacious, and usually sitting at the bar means better, more attentive service. The place was mildly busy, so I expected things to run smoothly -- but that wasn't the case. Right from the start, the bartender wasn't very attentive. We had to ask multiple times just to place our order. For appetizers, we tried the Goat Buttan and the Wild Boar -- we wanted to explore some of the unique delicacies on the menu. Both dishes were interesting, and the Goat Buttan and Wild Boar were actually pretty solid. Unfortunately, the service continued to be an issue. We had to flag the bartender again just to order our entrées and even for simple water refills. We ordered the Mutton Taas and the Yak Chili. The Yak Chili was very good, but the Mutton Taas was extremely dry -- like eating cardboard -- and lacked flavor. Throughout the night, our bartender was constantly absent. More than once, we had to ask another bartender to get his attention so we could get basic service. After finishing our meal, we ordered a dessert, the Gulab Jamun. The presentation looked nothing like the picture -- more like a sloppy drop of pudding -- and the taste was just as disappointing. And again, we had to flag down another bartender because ours was nowhere to be found. Service overall was lackluster, and the tip options started at 20% with no 18% choice. For the level of service we received, 15% would have been more appropriate. I won't be returning anytime soon unless I'm specifically craving their unique delicacies -- which is once in a blue moon.

    Photos
    Himalayan wild yak - The chilled glasses for cocktails.

    The chilled glasses for cocktails.

    Himalayan wild yak - Yak briyani

    Yak briyani

    Himalayan wild yak - Chicken momos and Yak momos

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    Chicken momos and Yak momos

    Spicelife Indian Fare - Where did they learn to make biryani?

    Spicelife Indian Fare

    4.3(359 reviews)
    5.1 mi
    $$

    Im updating my review!…read more When you had a hectic Manic Monday...you do not wanna cook dinner. I love Indian food. However on this particular visit I was soo indecisive. Do I want butter chicken, Do I want tandoori or tiki masala?? But then something caught my eye! I saw Briyani and I had it many times before from my sister's group and I absolutely devour it. So , I took a chance. The nice young lady working there was so patient with me changing my mind. So I got lamb briyani, garlic naan, mango lassi, and Rasmalai.(dessert) My spice level has gone down through the years as my tummy cant take spice as it used too :( Had no idea it came with Raita ..a cool yogurt sauce. Similar to tzakiki. We took our dinner home.. and then lamb briyani ( rice dish ) was amazing! It was plentiful. I had leftovers the next day. If your indecisive and need dinner ideas, get this... get it with lamb. Lamb was flavorful and tender. 5 stars.

    Saturday 1/24/26…read more Made a re-visit today to use a $5 coupon I received, which I appreciate, but also I wanted to update my rating as I may have been a bit too quick to crown it in one of my previous reviews. Also, in roughly 9 months, prices have gone up nearly $2 for specific items that I had gotten previously, which isn't a good look. All in all, I still do believe that it's still up there for some of the best Indian food I've had in Maryland, but it's not worthy of the 5-star, as the 4-star fits it better. -- #issa.cheatday

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    Spicelife Indian Fare
    Spicelife Indian Fare - Alu gobi

    Alu gobi

    Spicelife Indian Fare - CknTM

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    CknTM

    Ghar- E- Kabab - Shiro.

    Ghar- E- Kabab

    3.5(368 reviews)
    7.6 mi
    $$

    So, it's been a while since my family and I last went out to eat at a restaurant, and we landed on…read morethis one since it was both nearby and the prices reasonable for the fare that they offer. My wife and I had been here for lunch before and had a good experience, so this time we figured why not check it out for dinner? Turns out, it was a great idea. The wait for the food was a bit on the longer end, but to be perfectly fair, we ordered a LOT, so we certainly didn't mind. By the time the food hit the table, we forgot about it almost entirely because the smells of freshly made kitfo, lamb tibs, and this stewed chicken dish whose name I can't remember (but it came with a hardboiled egg!) hit our nose, nothing else mattered. The food was presented in a way that somehow matched the overall vibe of the restaurant, which at this time of night was set to be kinda toned down with dingy lighting and smooth music. Huge call out to my waiter that I curse myself for not getting his name, because he is, simply put, the best server I've ever had at a restaurant. Not only was he timely and discreet about topping off our waters, but also checked in about soft drinks as well, and when he heard my son saying the food was too spicy for him, he took it upon himself to get him something else to eat that wasn't spicy at all, and without myself or my wife asking. If you're looking for a great place to eat with a killer atmosphere and even better service, you've found it.

    Visiting DC for the weekend and I can say this is by far the best Indian food I've ever had at a…read morerestaurant! My partner had the vegan Ethiopian platter and told me it was one of the best meals he's had in a while. An absolute must if you're in DC!

    Photos
    Ghar- E- Kabab
    Ghar- E- Kabab - Veggie.

    Veggie.

    Ghar- E- Kabab - Starter

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    Starter

    Royal Durbar - himalayan - Updated May 2026

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