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    Royal India Restaurant

    4.4 (1.1k reviews)
    ModerateIndian, Buffets
    Closed 10:45 am - 2:45 pm, 4:45 PM - 9:45 PM

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    ROYAL INDIA RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Quiet
    Casual
    Good for groups
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Royal India Restaurant

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    This is the elephant that was next to my table.
    Christopher B.

    Sunday, October 19, 2025 / Approx. 2PM I have had Indian food all over the globe, and my criteria for judging a good restaurant cover the following three (3) categories: 1) Is the Naan good? At this restaurant, the Naan is served fresh & warm, has the perfect consistency and flavor, and the initial serving is plentiful. 2) Is the Goat Curry good? Actually, some all you can eat Indian restaurants don't even serve goat curry, but this establishment serves a very spicy and yummy goat curry, which made me sweat a little. 3) Is the Gulab Jamun decadently sweet? Yes, the GJ here is served warm, sweet & sticky. CONCLUSION: if you're ever on Interstate 5 near Lake Forest, and you have a craving for some authentic Indian food, this place is a must visit. (Also, the AYCE buffet is under $20.00, which is a bargain in this era of inflation!)

    Basmati Rice Plate
    Michelle G.

    Never gets old. This time we substituted cream sauce with coconut cream as a vegan option for the kaju koya and vegetable korma dishes. Both excellent. The lemon rice was a nice compliment to our meals with a slight crunch-interesting and tasty. Good service as always. Waiters are kind, polite, and attentive. Very clean restaurant and orderly. Will be back for sure!

    Indian Food makes her hungry
    Tony J.

    For a $16 dollar all you can eat Indian food lunch special - this is really a great deal! The food was very good, service very kind, I think I'm just used to having Indian music, maybe the TV showing Indian dances, etc. Also an Indian waiter was missing. The food was very good as mentioned, it's just that some of the items didn't taste like authentic Indian food. (based upon my experience with frequenting, so many Indian restaurants all over Orange County) Being more familiar with the previous Indian restaurant that was here decades prior, I had a familiarity. But don't get me wrong, the food was very good and there were lots of choices. However, One of the choices that I would not ever select is the Goat Meat (It just doesn't sound or looks appetizing for me.) In addition, I'm used to the rice pudding having rosewater in it, & more flavorful. In summary, perhaps the main issue was - flavors were off. Also familiarity with the cuisine, is important. I need to remember that 4 stars is great. Side Note: We have a family member who's part of the autistic spectrum and she used her visual aid vocabulary cards (pictured).

    Naan
    Melissa O.

    Tikka masala was very sweet with no other complex notes. I've never had tikka masala like that. Not good. Samosas were too thick and bland. Lemon rice had unsalted pale peanuts. I love lemon rice, and one of the joys of it is having the salted browned peanuts. Disappointing. Dal makhani was okay. Hard to mess that up. Naan was great. Atmosphere was not my favorite. It's very close to the freeway and it feels like it. Cold and minimal. Service was very sweet and I'm sorry to leave a bad review. But there are so many other Indian places in Orange County that are also family run, whose food deserves more attention.

    Samosa, tiki masala, indo chicken, chickpea curry.
    Diana T.

    Food: 4/5 There are a few curry options to choose from: tiki masala, chicken curry, goat curry, lentil soup, and tandoori chicken. They also have some fried goodies: egg rolls, fries and samosas to choose from, which were delicious! Service: 5/5 Waiters were very attentive and provided garlic naans and water when low. The took empty plates away as soon as we were done. Ambiance: 5/5 Nice and clean!

    Lamb Korma & Chicken Tikka Masala
    PT H.

    The service was amazing!! Our server was very patient and helpful. It was our first time there and we had a great experience. The food was delicious! Quite pricey but delicious. The ambiance was quiet so a romantic dinner is nice. The place is very clean too.

    Sandy Z.

    Flavorful and delicious indian food at a reasonable price! They offer lunch buffets. The interior is neat enough and the servers are warm.

    A little bit of everything... and fresh, hot naan brought to the table.  Weekday buffet $9.95... awesome deal!
    Pearl T.

    Ok so this place recently changed names/ownership but the food and service are still outstanding! They have lunch buffet every day from 11-2:30 (3pm on weekends) and the price is now only $15!! This is the best price around for Indian buffet and the quality is super. We came in for a late lunch around 2pm on Sunday and there was still lots of hot food and I saw them replenish a couple dishes. There are booths lining the sides of the dining room and tables in the center (most patrons opt for the booths as we did). I like that it doesn't feel so crammed. Service was very attentive with someone constantly coming by to bring drinks and naan, clear plates, refill drinks, etc. The food itself was very tasty. They have over a dozen hot items... highlights were the tandoori chicken (so moist and flavorful), chili cauliflower, chicken biryani, saag paneer and goat curry. The chicken tikka masala here was a little bit of a disappointment as the chicken used were blocks of unmarinated chicken breast. The sauce was fantastic but I recommended to my husband and son to get the sauce and use it on the tandoori chicken. I finished my meal with gulag jamun which was super!

    Hailey K.

    I went here for the first time on a Monday evening and ordered the gobi manchurian, shahi paneer, malai kofta, garlic naan and the gulab jamun. The service was really good and the ambiance was very cozy and inviting. The food itself was amazing. The garlic naan was very tasty and buttery. My favorite was the shahi paneer but everything overall was a 10/10. I will be going back for the lunch buffet snd definitely recommend this, especially if you are in the Lake Forest Area!

    Inside
    Cat N.

    Yum! The only thing I did not like about Royal Rasoi is that is is far from me. My husband and I wanted to try something new so we decided to make the drive to check out this establishment. We came on a Saturday for lunch and it was busy but no wait. I liked that they had their lunch buffet even on the weekends. And on Sundays they include champagne. The self service area had a large variety including a whole section of vegetarian options. Everything I tried I enjoyed. The foods were full of flavor and always refilled. All the meats we had tasted tender and delicious. We got a choice between regular and garlic naan which we got garlic. It was yummy. Oh and we got a lassi drink as well but I don't recommend it since it tasted off. Service was great and they made sure to give us more drinks and take away our finished plates. The inside is pretty spacious which makes getting the food easy. We would definitely come back.

    Terry K.

    Best naan hands down!! The food here is top notch and the atmosphere is cozy if you sit by the burgundy wall! They treat you like family here ime even though the only words I know are Indian food words! Royal India is the best buffet deal on the planet! The quality of their menu far exceeds the price they charge! Tip well and get some champagne once in a while and they treat you even better and better on every new visit!

    Our food selection.
    BT J.

    Good food. Nice service. The weekday lunch buffet is a good value.. with enough options. Mostly quiet and air condition a steady flow of customer. We've been here a couple times and they've been consistent.

    2 Pieces Vegetable Samosa

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    Food was amazing and service was too! Great family friendly restaurant. I tried the buffet and highly recommend it.

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    Thank you so much

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    11 months ago

    Came here for dinner. Tried Indian beer for the first time and all the food we ordered was delicious. The service was also great.

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    Page 1 of 27

    Ask the Community - Royal India Restaurant

    I understand this is under new management, have the cooks changed as well?

    Yes, the cook is changed as well as we have added South Indian food, indo-Chinese and Nepali style momo.

    How much is the champagne brunch on Sundays? Is it bottomless and what are the hours that it is offered? Thanks!

    Champagne brunch is $20 and our hours is 11 AM to 3 PM

    Hello? Is this place halal?

    Yes

    Can you please update your info? Closed on Mondays.

    We open 7 days

    Is the buffet back and what are the prices now?

    $16 weekdays and $18 in weekend

    Is the Buffet back yet? I miss goat curry.

    Yes. $12.95 most of the dishes lacked the lively flavors I love. The goat was the best thing on the buffet.

    Is the buffet back yet?

    Yes, buffet is back. Mask and gloves when going to the buffet.

    Is this place open for July 4th?

    Nope

    Gluten free options?

    No gluten free.

    What items are vegan?

    There are several vegetarian dishes which do not contain any meat or eggs or milk products. The owner is very helpful, he can definitely help identifying the dishes. We are strict vegetarian, and we have gone several times to this restaurant.

    What days and hours are the lunch buffet available?

    Lunch buffet is from 11-3 every day

    View All 14 Questions

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    Papdi Chaat. This arrived as a beautiful chaos of crunchy wafers, cool yogurt, tangy tamarind, and bright herbs.

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    Stage

    Royal India Restaurant - indpak - Updated May 2026

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