Great food, great drinks! I recommend family styling. This place was super cozy, the staff is kind, and the food was delicious! My group kept ordering more naan because we were addicted! read more

Rupee Bar - Sri Lankan Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Happy hour gives you a good in to get started, swing by as it's ending and snag a ton of shareables. They have heaters outside so don't worry about the cramped inside space and enjoy yourself. Their options for small plates are able to cover a small group for a full meal if you need. With drinks worth having and a number of NA options for anyone else. Once happy hour ends they'll swap you out for a full dinner menu and you can make a call on how the table is doing. Well worth a visit for a good outing, read more

Rupee Bar - Happy Hour Menu - Sri Lankan Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Just ok. Expensive for what you get. I appreciate that they have a wide range of vegetarian options. We had the pakoras, the greens, and the cauliflower. All three were solid, but not great and the portions were pretty small for the price. For example, 4 small-to-medium pakoras cost $16. Service was fine. The patio was charming. I likely won't be back. There are much better restaurants at this price. read more

Great cozy spot in Ballard serving some great cocktails and Indian dishes. Been here twice and had a great experience both times. Loved the Crazy Jumper - mezcal, tequila, alessio chinato, dolin dry, orange bitters, date-tamarind chutney - spirit forward yet well-balanced. They had a few bottles of genever, so of course I had a genever Martinez, which was also very good. As for food, everyone gets the naan and dhal curry, as who doesn't like freshly baked naan with mildly spiced curry? The kerala fried chicken for happy hour was flavorful and not greasy, and the prawn coconut curry had a nice touch of sour from the tamarind. It's open seating so come early if you are concerned about snagging a spot. Great spot in a quieter part of Ballard! read more

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So glad I finally made it to this cute spot in my neighborhood! The ambiance and decor is gorgeous and has a nice cozy vibe to it. The first thing I noticed was the beautiful wall paper and the lamps. You instantly feel transported to an exotic location! The cocktail menu is so extensive so it was hard to choose one! I think I had the King coconut drink which was quite good, and not overly coconutty either. For the food my BF and I shared the fried chicken, the Brussels sprouts, dhal curry, naan, and the bhel puri. Out of all of them the bhel puri was my least favorite, but it has a great presentation and texture. I loved the fried chicken, and the naan with the curry for dipping was delicious. You can't really go wrong with drinks here as whatever my BF ordered was great too. The service was soo friendly and quick! We got lucky since we didn't have a reservation but came on the early side for dinner on a sat night. You might want to reserve ahead of time though! read more

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Although it seems like a restaurant, it really is a bar - no kids allowed! Food is great though. read more

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I came in from out of town and some friends took me here because it's one of their favorites. I don't think they take reservations, but we got there around five on a Saturday and were able to get a table. It's a pretty small place, but they also have outdoor seating. I was a little hesitant about the menu to be honest, but everything we ordered was great! I loved my cocktail that came in a pineapple glass. I didn't realize when looking at the cocktail menu that the picture next to the description is the type of glass it comes in. read more

Rupee Bar - Sri Lankan Near Me - Seattle, Washington

We had a nice experience here and enjoyed trying some Sri Lankan fusion food. We sat outside for faster seating, but there were heat lamps keeping us warm. We got multiple dishes and liked them all! We got naan with mint tamarind chutney and tomato sambol, roasted Brussels sprouts, deviled prawns, kerala fried chicken, and new potatoes. My favorite dishes were the Brussels sprouts and fried chicken! The Brussels sprouts had a great balance of sweet, savory, spicy flavors and went really well with the whipped paneer. The fried chicken was juicy and flavorful; I liked the aioli it came with but wish it had a little spice! Overall I enjoyed our experience and liked the food. I did think the dishes were a little pricy - aside from the Brussels sprouts and fried chicken, I didn't feel really wowed by the other dishes. But still a very solid meal and good food! read more

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Haven't been here since pre-pandemic. Everything was just wonderful. We had the naan, Dahl, tomato chutney (more of a sauce, not a chutney), pickles, cauliflower, kale salad and pork shank. Also each had a cocktail. The pork was insane. Don't think we'd order the cauliflower, it was borderline undercooked and we both thought it needed more sauce, flavors were great. I wish they had a cocktail that was more martini inspired but in Rupee vibes and flavors. The drink I had was great but felt a little heavy for spring. Totally will go back again soon! read more

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It's been a while since we had been here for dinner, reservation definitely needed. We were seated immediately, the outdoor seating is great. We got Naan, Dhal, Bhel Puri, and Black Cod. The Naan and Dhal were good, we liked the Bhel Puri, the Black Cod was disappointing. The fish had finishing salt on top and no other seasoning, making the fish very bland except some bites were you got a bite with the salt flake which was very salty. read more

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Overall - 4 Ambience - 4.5 Very cool setting. A bit loud and cramped but otherwise loved the vibe. Drinks - 5 Had three different cocktails and all were delicious and inventive. Food - 3.5 Ordered the Naan and dal to start. Naan was ok and dal tasty. Next, kale salad and blistered corn. Kale salad was highlight for me. Very good. Blistered good was good too but maybe a bit saucy. Finally, ordered the prawns. These were not good. First, they were medium size shrimp so not really what you think of with a prawn. They were overcooked and tough. Served in a curry sauce that was sour. Did not like this dish. Got side of rice and that was fine. In summary, cool vibe and great drinks. Food is ok but I'm sure there are better spots. I'd go for drinks and skip food next time. read more

Wow this place has been on my list for a while and did not disappoint omg so good and mondays is all day happy hour! Service excellent! Ambiance excellent! Food excellent!!! read more

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Good but overpriced! Went for dinner exclusively (can't speak for the drinks) and shared the Tandoor chicken and Garlic Naan with Dhal which totaled $54. The servings were not generous and while it tasted good, nothing particularly impressive for the price. read more

Intimate spot for Indian/Sri Lankan tapas. Great for a date. - If you don't have a reservation, go early to secure a spot! Reservations are void after 15 minutes. - Indoors, the parties are seated rather close together. Outdoors, they have a nice covered area with a central fire. - Lamb Shank was delicious and incredibly tender, but we didn't think it was enough for 2 people - I could have eaten it all by myself! - Bhel Puri was very interesting with puffed rice. Strong attention was given to the details. It even contained diced orange! Portion sizes and price point are appropriate for a restaurant of this ambiance. We had a wonderful time. read more

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Have had better Sri Lankan as well as Indian inspired food before, was just meh. Service was okay, ambience not worth the hype, very underwhelming read more

Wow, first time at Rupee and it did not disappoint. Every dish we tried was incredible. The flavors felt authentic, not too heavy-handed and the spice profiles were balanced. We on everything: garlic and gunpowder naan, roasted beets, the pakoras, coconut sambol, the date chutney, and the curry prawns. We mix & matched all the incredible sauces - we probably ordered one too many naans as we were completely stuffed by the end. My friend's Curry leaf gimlet with just okay - he couldn't detect any of the current leaf flavor we were expecting. We are excited to go back and try all the other dishes. Got there around 6 PM on Friday and had no issues getting a table outside. read more

We went in with a bunch of friends to try out the Sri Lankan food which we had been craving for a while. We got the Dhal with naan, chili sambol, hot chai, dirty chai, new potatoes, bhel puri, winter squash salad, kale salad, and the roasted brussel sprouts. We loved everything and the food was very well presented. I do wish they had given us bigger plates for the shareables. But nonetheless the service was great and the ambiance felt very Manhattanisque. read more

my wife is sri lankan so we decided to check this place out! great ambiance but the service was a little slow. food was good as were the cocktails- sort of a hybridized version of sri lankan food! we really enjoyed it and will be back! read more

Rupee bar is an excellent gem few blocks from Market Street. We came on Tuesday night without a reservation and were able to snag a table outside, they have heaters so we didn't mind it. They have very few tables inside, so I would definitely recommend making a reservation as it's a popular spot. The ambience is absolutely beautiful - it was nominated for James Beard award for it. They have a well curated selection of small plates - we ordered the dal curry, naan, eggplant and Kerala fried chicken. Everything was flavorful and it would be hard to pick a favorite. The cocktails were inventive and bright, made with Indian spices. Everything is reasonable priced. read more

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I am giving if 3 star for its vibe. Definitely this place has perfect ambience for a date night. They have fusion south asian food and south asian interior beautifully with the contemporary and western interior. I just loved it. Their service is pretty fast and quick. And they are very welcoming. Food and drinks are ok. Definitely its a restaurant on expensive side. I think their naan was super soft and lamb chops were amazing. The way they have done pairing of food and drinks is superb! read more

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This visit is from a little while ago. Menu offerings and prices are subject to change with inflation. Rupee Bar serves Sri Lankan and Indian inspired foods in Ballard, a bit away from downtown. If you are eating on a nice day, I highly recommend requesting one of their outside tables. It's shady with a light breeze. The inside is elegantly decorated. It's a small restaurant with tables primarily set for 2 or 4 people. We had arrived early for our reservation, figuring we would have a walk first. The proprietor invited us to start our meal early if we liked. I appreciated the flexibility and had our walk anyway. For our food choices, because they have a rotating menu, we picked a few and asked the waitperson to help us narrow it down. She kindly obliged, and we were very happy with our choices. It's always good when the waitstaff knows the food. The Food: Mutton Rolls, $12 - 5 Stars Menu: lamb and potato curry, tomato, curry leaf, egg roll deep fried This dish is at the top of everyone's list and a perennial favorite. Whatever mixture is in these, it's really, really good. So yummy. Curry Clams, $16 - 4.5 Stars Menu: tomato, coconut, tamarind, cilantro We ordered one naan and ended up ordering a second one because of this curry sauce. Deviled Prawns, $14 - 4.5 Stars Served with crispy fried shrimp shells on top in chili oil. I'm not normally a shrimp shell eater, but these are particularly yummy! Kerala Fried Chicken, $16 - 4.5 Stars Served with daikon and amu miris aioli, these are tender pieces of chicken, light breading, and a tasty aioli. Excellent fried chicken dish. Naan (ghee, salt), $4 - 3 Stars The biggest ding is the size; it's sized for folks afraid of carbs. We added a second. I like it a bit toastier, though. Their version is more bready, if that makes sense. read more

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So this place charges a mandatory 22% service fee that does NOT go to the servers. It's states in the menu that 100% of the service charge goes to the restaurant. You are required to tip an additional 25% after your meal making the bill 50% more expensive. Fuck them. And the food is mid at best. I swear if Americans actually had authentic Sri Lankan food, they'd collectively round up management of this establishment and throw them in the ocean. Yelp y'all need to come up with a negative star rating system. read more

Man I love Rupee. Fantastic food. Their happy hour is hard to beat. We've been a fan since pre covid and ordered a lot during the pandemic. Now we go in person because the flavors are addictive. BUT I really wish they could make their staff rise to the level of their food. The service is never great. The servers are cold and slow. It's not welcoming and takes forever to get attention. The bartenders are always great but the servers are not. I keep going because I love the food but every time I'm left disappointed and feeling like no one wanted me there. read more

I had come here with another couple to try this place out, and we were luckily seated fairly quickly inside the restaurant. Now the restaurant is as small as it appears from the outside, so be wary if you have a large party or come during a busy time! The vibes inside are very cute and a great date night spot! However, my lack of stars here in the review mainly attributes itself to the quantity of food. Now the prices look great on the menu, but it's because the portion of food are very small. I would say 1 of the menu entree's is enough for only 1/2 a person. At least 2 dishes per person is a must, and given this place is a family style restaurant, you end up needing to order several dishes. The shrimp as excited as we were, was probably the least favorite. It just tasted like frozen shrimp that was thawed out and tossed in a savory sauce. The naan was fantastic, but again, pretty plain to just eat it with some dhal. The fried chicken was probably the highlight in terms of food we ate - it was boneless style with good flavor. The fish we ordered was okay, would not order again. The main disappointment in all of this was again, the size of the food. For 5 shrimps on a plate, $20 seemed steep. Would probably not be returning here again unless for a drink alone at the bar. read more

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I went to Rupee with a couple of people to celebrate a birthday. The food and drinks were amazing, especially the food! The deviled prawns come with crispy fried shells, so spicy and delicious. We also had a fish curry that was out of this world. I'm a big gin fan, so I had Last Night in Negombo and the Curry Leaf Gimlet with ghee-washed gin. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Amazing food! The menu changes slightly with the seasons. The chicken, daal and roti are also solid choices. The restaurant is small but quaint. Great vibe for a date or small dinner. read more

Great place for Tapas! Loved every dish we ordered. We got the naan and the curry right below on the menu. Both were light and not oily or heavy. The chicken was great, a tiny bit salty but great texture and flavor. The shrimp was good, had a good taste to it. The cod was my favorite and would order it next time. I would come back. read more

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One of the best date restaurants in Seattle! And just a top restaurant period - serving original dishes, excellent cocktails in a really beautiful and intimate setting. The staff is outstanding and the owner is magnificent at creating a mood and ensuring the service of his team is a top priority and constantly works to up the bar for guests' experience. I see that one of the other reviewers mentioned the service charge as a negative aspect. However, I recognize that this practice is fairly standard for many restaurants in Seattle and the charge at Rupee I know for a fact all goes to directly to the staff and there is no additional tipping expected from guests. read more

I visited this restaurant a few days ago and was very disappointed. The food arrived cold and lacked flavor, and the service was even worse,unattentive and unprofessional. What really added insult to injury was the 22% mandatory service charge that the restaurant keeps for itself, rather than giving it to the staff. One of the staff opened up and spoke very negatively about the place to us. I rarely leave reviews, but this experience was bad enough that I felt compelled to warn others. Save your money, even a place as low as McDonald's was a far better experience afterward. I do not recommend this place. read more

Food was great. Small plates and the happy hour is so worth it. Service was quick and everyone working was extremely friendly. Ambiance was low and inviting with plants along a shelf. Has a bar with a great selection of alcohol. read more

Rupee Bar - Naan bread - Sri Lankan Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Party of 4 sought a fun night out on a chilly February Thursday night--based on Yelp reviews. Arrived at 6 pm to find all tables taken (small number) so we took an outdoor table under a heat lamp / enclosure but got resettled inside within minutes. Fun bright atmosphege. Music not too loud. Able to converse easily. Food? Great food, great drinks great time. Tapas style small plates presented seasonal menu. Started with piping hot Naan with warm dal for dipping. Yum. Lamb curry. fried chicken, squash, and special Tamarind chicken wings were all great and brought out quickly. We particularly liked the fried chicken...boneless with a a delicious hard to place seasoning. Finished with a tasty chai brownie that we split four ways. Our drinks were perfect: martini, welcome home bourbon drink, and a bourbon coconut drink all hit the mark. The Welcome Home was pricey ($22) but was especially satisfying. Service was fantastic. NB restaurant includes 22% gratuity in place of tipping. read more

Indian tapas is exactly what the experience was. First, it's a bar, so lose the kids, not allowed. Once you are in, be prepared for very delicious bites of food, and you will need to order a few plates, unless you are going to Dick's afterward. The Naan and Dhal Curry are must haves to start you meal, because we all love Bread and Lentils... smash them together, and boom, sexy in your mouth. The Naan was soft, and toasted well. The Dahl was all sorts of salty, savory, and lovely.. it tasted a touch creamy.. exactly what you want on your tastebuds. Kale Salad also darn delicious, seasoned and flavored excellently... and so was.. the Kerala Fried Chicken! Sure it has the initials of something equally wonderful, this KFC was spiced well, and was a perfect salty mess of food, that deserves five stars of love. Roasted cauliflower.. also delicious. So... the Lamb Shank... they claim it serves 2... I say NAY! If you get a bunch of other things, sure, it can serve 2, but on it's own.. not really... IT IS DELICIOUS. The service was perfect, server refilled things, and came by enough, that we felt loved. Food came fast, tidy and neat. Remember, it's a bar, so it's bar food.. just really delicious bar food. A solid restaurant.. I mean, bar. read more

The delicious aroma as you enter tells you everything you need to know. This was a special experience. Great atmosphere, nice staff, and incredible dishes with such fastidious attention to texture, flavor, color, and presentation... this was a memorable night out. The lamb shank fell off the bone and was so tender. The fenugreek sauce with the sturgeon was out of this world. The Bhel Puri was an incredible and masterful blend of flavors and textures - peas, celery, apples, tamarind, yogurt, cashews, and puffed rice. Really looking forward to going again. read more

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This place is such a hidden gem! Been here a handful of times now and there seem to be some staples like the deviled prawns, mutton rolls, and naan but it follows a seasonal menu for other items. I like to get bigger protein dishes for entrees and share to try all the offerings. I've never been disappointed by the food, their delicious cocktails, and service. It's also got a great cozy seating inside and outside dining area when it's not too frightfully cold outside. Definitely worth your trek out here and every penny spent! Can't wait for my next trip out to rupee bar - especially for those mutton rolls which are divine. read more

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The waitress recommended that for four adults we get six dishes, which was the right amount - although we did also get two desserts. We started with the Dahl (4/5 stars) and two naan (5/5 stars), then got the cauliflower (5/5 stars, blow your mind!) which was my personal favorite dish. Next we got the savoy cabbage (4/5 stars but my husband absolutely loved it) and the bhel puri (4/5 stars because I don't love the sour flavor of plain yogurt). The kerala fried chicken (5/5 stars) was unanimously, loved by all for adults! The pork shank (4.5/5 stars) was great as well, the meat just fell of the bone and I loved the ceylon curry base. I was really impressed with the variety of drinks on their menu, but I ordered the "King, coconut", and I found the flavors were a little bit subtle. The dominated flavors for me was the whiskey and the lemon, I did not taste the coconut or other tropical flavors. The weight staff was very kind and attentive when we asked questions, although they only came out to our table a few times. The service was slow, we arrived at 7:10pm and the check did not come out until 8:55pm. We got outdoor seating, so I cannot speak to the ambience inside, but I was extremely impressed with how well the heaters in the patio worked - it was 44F and I was comfortable in a long sleeve shirt with a thin cardigan! read more

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Seriously, WOW. This place was walking distance from my brother's place and I'm so glad I don't live close by because I would be broke. We went twice in 3 days and I wanted to go again. And again and again. The ambiance is so romantic and moody. It's a great place for a date night or just to get a cocktail with a friend. There's not a ton of space so I don't recommend for large groups. We sat at the bar both times, fun and easy. I also love talking to the bartenders/servers. They were so helpful and nice, they gave tons of recommendations and even recommended another tapas place. Super attentive, my water was never empty. What's the best thing about this place? NAAN. OMG THE NAAN. I could have eating 10 of them. The mint and chili dips were worth every penny. I ordered the halibut and it was so juicy. I did order it twice. My hubs got the chicken and the aioli was to die for. We ordered the fish cutlets, which were pretty good but I would have rather had more naan (LOL). HIGHLY recommend this place. read more

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Pretty good! I loveeeed their Mediterranean Non alcoholic cocktail - really tasty and not too sweet. Good intimate vibe - I came on a Thursday night and there was no wait which was great because they don't take reservations for dinner. We ordered things family style. They're weren't super well informed about allergens as I would have expected - my cousin is allergic to chickpeas and they didn't know that the sev on the Bhel Puri has chickpea. The daal was also not that good. However the squash curry was amazing and so was the bhel. I am vegetarian but my friends said the chicken is solid and the fish was good! read more

I have been wanting to try this place for a while. Finally got to try it out today. The menu is quite small and very modern. They have something for everyone. They have decent amount of vegetarians. Although they have limited menu, everything on your menu is delicious and interesting. There is no designated parking but you will find street parking easily. The place itself is very eclectic and fun! Following are my rankings for the items we ordered: Naan - 10/10 Dhal curry - 9/10 Bhel puri - 10/10 KFC - 10/10 Chili sambol - 9/10 Roasted cauliflower with sesame gravy - 8/10 Tamarind and date soda - 9/10 Pumpkin curry - 5/10 Kale salad - 10/10 Date spiced brownie - 6/10 I would highly recommend this place. They are not very expensive and they are tapas style. Will definitely return here. read more

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Unique, wonderfully flavored bites, Short menu with contemporary Indian / Sri Lankan inspired dishes !! The drink menu looks excellent as well. -Mutton Rolls ($12) - rice paper wrapped spiced mutton mixture breaded in panko crumbs -Naan with Lentil Dahl ($4 + $4) - the fluffiest bubbliest naan I think I've seen with a nicely spiced dahl -Keerala Fried Chicken ($14) - love the tartar -esque tangy sauce it came with Absolutely beautiful Interior - earthy but stylish with deep green and gold tones. Apparently the interior design is a James Beard Award winner. Staff was very polite. read more

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Great cocktails and apps. The stools are very cute, but super small and very uncomfortable. Fabulous spot for Happy Hour. Bhel puri, fried chicken were great. AVOID THE COD. $30 for a tiny piece of fish that tasted fishy, the sauce was bland and tasted awful. My partner started feeling nauseaus shortly after eating it. He went straight to bed when we got home and worked to avoid throwing up the rest of the night. Even if he didn't get sick from the fish, it would have been a disappointment based on how its flavor. Surprising, since everything else was pretty good (naan) to delicious. read more