I needed to pick out a place to try with my boyfriend and he had never had Indian food so I said why not let's just try something new. The service in there was some of the best service I have ever received, they were so friendly and the atmosphere was very positive! The food tasted absolutely amazing too and some of the best chia tea! I stuck with the basics and just got chicken curry which was delicious, but my boyfriend got the wild boar and the pickled lime oh my goodness that was even better. Definitely would recommend this place to everyone and I will be going back. read more

What a gem! Who knew Maine would have a great Indian spot! Very authentic tastes, and the staff were absolutely lovely! Highly recommend checking this place out if you are in Ellsworth! read more

Fantastic Indian and Sri Lankan dishes here, with a broad spectrum of mild to crazy spicy available. Small place, so make reservations if you can. Samosas and Naan were great, Korma curry was flavorful, and the Goat Curry was fantastic. What a great find! read more

Stopped by while visiting Acadia on the Memorial Day weekend. We were craving for Indian food and a quick search showed us that this was the only place in the area. The food was great! I had the Sri Lankan shrimp curry - and I bravely chose the hottest spice level. Boy it was yummy and really hot! Choose wisely :) the chicken tikka was really good too. Also, the sambol was as good as the one I have had on my trips to Sri Lanka. The curries are delicious and they have a few vegetarian options as well. The chutneys that come with the naan are super yummy and fresh. We loved the food so much that we were back the next day. They were completely packed the next day with many other Indian families (like us!)looking for familiar food. So do call ahead on busy weekends. read more

My family has been waiting for years for an Indian resaurant to come to the Ellsworth area. After a long dry spell it was worth the wait. Food is delicious, servings are filling. So far I've only had the food as take-out twice. Tonight I am going with family and 2 friends. One thing to be aware of is the food's "heat". I am accustomed to ordering "hot as you can make it" just to get the heat up to a level I like and even then it is not usually hot enough (there is no other restaurant in Ellsworth that gets it hot enough...). The "hot" rating here really is hot! If you normally order food hot and it is hot enough for you order it medium or less. You can always add spice but you can't take it away. read more

Oh, did you not think you would have fantastic Indian / Sri Lankan food in Downeast Maine? Oh, did you think you would only be eating lobster rolls and fried clams and haddock all the way to Nova Scotia? Well, how wrong you were, because if you are on your way to Bar Harbor, Acadia, or anywhere else north along the coast, you should for sure be stopping here. Serendib is tiny - just 6-8 tables, but it is located right in historic downtown Ellsworth. Yes, settled among the old buildings is this fresh take on Indian food, which is actually, in this case, Sri Lankan food. As far as I could tell, the difference is a lot more spice and flavor. You might be inclined to just go with their normal curry, but I strongly recommend you step outside and try their Lamprais, which is some kind of wild combo of curry, Sri Lankan food, and DUTCH food somehow? It made me want to understand Sri Lanka better. The meats here are perfectly spices, the sauces are powerful and fun to try, and the naan is pretty much perfect. Great naan is a good measure of a place like this. Don't miss it on your Downeast trip! read more

Absolutely out of this world! Amazing! Small chef owned restaurants are me fave! Good luck; and I'll definitely be back. Love, Diane

What a find! Delicious and amazingly flavorful dishes in downtown Ellsworth. We loved how the spices and flavors were slightly different than standard Indian fare. Try the sour fish curry, you'll love it! We also enjoyed the Sri Lankan curry. This place was so good, we ate there twice during our recent vacation in the Bar Harbor area. read more

This place is fantastic!!! A rare jewel in this area. The Shri Lankan chicken wings are over the top!!

This restaurant was so awesome! The food tasted very authentic and came quickly. The place is small, but pretty and has great natural light. All of the dishes we ordered were excellent. Definitely recommend this restaurant for families, couples, or really anyone. read more

Amazing food, beautiful place, very authentic recipes. Can't wait to come back often.

We loved our meal- Naan, mulligatawny soup, vindaloo and lamprais, and moms love cake. So glad Serendib is here! read more

The Cashew Curry with trout was delicious, and the Flourless Chocolate cake was delicious and very rich.

Awesome mulligatawny soup! I could eat it every day. I think it was the best I ever had. Noticed that more than half of customers were Indian. A very good sign. read more

With all the great reviews posted, my family and my friends family were eager to try what would have been the last night to a great trip to Bar Harbor, Maine. Not from the area we depend on good reviews before venturing to restaurants with kids. Especially if we do not know what to expect. We made reservations for 8pm for 9 people. I found it odd for a restaurant to close their kitchen at 8:30pm, especially on a Friday night. After reserving the time, I received an immediate call for my party to make sure we arrive at 8pm as they close at 8:30pm. That I found strange, and at that moment I should of cancelled my reservation as no one has called me back to make sure I arrive by 8pm or there would be issues. In either case, we still went ahead with the reservations. The restaurant does not have a liqor license and you cannot bring your own, as they are not insured. That I found strange. I bring this up as what proceeds is important with regards to drinks. When we arrived at 8pm with our party of 9 we were promptly seated. We ordered our dishes with the thought of sharing the dishes as a family. Never were we informed when we ordered that for 9 hungry people the portion size would not satisfy our needs. We ordered nan, and asked to get enough for the table, at which point we were told they only have 3 left. My friend ordered the mullagatony soup, then was informed they ran out of that. After ordering our main dishes, 5 in total, and side of eggplant we ordered 4 mango lassi's for the kids. When they arrived we noticed the taste was off, something was not right, even the color of the mango lassi was not correct. When we informed the hostess she said that no one else complained, and if we do not want the lassi we would not be refunded, we still would be charged.She then went on to say that the lassi was made of Greek yogurt and organic mango's and that could be the reason we thought it was bad. We are not idiot's, when lassi tastes bad, it's because the core ingredients are bad, here being probably the yogurt. Never have I experienced such rude service in a restaurant and the utter disregard for a customers concern. They should of least offered some other drink. We returned of 4 lassi's, 3 of them being full, not even drunk from. When the food arrived, we ate everything but realized that since the portions we ordered were not enough for our group, we should order more. When we went to order more our hostess informed us that we cannot order more dishes as the kitchen is closing at 8:30pm, it was 8:25 when we asked for more dishes. On what planet does it mean 8:30pm when it's 8:25 ? The hostess was completely rude to us, we have 5 kids which were all hungry, never once did she come to our table to ask if we required anything. When we asked to speak to the manager then it became worse. We explained to him that we would like to order 2 more dishes, he said fine we will make that for your table, then we explained about the mango lassi, that it was bad, and he said well we will not be refunded for that, and we do not know what we are talking about as they use all fresh organic ingredients with greek yogurt. He was not willing to listen to us and maybe realize that the lassi was off, if he tried it and put his big ego aside, listen to not 1 but 4 other people at our table, then maybe we were right. Because we refused to pay for the lassi's he then told us he does not want our money. We paid for our meals, and not the lassi's. With no tipping. Even though the food was good, the experience with the lassi's or there lack of was horrible. The service was the worst I have ever experienced in many years. Besides 1 other couple we were the largest group in the restaurant. Service in the restaurant business should go hand in hand with the quality of food. Your customers should feel welcomed. The success of a restaurant depends on it. Unfortunately this place does not believe in this core fundamental value. read more

Serendib - By the way, this photo is of a mango lassi I made with fresh mango and greek yogurt, notice the color. And it taste great!!! - Indian Near Me - Ellsworth, Maine

Absolutely wonderful Sri Lankan food in an unexpected location. Get the "Rice and Curry" special (that is, a thali). Creative, sweet and friendly staff. You can't go wrong here. read more

Wow, this restaurant is a must go to if you are in the area! We were driving back from Bar Harbor and decided to try this out on a whim. I am Indian, but I really enjoyed the food here!! Everything was tasty. We ordered the naan, dal, paneer, masala dosa, and eggplant. The masala dosa was done differently than my experience, but tasty and thick! My favorite dish by far was the eggplant. A surprising mix of sweet and savoury, and delicious flavoring. Everything else was also good, but not spectacular. I think dal was a little on the salty side. I only thought the naan was overpriced at $7. That's really unnecessary. Other than that the rest of the food was priced decently. In addition the side sauces (mint chutney) and pickles were also sooo tasty. I packed everything to go and it was so good. I really recommend it. read more

This was the best Middle Eastern food I've ever eaten. Samoas were very unique with the fillo outer shell, made for a great treat and the Mango Lassi is a must have. When ordering the staff will ask you about the desired spiciness for your dish and when they say hot they mean HOT. Flavors are incredible, if I had room for desert I would've taken the opportunity. read more

Located in Ellsworth, ME, this rather small plain corner store restaurant is OK. There is a limited menu. However, everything is cooked to order and naturally being Indian food, it is rather spicy and tasty. We ordered non bread. It was a little on the pricy side but was served completely different than any other Indian restaurant we have had before. It was rather on the thicker side and rolled and soft. It was served with 3 different dips. Both had the chicken Tiki Masala chicken in a red spicy sauce. Again, rather plain but spicy and the chicken was a little over cooked. The server did a really good job and was very pleasant. I suppose for a small town like Ellsworth, we could not expect the unexpected. If you are in the mood for Indian food and visiting or living in Ellsworth, I would give it a try and judge for yourself. read more

The service is absolutely a joke. The chef not only forgot to pack an entree (which happens so it's fine) but when we asked to get the entree upon coming back, they were defensive and rude, telling us maybe we just need more food but normal people would be fine with it. They charge $7 for EACH Naan (bread) as if it's something special, when it's really fake Indian food. Don't monetize on my cultures food and over charge for bread that costs less than thirty cents to make AND THEN not even tell us how much the total is until we get there with the ridiculous bill in our face. Small portions, bad service, fake Indian food. Would NEVER recommend. read more

What a lovely discovery! We stopped there during an early afternoon, quite hungry. Understated place, clean and quiet, and it was soon clear that the folks working there are caring, professional, and enthusiastic. The food was delicious, the service excellent. We'll be back. read more

Best food in the area. Great location. Chef driven. Food is hot! As in spicy hot, it's still good mild if you ask for it. We get medium level and it burns...so good! read more

I liked it. I really liked it. Food quality was great. I only didn't give it 5 stars, because most Indian restaurants provide at least a small amount of Naan or roti either on the table or with meals, and $7 for one piece is a bit steep. Also there were no traditional Indian desserts, for which I was hoping. The mango lassi was expensive and small at $5; I didn't order it, just observed. I will say the salad that comes with the meal was not at all what I expected. It's not uncommon to get a greens salad with various sauces and chutneys with your meal, and that was what I greatly anticipating, but alas it was a palm and coconut salad which honestly I couldn't develop a taste for no matter how I tried. Also the onion chutney was somewhat close but not identical to what I am used to (mostly tasted like a tangy onion salad with a lot of cumin), and the tamarind chutney (usually my favorite) was far too salty and relatively bitter as opposed to the usually sweet aromatic flavor. Also, I feel the portions could have been a bit larger for the price. There were only 4 pieces of cheese in the Palak Paneer. Again, the meal quality is great, but I grew up in NJ, went to school in Parsippany (often known as a little India), and surrounded by Indian food--hence the knowledge for and the resulting high but shy of perfect rating. read more

Headed to or from Bar Harbor? You must stop here- there's nothing like it on MDI. The aromas snagged us as we walked by this tiny corner restaurant in downtown. Classics like tikka, korma, vindaloo and saag paneer are here, and theres a great opportunity to try Sri Lankan style meals as well. There were vegan and dairy-free options, and many dishes give an option to substitute mushrooms for meat. Everything right down to the mango chutney and beet pickle is made in-house. Flavors were as bright and delicious as the aromas. read more

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Many of the world's religions postulate about Heaven, Nirvana, Shangrila, the Promised Land, Paradise, Zion, the hereafter, the next world, the next life, Elysium, the Elysian Fields, Valhalla. Each of them describes the wonder of the sights, sounds, bliss, and eternal happiness. BUT not one of them describes how it smells there; its aromas, scents, perfumes. NOW you can expericne that wonder as I did last night. Pick up a take-out dinner from Serendib and wallow in the enlightened wafting aromas in your backseat as you drive home. You'll never sin again. read more

This is no joke the best Indian food I have ever eaten. I had the palak paneer and there was no shortage of the delicious delicate paneer cheese. It is really obvious that the spices are fresh, and it came with some pickled veg on the side. Try it out! I'll be getting more meals there whenever I'm in the area! read more

We're staying in Surry at a lake house and you can only have so many s'mores before you need some real food. Our lunch was absolutely fantastic...warning: the wings are spicier than you think...we had the boar and Sri Lankan curry...so so so yummy. Great portions ...kind service...a little on the pricey side but worth the splurge for some great food. read more

We had the deliciously spicy chickpea tikka masala and the tandoori salmon. The place was totally full when we arrived, so we walked around Main Street until a table opened up. read more

Love this place. The food is so good, and the service is friendly and knowledgeable. Everything is wholesome, delicious, filling, and top-quality, as well as suitable for vegans, omnivores, pescatarians, and anyone who likes excellent Indian and Sri Lankan food. read more

Both servers and the food is really good. They accommodated us just 10 minutes before closing (made reservations). We made several changes to our order and the server was more than happy to oblige. Plenty of vegetarian options. Deviled potato in particular was surprisingly good. Samosas overpriced. The only place I could find their outdated menu was Facebook which is absurd. Check their timing on Yelp before going. I tried to contact them on Sunday to confirm, as per their voicemail it was open but apparently it wasn't. While we were there , the owner was having dinner himself. He was very loud and since its a small restaurant he should be more mindful or play louder music. read more

Can't recommend this more. Great food, try the naan! Something very different and delicious in Ellsworth!

We were wanting to try Serendib for a long time before we actually went there for dinner. I regretted we hadn't gone sooner. It was possibly the most delicious meal I've ever had. The chicken was so tender and fantastic, the naan bread was to die for. It was uniquely different from what I expected (because it was billed as Indian and Thai. Indian I love. Thai I didn't know anything about but whichever it was it was delicious. read more

Partner and I were regulars at Serendib for several years when they first opened. Then covid hit and we moved further south . So its been more than a couple of years since we have been back. We always liked the food there and always recommended it to friends. Last night, 15 June, we found ourselves in Ellsworth. We planned dinner at Serendib. We arrived after 7 without a reservation. When we arrived there was a table for four that was empty and one table for two where a woman sat mindlessly scrolling her phone. The guy at the front counter responded with a snarl when we told him there were two of us. He snapped "do you have a reservation"? When we said no he snarled "you need a reservation". Fortunately for us the waitress told him that the table for two was occupied by someone who was just waiting and not buying. He shooed her away and we got our table. It felt weird the entire process. Food was ordered and it was a mixed bag of really good to fairly mediocre. The nan was excellent, the dal was also. The chicken korma and sag paneer was just so so. OK so things change and food is uneven. We could have lived with this. Come time to pay the bill we go to the "charming " host/cashier . Our bill came to blah blah dollars and three cents. We had the money to pay the bill all of it but the three cents. We needed to break a second large bill to pay those three pennies. Did the cashier give us a break?? Absolutely NOT. He insisted we pay the three cents. He was none to nice about it either, it was like he thought we were trying to steal those three pennies. So we had to break a large bill to pay the excess. The amount of energy this guy put into being a bit of a jerk is what we both remembered from last night. I debated as to whether to give Serendib a two or a three star rating. Given our past history I decided to err on the side of generosity. I understand that work staff is hard to find these days. Restaurants struggle to stay open. But your staff is the face of the business. A churlish unpleasant worker will be remembered long after the memory of the food fades. read more

Serendib is a treasure! My very favorite restaurant anywhere and luckily it is close by in Ellsworth, Maine. The best Indian food I have ever had. This is where we go to celebrate all special occasions. Or just because we must taste this food! You will not be disappointed :-) read more

In America I am always looking for an Asian (Thai, Indian, Malaysia, Sri Lanka) restaurant where I can enjoy the real flavors of overseas and not a restaurant that cators to the American taste buds. The reason for this is that for the past 45 years I live in a local Malaysian town for 4 months out of the year. I truly enjoy local SouthEast Asian cuisine. So when I saw "Serendib" come to Ellsworth, Maine a few years ago, I said to myself to give it a chance. Finally I have a place to go to get the true flavors of my home in Malaysia!!!! I recommend trying everything on the menu. I recently had the Chicken curry, the Lamb curry, the Samosa, and the Wings. I just closed my eyes and my mind took me back to my Malaysian town. The interior is comfortable; the service excellent; and even the all white table settings add to the ambience. Enjoy! read more

To be honest I didn't believe all the rave reviews of this place. We would have been happy with just a decent curry meal in northern Maine. Instead we experienced what may be the best Indian food we've had since our recent visit to London. Wow! The dishes are complex, fresh, and delicious with none of the greasiness usually associated with Indian food. We live near Washington D.C.which has plenty of world class Indian restaurants and I would easily say this place rivals or surpasses them. read more

My husband and I were visiting Acadia National Park and came across the Yelp page for Serendib. Its great reviews are 100% deserved and speak to the outstanding food they make and serve. My husband is Indian and we live in New Jersey, so we've been to our fair share of Indian spots, and certainly have a few favorites. With that said, Serendib was better than any restaurant we've been to in NJ. And, we both hadn't had Sri Lankan food before visiting Serendib, so it was a real treat. We ordered the House Made Naan which was out of this world (the chutney was the best I've had out, for sure). For our main meals, we shared the Sri Lankan Style Curry (with chicken) and the Free Range Wild Boar, both were delicious. Oh, and follow the advise of reviews below and order a side of the Eggplant, you will not be sorry! I only wish we had time to go back for a second meal while in Maine! read more

I had the chicken Khorma and an extra side of curried beets, everything was truly delicious, and the owners were kind and attentive. I had medium spice and it was very comfortable for a girl who likes spice, may ho a touch spicier next time if I'm feeling feisty. Even with the spice, my 9 year old said if I order mild for him, he would have loved to have had it for dinner. The flavors were very good, and all complemented each other really nicely, and after eating a lot of Indian food, it was some of the most authentically home cooked flavors I've enjoyed. I'm looking forward to trying the vindaloo and naan! read more

Only Indian/Sri Lankan restaurant in the Acadia national park area. Casual decor, excellent food!

I came to bar Bar harbor for a vacation and one day can for dinner here ... very satisfied with the food . I got the mushroom vindaloo and hubby got Indiana style chicken curry . They serve with basmati rice and raita- food was awesome read more