Tandoor kinda snuck into Middletown without a lot of hoopla; formerly the past Indian restaurant: "The Taj of Indian" was very poorly received and I had not even myself tried just based on recommendations of others. So without really noticing, Tandoor took over the same establishment and slowly started building a clientele of folks that were happy to talk about the place, and even suggest it. So taking a friends advice: I went late one Wednesday evening with Lizzy locks on a hopefully romantic and quiet date. Tandoor is modest in it's decor, but powerful in its food. Great range of authentic Indian fare easily suited for vegetarian or carnivore :D Great Range of heat.... Lizzie and I both found everything to be extremely fresh, flavorful and authentic. Spices were excellent and as noted by others here on yelp! beware the whole cardamon if you have not tried as it may alarm you. From a heat side: when I came in I asked for the fifth level of spicy ( I believe they maxed at six). They warned me of the heat and cautioned me to three at start; we bartered and settled down to four. Which thankfully I have an iron stomach as four was an excellent endeavor, but truly spicier then I had anticipated or prepared for.... The chef even came out to see me clear the plate and was quite surprised for a non Indian how well I did... Our best suggestion for new comers is to try either of the dinners for two/family which includes everything for about $50. If you are a carnivore, I cannot suggest you leaving without trying the Lamb Nann, big favorite of mine... We make this an every other week stop and are regulars now, and are quite happy to have found this hidden gem in Middletown :D Going to have to head to New Haven to see their flagship. read more

Always a treat to have lunch here. The place is clean, friendly and welcoming. The lunch buffet is awesome, continually being refreshed with delicious hot food. A great place to eat altogether. read more

Great service and even better food. Havent had this good of indian food since i was overseas. Will be frequenting this restaurant again!

If you're in Middletown and looking for Indian food, this is definitely the place to go. The servers are friendly and welcoming and the food selection does not disappoint. They have great options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike, and many of the dishes are naturally gluten free. Plus, they allow you to customize the spice level of the dish which is a huge plus. read more

Two diners with discerning palettes walk in- the place is clean, but not fancy. Greeted with kindness and professionalism. The moment we sat down, we were served with delicious appetizers. Our entrees were fresh, tasty, and pretty much perfect. The right amount of heat to tingle our senses, without masking the flavors- which were very well balanced. The server was very attentive without over doing it. Overall, we were pleasantly surprised. Best Indian I have had in CT! (Though I have had better naan.) Very happy that this one is in my town so I can visit at my leisure. read more

I was at tandoor for a small birthday function. It was my first visit. I had a little difficulty finding a parking spot. The ambience was nothing extra ordinary . The buffet variety was less. But whatever they had ,tasted delicious unlike some other restaurants which serve more items for namesake and do not even bother to check the taste. The buffet rate was reasonably low. The tandoori chicken was amazing. It wasn't dried out. I wish they would have had a bit more options for desserts. Overall I am more than satisfied and would definitely recommend this restaurant. read more

Service wonderful. A buffet for lunch 9.95. Great variety and so fresh. Easy parking in the rear. read more

Tandoor - Indian Near Me - Middletown, Connecticut

Last night was rainy and a little chilly, and the kids and I found ourselves in need of comfort food. So we headed for Tandoor. There's something about the quality of yogurt sauces and rice that works the same way as mashed potatoes and beef gravy. Particularly when it's done well, as it is at Tandoor. In addition, English/Irish pubs don't offer traditional Indian chai, which I think is the culinary balm of the soul. I have a reasonably high tolerance for spiciness; my son's is higher yet; my daughter's is fairly low. We all enjoy Tandoor, and have found that they can easily accommodate our tastes. My son regularly orders and polishes off their Keema Curry. I keep switching meats and styles, but I'm particularly fond of their saag and korma. An order of naan is obligatory, and since there's three of us, I think it speaks well of our self-restraint that we haven't injured each other fighting over that fourth piece. We're regular enough (and I'm recognizable enough) that the staff knows us well and treats us well. The decor is a little formal, but the hanging glittery garlands add a festive (and somewhat quirky) touch. I went back and forth (and back and forth) about how many stars to give Tandoor. In the end, I went with four. The character of this place is quiet, somewhat old-fashioned, with a kind of deferential humility that seems to say, "Four stars? Oh, no, I couldn't possibly." But their solid delivery of good food and good service - and soul-refreshing chai - keeps me coming back, and earns the fourth star. read more

Tandoor has an amazing lunch buffet deal. However the dinner feels overpriced. I got a shrimp tikka masala which I asked to be made very spicy. It wasn't spicy at all. It was $16. I thought that was a lot. The rice and naan are decent. The service is great. They are attentive and caring. I liked the people. The mango lassi was yummy. It is your typical Indian place, nothing quite extraordinary but decent enough to return to when I have an Indian food craving. read more

Probably my favorite local place to go for Indian, I've enjoyed both the entrees and the buffet time and again. Their Chicken Korma is one of the best i've ever had, and it saddens me that I've never seen it on the buffet. Their buffer items are fresh, and there is usually a fair mix of vegetarian and non-veg options. Their saag paneer is quite good, as is their mutter paneer, and paneer makhani. Their chicken tikka masala also is quite tasty, and I'm fond of their pokora. I haven'y anything bad from Tandoor, though their chilli chicken was only mediocre. Also the service is good and the seating is comfortable, though tables are close enough that you can too easily hear conversations at other tables. Prices are average, but the buffet is a good value. If you look around, you can find coupons that only make Tandoor a more appealing option. read more

I visited this place on Friday after work with a co-worker. we love going out and trying new food. I'm open to anything, she can be a picky eater. Either way we both loved the meal. She got the lamb madras, I got the shrimp curry (extra hot) and garlic naan. They both came with white rice. The shrimp was cleaned, and the shell was removed (not too many places do this). I loved the hotness of the curry. We were both satisfied. They were very welcoming, accommodating, and patient! As I said before my friend can be picky so she asked a lot of questions. Not once did our waitress seem annoyed. She actually enjoyed her job! - can yo believe that! They have a buffet from 11a - 3p but we were there for dinner 5p - 10p. We will definitely go back! read more

Went today to try the lunch buffet with a friend that has never had Indian food. 1. Clean, very clean 2. Friendly employees 3. The buffet was hot and had an excellent selection for the beginner. 4. It was all delicious! Especially loved the fresh naan that the waiter offered us before he placed it on the line. I only gave it 4 stars because the Tandoor chicken and the chicken tikka masala were on the dry side but the sauce was really tasty. My friend LOVED it all! And lets face it, for $9.95 you can't go wrong. read more

Came here for the lunch buffet while visiting a friend. $10 for all-you-can eat basmati rice, chicken tikka masala, goat curry, multigrain soup, naan, chicken wings, salad, and a lot more. I believe they rotate their offerings so you won't see the same thing every time you go. If you're not familiar with Indian food you can ask any member of the staff what everything is. They're all super polite and helpful. You go to the steam table and serve yourself. I had the rice, naan, chicken tikka masala, chicken wings, and some kind of yellow vegetable curry. It was all delicious and tasted very fresh. The wings were surprisingly good. Cheap, authentic, yummy Indian food. Go here! read more

Ordered delivery via Yelp today. Lamb Korma, samosa, naan bread. Arrived hot and tasted amazing.

Terrible. Ordered chaat and mango lassi for delivery. By the time we got the chaat it was soggy. I was surprised that it wasn't packed separately since we live about 10-15 mins away. Besides being soggy, it was a very basic chaat with huge chunks of onions and tomatoes, and chickpeas. The mango lassi was watered down and extra sweet. Based on the experience with these two items, we won't be going in for a meal. read more

Just moved to town and this has been our go-to Indian spot! Everything is consistently delicious and the portions are very generous. I would definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

$10 lunch buffet is not really a good deal. There's only a few selection. Foods were ok. The owner seems to be on the phone all the time, totally lacking customer service. The waiter were attentive. Would I come back? Not really. read more

This is gonna be so unfair to Tandoor. I had your palak paneer takeout for dinner last night, and I am writing this review now after I had dinner earlier at Udupi Bhavan. First impression, the palak paneer was decent. came out spicy as I had asked for it. Not too salty, maybe a touch greasy. The only gripe: when someone walked in to get takeout, shouldn't you throw in some plastic fork and knife for them to use?portion is generous and price is good, considering their main st location. Then I went to Udupi today before writing this review from the takeout yesterday, and it went downhill for Tandoor. I am sorry, Tandoor. The other place is just that good in comparison. read more

Came back here and was very disappointed at their buffet after going to their rival restaurant. Limited and not so fresh looking food, cold naan. Will not come back for buffet lunch. read more

Great local place in Middleton for Indian food. We had 3 dishes (2 chicken, 1 lamb) and they were all amazing.

Tandoor, you stole my Indian food virginity. The father daughter date to Tandoor on a Saturday afternoon always warmed my heart and belly. Thank you Tandoor for delicious Molai Kofta, Dahl, samosas, sag paneer, gulab, and buffets!!! I remember many occasions when you brought me and my family free rice pudding with cashews... absolutely delicious. Good folks. EDIT: Could somebody PLEASE post a photo of their mouth watering samosa? read more

Tandoor is located in a prime location in downtown Middletown and there is plenty of street parking or parking in the rear. My wife and I love the lamb saag (spinach). We usually order it at a level of hot or moderate hot and it is just enough to give it a nice flavor. But my favorite time to go is for the buffet because it's a terrific value. It is a small buffet table but there are lots of selections including soup and dessert. You can try different dishes such as korma, tikka masala, eggplant, curry, tandoori chicken, pakora, palaak, naan, chicken soup, salad, and a whole lot more. The rice pudding is a great way to end the meal. There is only one downfall to the buffet, it's not that spicy to cater to more people. If you want it hot order it off the menu, but to me this is easily the best Indian restaurant in the area. read more

Raj k is awesome He did a gr8 job catering at a baby shower event the family hosted thank u read more

Excellent lunch buffet! Flavorful cuisine and attentive staff! They brought us hot buttrred naan and gave us a coupon for next time! Will definitely return! Love everything about it! Very relaxing!! read more

The "Pakoras" in the Appetizers were not fresh. In the main course, "Shahi paneer" was good, but the "aloo gobi" was a big disappointment. Never had "aloo gobi" with gravy; was expecting "tandoori aloo gobi" instead. Surprisingly, garlic and plain naan were great. And, the sweet dish was a BIG disaster. Do not order Rasmalai at this place! But the service was good...Overall, the experience was just okay. read more

Attentive waiters, great location and wonderful food, catering to the vegetarian palate. I love this place.

This is one of my favorite indian restaurant i go to because their food is delucious and very friendly owners and waiters. I recommend this restaurant to anyone who wants to try or eat Indian and Nepalese food. Thank you for your delicious food and fabolous service the team of tandoor! #10stars #indianfood read more

Everything (except for one item) was very delicious and fresh tasting. The only downside was the limited dessert in the lunch buffet, but the main dishes were enough to fill you. They use great ingredients and you can really tell. The chicken dishes are tender and cooked well, the sauces are thick and tasty, and the fried veggies had a nice crunch taste. I wouldn't come here for dinner, but this is definitely a great take out and lunch spot. The only food item I would recommend staying away from was the assorted pickles in the salad bar. It was so incredibly salty and some of the veggies had a strange texture. read more

I love Tandoor. I work off South Main Street and come here often for their lunch buffet which usually has a myriad of options both vegetarian and non. I love the buffet because it allows me to try different dishes without the commitment of a full size entree and the naan to bring home is a huge bonus. I end up eating my buffet food for two days every time. As for dinner choices, I have gotten the Chana masala, chicken tikka and vindaloo and lamb saag and lamb tikka and it's always delicious and perfectly seasoned and spiced according to how I ask for it. This is definitely my favorite Indian food place in this area - highly recommended. read more

wow !! its a wonderful place to eat Indian food. very much all foods are so testy and staffs are friendly. I would love to go there again and again !! read more

Great Indian food and kind delivery man!!! When I get a craving for Indian, I'll order here again!

Ordered delivery from them for the first time last night and was super impressed. We got lamb tikka masala, baigan bhartha, chicken tika masala, and alu naan and it was all very delicious despite that fact that we ordered it all to be mild. I expected the naan to be greasy because it was wrapped up in tin foil, but it was not. The rice we got was also an extremely generous portion; we now have leftovers that are going to be lunch for today. My only complaint is that their meat portions are on the small side; they could do with a few more lamb chunks. Definitely will order takeout from them again. :) read more

Great lunch buffet. I stopped in for the first time on a Thursday afternoon and was surprised to see how busy it was inside. Once I sat down with my plate piled high with samosas and other fried appetizers, really good chicken tikka masala, a vegetarian paneer, rice with lamb in it, and other delicious things, I understood why so many people were here for the lunch buffet. For about $10, I was able to eat as much Indian food I wanted, including mulligatawny soup and desserts like gulab jamun and rice pudding on top of the usual rice and entrees. Everything was kept warm enough, and it was all pretty much as good as any other Indian food I've had. The staff was really friendly, and since it was a buffet, I was in and out of there with plenty of time to get back to work before the end of the lunch hour. read more

I 1st came here in 2008 or 2009 at which point the food was actually quite good. Spiced right, tasted excellent. I am sad to report however that now in 2013 they have gone the route of MOST eateries. They are definitely skimping on the quality now. I ordered a Tikka Masala, Mali Kofta, and chicken vindaloo only to be greeted with bland flavorless goop that looked like it came from a babies diaper. I have also tried thier takeout/delivery, apparently they care even less for that. I literally got a tomato soup for my chicken masala today, the naan was wet and soggy, they didn't even include chutney. I will definitely be avoiding this place from now on. On occasion I will hit their buffet up, but even that sucks now. read more

Wow! The eating-in experience here is very very different from takeout. I came in for the buffet on Sunday, and it was WONDERFUL. Everything that I could eat (the vegetarian dishes) were excellently prepared and full of flavor. The "least" best tasting was the baighan bartha, which felt a tad bland, but it was in no way laughable. However, the standouts for me were the desserts. Their kheer is subtle, creamy, and plain delicious to eat. The texture and warm milk flavor (not temperature!) came through. And the gulab jamun is flawless. The service was prompt and courteous, and we got a lot of smiles from the owner/head waiter. Such a great eating experience. Would definitely return soon. read more

Great selection of high quality indian food, with an added Nepalese twist. A great weekend dinner or midweek lunch location. Don't forget to order the Mango Lassi for desert! read more

Worst Indian food I have ever had. By far. The first bad indian restaurant I've ever been to, out of dozens in my life. The samosa was oddly flat, and was oily and salty. Never having been here before, I was willing to chalk it up to an Americanization, to some degree. But the food was generally cheaply made. For example, the garlic naan was made by brushing oil and garlic powder on regular naan, rather than with fresh garlic. This led to the strong scent and one-dimensional flavor of garlic powder, rather than the fuller taste of real garlic. None of the other dishes -- lamb vindaloo, shrimp curry, channa masala -- had any of the complex flavor that we all take for granted with indian food. The color and texture of each were fine, but the flavor was shocking poor. The masala, for example, tasted like old dried herb that had been added in excess because they were so old that they had lost their flavor -- to no avail. Even as a cheap restaurant, to food would have been to bad to return. At $20+/person, however, it does not even that excuse. It is just bad. read more

Where do I start from...The place looked quite ok.It had only two customers and we were their third ones.We were 6 of us and 5kids.The guy who took our order and later we also found out that he was the owner when he took our order he seemed quite confident but didn't really take it correctly also didn't bring to table what he promised us.The quantity was good for 2 people or may be one.The food was just about ok. The service was too slow for having 2 customers in the restaurant.Everything that we ordered was just ok.I would not make this same mistake ever again of coming here.I have gone to much better Indian restaurants than this.We had ordered shahi paneer which literally had only 6to 7pieces in it and the Bhindi masala so ordinary also it was from a frozen bag.We had ordered baingan Bharta but the guy came back saying that they were out of it So you could order something else. One of the waiters was new and seemed very irritated with any requests we had.they forgot to give my daughter a serving plate and this guy expected her to have dinner in a quarter plate.I mean seriously? Go to Haveli instead which has way better food and service. Doesn't even deserve 2 stars. read more

Great, fast and yummy delivery. I haven't yet eaten in the restaurant however we order takeout/delivery A LOT (almost weekly). They have given us some free apps if they are running late on delivery (I didn't even realize they were late since I order on Grub Hub and expect a longer delivery TAT). We order the chicken jalfrezi, patiya and tandoor chicken. When you order HOT expect it to be HOT AS HELL. I've had to catch my breath a few times while eating super spicy from Tandoor and wow my goodness it's good though. Once I expand upon what I order I'll consider bumping to 5 stars. read more

Wow!!! This is some of the best Indian food I have ever tasted. Tandoor has attentive servers, reasonable prices, and a variety of authentic dishes. I love how kind the staff is they are constantly giving us coupons and helping us feel comfortable with our dining experience. The prices are very reasonable especially for dinner on Main Street. While I have only tried a few other Indian restaurants this place definitely comes out in the top. Great job Tandoor!!! read more