I work with the Office for Arts Integration at the University of Illinois. We asked Bobby Gomes, of The Himalyan Chimney, to cater our event (for 75-100 ppl) in September 2026, and the food was simply amazing. Our guests were completely delighted with the samosas (both vegan and standard), the naan bread, the Classic Butter Chicken, the (vegan) Chana Pindi, the Chicken Chattinad, rice, and both green and avocado salads. Everything was delicious and there was nothing left to to box up afterwards! I highly recommend this restaurant for both dining in and take-out/catering. Please note: they can deliver catered food (in the proper chafing dish-sized aluminum pans) to your event, or you can pick it up yourself. However, they currently do not offer the chafer stands, sternos, serving tongs/spoons, or staff for your event. Hopefully though, their business will boom and they will be able to provide those services soon. (And UIUC employees can use T-cards to pay for catering/meals). All said, Bobby and his staff are very kind and helpful-- you should definitely check them out! read more

This place is my to-go Indian restaurant downtown. However, their food was usually so salty that I have to drink plenty of water the night after having it. Others were good - the dining environment, the service, and they provide various options on the menu. read more

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Upscale Indian spot with thoughtful spices. The seasoning in our meal was both rich and subtle. We ordered chicken biryani, saag aloo, and butter chicken. The biryani rice was moist, with curry and saffron infused, and the chicken was very tender. The dish risked being under seasoned but the raita it came with completed it, by adding sourness and herbs. The saag was pleasantly herby and managed to be vegetal without getting earthy. The dishes were well balanced and worth checking out when the mood for Indian strikes. read more

Himchim is a favorite among my friends!!! My favorites are lamb vindaloo (spicy btw) and garlic naan (worth the extra charge)! I like the chicken biryani but was hoping for more flavor. I was surprised by how much I liked the Fish Tikka, not too dry! Not pictured, I loved the chicken 65, it's like south asian popcorn chicken. Restaurant is very dark/dim, many celebrations there. The service was great too! read more

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Food: Tandoori Chicken highly recommended! 8 pcs more worthwhile! Large portions Nun is great Service: They can be busy at rush times, u need to be more patient Ambiance: a bit noisy due to it's business, the atmosphere is good read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Tandoori Chicken - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

We have been to The Himalayan Chimney twice and have had great experiences each time. This last time we brought friends and they enjoyed it as well. The food was amazing and very fresh and we had some of the best sangria we had ever had! Great atmosphere and amazing service! read more

We went there on a graduation dinner and honestly it was a disappointment , place was busy , but starting from the reception every one was on a we don't care kinda attitude , well we ordered lamb kabobs malai boti chicken tikka butter chicken from their menu and some Nan's later we also order a chicken karahi and none of their food was even close to what we eat in Pakistani/Indian restaurants in Chicago ,karahi seems like they took chicken out from any Chinese dish and put it in curry , malai boti have a bad taste and lamb kabobs I think their chef has his own recipe ,so bad, bathrooms were dirty, also over priced ,will not recommend read more

I have tried this place a number of times. I like their chicken biryani, which was very tasty. I often stop by this place when I need to drop off my kid at UIUC. read more

I've been to this restaurant many times and have enjoyed the food each time. Service is great, not too loud, not too bright and not too pricey. Nothing has changed since my last review except my new favorite dish. Everything that I've tried so far is quite delicious! read more

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Delicious food, great service and upscale atmosphere. The prices are affordable as well. Our family enjoyed our experience here!

I ordered take out, so this is based on the food solely, specifically the chicken tikka masala. In terms of amount, I felt like there was little chicken compared to what other local Indian restaurants give. I personally wasn't a fan of the more watery/oily texture. Just something to consider for those who tend to order Chicken Tikka Masala! read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

After watching the Illini cap off their great season on low note my husband and I decided to drown our sorrows at Himalayan Chimney. As expected the food didn't disappoint. We had the Tandoori Vegetables cooked to perfection in an incredible sauce (10/10 for presentation). We also ordered the Chicken Kadai. So aromatic, what a unique flavor! For dessert we enjoyed the Rasmalai. We are sad the Illini lost but we finish our evening at a high note. read more

Had two meals there, one lunch with my friend, and one dinner myself. The service here was in general satisfactory. The food here tasted not bad either; moreover the portion size was large. I really like the naan's, both plain and cheese naan. I did not try the garlic naan but my friend enjoyed it very much. Also, the restaurant is spacious and even has a bar. It's comfortable to eat and chat there. It would be better if the food contained less salt, as I felt thirsty after dining there both times. read more

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One of the worst food I have had in a while. University Town so everything sells! Saag paneer had boiled spinach barely sautéd with uncooked paneer pieces. High in salt. No taste or flavor. Raw cut boiled spinach texture. The butter paneer was stale with two different colors of paneer pieces and dark pieces tested rotten. It tested weird, sweetish, salty and a burned taste. Pungent and intolerable to buds. No one can eat it. Naan were ok, soft textured (I like crispier fresh oven baked) but cold so definitely not freshly baked but sitting waiting. Momos were good but salty. Overall both curries were 0/5. Momos 3/5. Naan 2/5. Wasted food as we left all the paneer as such. Not cheap either! Bathroom is super dirty and needs to be immediately fixed! Felt very unhygienic. Ambience is ok but could be super loud for those who are looking for a relaxed family dinner. I understand and accept it's a University town. Servers were super nice but no one bothered to get us water refilled till the end unless requested. Will never return!!! Some of the reviews resonate the same. Wish I trusted them. read more

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2nd Review: weekday - Mango lassi consistent taste - Fried momos: it's worthless. These are called mini samosa. No difference in taste. Price also not worth for this order. Bottom line their veg appetizer not great! - Non veg platter: Shrimp, acahri chicken and tandoori chicken are tasty and rest all items too much salt. I can't even felt any flavor or taste. It's just saltey. - Mixed biryanis: First this this is not a biryanis, if your from south do not order any rice items - Roti: this time Rotis are really good - methi malai mutter - this is just below average. Too much creamy and no methi at all. It's like just eating mutter with cream. - Their mint chutney is worst. They just added color and it may spoil your health. Do not try their mint chutney. Look at the pic you before place any orders Overall this is over rated place. I do not recommend for any South Indians. May be one time visit or twice. This is just average place. Increasing 2 star to 3. 1st review --It's another over rated restaurant. It's just average taste. Atmosphere is good n decent, but not very great. **Positives: - Waiting area is good - Food runners are really great. They are very polite, very humble n hardworking - Mango Lassi is good **Negatives - Too much hot inside. No AC it seems. - Dull ambience and some places too much dark (in Dinner times) - Very slow service. Kitchen itself very slow - Portions are little small - Do not order Samisa or Papidi chat. It's worthless n tasteless - Kadai Panner: please do not order spicy. They just add chilli powder it seems. - Roti taste good n very fresh, but it's like papad. Very very crispy and did not felt I was eating roti. -Last but not least: Do not give any tips. All tips are going to the owners pocket and not for workers I will try one more time with more items n will update my review if anything good Refer more videos n pics https://maps.app.goo.gl/JkH2qMb3DkyygrrCA read more

Actually really enjoyed this place and thought the food was great! I got the chicken tikka masala and my boyfriend got the butter chicken. We also got the pesto naan and garlic naan, which were both delicious and paired perfectly with what we got. Even though it was a bit pricier for what I expected I didn't really mind. Staff was friendly and ambiance was good. Would come back again! read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

The food, service, and ambiance is wonderful here. The staff is attentive, the food is seasoned wonderfully, and the restaurant has a calm vibe. read more

WORST INDIAN FOOD ONE CAN EAT!!! I have had food at some really bad places but this place takes the crown! Please do not eat or do takeouts. This place needs to shut!!! People who have rated this place good may have been in the past. But now, I think the owners have changed hands or something. Samosas were triple fried soaked in oil. Paneer was like chewing a chewing gum and full of Red Color, the same Dye that's banned everywhere else in the world. Butter chicken was like Indian curry chicken with the chicken so hard- they might have sun dried the chicken. The food had South Indian food flavor and prep, which is another huge issue as the restaurant is named Himalayan basically North and North East Indian food. Please help shut this horrible restaurant down!! Even people looking for South Indian food is not like this lol!! read more

I love love love Indian food. The food here is tasty! I had the Butter Chicken and it did not disappoint. I could only finish half of my food. The drinks were inexpensive and yummy! The staff were very friendly! read more

Gave me food poisoning, don't recommend going here. Ordered lamb chops and they came cold

Favorite Indian spot in CU. Good vegan options for spouse and legit spicy food - surprising for Midwest. read more

I came here for dinner yesterday and was very excited to try their food. I saw a lot of great reviews so I knew it was going to be good! However-- it was not. We ordered samosas, the "classic" butter chicken, and lamb kebabs. Our server was a little rude. I didn't really expect that at all. I came in thinking that the staff would be friendly, which most were, except the man who took our order. I asked about the Indian Mule because I wanted to try their drinks but he could not tell me what spices were in it. The whole time he just looked like he had better things to do. He was friendly to other tables though, so maybe he just didn't like us. As for the food-- The samosas were not as good as the ones I've had from other Indian restaurants. Mine was mostly potato so it literally tasted like potato wrapped with the samosa wrapping. Not good. There was hardly any other veggies either, usually there are peas carrots etc., but nope, just mostly potatoes. They also tried to decorate the plate but it's not aesthetically pleasing or edible. The butter chicken did not have enough flavor. It really tasted like just tomato cream and chicken breast. It didn't taste as hearty or fatty as I expected. I heard that butter chicken should be very savory and buttery but I didn't taste that at all. But it was my first time trying it, so I could be wrong. To me it tasted like a tomato cream soup. I was not a fan of the lamb kebab but that could also just be me. It didn't look grilled either. The naan and rice were not good either. The garlic naan we got did not have much flavor, just tastes like bread. The rice was also not that good. Overall, I would rather choose to eat at other Indian restaurants in town. I wanted to like this place, but poor service and food that lacks taste is not for me. read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Samosas and poor display - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

This is my second trip to Himalayan Chimney! I really like the relaxed ambiance in the restaurant - perfect date spot! The food also always hit the spot too. We ordered two of their most popular dishes: butter chicken and lamb curry. Butter chicken: SO GOOD. When it comes to butter chicken, I actually have no self control once I start eating it... The chicken is so sweet and savory at the same time; I just can't get enough!! With every dish you order, you're able to pick a side to go with it (naan or rice). I just drowned my naan in all the deliciousness, making sure I don't miss even a bit of the dish Lamb curry: As delicious as we expected!! It was a little spicy for me so I had to eat it very slowly with lots of water breaks. I liked the gamey taste and the creamy curry had a deep savory and earthy flavor. The customer service was fantastic! Our server came over to our table periodically to check up on us and was very very nice! read more

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Just great! Great service even as we slid in there right before the kitchen closed. Chicken Saag and Garlic Naan were wonderful! This restaurant definitely added to our vacation. :) read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Chicken Saag, Lamb Biryani, Garlic Naan. Maharaja 20oz beer (not pictured). - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

The Himalayan Chimney is your go-to upscale Indian place if you're looking for somewhere with nice interior and lots of space. I came here with a large group of around 12 people and they were able to fit us at a large table. Our food came out extremely fast and service was great. I had a chance to try their avocado starter/appetizer, which was a nice way to begin the heavier meal. I also had a chance to eat their tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, spinach & cheese, and their garlic naan (probably my favorite!). All were so good and fresh. Slightly a little bit spicy, but they all worked well with the rice and naan. Would highly recommend to people who don't mind dishing a few extra dollars for vibe and pretty food. read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Starter... can't remember the name but it has avocado - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

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Cancel your dinner plans and eat here instead!!! Get the Tandoori vegetables--if not for yourself, then for me!!! Wide variety of vegetarian options, and every one is so good. Prices are mid-range (2-3$s) and each dish serves/lasts 2-3 people/meals. I'm moving away from Urbana-Champaign and this will be one of the places I miss the most. Incredible food and great atmosphere. read more

I loved this place. So many options and varsities. Excited to try more! Attentive staff, a nice evening out overall. read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Shrimp Jalfrezi and Chicken Biryani. - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Great food and usually the staff is great. However we were asked to leave our table as they were trying to seat the next group. We had just finished our food. Not like we were sitting around for fifteen to twenty minutes after eating. Never had this happen to me at a restaurant before. We have eaten there several times before never had this happen before. All my other experiences were good. read more

This is the best Indian restaurant in this college town. They have a huge dine in area. Love the way they present the food (Kebabs are served on a stone platter. Attentive service. They play some upbeat Bollywood music that goes well with the well stocked bar. read more

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Food was served cold and not like any Indian food I've ever tasted before? Very oily and not the usual flavorful meal that I enjoy from most Indian restaurants. Even the naan was cold and not well browned. There are better choices and I would suggest looking elsewhere. read more

Food was mostly overpriced to say the least. Ive got the garlic nan, rice bowl, masala curry or smt, and the 24 dollar garlic lamb chops. Lamb had decent flavoring but not as much juice as I was expecting. The chops were also very thin probably like 2cm or less than an inch and Im being generous with that measurement while also being small. After eating all my food, I wasnt really full. My friends told me that the curry was very spicy, but maybe theyre just too weak. Service wasnt the best as well. I went with 10 people and 9 of then were served while one had to wait another 10 minutes. They also forgot some of our drinks menu, miscounted number of rice bowls we wanted, , rarely looked over at our table for additional orders or water, and gave us the bill too soon. read more

My family and I came here to celebrate my son's 21st birthday, today. I loved the decor and ambiance of the restaurant. Our waitress was very kind. When we brought out my son's cake, she had the birthday song play for him. It was such a sweet surprise! The food was tasty and nicely presented. We will certainly come back again. read more

Amazing food.... Outstanding service... Perfect ambience... Food is made according to each and every individuals desire.... read more

The food was amazing. I've never been here before but I'll definitely be coming back. I'd love to try entry naan they have on the menu. The plain ones were amazing. read more

I'm in Champaign on business. I wanted something close to the hotel and had a craving for Indian food. I called up Himalayan and ordered lamb biriyani, chicken vindaloo and saag paneer. Everything was hot and fresh. Great flavors and generous portions. Love it and definitely going back! read more

Loved them. Tried twice. Courteous and friendly staff. Good location with adequate street side parking. Their naans are one of the best. Not impressed by Alu tikki and malai kofta as they lacked flavors and texture also a miss. Paneer tikka masala and yellow daal excellent. Will definitely visit again when in the area. read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

Had a great dinner at the bar here on a solo visit to C-U. The lamb curry and garlic naan were really good, and the server was generous with his pours of wine. Would come here pretty often if I lived in town. read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Lamb curry and garlic naan. - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois

I am not sure if I got the wrong order from Door Dash or if this is what their chicken tikka masala is like, but it was not the sauce I expected. There were large chunks in it that turned out to be bell pepper rather than chicken. There wasn't much chicken but if the sauce had been good it would have been ok. It was a different color and less rich tasting. I specifically asked for forks in my delivery and didn't get them so I had to drive back over myself and get them. We ordered two orders of the same thing and my daughter didn't want hers. I literally threw it away because it wasn't good enough to take home. I'll choose a different Indian restaurant next time. read more

Very good Indian food. From outside the place looks a bit strange, but the interior has great ambiance. This is one of the best restaurants downtown! read more

Food tasted amazing. I am not an Indian food fan but this place was the bomb. Staff is super nice and very helpful. The Restaurant is super fancy. read more

The Himalayan Chimney - Indian Near Me - Champaign, Illinois