Came here for an early dinner on Sunday. It was all delicious! The spicy chicken soup was a great starter. The butter chicken is the best in Bethesda. It was filled with so much flavor. This was also the best naan I have had in a long time! I highly recommend this place! read more

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Got some take out from Virraj because my daughters (10 and 12) had a taste for some Indian food for dinner We ordered: - Palak Chaat (Crispy spinach) - Butter Chicken - Naan The girls loved the Butter Chicken and the Naan. The Palak Chaat did not go over well. We were introduced to Palak Chaat when we dined at Rasika West End when some friends came to town. IT was so good there that we had to get a 2nd order because the girls could not get enough. The Virraj Palak Chat was not as crispy as Rasika's and had more toppings that made it a little soggy. I suspect the expereince could have been better had we dined in at Virraj and not done takeout as I suspect that this is a dish that is best enjoyed soon after it's made. Overall I would recommend based on the other dishes but the Palak Chaat at Rasika's was much better. Also their online order menu and their website needs pictures of their dishes. read more

Virraaj - Butter Chicken - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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I came here with my parents for lunch on Saturday based on the rave reviews on Yelp. They didn't steer me wrong! We arrived at 12:15pm for lunch and we're the only one there. Hopefully they're busy for dinner because it was sad to see such a lovely restaurant completely empty. Everything we ordered had some kick to it (how I like it!). My parents got chicken Tikka masala. They said it was good but spicy (for them). I thought my channa dish was spicier. Beware if you're super sensitive to spice! The rice was a light brown and seasoned. I'm not sure if it was brown rice or white rice with seasoning, but it was very good. Prices were fair, especially for Bethesda. Please visit this restaurant! They deserve the business. read more

Virraaj - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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The food here was great. The butter chicken was tasty and flavorful. I don't usually get the chicken korma but it was delicious. It was creamy with nice flavors. I also liked the paratha bread. It went well with the chicken dishes. The service was great. The restaurant felt clean and new and it had a nice vibe. read more

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I was so excited to try Virraaj after one of my friends recommended it. The server was really friendly, the restaurant decor had an upscale feel, and we were able to order our items fairly quickly since we were the only people in the restaurant. It took about 45 minutes for any of the food to come, but the servers came and apologized for the delay, stating that there was an "error in communication." We said no problem at all and really enjoyed the food. The food was very good. We ordered the vegetable samosas, saag paneer, lachha parantha, and onion kulcha. One of the best saag paneers I've ever had, and I also really loved the lachha parantha which was so flavorful. The vegetable samosas had the right balance of spice. The onion kulcha could have used a bit more flavor despite the abundance of onion. I also loved the Farzi butter chicken and highly recommend this for my vegetarian friends. read more

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Located in Bethesda, Virraaj was a cozy Indian dining restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating. We ordered paneer makhani, samosa chaat, tandoori gobi, and garlic naan. The paneer dish and samosa chaat were great!! We enjoyed it and though we had originally thought the portion sizes would be too small, they ended up being the perfect size for our group. That being said, we wished we hadn't ordered the gobi as it came out a little less flavorful and we had high expectations given the other dishes were so great. Despite that one dish I would still recommend and will likely come back! read more

Virraaj - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Love all of the following: - salt lassi (nicely spiced, tangy, salty, delicious!) - palak chaat (very crispy flash fried spinach with crispy batter, tangy and spicy chutney, yoghurt, and pomegranate seeds) - black lentil and chickpea stew - creamy corn and spinach - lemony lentil soup (my daughter devoured it all) read more

Virraaj - DAL TADKA, AAM PALAK CHAAT, SAMOSA CHAAT - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

After working us in without reservations, the service was amazing! My date is Indian-Pakistani so she requested extra x10^4 spicy food and it was... me being a simple white boy had "Indian hot" and it was perfect. We both had Lamb dishes. She also ordered spicy Naan and Daal tadka for the table. Portions are perfect for leftovers. Great value. To say that this place was packed with culture and great food is just not sufficient. Highly recommend getting reservations and would come back. read more

Wow we just found our new favorite Indian spot! Having experienced run of the mill Indian to Michelin tier (Rania) Virraaj is the perfect in between. They serve traditional Indian dishes but also specialty things not found on your normal Indian menu. For example, they had a wide variety of goat curries (DELICIOUS tastes like an earthier beef!) and fun chaat amuse bouches (don't remember the name exactly but dang they were flavor bombs). Our favorite things were the butter chicken, goat curry, and the chefs special paneer dish. I wouldn't recommend their alcoholic drinks, most are way too sweet. Also, I've had better naan. But their curries and appetizers are so on point it doesn't even matter, I'll be dreaming about the other dishes until we come back! read more

Virraaj - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Really great food and service. We came here for Sunday brunch with a large party and we were in love! As someone who isn't a big fan of Indian food, Virraaj definitely hits the sweet spot and offers an elegant twist on other classic Indian dishes. The chaat was my favorite and I could definitely eat that for the rest of my life. The presentation of these dishes was also 10/10 and the taste was even better! Highly recommend. Also loved the Nimbu Pani if you like sweet and tangy. read more

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We recently tried Viraaj Indian cuisine in Bethesda and the food, the ambience and the service was all first class. From the quantity to the quality of food was amazing. You know a restaurant has got its act together when the appetizers are given so much attention. Indian street food is known around the world for its tangy and tasty appetizers and Viraaj has nailed it. We started with different type of appetizers, Aloo Pakora(Potato fritter) Dahi Bhalla, spinach Chat and Fish Pakoras. I have eaten at lots of Indian restaurants in the DC metro area and I have never had similar Aloo Pakora anywhere..they were crispy with right amount of seasoning. The Fish Pakoras were also so amazing that even my kids who are not fond of seafood enjoyed them. For the main dish, we ordered Delhi butter chicken, Ma Ki Dal, Chicken Biryani, Corn Saag and several different kinds of breads like, Parantha, Naan Bread, Makke ki Roti. For dessert, we had kulfi and gulaab jamun. Everything was so fresh and the quality was top notch. The DC metro area has many Indian restaurants but only handful are any good. It's great to see the passion of the owner and chef in every aspect of the experience at Viraaj and I am hoping Viraaj expands to other parts in the DC area. You know how when you want "Peri Peri Chicken" or Italian food, Nando's or Magianos comes to your mind? I wouldn't be surprised if when you want Indian food, Viraaj is the only one that you would think of. Try this restaurant and enjoy the best Indian food in this area. read more

This place was PACKED. Every single table was filled! We didn't make a reservation and were apparently lucky to get a walk in. Started off dinner with a Namaste white, which I enjoyed. My husband ordered the Virraaj barrel, which by the way actually arrives in a massive barrel. I didn't get a picture (unfortunately) but the look on his face when it arrived is permanently etched into my memory. The waitress assumed it was for me, and the beer was for him, making the encounter even more entertaining. We tried the Nawabi Roti as a shared app. It was tasty, with a good kick of spice. It was perfect to share between two hungry people :) As a main, I got the butter chicken. My husband got some kind of lamb dish, but I can't remember the name and I didn't snag a picture. Both came with rice, but we were given one dish to share at the table. Not a big deal, but it would have been nice to have more for leftovers! We also got garlic naan on the side. I'm sure the naan was incredible- but after several dishes with spice I wasn't able to really get a good feel for any flavor. The butter chicken was excellent, and a perfect portion for a single serving. Not really enough to take home for leftovers, unfortunately. The restaurant was clean and had fun lights in the ceiling. This is a great date night or family dinner spot. There is also a public parking garage conveniently down the street. I'm sure I'll be returning! I'm read more

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FOR A GOOD TIME CALL PLEASE COME HERE IF YOU WANT GOOD FOOD AND GREAT PEOPLE. We came here for our monthly team celebratory dinner, and this has been the best restaurant chosen yet! Service was above par and vibes were immaculate! Everyone was just happy from staff to patrons, it just felt like love. Food was amazing! We had almost every dish on the menu since we were a large group but food came out hot, beautifully presented and deliciously seasoned. I'm no expert on Indian food but everything we had was very very good. It's also just a beautiful little restaurant, down to the menus, the place is well thought out and detailed. Drinks were the best! They were strong but delicious! And served in the most fun glasses! One was shaped like a boot another a rose it was just great! The pomegranate vodka drink and the spicy mango my coworker got were hits! We were a group of 15 with two babies and we just felt so welcomed and taken care of! The serving team, managers and food runners were attentive to every guest there and just loving and happy, it was truly a special night and we couldn't believe how they turned a regular Thursday into a night we won't forget! Literally perfect scores all around! I'll add photos of the food but we were having such a good time I almost forgot my phone existed! read more

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This spot is a real gem if you live in or passing through Bethesda. I love Indian food and and can be underwhelmed easily, but Virraaj didn't disappoint. Ordered the dahi puri, the veggie chicken tikka masala, a shredded paneer dish, and a chai. All of it exceeded expectations. Flavors were punchy and bright, staff was very attentive even with a packed house. This was my first time coming to Bethesda and if I'm ever back I will definitely try to come back here. read more

Had a lovely time here for our weekly date night. Beautiful decor/ambiance, delicious and inventive drinks, and flavorful, authentic North Indian food. We started with the aam palak chaat and samosas for appetizers. The chaat was the standout of the two with a mix of tangy, sweet, sour, and savory that rivals the similar dish you find at Rasika. The samosas were pretty good, just nothing special. I always order them the first time I try an Indian spot because of the samosas are objectively not good, the rest will be a disappointment as well. My husband got The whiskey barrel cocktail that literally comes in a little whiskey barrel and he loved it; not only was it presented well but it tasted good! I highly recommend my pineapple jhakas if you prefer sweeter drinks like me. For the mains my husband got Laal Maas and I got the paneer makhani masala. We split an order of garlic naan. That naan is fantastic. It might seem like a small think but having soft, pillowy naan is a must for a North Indian restaurant. My husband is now a Laal Maas convert. The meat was, according to him, cooked perfectly and the sauce was authentic. The paneer makhan masala is another standard item I order on a first visit because you have to do paneer well at any North Indian restaurant. Happy to report that they knock it out of the park. They don't skimp on the amount and the paneer is super soft. The masala gravy is silky smooth and you can taste the quality spices used. The rice is good; love that they use whole spices but don't love that they really don't give enough rice for two entrees. Nevertheless, we would certainly come back to try some new cocktails and other items on the menu. read more

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Excellent cocktails, authentic and fresh Indian food, nice decor, good service, welcoming, and very hospitable.

It's one of the best restaurants in Bethesda. The food is tasty, flavorful, and plated beautifully. The staff is extremely professional and attentive, and the decor is stylish and artistic. Recommend the vegetable samosa, butter chicken, garlic naan, and boondi kheer (rice pudding). That's my regular order, and I'd be willing to bet that the rest of the menu is of equal quality. They always draw a good crowd. Give 'em some business! You'll love their stuff. read more

Great food! Definitely a different vibe than what I'm used to but loved the flavors. Samosas were excellent and honestly, although the butter chicken wasn't the "classic [americanized]" flavor for me, it was tasty and worth getting again. read more

This is hands down the best Indian food we've had in any local restaurant. We also enjoyed some creative cocktails and have no complaints about the food or drink. When the check came, an 18% service fee was added to our bill which surprised us. When we asked the setver why it was added, he said that it was a new law that was passed in Montgomery County. We came home and did some research and there is only a proposed bill making it a policy to add service charges to checks. We would have liked to know about their policy before receiving our check. Its too bad because we are generous tippers if the service is warranted. We hope that this restaurant will change this policy so that their servers have incentive to perform to the best of their individual ability. read more

Virraaj is one of the best Indian restaurants I have been to in the DMV area! They have such a great, friendly and knowledgeable staff. I came to Viraaj one evening with my friends and had a great time here. The drinks here are AMAZING. The bartender that day made us the special Viraaj Favorite drinks including the following- Indian Ocean, Anarkali (shots), Kalakatta , Pinapple jhakas, LED drink. All of them are amazing but my favorite had to be the Anarkali shots and kalakatta drink with the popsicle. The presentation of all of the drinks were professional and you could tell that there was much thought and care put in them. I really loved the Viraaj Cocktail favorites and definitely would come back again. For appetizers, we had the chicken tikka. Virraaj has THE BEST chicken tikka I have ever had. The chicken pieces are so savory, flavorful and cooked to perfection. This is a great place to bring your family for dinner, have a drink with a friend at the bar area or just to take out. The next time Im at Virraaj I will be trying out more from their menu. This place is seriously amazing and everything on their menu just seems so delicious! read more

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Kitchen closes at 9pm, not 9:30pm as listed. That's fine if they want to close the kitchen at 9pm, or 8pm, or any time they choose. It's not ok if they list it as 9:30pm online and then don't honor that time. (I had planned a birthday dinner for two here, with a coordinated arrival time of 9:01pm, in a hectic week. Denied.) Also (from another time), never order the "Masala Coke" -- it's just a glass of cola for $4 with masala spices added, served in a boot glass. read more

This place was amazing!! I went here because my friend recommended it and I was very satisfied. The waiter/bartender was very nice (Kevin) and he gave us free cocktails. We got the chicken tikka masala and the lamb vindaloo with butter naan. It all came out amazing and was at the perfect spice level. I also got a free dessert bc it was close to my birthday! The ambience was great and there weren't too many people here so we could sit wherever we wanted. I highly recommend this place! read more

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If it was only about the food, I would have been more than willing to give it a 5 star review, but I think the service can be improved to match the quality and authenticity of the food. Ambiance is also lovely wit a charming outdoor space. read more

I have tried a couple of Indian places in the Bethesda area and this has to be my favorite so far-- flavor and price wise. The samosas were stuffed full of yumminess and were perfectly crispy on the outside. Super great. The chicken biryani was deliiisshhhh. I will say that there was a lot of rice and I was hoping there would be a tad more chicken because it was SO JUICY AND TENDER. I was searching for more!!!! I am excited to try more dishes here, especially for such amazing prices. read more

By far the best takeout Indian I've ever had. Wide menu, fair prices, good portions, and outstanding food. The sauces were all rich, full of more spices than just the ones that usually punch through and the chicken is insanely juicy and tender, someone a lot of Indian places skimp on since it's drowned in sauce anyway. Spice levels are perfect. Medium is barely spiced and Spicy is hot without being a suffering competition. I only did pickup, but the eating space was clean, fancy, and staff was friendly. Cocktail menu didn't look half bad. I will definitely be eating in soon. read more

The paneer makhan masala and garlic naan saved them from getting one star. I made dinner reservations and when arrived our table was ready but it took ten minutes to be seated because no one was up front and workers passed by cleaning up other tables. Right as we got seated a workers tray of glasses tilted and glasses broke. We started off with mango lassi and lime soda for drinks and for appetizers we got aam palaak chaat and pani puri. The mango lassi came in a "cool" bottle but you get much less in it than a normal tall glass. The sweetness of mango was also missing. The aam paalak chaat had no flavor to it. The coating on it seemed stale and old. It wasn't freshly fried. There were bell peppers in it which was a major turn off. The pani puri again seemed stale and were tiny. They had essentially no filling! It's supposed to be stuff with chickpeas and potatoes and I was lucky if there was one chickpea. The water is supposed to be green and spicy but even that was sweet and an odd color. Finally our main arrived. Paneer makhan masala and daal makhani along with garlic naan. The garlic naan was aromatic and good. The paneer pieces were good and gravy was plenty. I did ask for medium spicy but but it was mild. The tomato sauce was also on the tangy side. Service was slow, but we could also see our waiter was busy. Saw a few delivery people come in who also has to wait for a long time to get their food order since no one was helping them. The major turn off for me here was the owner, bartender and another Indian waiter not wearing masks. They all wore it under their nose or even below. Shame on them. The only two people who wore the masks was our waiter who was a young guy and another Asian female. I would not dine in here again let alone take out. read more

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Virraaj is a high end Indian restaurant and food is definitely great. Everything we ordered was delicious and toothsome from Amritsari fish, Gol gappas, Chaat, Soya chunks, Butter chicken, Farsi butter chicken, Dal Tadka and of course the extensive cocktail menu was astonishing. I am waiting for another occasion to go back. read more

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We started with a fish in curried coconut sauce. The fish was perfectly cooked, moist and tender. The sauce complemented the fish while allowing the delicate flavor to come through. Our second dish was "murgh saag." It included moist chicken, in a bed of spinach, with a nice blend of spices. Spinach tempers the sharpness of the spices, resulting in a subtle flavor. Both dishes came with brown rice, and we added some naan. We couldn't ask for more from our first experience with this restaurant. I noticed they were putting out place settings on the indoor tables, and they told me they expect to begin indoor service sometime soon. read more

This restaurant experience was perfect! We were a big group and we tried several of their appetizers. The crab chilli masala and amritsari fish were outstanding! We ordered a selection of kulchas and naans with several of the entrees and enjoyed them all! Deserts; we tried the pineapple rasmalai and kulfi and they were so good! The owner, Viraaj stopped by to chat with us and floored us with his hospitality! He presented us with saffron shots and his drink suggestions were excellent. This restaurant has ambience, food that's cooked to perfection and a great team of people who aimed to make our restaurant experience a memorable one! read more

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Not returning. Everything was entirely too spicy. My 2 year old threw up everything. We usually eat at Kadhai but decided to try something new. I told them no spice. Then the basmati rice, the one thing I was depending on my baby to eat, included a very harsh spice. Spent$60 and can't even eat it read more

I wanted a nice Sunday lunch delivered and the menu here looked interesting. I couldn't find them on Doordash or Uber eats. So I called the restaurant directly to inquire about the delivery service they use. " Vick" answered the phone and said if my order was over $100.00 he would deliver. I placed an order yesterday and requested delivery at about 11:45 am The food was nicely packed. Vick had added a daal makhani ( no charge) . My daughter liked it the best. Tender cuts of Goat meat are a bit tricky to procure and cook. I am frequently disappointed at the quality and texture of goat meat at many Indian restaurants. Virraaj's " banjaara gosht" was on point. Tender succulent perfectly cooked chunks of goat in a flavorful curry. I really liked it. Amritsari fish and the chicken kebabs get a thumbs up as well. The naans I ordered were flaky and melt in your mouth kind. The rice had a pleasing subtle spice , color and aroma that was refreshingly different than most white rice offerings at other Indian places. The phirni was excellent. The mango halwa was delectable. We tried a paan and it was good ( I am not much of a paan person ) When I saw the bill , it was around $80.00 I knew that Vick had said that he would deliver if my order was over $100.00. So the man honored his commitment, despite the order being smaller than what he had specified ......without even mentioning it. Despite the fact that I was 30 minutes away. The delivery person was courteous and maintained social distancing and wore a mask. Looking forward to eating there in person ! read more

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IT IS AMAZING! The food here is amazing and tastes like they brought the real thing and served it right to us. The environment was nice, cozy, and had an old school elegance with a party vibe. If you want to try an authentic and tasty Indian dinner this is the place. read more

Yummy Indian food for sure. I enjoyed the ambience of this location. Very welcoming. Definitely must try :) read more

Virraaj - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

Went to Virtaaj on a Wednesday night at 6pm and was able to get a seat for 2 without a reservation. However the restraint filled up very quickly so I would recommend calling ahead of time to ensure a table. We stared with drinks I got the Virtaaj barrel which literally came in a small barrel. The drink was good but nothing to ride home about other than the barrel it was in. I ordered the laal Maal and my wife got the butter chicken. I ate 3/4 of my wife's meal. The butter chicken is top notch I loved every bite and would recommend. Only knocked this place down a star due to having to buy naan your meal and only getting 1 small bowl of rice to split between the 2 of us. read more

Virraaj - Virtaaj barrel - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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Wow! Wow!! Classy space and delicious food. These kind guys are pros and their history of successful restaurants shines greatly. Decided to get take out for Sunday night dinner and the calls were rolling in. Got the $16 tandoori murgh. Delicious moist white meat chicken thigh marinated overnight in yogurt, saffron and aromatic spices. Delicious! Tons of soft basmati rice with these orders. Also picked the $14 chilli crab masala crab meat prepared with mushrooms and onions scrumptious. The $3 garlic black pepper naan was fluffy and tasty!!!! LOOK at my great pics and give them a try!!!! Gonna be a welcome addition to Bethesda. read more

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The food was good. The restaurant was very unique and had very unique food and flavors. The service was excellent and the servers were very kind. The ambiance was very elegant. The food and drink presentation was very nice. For appetizers, I ordered the Chicken Tikka, Paneer Tikka, Punjabi Teekha Kabob, Palak Chaat, and Dahi Puri. The chicken tikka and punjabi teekha kabob didn't have a lot of flavor and the texture was different than other restaurants. The paneer tikka and dahi puri were good. The palak chaat was very good and had a great flavor. For the main dishes, I ordered the Lababdar Tawa Bindhi, Kofta Shaam Savera, and Maa Ki Dal. The dal was very creamy and had too much tomato, but it was still good. The bindhi had a very unique taste because it had green mango pieces in it. The kofta was an excellent dish that you don't find in other Indian restaurants. For drinks, I ordered Bombay Kala Khatta and Salty Lassi. I really enjoyed the taste of the Bombay Kala Khatta. The salty lassi was a little thick and tasted like raita. Overall, the food was okay, and the restaurant was very unique. read more

Virraaj - Indian Near Me - Bethesda, Maryland

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I have heard good things about this restaurant from neighbors and cannot judge the quality of the food, but PLEASE do not order for delivery. I know at least Uber Eats systems doesn't connect to the restaurant - which I discovered after 2 hours of waiting and eventually having to cancel the order only after calling both Uber and the restaurant read more

I really cannot understand the ratings of this place. The service wasnt good. It was kind of rude. They made us wait an hour for the food. The food was extremely average, honestly possibly below average. The eggplant was too tomatoey. The spice levels were not there. It was too salty. It was extremely overpriced. read more

Just had a lovely Indan meal at my neighboring fine dining establishment Viraaj on Cordell Ave. The atmosphere was relaxing , decor very elegant and the food is exquisite. Definitely a date night place, gathering place with full bar or a solo establishment...not to mention take out. The owner and waitstaff was very friendly, attentive and helped me with my selection especially with my mentioning my food sensitivity. read more

The food is exquisite, and the service is extremely professional and competent. I order for pickup once or twice a week, and it's always a seamless and great experience. Clean restaurant with a lot of dignity and integrity. Highly recommend the vegetable samosa, the boneless butter chicken, the naan (plain or garlic), and the rice pudding. read more