Ultimate Indian Restaurant in Washington, DC Guide

Post updated October 19, 2024

For those who love Indian food and are living in or visiting our nation’s capital, we have good news: there are a plethora of excellent Indian restaurants in Washington, DC. So many in fact that we at the Dining Traveler decided to come up with an Indian restaurant dining guide to aid you in finding the best Indian restaurant for any occasion.

Best Indian Restaurants in Washington, DC for a Special Occasion

Rasika and Rasika West End

Rasika and Rasika West End are two of the most famous fine-dining Indian restaurants not just in D.C. but in the country. They are the quintessential venues for the special occasions section of our Indian restaurant dining guide. Both locations are visually stunning with gorgeous, ornate décor and the uisine is just dynamite. From the incomparable palak chaat, made with crispy fried spinach and homemade chutneys, to the heady truffle naan to the decadent chocolate samosas, there is nothing quite like a meal at either Rasika or Rasika West End. Come hungry, and leave more satiated than you have ever been in your life!

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Rania

Rania offers a truly opulent and extravagant opportunity for dining in DC. Hand-carved walls, a golden lighting scheme, a massive marble bar and lovely peacock blue bar stools come together to provide an undeniably stunning space. The food is as memorable; the restaurant serves a four-course meal for dinner, with options for each course. The choices include a spicy laccha aloo chaat where a crispy potato fritter is served in a puddle of creamy, tangy yogurt and various chutneys, chana masala panisse, where savory, fragrant cubes of fried chickpea flour are elegantly adorned with cilantro and drizzled with cilantro chutney, house-made paneer served on a bed of beans, as well as pomegranate raita and garlic naan. For dessert, the chocolate tart served alongside a scoop of chai masala ice cream is a sweet-spicy-bitter delight.

Bombay Club

I don’t know if it’s the live piano music, the curated artwork in the dining room that includes a stunning piece depicting an impressionist version of the traditional Indian Kathak dance, or the irresistible cuisine that makes dining at Bombay Club so glamorous, but there is truly no better place for a romantic dinner for two. Indian food is naturally designed for sharing, adding to the romantic dining experience. Be sure to get the daal makhani, which is cooked for sixteen hours to allow for the flavors to develop completely, and the bright, nutty lemon and cashew rice. And no special occasion is complete without dessert, so order the mango cheesecake. It’s just what your dreamy date night calls for!

Karma Modern Indian

Located downtown, Karma offers an elegant, beautifully decorated venue for fine dining with floor-to-ceiling windows, a chic dining room, and decadent Indian fare. Choose from four, six or nine course tasting menus which include highlights like the coconut tiki, where patties usually made from potatoes are made with coconut and topped with avocado for a south Indian twist, or the guava samosa, where the traditional pea and potato appetizer is transformed into a tropical dessert. Their cocktails are also excellent; try the salt and pepper gimlet or the old-fashioned, which is made with house-made jaggery syrup for an Indian twist. On the DC Michelin Guide, this spot is among the most highly recommended Indian restaurants in Washington, DC.

Best Indian Restaurants for a Great Vibe

Pappe

There is so much to love at Pappe: the lime soda, the thails which come full of small bowls of different curries, and the wide variety of vegetarian fare. We are currently obsessed with their mushroom biryani, a dish featuring three different kinds of mushrooms baked with rice that is infused with saffron and black truffle. Topped with pine nuts, this is a dish you won’t be able to stop eating. The fun décor, cozy booths, and family-style cuisine make Pappe a great spot for dining with friends.

Daru

Daru has been one of the trendiest Indian restaurants in Washington, DC since it opened. In addition to the setting, complete with globe lighting fixtures and exposed brick, the cuisine is modern and innovative. For something unique, try the daal makhani with arrives with a sphere of rich burrata cheese in the middle or the squash bhartha, a spice-infused mashed butternut squash dish. Drinks are equally as fun; we love the chai-tini, made with rum and masala chai.

Karizma

Recently, Karma Modern Indian split to become two restaurants. One side is Karma, a fine dining venue offering a tasting menu, and the other is Karizma, which features a more casual a la carte menu. The best dish on the small plates to share section of the menu is the nirvana, a crispy noodle salad with edamame, mango, radishes, greens and 33 other ingredients! It’s got a great crunch and loads of flavor. For the larger plates, we recommend the paneer pasada, a stuffed paneer dish served in a gorgeous saffron sauce, as well as the earthy lahsooni palak, a garlicky spinach concoction. For breads, the goat cheese and herb naan is so buttery, fragrant, and delicious you may need two orders!

Best Indian Restaurants for an Indian Street Food Experience

Bindaas

Located in Foggy Bottom, Bindaas has an energetic, modern vibe with an awesome street snack menu that is great for ordering in abundance. Highlights include the masala popcorn, the golgappas, crunchy hollow crackers stuffed with yogurt and chutney, and the uttapam, or rice pancakes, regularly eaten in the southern Indian states. The uttapam at Bindaas is perfection – light, fluffy, and slightly crispy around the edges. The tomato and green onion one is our personal favorite!

Bombay Street Food

Since opening in 2019 in Columbia Heights, Bombay Street Food has expanded quickly, becoming a neighborhood favorite in Columbia Heights, Adams Morgan, Capitol Hill, and U Street. Quick, casual, spicy, and reasonably priced are all hallmarks of this Indian food venue, and we immensely enjoy the variety of street food dishes offered, which include samosas, kati rolls, and chaat.

Best Indian Restaurants for a Casual Meal with Friends

Masala Art

This Tenleytown spot offers a warm, comfortable spot to eat classic North Indian fare. Dishes like aloo, which is the Indian word for potato, cooked with curry leaves; kofta, Indian dumplings served in a creamy gravy; and baigan bhartha, a roasted eggplant mashed with spices, are typical Indian dishes that are brimming with the flavors of traditional Indian spices like peppery cardamom, woody cinnamon, and sweet cloves.

Tamashaa

Tamashaa is a fun place in Columbia Heights that offers cocktails and unique Indian dishes to be enjoyed amongst friends. Choose from creative dishes like crispy fried lotus root in a hoisin sauce, drawing upon the popular Indo-Chinese culinary culture in India, amul cheese naan which uses a traditional cheese found only in India, truffle malai broccoli which is a creamy, heady baked broccoli and cheese sauce dish, a gorgeous vegetable laden biryani, and paneer that comes swimming in a sinfully rich saffron sauce. Self-defined as a resto bar, Tamashaa offers a variety of cocktails that are infused with classic Indian flavors, such as a chaat margarita and a kaffir lime gimlet.

Café of India

The venue is simple, but the food stands out because many of the dishes taste like home-cooked Indian fare. Comfort dishes like the tadka dal, made with yellow lentils cooked slowly with turmeric, ginger, garlic, and mustard seeds, are the winners on their menu. Cafe of India also has a creamy mango ice cream that is not to be missed!

Best Indian Restaurants for Fast Casual Indian Food

Rasa

This quickly expanding fast-casual concept features bowls inspired by the flavors and ingredients found in Indian food. There is a rice bowl with eggplant and chickpeas drenched in tamarind ginger chutney, a noodle bowl with green beans and mango chutney, and a bowl with greens, squash, and cumin infused yogurt. You can also choose the make-your-own-bowl option. Rasa, which means flavor in Hindi, has locations in Navy Yard and Mount Vernon Triangle in DC, Fairfax and Arlington in VA, and Rockville, MD.

Spice 6

Spice 6 is a fast-casual venue with locations in Chinatown and Hyattsville, MD. At Spice 6, you can choose a vehicle for your dish, which includes rice, naan, or salad, and then a protein and a curry. One of the most popular combinations is aromatic basmati rice with spinach curry. The curry contains aromatics like ginger, garlic, and spices like cumin and garam masala. The dish is super creamy and will coat every grain of rice. It’s especially tasty with tofu as protein and a healthy drizzle of sweet tamarind chutney. Have a mango lassi on the side, it’s a mango yogurt drink that Indians love!

I hope you enjoyed our Washington, DC, Indian food guide. Let us know which ones are your favorite!