Very nice interior with a great vibe. We went for lunch, and the lunch buffet was extensive and tasty. Service was friendly.
Indian Pavilion
Category Archives: Indian
Bombay Street Kitchen
Wow, this place far exceeded my expectations. For starters, it’s much nicer inside than the online photos make it look. It’s actually a sit-down restaurant with excellent table service.
Orlando is blessed with many great Indian restaurants, but I was drawn to Bombay Street Kitchen because the menu offered many dishes beyond the usual offerings, so I purposely ordered items that you can’t get most places. The menu is divided into several sections including one labeled “Asian” which seemed to offer a fusion of other Asian foods such as Chinese, but with an Indian touch.
I honestly can’t pick a favorite of the dishes we had! I would (and no doubt will) order all of them again. I’ll let the descriptions and names speak for themselves:
PANI PURI
Fried bread, spiced potatoes mix, tangy water.
GUN POWDER GARLIC SHRIMP
Grilled shrimp, garlic, homemade spice mix.
MASALA PAPAD BHEL
Papad, onions, tomato, spices.
CHINESE BHEL
Crispy noodles, onions, cabbage, pepper, chutneys.
BOMBAY STREET DOSA
The only downside to Bombay Street Kitchen is getting there, because of the heavy traffic past the Florida Mall to the South. But if you can find another approach, it’s definitely worth repeat visits
Naan Stopp
***** (5 stars)
This place is much nicer than I was expecting! The previous tenant was a counter service concept, but this is a full restaurant with table service. And the service provided by our server, Anna, was, indeed, great.
Even greater was the food! I've had Lamb Korma in Indian restaurants all over the world, and I've never had a better, more complex version than this. The Chicken Saag was also good.
We started with Papads, which were delightfully crisp. The Vegetable Samosas were nicely stuffed, and just the right amount of spicy.
Lunch pricing is very reasonable, and the portions are generous.
I'm delighted to have found this great Indian restaurant right in our neighborhood.
Naan Stopp
5845 Winter Garden Vineland Rd
Windermere, FL 34786
The Madras Cafe
***** (5 stars)
Wow! This is far and away the best use of this restaurant space ever. It retains its former upscale decor, but brings an all new menu and cuisine to the area.
Affiliated with the nearby Saffron Indian Restaurant, but this restaurant is Southern Indian, and entirely vegetarian, or even vegan if you wish.
The lunch "table side buffet" is actually a traditional Thali, a tray with an assortment of soups and stews, a bowl of rice, and a variety of breads for dipping. It is easily the best Indian lunch deal in town, and arguably one of the best lunches in town.
I'm a fan of lunch at Saffron, and I wasn't sure this would be that different, but it is quite distinct, and deserves its own separate recognition as a best Indian food winner.
The Madras Cafe
7730 W Sand Lake Rd
Orlando, FL 32819
Tabla Indian Chinese Thai – Winter Park
***** (5 stars)
I have always loved this space in all its former incarnations, and I have always loved Tabla on Grand National, which has also undergone a lovely transformation during the many years I've been going. So to have the two combined in this new spot is a dream come true.
This is in one of those amazing little cubby holes off of Park Avenue, so you can have the fantasy of dining "outdoors" in air-conditioned luxury under the spreading (convincing but plastic) leaves of a banyon tree. Or venture inside, for posh surroundings.
The Indian food here is as good as any you'll get in Central Florida. I'm a particular fan of the Korma. Don't be put off by the fact that they also offer Thai and Chinese cuisine–it makes it a great place to go with cautious eaters.
And don't overlook dessert–there is some real pastry chef talent here.
Tabla Indian Chinese Thai – Winter Park
216 N Park Ave
Winter Park, FL 32789
https://www.yelp.com/biz/tabla-indian-chinese-thai-winter-park-winter-park-2
Southern Spice Indian Cuisine
**** (4 stars)
On my first visit to Southern Spice I was a bit disappointed to find it was a lunch buffet. Although that is fast and obviously popular, I’m just not a big buffet fan. The food was all good, and there were quite a few selections, but I wasn’t in a rush to go back.
Then I discovered you could also order off the regular menu at lunch. While not as good a deal, the food was much more interesting and fresh, and we really enjoyed our biryani and especially the Malai Kofta and the garlic naan.
Service was friendly and professional.
Southern Spice Indian Cuisine
7637 Turkey Lake Rd
Orlando, FL
32819
(321) 251-2244
https://www.yelp.com/biz/southern-spice-indian-cuisine-orlando
Singh’s Roti Shop & Bar
Chicken roti
Interior
**** (4 stars)
Singh’s offers a full range of Rotis and curries in a pleasant environment. It’s counter service, but very efficient and well-staffed. I’m a big fan of goat roti, but the channa and the chicken are also good. If you don’t like bones, there is even a version of the chicken that is boneless.
I suggest getting the roti separate rather than as a wrap. Their roti is HUGE, and it’s almost impossible to eat the grapefruit-sized thing! I think you also get more filling when they are separate.
The place is spotlessly clean, and there’s a nice outside patio and also a full bar.
Singh’s Roti Shop & Bar
5244 Old Winter Garden Rd
Orlando, FL
32811
(407) 253-2900
https://www.yelp.com/biz/singhs-roti-shop-and-bar-orlando
Badmaash
Interior
Samosa
Chili Cheese Naan
Yoghurt puffs
**** (4 stars)
Badmaash is REALLY popular, and therein lies the problem for me. We really enjoyed the food, but it was so packed and loud it was hard to enjoy the experience.
I highly recommend the butter chicken, whether as an entree, or in the samosa appetizers, which were the best item we had.
The place has probably the worst offering of wines I’ve ever encountered, and I’m including coffee shops; not sure what’s up there. Beer is a better bet, but also limited.
Service was friendly and attentive.
Badmaash
108 W 2nd St
Ste 104
Los Angeles, CA 90012
(213) 221-7466
https://www.yelp.com/biz/badmaash-los-angeles-2
Anarbagh
Appetizer assortment
Interior
*** (3 stars)
This is a nice Indian restaurant that has a fairly extensive menu of standards. We weren’t impressed by the appetizer platter, which was mostly uninspired fried stuff, but the korma and saag were good. Both contained some unusual spices which was a nice twist on the old standards. Service was friendly.
Anarbagh
138 S Beverly Dr
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
(310) 888-4011
https://www.yelp.com/biz/anarbagh-beverly-hills-6
Tamarind Indian Cuisine
Buffet
Exterior
Interior
**** (4 stars)
Tamarind puts on a good lunch buffet, with four meat and four vegetarian entrees. Lunch includes a basket of naan bread, but papadums are only available at dinner time.
The place is neat and clean, and the servers are friendly.
Tamarind Indian Cuisine
12309 E Colonial Dr
Orlando, FL 32826
(407) 237-0920
http://www.yelp.com/biz/tamarind-indian-cuisine-orlando