The Best Indian Restaurants In Seattle

Come to this quiet Aurora spot for a weeknight dinner sans drama. The moody black-and-red dining room smells like sizzled garlicand you can sop up gravy-drenched aloo gobi with naan that’s nearly half an inch thick. Best part iseven at prime dinner timethe small place doesn't get crowded. Yesit’s hard to believe this kind of calm plays out on a busy stretch of Aurorabut just order more sadheko chicken momo and don’t question it.

This small industrial building in Kirkland may not seem like much at first glancebut they make flawless Kerala specialties. The gunpowder dosa is their best dish—it’s soft and dusted with a sour lentil chile powder that sparkles in the light coming from the giant skylights above. Order that with the pepperyonion-packed nalla molagu chicken curry and some malabar parotta that pulls apart like ribbons. And don't even get us started on the crispy pakoras with chunks of kalered onionsand cashews dredged in a chickpea batter.

This busy Redmond restaurant serves some of the best North Indian food our area has to offer. The place has two huge dining rooms with dark wood and colorful string lightssizzling skillets of tandoori chicken whizzing byand a menu longer than War and Peace. We especially like the gobi manchurian that stays sturdy under the weight of a sticky and tangy glazeplus smoky angara butter chicken and a bhindi masala that tastes as comforting as it looks. Come here for a birthday dinner with a big groupor get dishes to go—Kanishka’s so popular they have an entire separate space next door dedicated to take-out. 

Located inside one of those brick Pioneer Square buildings that survived the Great Seattle FireNirmal’s is a Seattle institution. With ambient lighting that casts a pleasant glow and sleek wood tablesit’s one of just a few great Indian restaurants in Seattle proper that makes you feel like changing out of Crocsand it has a menu that rotates frequently. The owner usually walks around making sure that your extra-sweet paneer makhan masala and chunky yellow dal are cooked just right (and they are). Order the tandoori chicken—it’s served with such a thick layer of yogurt and spicesyou won’t need any chutney. This place is perfect for a date nighta corporate card-funded lunchor a big group dinner involving lots of buttery roti. 

There’s a reason this place has just as many take-out orders as sit-down customers—and it’s the lamb dumm biryani. Naan N Curry’s version isn't only full of tender lambnutty rice bitspockets of fragrant saffronand fried onionsbut it’s somehow even better as a leftover. If you want to appreciate it right awaysit in a quilted booth at the Issaquah location. Beyond the biryanitheir tikka masala and Pakistani specialties like charred malai boti and balti chicken deserve special mentions. And the restaurant's Renton location is just as goodbut it only offers takeout.

Annapurna Cafe belongs among the greats for their Tibetan momo alonestuffed with spiced chicken and served with spicy peanut chutney that we’d like to slug from a beer bong. The Capitol Hill spot also excels in the art of the classics. Tikka masalapalak paneerstewed lamband fish korma are all worthy of neglecting any other dinner plan you’ve got. It’s all just as good whether you’re hanging out in the decked-out basement dining room clinking bottles of Kingfisher or picking up multiple plastic tubs of good stuff to bring home and reheat.

Taste Of India’s outdoor dining room covers half of a city block in the University Districtwith a massive pergola and a dorm room’s worth of string lights. The kitchen is a well-oiled machine—complimentary and perfectly crisp potato and pea samosas arrive soon after you take your seatand everything on the wide-ranging menu come out quicklytoo. Don't miss the tandoori wingssilky butter chickenshimla paneeror Taste Of India’s best dish: coconut curry with fish so tender that you could enjoy it even after getting dental work done.

On weekendsthis otherwise tame dining room in Issaquah gets filled to the brim. The buzz is warrantedthanks to the restaurant’s dosas. We particularly love their thin masala paper roast version with lacy edges. These all come stuffed with a smooth curried vegetable and potato mash filled with pops of gingerplus a light coconut chutney and slightly spicy sambar for dipping. And for something sweetafter inhaling a dosa so big it could have its own zip codegrab a handful of mukwahs on the way out.

For an exciting weeknight bouncing crocks of excellent curries back and forth like a game of pongSaffron Grill in Northgate is the only way forward. The encyclopedic menu is overwhelming at first glancebut we’re big fans of their signature curry—a tasty thick tomato gravy that breaks down chicken and clings to tandoor-charred naan. It’s all happening in a huge bustling dining room with a lot of comfy plush booths and friendly servers that say things like “Having fun?” instead of “Still working on those?”

This hugeextravagant restaurant is decked out with cerulean blue velvetquilted upholsteryand vaguely royal vibes that may briefly make you rethink wearing sweatpants. But despite the glitzy Vegas hotel room decorClove Indian Cuisine remains approachable. The staff is friendlythe booths are plushand there’s almost always a table ready. Settle in late for creamy butter chickengarlic naan so fragrant you’ll smell it before it hits the tableand plump samosas. Surethe dal runs a little watery and the garden noodles are aggressively saltybut the clunkers are few and far between.

Spice Waala is a terrific lunch takeout spot with locations in Ballard and Columbia City that serves roti filled with the likes of paneer masalachicken tikkaand ground lamb. All are worthy of a trybut our favorite is the aloo patty that tastes even better when rolled up with their delicious green chutney. The kathi rolls run about $8 eachand they’re big enough to keep you full for a few hours. Add some fries with the aforementioned chutney and a peanut hot fudge soft serve sundae for dessert.

If anybody tries to tell you that the Seattle area lacks dosa optionsbring them to Dosa House in Bellevue and prepare to act smug. There are more than 40 varieties at the bustling casual-counter service placewhere you’ll find families gathered at long tables to accommodate the massive dishes. It’s easy to get overwhelmed by all the choices—including Indian-Chinese fusions like the noodle dosa—but quantity doesn’t dilute the quality. If you only have room for a coupleget the Chettinad dosa with its tender potato filling and hints of cardamomalongside the onion chili version for some spice. And fill your table with a few non-dosa sides like the paani poori that’s so flaky and delicate it should be served on a tiny velvet pillow.

This Bellevue counter spot has a lineup of Punjabi vegetarian dishes with such a variety of deep flavors that the occasional colorful expletive is warranted. Use the onion kulcha—with red oniongreen chiliesand whole spices baked into every square of dough—to scoop up heaps of sweet paneer tikka and bhindi masalaand let the profanity commence. Keep this place in mind for a takeout dinner or casual weekday lunch on the Eastside.