The best Indian food in Boston

You’ll feel like a maharaja dining here, amidst ornate Indian decor and place settings, with a view of Harvard Square through floor-to-ceiling, second-story windows. Traditional hospitality means you’ll be well taken care of as you enjoy authentic cuisine. The menu features dishes like murgh malai kebab (a Tandoori dish of chicken marinated in herbs and cream) and vegetarian dishes like vegetable and tofu jalfrezi. Check out the daily lunch buffet, packed with delicious options including vegetarian and vegan.

This counter service spot on Inman Square, inspired by roadside restaurants along India’s highways, specializes in heaping portions of fast, flavorful Punjabi dishes. Fill up your tray with pakora, tandoori, curries, paratha and more to pumping Bollywood tunes. Whatever you choose, you’ll enjoy spiced delights for a reasonable price. In keeping with its no-frills approach, this spot is cash only in person (you can use a card for delivery and pre-ordered pick up).

Take a trip to West Roxbury for a mix of Nepalese and Indian cuisine. With a massive menu that includes both, you can have saag paneer with your momo. Try tandoori specialties, biryanis, and a range of fresh, hot breads. The meat and vegetable momo’s are worth the visit alone, and special Himalayan dinners offer a sampling of menu favorites, and monthly additions include lesser-known dishes like seafood timuri masala or a chef’s special like cherry naan.

This mini-chain’s original location in Dorchester garnered so many fans that the restaurant now serves their classic curries and tandooris in Cambridge and Roslindale as well. The extensive menu also offers korma, bhuna, biryanis, and veggie dishes that are all fragrant and well-spiced. If you’ve got a taste for heat, the staff is happy to increase the spice level if asked.

This South End standby delivers table service, sleek decor and well seasoned dishes. Start off with a cocktail or Indian beer like Taj, and peruse the lengthy menu. Duck jalfrezi and baingan bharta (a baked and sauteed eggplant dish) are standouts, and the prix-fixe dinners for two are a fun date activity. Weekend brunch is a slam dunk with Mela’s fresh and flavorful weekend buffet.

The Seaport has become home to many of Boston’s newer fast casual options, and one of the best for quick, flavorful bites of South Indian dosa. An open kitchen allows you to watch the thin lentil crepes being assembled with toppings ranging from chicken and lamb to nutella, and paired with a lassi or chai drink, you’ve got freshly made takeaway lunch or dinner. A Cambridge location is set to open soon.

A favorite in Cambridge for over 30 years, this veteran spot left its longstanding home in Porter Square for a new, modern spot in Cambridge Crossing. Start off with a sampling of crisp fried pakoras before diving in to house specialties like goat madras (with potatoes, ginger, and spices) and baingan bharta (whole eggplant roasted over coals, blended with peas and aromatic spices) or a selection of chaat and dosas.

This low-key spot in Jamaica Plain serves flavorful dishes with a good spice level; fresh squeezed lime juice cools, and South Indian dosas – plain, masala and chicken – delight. Takeout is popular here, especially the easy dinner-for-two combos that offer soups and entrees for two at a good price.

This Allston staple focuses on Northern Indian cuisine. Vegetarian options abound, but chicken, seafood, lamb, and goat are well represented in dishes like lamb paneer masala and fish jalfrezi. House-made paneer with a spicy chili sauce is popular, and if you’d like to up the heat of the spice in any dish, just ask. 

Serving North Indian cuisine in Central Square for more than four decades, and doing it well, India Pavilion is a comfortable favorite. Try the paneer pakora, lamb saag, chicken korma, and beer, wine or a cocktail from their full bar. The lunch buffet is a great deal, bountiful and available until 3pm daily.

Yep, we’re sending you to Medford for flavor packed Halal Pakistani and Indian cuisine (lucky you if you live nearby). Get out of your comfort zone with dishes like shrimp curry, spicy fried fish and mutton haleem (a classic Pakistani meat and grain stew, made with wheat, barley, lentils mixed into a meat mixture). Don’t skip dessert at this low key spot, the ras malai (sweet cheese in almond milk) is memorable. 

A Somerville staple for vegetarians and vegans, this restaurant's entirely vegetarian menu features a selection of dosas, absolutely delightful banana pepper fritters and an incredible lunch deal. For $14, you’ll get a choice of appetizer and curry, along with rice, salad, bread and dessert. 

For more selective diners, Surya offers North Indian cuisine with wellness in mind. Vegans are welcome, gluten-free options about, and all meats are both halal and antibiotic-free. Classic dishes like biryanis, daal, and masala are flavorful, spicy, and satisfying...yet feel lighter and healthier. Sit-down dining is available, but Surya is a great option for healthy takeout.