Azitra Indian Fare

Great food and drink menu.
I have had consistently good service every time I go.
Rarely does a chef care what I think, Azitra's came out to see personally. Nice touch

Pros: Best Indian I have eaten since I lived in NYC

Cons: Too far from my house. Open one Downtown or North Raleigh

Posted 11/05/09

We really love going to Azitra. We go there quite often and it never fails our expectations. Azitra has a way of relaxing you and it is just so enjoyable. Their food IS consistently good and their service is fantastic. The manager is really cool too and has talked to us on numerous occassions about the food and the different ingredients they use to make their dishes so wonderful. Its overall just a wonderful place to dine!!

Pros: amazing food, great service and wonderful ambiance

Cons: none

Posted 10/30/09

Wonderful food, ambience, staff. One of our favorites in the Triangle.

Posted 08/09/09

Their food is kind of expensive but the food is to die for!!!!This is an excellent place to go if you want a nice elegant setting with a GREAT meal.

Pros: Staff, setting, food, location, etc.

Cons: price

Posted 05/10/09

My husband and I have been going to Azitra for a couple of years now. It is always consistently good and the service is amazing. The decor is very relaxing and beautiful making for great ambiance. We love their chicken tikka masala, palak paneer, garlic nann, and subz samosas. My husband loves the lamb vindaloo and chicken curry as well. They have wonderful cocktails. My favorite is the white sangria, delicious! We really love Indian food and eat it quite often so we must say Azitra is hands down one, if not the best place in the Triangle.

Pros: Service is amazing, decor/ambiance, food is delicious

Cons: none

Posted 05/02/09

I have eaten at many many Indian restaurants and Azitra is not one of the best that is for sure. The food is very inconsistent. One night you order the Chicken Tikka Masala mild and it comes out blazing hot and other times you order it Medium and it is flavorless and watered down. For the price of the cuisine the food should be top quality and consistent. Especially main stay menu items like Murgh Mahkni and Chicken Tikka Masala. I guess they are trying to recoup for the fancy interior and all the money spent on the bar. The best butter chicken in the Triangle was Royal India Express off of Glenwood in Raleigh. Then one day they just changed the recipe and it was inedible I could not believe it. Their butter chicken was so addictive and delicious and then one day new cook and different recipe obviously from an entirely different region of India. Too bad, I bet they lost a lot of business. Anyway the point is it is very hard to find consistency at any of the Indian restaurants in NC.

Pros: Food is sometimes good

Cons: Small portions, Too expensive, inconsistent

Posted 11/04/08

Excellent Indian food and a trendy, urban atmosphere (love the bar area with its glass tiles!). A bit pricey, but the food is always outstanding. Mostly traditional Indian fare, served with a bit of NY urban style. This is not your typical cozy Indian restaurant, to be sure. We've always had excellent service, whether we come with our kids or to get away from them for the night. Nice drinks available, if you want to try something different (martinis and other mixed drinks). A bit pricey, so not our weekly restaurant, but I've never felt I overpaid for the quality I received. We all loved the live sitar music, although if you sit too close, it can be difficult to carry on a conversation. I'd recommend reservations for peak times or large parties - it can get pretty busy at dinnertime on the weekends.

Pros: Food, decor, ambiance

Cons: Price

Posted 08/21/08

I've been to Azitra twice, once for lunch and once for dinner, and I can't wait to go back. For lunch I ordered lamb with medium-hot spice and was very pleased with my dish. For dinner I had a different lamb dish and it wasn't as spicy as it had been at lunch, but my husband's scallop dish was EXTREMELY spicy (luckily, we like spice, I saw it as a personal challenge to help him finish). The decor of the restaurant is very modern and makes for a great date spot. Our service was fine. One minor drawback would be the live music, we were seated right next to the sitar player and it was a little too loud to be very enjoyable. Overall I would recommend this restaurant, particularly for lunch but for a nice dinner as well.

Pros: great decor, prompt service, good food

Cons: very loud sitar player during dinner service

Posted 06/18/08

I absolutely love going to Azitra for lunch. It's a much better deal than at dinner as they include the naan as well as soup or salad. The portions are smaller but so is the price. I've read complaints about the consistency of the food and spice level but to me that just means that they prepare the food fresh. I am a regular and am in at least once every week,. I love that they never have the same combination of vegetables and they are rarely cut the same, you know they are using fresh ingredients. They never over cook the vegetables, fresh and crispy every time. The spice level can be inconsistent but they are very nice about making it right, just becareful of complaining that Indian Hot isn't hot enough, they'll try to knock your socks off.

Highly Recommend: Paneer Makhani & Vegetable Korma
All the Makhani and Tikki Masala dishes are wonderful

Pros: Food, Food, Food

Cons: Pricey for dinner

Posted 06/01/08

My husband and I tried Azitra last night for the first time. I had driven by several times before and noticed their patio area, and we ate outside in the mild spring weather. I have actually never eaten Indian before, so I can't attest to the authenticity, but I was really pleased with the food. We both enjoyed our meals immensely. The prices are higher than, say Chili's, but aren't too expensive. The only surprise on the bill was the $4 charge for the bread, which we assumed was complimentary when our waiter asked if we would like some. The fountain and trees on the patio make you forget you are adjacent to a road (you can't even see it.) We will definately be going back.

Pros: patio, food

Posted 05/03/08

I guess the good news is how much money they spent on the interior. Nice interior average Indian food. The food is inconsistent. I've had "medium" that was terribly hot and "medium" that had no flavor. Portion sizes are truly a single portion you won't have any leftovers, it's smaller portions than most Indian places I've been to. On last attempt some of the most basic Indian dishes, Chicken tikki marsala had little flavor. Couldn't tell if the ingredients were old or what the problem was. At these prices it's not worth a fourth try. I love Indian food unfortunately this isn't the place to get it.

Pros: Interior

Cons: Food consistency and flavor

Posted 02/20/08

I don't know why I continue to give Azitra a try. The food is always inconsistent. Is it because they have different chef cooking on different days? 1 out of 5 times I go there, the food is really good. But the other 4 times have been awful. I always order Goan Chicken Curry. I ordered that today for lunch and it tasted like water. There was no taste and I had asked for level 4 spicy. It came out very bland and tasted like water. I don't think I will be going back to Azitra. I have had way too many bad experiences to go back.

Posted 02/05/08

For those people who said the food was bland and not flavorful, they are sadly mistaken. Azitra is a bit amercanized but, the food is still somewhat spicy. I suggest if you are not American and you want traditional Indian food, either request a special dish from the Chef or make your food at home. The service is great along with the fabulous wine selection. Some of the appetizers are small in portion and overpriced but, you get plenty of food otherwise.

Pros: Ambience, Service, Fast Service

Posted 01/10/08

We recently went to Azitra with a big group and had an excellent experience. The wait staff was a little inexperienced but was pleasant and acoomodating. There are very few places in the Triangle that has the right mix of good ambience and good food and I was surprised to find it in this restaurant. The food was very flavorful and I appreciated how you can specify the spiceness of your dish. It was also nice to have live music throughout dinner. This is a good place to go on a date as well as a big group. I will be back!

Pros: Ambience, Food

Posted 12/10/07

I have eaten at this restaurant many times and have always had an excellent meal. I think the food is great! The service has always been good for us. I believe the food is healty and atmospher is good. This is the first time I have ever left a message about a restaurant but feel so stongly about it I had to write about it. I visited northern India for work a few years back and when I eat here it reminded me of my trip. The food has more of a Northern India flare to me and I like that. I highly recomend it and encourage people to get out and try something different.

Pros: great food and pleasent place to eat, they also have a room for a group.

Cons: none

Posted 11/07/07

My husband and I had a very nice dinner at Azitra which has ultramodern Indian decor. The live sitar music, great service and nice decor made the experience. The food was good, but portions were small and overpriced. Quality of ingredients seemed good but the food was not really traditional indian fare, in my opinion. This is a date night place. Really good traditional indian food, although vegetarian, is Udupi somewhere near Raleigh - I believe Cary. We're from Miami and here for work. I love Indian food and if your hungry and truly love indian food go to Udupi and if you're on a date and want to impress go to Azitra.

Pros: close to shopping, movies, adjacent to parking. Has ambience and good service

Cons: High priced, small servings

Posted 10/12/07

I have been to several Indian restaurants in California, the Chicago area, & throughout NC. This is not an Indian restaurant. This is a wine bar which happens to serve an Indian-inspired menu. Just take one look at the mile-long wine list and trendy/techno website, and you'll see what I mean. It has a snazzy interior similar to The Grape in Cameron Village (but I like The Grape so much more, the food is less expensive, it has better service, and the flourless cake is heaven itself). I ate at Azitra with several friends a few months ago, and yes, it is expensive compared to other Indian restaurants where we've paid less and received a lot more. It's nice to have leftovers to eat for lunch the next day. Also, the service we had at Azitra was terrible. The server hardly ever came by the table, glasses went unfilled, orders mixed up, charged for things we ordered but were never brought... We now only ever get together at Indian Garden in Cary. That's an excellent Indian restaurant.

Pros: Easy parking, very close to shops and movie theater

Cons: food, service, pretentious wine bar atmosphere

Posted 10/05/07

Terrible that is all i can say. I have been too many Indian places in Triangle, but this one is too much,may be because the rent is high. Quality of the food is same as others menu is same as others than why is price high? food was not that well prepared,very blend & americanized not Indian at all.If they want to serve Indain food it needs to be Indian. I was sad to spent money for their Lights & decor? I just wanted nice simple Indian food. They can do better than this for the quantity & quality. Server was very rude to non americans like myself.

Pros: Nice area

Cons: nothing is right

Posted 09/15/07

Some have said this place was expensive?!!! It is not by any means. true the portions are not large enough for a family of four like some places but it is plenty for one person. The food is very fresh and consistent. The service is great. I would definately recommend this restaurant!

Posted 05/31/07

Each of us ordered Chicken Tiika. The waiter seemed surprised (even though it's a common dish) and thought we wanted a similar dish with a sauce. We didn't. After we said we wanted that and some naan, he acted surprise that we didn't want more food. Said it in a sort of mean way too. The food itself was delicious but they could have put a little less butter on the bread. Overall, the food was very good but was rather expensive for Indian. Also, while they gave us a lot of rice, not a ton of chicken.

Pros: Tasty food

Cons: Value

Posted 05/26/07

Bland food served cold.
Flavorless vegetable soup that smelled like horse.
Half hour wait for check at weekday lunch.
Asked for separate checks and they were put on one.

Total, complete disappointment.

Posted 05/18/07

I've never been to India so I don't know if I've had authentic Indian. But I lived in NYC for 3 years, mecca of cuisine from all over the world so I think I have a pretty good idea of the difference between good food and bad. So far Azitra has served up some of the best Indian food I've had in the Triangle. I'm surprised to see other reviewers posting that the food is bland here, that would be very far from the truth. I've had some dishes here that set my mouth on fire. When the menu says "spicy" they really mean it. Coming from the North to the South, I'd say what is considered spicy in most restaurants in this area really is not. Luckily, at this restaurant you can specify from mild to very hot so you should find something that fits your spice threshold. In my experience the servers here will help you out with that if you are not sure. I have not yet had a bad experience with service, or with being seated promptly. While the restaurant is dimly lit I would not say it is too dark. They must have improved on their lighting situation because I didn't have any trouble seeing my menu. They also serve up some great drinks from their bar. Yes, it is a little pricier than some of the other restaurants around, but you get what you pay for right?

Posted 04/12/07

Bad Experience. The wait was 45 minutes (probably because 2 different hostess messed up my name). Bad service. We did not see a waiter until we read the whole menu and then some and ordered our drinks and food at the same time. The asparagus bisque was salty and had nothing in it. The crab masala was good if you like chewing shells each bite. The waiter asked us where our naan was after noticing we had been served our meals without it. We had to remind him it was his job to find out. Never saw him again after he got the naan. I had to ask someone to refill my water. Even the bathroom had no hot water to wash your hands. Agreed, overated! Much better Indian food for cheaper elsewhere.

Posted 02/24/07

The decor is nice,but you could go to any indian restaurant in the area and get the same food at about half the price.I had soma kind of biryani and not impressed at all and the appetizer was avarage too.Not recomended..

Posted 02/04/07

We ate here for the first time about a week ago and were wowed by the whole experience. The food was incredible we had 2 types of Nan and another bread, Samosa, Tiki Masala Chicken and my husband has a scallop dish in a cream sauce, we loved everything! The portions were large and when we finished our rice the waiter asked if we wanted more, when we said yes the filled a bowl and brought it promptly and at no charge.

The service was unbeatable. Our waiter was very attentive and our water glasses were never empty. We were seated promptly and the hostess was very friendly.

The decor is very clean and modern, yet they still keep traditional Indian touches. The night we went we were seated next to a sitar player. The price was very reasonable. Well worth trying!

Pros: Atmosphere, excellent food and great price

Cons: None that we could find!

Posted 01/28/07

I have to say I have eaten at Azitra 5 times recently and I Love IT! The Food is amazing! The atmosphere is wonderful and the service is impeccable. The Chicken Tikka masala is fabulous. The appetizers and the Naan are amazing. The service is unprecedented and the Chef personally came out and checked on us. He even made a special dish for our 2 year old son and kissed him on the cheek! The waiter always brings mango juice for our son whenever we get seated and my son loves it. The staff is attentive and kind. The restauraunt is both family friendly and a romantic spot. I would vote this the Best Indian Restauraunt in town and they even take reservations. A definite must try!

Pros: The Sefice is Impeccable, The Chicken Tikka Masala is Great! Child Friendly!

Cons: If it is your first time be careful not to let the waiter choose everything for you because you will pay for it:)

Posted 01/07/07

My husband and I went there a few weeks ago, it was Sat night and wasn't that full, so the heat wasn't really on, it was cold, and we ordered one dish and an apetizer, the waiter was like, is that it ? The prices are way high for the service , temperature and atmosphere , the manager only speaks to you if you go there all the time, if not, then you're just no one , only selected people get asked if everything is okay ... when the food came out , it was warm and the servings were soo small, for the price they are charging, there is another indian restaurant called Saffron in Morrisvile, it's really nice decor, charges less and the portions are DOUBLE ..so check that out and don't waste your money on this place, where when they opened last year the apetizers were big and all, they downsized the portions and increased the prices ...

Pros: Got seated right away.

Cons: Cold temperature, dark, need more lights, food portions small for $$$

Posted 12/27/06

I had the misfortune to take a couple of friends to this Restaurant on my trip to Raleigh, NC. The restaurant was empty when we reached there. It was dark inside and was very hard to see anything. We had to use candles and flashlights to even read the menu. The food service was ok but the quality of the food was below average. I ordered a vegetable korma and looked like it was put together in a haphazard way with the vegetables not even cut properly. The carrots were 4 inches long and so were the potatos. The only food that way reasonable was the nan. It was hard to see what the food even was. My friends also weren't satisfied with the food. The bill for 4 of us came to $110 which was way more than the food was worth. It was one of the worst experiences I have had in an Indian Restaurant. There are many wonderful Indian Restaurants in the triangle area, but unfortunately this is not one of them. This restaurant is not worth visiting..NOT RECOMMENDED.

Pros: None worth mentioning

Cons: Food, Service, Ambience, Cost

Posted 12/26/06

There is absolutely nowhere in the triange you can go for indian food that can match this restaurant. the ambience is beyond perfect, the food is delicious ..live music friday and saturday nights. beauiful design bar area. I ve been to lots of indian reastaurant there always something missing , but azitra is perfect place.its nice cozy place for bussiness meeting, family dinner or take your date out.

Posted 12/17/06

This has to be one of the best india restaurants I have been to. It has a true authentic flavor to the food. Love that you can get it in a range of heat, from very indian hot to mild. It is well worth trying and enjoying. Look forward to eating there often. Keep up the great work!

Pros: Wonderful flavor and amazing decor!

Cons: Can't fine much yet to con about!

Posted 11/20/06

i took a party of 6 to azitra on a friday night and we all met at the bar. very hip little restaurant with a sitar player and friendly staff. we were seated in the dining room, given plenty of time to look over the menu and i was very impressed with the beverage menu. most indian restaurants in durham (or in general) DO NOT have great drink menus and this one did! if you are a wine drinker you will be very pleased. the food menu was also very familiar with all the well known popular indian dishes. looking good! we decided we would like a little bit of everything so ended up ordering 3 different kinds of bread and 7 dishes from just about every category. when the food came out i will have to say i was a little disappointed. it was good, not great, and for the high prices the portions were so small! i don't mind small portions but my gosh the prices! following me? its also the only indian restaurant i have ever been to where they charge for papadam! if the food was great i wouldn't mind paying the prices but it was just okay. if you are meeting somone for drinks i would recommend it. very cute little bar area and a great drink menu. besides that i would have to say it was average.

Pros: nice wine list and beverage menu, clean, friendly

Cons: high priced dishes, average indian food

Posted 10/28/06

I love Azitra, the food is great, and the service always friendly - The ambiane (furniture, curtains, lighting) is my absolute favorite in this restaurant. The lunch prices are very appropriate and the portions are perfect, and everything tastes fantastic. Keep up the great work!

Pros: Great ambiance, location and nice service

Cons: Expensive for dinner but well worth it.

Posted 09/16/06

Went there once after it was opened. The specific food that we ordered was supposed to be mildly hot. But after a bite, both my husband and I had fire coming out of our nose, eyes, ears!!!!! we had to return the dish and order something new. At the end of it, we had to shell out a hefty amount.
Went there a second time with a friend and decided to try "chicken chettinad", a delicacy in southern india. what came to the table was what could best be called "boiled chicken with tamarind paste". again a hefty bill with absolutely no value. it would be best if this restaurant did not mislead uninformed customers by passing off wrong cuisine as gourmet fare.

Posted 05/14/06

Azitra has a very warm and inviting upscale decor that is well complimented by the outstanding service. I've been eating Northern and Southern Indian food for about 2 decades (both home-cooked and restaurant-made): Azitra is in the top 80% of my experiences. Their spicing is excellent and the heat level is kept to a low- perfect for most American palates- I get mine Indian hot and it's much better. I've been to Azitra several times, both for lunch and dinner, and everyone who was with me loved it. There are better indian restaurants out there (Tower is my favorite for Southern Indian while Royal India is my favorite for northern, although they cover both regions) but Azitra is a wecome addition to the Triange's plethora of Indian restaurants.

Pros: Ambience, Service, Menu

Cons: Light spicing

Posted 05/01/06

This place has a great location, great decor, and great staff. Unfortunately it ends there. The food is not at all authentic. I would normally be ok with non-authentic tasting food if it tasted good. For example, a lot of chefs will modify a dish in a good way to add a new taste twist to it. In this case, however, the food has most of the character removed, and is bland.
If you are used to eating flavorless food, you may find it to be great though.

Pros: Decor, Service

Cons: Food taste

Posted 04/16/06

I have lived in the Triangle area for almost 10 years and I believe this is the best restaurant around! Though I like Indian cuisine, I don't often seek it out. This place blew me away--atmosphere, service, and it manages to be a hot spot for dating and also able to accomodate children. I'd recommend it to anyone!

Posted 04/04/06

After reading these few reviews we decided to give it a go and see for ourselves. Being from England we can say we know Indian food. The ambience was lovely and warm. We were greated by a great bar staff who made our first round of drinks very enjoyable. We had a good table with a view of the whole resturant. The place was busy. Why?? The food of course. It was very good. We found the spices and sauces to our liking. Since there were 6 of us, we all shared a wide variety of dishes, and all was good. They have a very good wine list...lots of choices. The chef made a visit to our table as he did others. Very attentitive staff and the owner was present. Excellent value, and delicious food.

Posted 04/01/06

This is a beautiful restaurant, with a lot of upscale ambiance. Unfortunately, the food doesn't match the quality of the decor. In the dishes we had the meat and sauce had clearly been cooked separately, to the detriment of the flavor. Bland is the last thing I expect from Indian food, but that was what we got. While we the loved the atmosphere, for Indian food there are several better options in the Triangle.

Pros: beautiful decor

Cons: indifferent service, mediocre food

Posted 02/21/06

Azitra is my favorite Indian restaurant when I want great ambience to go along with my dining experience. The decor will dazzle you, as will the amazing array of wine choices. Favorite dishes are the Goan Curry Chicken or the Chicken Mahkni. The Palek Paneer is a little different than what I am used to but delicious nonetheless. The plain naan is kind of bland, so I prefer the Garlic Naan. They also offer to spice your food as you like it, on a scale of 1-5, 1 being mild. Should you find that the food is a bit too spicy, they'll happily replace it, but I suggest ordering a Mango Lassi (yogurt smoothie) which cools the burn. They make it with yogurt that has been made in-house - fabulous! This is a great "date place", also good for business lunches, as they prepare your food in about 10 minutes.

Pros: Fab food, good parking, Mango Lassi!!!

Cons: often crowded

Posted 02/13/06

If you love Indian food, this is the place for you. It is a very unique concept that adds excitement to traditional Indian cuisine. My meal was outstanding and the service was excellent. The environment and ambience adds to the overall experience and it is a great place to take a date. Be sure to check out the bar before you are seated for dinner.

Pros: Great Food, Ambience, Outdoor Dining

Posted 02/10/06

wasn't very authenic.
This is definitely a "watered-down" version of Indian food. In normal Indian restaurants, my friend tends to ask for her food to be "mild". Here, she asked for "medium"...and complained that it was still way too bland! I asked for the spiciest they offer...and was sorely disappointed.
Our waitress was this American girl who couldn't pronounce half the food on the menu...let alone describe what it was. Thankfully, we knew REAL Indian food from our experiences elsewhere...we taught her what some of them was! I'm wondering if even the cooks in the kitchen were Indian, either.
If your idea of Mexican food is Taco Bell, or your idea of Italian is Olive Garden, then maybe this will be a good intro to Indian for you.
But if you want something authenic, there are many other options in the Triangle I'd suggest instead.

Pros: Nice decor

Cons: not spicy enough, too Americanized

Posted 02/09/06