Royal India

Well, now that we got that out of the way: Royal India is my first and last stop for Indian food in the San diego. Sure...it's probably all that authentic, that one cares?!? It's good!!! The servers are really good at pointing you in the right direction if you give them an idea of what you're craving. All of the naans are outstanding. I'm not the type of person that always orders the same thing, but Royal India is the exception--I can't leave there complete without having the chicken tikka masala (as spicy as I can persuade them to make it)!
i love going there..

Posted 10/20/09

I can eat lamb curry with kingfisher beer at Royal India everyday and their nan bread is a heaven. The best Indian food in San Diego.

Pros: Best meal of my life time

Posted 10/20/09

I am frequent eater at Royal India and I fell in love with it for its delicious Indian food and unique beautifully decorated Indian restaurant, cozy romantic seating. It has beautiful hanging chandelier, some hand carved wooden full bar, lots of custom stone work, beautiful arches you walk under to reach the waterfall and the best of all is very comfortable spacious seating . The curries are always good and portions big and the clay oven roasted tandoori chicken is served on the sizzling sizzlers served with vegetable beds and one can live on those health flavorful meats. Everything is fresh and if my friends need it mild they get it mild and if they want it hot it comes wild and everyone goes happy. Nans are the ones to die for they are soft and fresh breads. The dessert RusMalai is mouth watering. A creamy dreamy dessert with pistachio and cherry. Wow I am craving while I write. I am addict to Royal India in the Gaslamp I think its the best Indian restaurant in the whole universe

Posted 10/20/09

I read the review about Royal India's Indian cuisine in the union tribune today and our company decided to try lunch buffet at Royal India. We loved both the salads, all the chutneys including the mango and yogurt dressing. I loved the samosa with mint chutney and tandoori chicken with tamarind chutney. It was an outstanding experience. Talking about curry OH MY GOD I am addicted to Royal India the roasted chicken cooked in creamy tomato curry I believe its Chicken Tikka Masala and palak paneer the spinach item with farmers cheese in it and vegetables in coconut curry with cashew paste is really great and I agree with the review by Margret King the food editor that it is addictive. I do not like it spicy but the chicken curry and lamb curry looked very tempting. The fresh Nan bread was awesome and I mean it. Two Desserts the silky mango and the rice pudding are must try and Royal India is on our list for once a week office lunch. It was a satisfying experience. Royal India is on the top of the list for Indian restaurants for us.

Posted 10/20/09

Having been recommended by a friend who wasn't really a foodie like I am, I happily tried Royal India restaurant in the gaslamp, let me tell you this: whether you've' have Indian or Thai food before or a 'haute cuisine' devotee, you will be utterly happy here. the restuarant has a sleek, chic look, but is easy and casual in demeanor. so you'll be fine whether you're dressed up or dressed down. but it's all about the food: delicious curry like chicken tikka masala or garlic kabab meats, the flavors in curry and marinations for kababs are perfectly done. i've been several times for lunch buffet and dinner and just keep trying different things as the mood takes me. i've recommended it to all my friends and we all agree; it's our 'currant' fav restaurant!

Posted 10/20/09

On the recommendation of one of my daughter's teachers, we went to Royal India. I love Indian food and I really enjoyed their Indian food. Yes, they are the Best. I have to tell you that the only reason it is getting five stars is because I never enjoyed another restaurant as this one. The best part , they ask you how spicy you want your food; they give you a three-curry caddy with some crispy peppery cracker-like stuff which probably has a name but I don't know it; the ambiance is more to my taste; they have a wonderful; music played in the baground; the music isn't playing really loud also, feels gud to ears; and the food is best as i told u before. The portions are really great.. i enjoyed it..

Pros: Great portions..

Posted 10/20/09

First time at the restaurant....we were there for Father's Day. The food was very good and the service was very attentive and quick. We especially enjoyed the look and feel of Royal India - very unique. We will definitely go back.

Posted 10/20/09

Good Indian food at Royal India give me craving. I just cannot stay away from. I have been eating at Royal India for almost a year and every time they set the bar higher and surpass it. The curries are delicious, nans are soft and the desserts are yum.

Pros: good food

Posted 10/20/09

Royal India is where to go when you want to dine like kings and queens. The Gaslamp area restaurant serves authentic Northern Indian cuisine in a refreshing, elegant setting. An outdoor patio offers prime views of downtown foot traffic, while inside, the tall ceilings and open space give the feel of a modern palace, complete with regal d?cor imported from India. Ornate chandeliers cast an elegant glow, while a cascading waterfall offers a backdrop of serenity. The menu is as rich as its surroundings, with flavorful curries, tandoori kababs, and a tempting array of fresh tandoor-baked breads. If you?re unable to make your mind up about the menu, visit during lunch or on Monday evenings, when over 20 dishes are offered buffet-style.

Posted 10/20/09

Royal India was amazing. My server took such good care of us. It was a birthday and I had brought in flowers ahead of time and requested a special table in the dining room before the restaurant opened for dinner. Then when we came back later that evening to celebrate everything was ready for us. The flowers and ballons were on display at the table I had chosen. I think he would have even given us just as equal attention to us even if he didn't know it was a special occasion. Everything was so smooth. Food was fabulous. Definitly the best Indian in San Diego. At the end of our dining experience I even made sure I contacted the manager to let him know how pleased I was with everything. I will be back again for sure.

Posted 10/20/09

Recently ate at Royal India restaurant with a friend, and I think the food was excellent. The lettuce wraps that we ordered for an appetizer were amazing, as was our main course comprising of Chicken chili ginger masala, Lamb korma and Kabuli nan. We also ordered Pista ice cream for desert that was heavenly. The decor is elegant and soothing (wonderful outdoor patio), and the service was incredibly good. Overall, it's a great restaurant, and I would highly recommend Royal India

Posted 10/20/09

My wife and I are regular consumers of Indian food, and we always like trying new places. When living in san diego, we became big fans of royal india. When we moved from san francisco to san diego we fell in love withRoyal India, which is the best.

Posted 10/20/09

Royal India has the best Mojitos I have tasted in San Diego. Perfectly balanced Mojito and I was told that the Mojitos at Royal India are made from special Indian Rum. Ambiance is very unique and elegant. The food is excellent specially the Herb Baked Salmon and kabuli nan( coconut raisins). The service was attentive and friendly. Great place to take a date or just to enjoy good Indian food with some friends. Thumbs up!

Posted 10/20/09

All I can say is Royal India has very flavorful food. It is a lot different from other Indian restaurants. The best of all Indian restaurant. Its all a plus.

Pros: Flavors are unique and the best.

Posted 10/20/09

Keep up the good work Royal India!! We love you :)

Posted 10/20/09

What a nice surprise! My boyfriend and I had Sunday lunch here at this famous indian restaurant and truly enjoyed it. Everything was delicious from the soups to the popadams with their accompaniments. The staff was very in tune with their customers. The colorful Indian music and live plants throughout the patio, are a nice touch to what whole restaurant. Although we did not drink at brunch their drink menu is quite nice in regards to the wines and beers offered. It is nice to know of a good and mosrt famous restaurant in san diego downtown; which is somewhat liked by each and every person who visits here. We will definitely go back!

Posted 10/20/09

Very pleased with my last visit at Royal India. We went into to celebrate a birthday for my son. It is his favorite restaurant. The food is always good everytime I go but this time I tried something new. I always stick with my favorites every time I go out to eat but we all wanted to share our curries and I was motivated to try something different this time. The mutter paneer was so tasty. I haven't tried the paneer yet and I have been in the restaurant about 8 times already. My server described the paneer as a unique homemade mild Indian cheese. I was so satisfied that I want to go back again next week.

Posted 10/20/09

My experience at Royal India was enchating. The restaurant from across the street looks more enviting. I was drawn towards the waterfall in the restaurant and the lights at the bar lead me their next. The bar was so nice and clean. We had just wanted to come in for drinks and appetizers. The bartender took wonderful care with us and gave us top attention. I enjoyed the selections on the drink menu and we choose coconut shrimp with chicken lettuce wraps and kabuli naan. The food was amazing. I was impressed how big and plump the coconut shrimp were. You can't even get it that good at an exclusive seafood restaurant. We didn't have room for dessert but should have made room. My eyes followed plates of dessert when I saw how nice the servers had presented them on the plates. Now I will have to come back just for dessert. We were impressed. I think the new it will be always a real hit.

Posted 10/20/09

You will become addicted with their garlic nan.
Be sure to try the wine from Sula Vineyards (imported from India) they carry a Sauvignon Blanc and a Shiraz, both are fantastic. And if wine is not your thing, they have a full bar, and they feature great varieties on the drink menu - woohoo!

The Shrimp Tandoori is excellent, and if they have a special, go for it, it always spot on.

Dinner is served with rice and the portions are great to share with a date. So both order an entree and try each others dishes. But make sure you save room for dessert.

The service is very warm and friendly. It's quiet right now because many restaurants lacks the proper mqanagement of visitors during the busy hours, but don't here you'll be always happy and no complains for sure. Go in and enjoy greatness..

Pros: best

Posted 10/20/09

Indian cuisine is amongst my favs, and this place would definitely get 5 stars from me! We ordered Lamb Naan, and it was just delish!! Intimate atmosphere, buffet available during days times, prices are average restaurant prices. But the food is great!

Posted 10/20/09

you'll just love it! must visi THE EXQUISITE INDIAN CUISINE
Delicious! This is probably the best Indian food that we have ever had. We went there for birthday dinner ,The food was superb!
We'll definitely go back.
thnxx

Posted 10/19/09

The first thing you'll notice about Royal India is the aroma from the street. I smelled the restaurant from about a block away before I even had a glimpse of it.
I love Indian food. So much so that I'm afraid to try it out in San Diego because of my overwhelming expectation of being disappointed.
To my surprise, Royal India held its ground, firmly and impressively. Their Chicken Tikka Masala is delicious, but it was outdone by the even more flavorful Channa Masala, a vegetarian curry with garbanzo beans, garlic, tomato, and onion. It had just the right amount of spicy heat to make you go "Ooh" and then "Ahh" after the flavors settle in. The staff was friendly, the place had cool decor, the atmosphere was chill. They had some new age music playing in the background. We ate till our hearts content (and had plenty to take home!) in a beautiful setting.
I would definitely come here again in order to not only try other selections, but to also keep updating my reviews about it.

Posted 10/19/09

We were with our friends who visited us from sanfrancisco for vacation, having city tourand then our friends asked us about Good Indian Restaurant in San Diego and the only one striked to my mind was the royal India restaurant in the gaslamp because UCSD always do their get togethers at Royal India Restaurants, thats the best in san diego and we always love their food. Since we recommended so highly we made sure to visit Royal India. We can not explain how good the food was. It had perfect flavor and so delicious that there is no match to Royal Indias food for Indian food. We heard royal India has been Awarded as the most Elegant Indian restaurant in California and we Agree myself and my wife would rate it as the Best IN Us. good Job we will be back

Posted 10/18/09

I went to this Indian Restaurant and realized how delicious indian food is. And thats all because of the good quality and good quantity food. Well, I am concerned to sit on the computer and write about it so you can imagine how good the food was. The service was EXCELLENT. NO WORDS.. Though it was busy saturday night but still It didn't took them much time to seat me so that was very impressing to me. If you do go there please try there chicken tikka masala, and veg. bhajis. This is the only place where I got the papdums in the starting with the two different kinds of chutneys. They were amazing as since we were starving of hunger so that relievd us a bit. The service and servers were also too good and also our order didn't took much time to come and the spices were as per our requirement.. dats amazing.I cant handle too much spice so it was good for my tummy. Naan was soo fresh and soft. Saag paneer was not too oily at all - good for my tummy again it was equally dilicious. I wish to come here everyday.. Go to this place once and try the food once. ITS WORTH IT! I AM HOOKED!!!! whenever i go never feel like coming bak..... dnt miss. try fast :)

Posted 10/18/09

we always enjoyed ourselves so much whenever came here for the dinner . the music played in the baground is amazing and ffeels so gud to the ears. the staff and servers are great, always recieved the best sevice even on busy saturday nights..

they provide customer satisfaction.. i like this.

Posted 10/18/09

This is the best Indian Restaurant in San Diego. no doubt :):)

i enjoyed my visit to this rstaurant for the dinner, this is the place where you get to taste the true indian curries taste.....

great...
i bow....

Posted 10/18/09

Its been a while since I had good curry and Royal India restaurant won my heart for serving the best Indian food. Very flavorful curry and beautiful aroma. A must try restaurant.

Pros: Delicious curry

Posted 10/18/09

i had been here for the dinner with my family on my daughter's b day , me and my family had a great time.. the best part was the lamb biryani.. it tastes GREAT.. I never had such delicious biryani before... Also the server at the end of our meal brought a dessert with candles as complimentary on occasion of my daughters b day...

I was so happy... Nice gesture...

i like it...

Posted 10/18/09

wel we Ordered: Chicken Pakora, full tandoori checken, butter chicke, Lamb rogen josh, saag paneer, veggi briyani, shirmp korma, 4 galric naan's and drinks (Mango lassi etc..)

About the food in one word>> WOW!!! YUMMMY!!

The waitress was friendly and always smiling... the spices are perfect!!! what we wanted, its worth to go back!! will visit again!! I'm just in love with this place!!

if you like indian food you should try this place..its worth it!!

Pros: best

Posted 10/15/09

Two thumbs up for this Indian Restaurant. This is a great place. The owner was super nice, probably the nicest owner I have met. He was attentive also visited our table to make sure we are comfortable and having a wonderful time. The food was good. It was as per our spice level. We went on saturday evenings that's one of the busiest days, and restaurant was also very busy but still we were provided with the table 5 minutes later.This was awesome.Naan is reaaaaaaaallllllllllly good and fresh. In fact their menu of different Naan is quite impressive. There is a great selection of authentic Indian food served in generous portions with wonderful service.Food is EXCELLENT. No doubt about it, the authenticity of this place is unquestionable. The servers are all very nice. Great place to grab a bite. I will definately be back!

Posted 10/15/09

Nice variety of items on the menu
Signature cocktails pair well with the Indian dishes
i love this restaurant :)

Posted 10/15/09

I always come with my family to this place every weekend , cauz my children enjoy and love the food of this place and also it has a wonderful menu having large varieties. Must Vissit ...

Posted 10/15/09

Royal India has the best Mojitos I have tasted in San Diego. Perfectly balanced Mojito and I was told that the Mojitos at Royal India are made from special Indian Rum. Ambiance is very unique and elegant. The food is excellent specially the Herb Baked Salmon and kabuli nan( coconut raisins). The service was attentive and friendly. Great place to take a date or just to enjoy good Indian food with some friends. Thumbs up!

excellent service food and ambiance...

Posted 10/15/09

I went to this Indian Restaurant and realized how delicious indian food is. And thats all because of the good quality and good quantity food. Well, I am concerned to sit on the computer and write about it so you can imagine how good the food was. The service was EXCELLENT. NO WORDS.. Though it was busy saturday night but still It didn't took them much time to seat me so that was very impressing to me. If you do go there please try there chicken tikka masala, and veg. bhajis. This is the only place where I got the papdums in the starting with the two different kinds of chutneys. They were amazing as since we were starving of hunger so that relievd us a bit. The service and servers were also too good and also our order didn't took much time to come and the spices were as per our requirement.. dats amazing.I cant handle too much spice so it was good for my tummy. Naan was soo fresh and soft. Saag paneer was not too oily at all - good for my tummy again it was equally dilicious. I wish to come here everyday..

Posted 10/15/09

Coming from east coast we were looking for something unique and our friends recommended Royal India for the best Indian food. Royal India has dishes for all ages. Chicken garlic Kabab, Bengan bhartha (Eggplant dish done properly) Mango Pineapple curry for my son and Chicken tikka masala was the best with coconut nan and garlic nan. Royal India is a must restaurant not just for Indian food but for great experience also.

Pros: Flavors

Posted 10/13/09

I love Indian food and I have been to almost all the Indian restaurants in San Diego. My friends gave us Royal India gift certificates on our anniversary so we went to Royal India on our anniversary and made reservation ahead of time by e mail.Beautiful hostess sat us inside on a nice table. Server almost arrived immediately and brought champagne on the house ( that was a nice start ). We ordered Vegetable samosa and it was crispy and flavorful with mint chutney. We had Chicken garlic kabab which was served on a sizzling platter and lamb coconut curry that came with basmati rice and we ordered garlic Nan bread.All in all Royal India serve the best Indian food in San Diego. have eaten Indian food at many different restaurants and Royal India has by far the most authentic Indian food. Royal India is on the top of the list for the best Indian restaurants in the USA.
ALL THE BEST...

Pros: Just Excellent...

Cons: none ...........

Posted 10/13/09

I recently ate at there restaurant also as was impressed after eating at their food court. They have some great ideas up their sleeve. For instance, you can order martinis and margaritas prepared with India's famous "Old Monk" rum.

Also, they have innovative entrees. I was particularly impressed with the eggplant dish (baingan bharta) as well as the vegetables in chilly gravy. You also get chilly naans which is a brilliant idea.
The rice was also impressive as it was perfectly cooked al dente and seasoned very nicely. Of course we did not finish the meal and had delicious leftovers and were surprised that the cost was not much higher. This food was fantastic and well worth the money. We thought the service was exemplary, our waitress was one of the best I have had in SD, and we rewarded her well for her helpfulness. If the price is an issue, try one of their express chains or the $12 lunch buffet. I will do both and come back for dinner because I was very impressed. This food rivaled the Indian food that I had in the Little India's in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur just last month! But didn't quite beat them out.
All in all, you can have a really good time here. The starters were also very good, specially samosas and pakoras. The main course and dessert were great. We had great and friendly service. The food was hit and miss.
you'll just love it! must visi THE EXQUISITE INDIAN CUISINE
"ROYAL INDIA".... :):)

Pros: everything is just excellent...

Posted 10/13/09

This is probably the best Indian food that we have ever had. We went there for birthday dinner with the idea that when it's your birthday, why go where you know, try something different. The food was superb!
Their naan is fresh and piping hot and the decor is very high-end and relaxing. I would definitely go back to this place. I had the lamb korma, but our party of six ordered a variety of dishes and everyone loved their food. The waitress was very kind and generous. She was very thorough in explaining each dish and making recommendations, all which turned out to be perfect. The best part is- the food is served as per your spice level, Another bonus was that we went at 8pm on a Saturday and there was *gasp* NO WAIT! We got the booth near waterfall, that was awesome!!!!!!
The best, comfortable dinner we ever had ...
Three cheers for Royal India.... :):):)
We'll definitely go back.
thnxx

Pros: the best food, service & decor

Cons: none

Posted 10/13/09

this is a lovely restaurant, the dishes were exquisite....Excellent Food! Very delicious espically the chicken vindaloo and cheese and peas!! Vindaloo was amazing! the spice transcended my mind. I feel relaxed, fully satisfied....VERY GOOD, FRIENDLY SERVICE... LOVELY, ADORABLE ENVIRONMENT... I'm the customer here from past few months...Excellent service...servers are alwayz active and smiling... And aslo, we mentioned that we are sharing the dishes but not the peas pualo..so one of the waitress left the pualo next to me. That was so sweet and kind of her..... For dessert we had gulab jamun and rasmalai..... that was awesome.. I really loved it... Its worth to go back...Will come back again! for sure, sure sure :):):)

Posted 10/13/09

I am a traveler and eat Indian food quite often and Royal India is A plus in every way for Indian food. The Indian food served at Royal India taste fresh, delicious and the ambiance is wonderful. I have been to Royal India for the best Indian food three times this week. I am thinking of getting Indian food catering by Royal India on my wedding. Royal India is a must try restaurant in San Diego.

Pros: Good delicious Indian food

Posted 10/13/09

I always thought Indian food is spicy and stayed away from it. My friend recommended Royal India for Indian food and I picked mild item Chicken Mango Pineapple with Coconut nan and it was heavenly great. My husband love spicy and he picked Chilli Ginger curry with lamb and he said that was the best spicy lamb curry he has ever had. Royal India is the best Indian restaurant in San Diego and our favorite Indian restaurant now.

Pros: Royal India got both Mild and Spicy specialties

Posted 10/11/09

My daughter recommended Royal India for Indian food and it was incredibly superb. They make you feel very welcome and the ambiance is very romantic and elegant. Royal India is a must place for Indian food.

Pros: Best curry

Posted 10/08/09

I think Royal India is by far the best Indian restaurant in the universe. Every time I eat at Royal India, I love it even more. The freshness and the flavors and the ambiance. Everything is wonderful at Royal India. Will be back.

Pros: Simply the best

Cons: Bit Expensive

Posted 10/07/09

I really shouldn't list any "cons" about this fine restaurant. Sam and Jag have four locations around San Diego and the food is top notch. I cook a LOT of Indian food at home from scratch so I can tell when care goes into the recipes and when they are just throwing some curry base into a pan to crank out mediocre dishes. This place knows what they're doing. I have eaten a number of the different curries here and they have all been really good. The chutneys are fresh and I love the mint/cilantro chutney that comes to the table. Fresh, spicy and delicious. The tandoori dishes are very good. They have a great marinade/rub that they use and the flavors are fresh and the meat quality is good. My only complaint is that the breads are small and at $4-5 each, they should overlap the basket like they do in many restaurants, it's only a handful of atta or all purpose flour after all, so why not impress people? I can highly recommend their restaurants and will continue to visit regularly. There are a half dozen Indian eateries downtown, but this is by far the best! Keep up the good work guys!!!

Pros: The curries and tandoori are the best

Cons: Naan, Chapati, Paratha and other breads are too small

Posted 09/05/09

I wanted the best Indian food for my wedding because my husband's parents are from India and we picked Royal India in down town because we have tried many Indian restaurants and we found Royal India to be the best amongst the lot. The on site tandoor with exceptional decoration and live sitar and tabla music and buffet setup we loved it all.
When we went to the restaurant to settle the bill we were asked to share our experience with others and I thought of writting on the net.
I can not thank anymore when I told the owners to give special attantion because I want my mother in law to be impressed and she was really impressed and I am glad we picked Royal India to cater the wedding.

Pros: Best curry

Cons: Too busy

Posted 07/02/09

Nice atmosphere. Food quality was just okay. I've tasted better at tanzore in beverly hills. Bengan bartha was not very good.

Posted 06/30/09

Me and my fiance went to this Indian Restaurant in San Diego call Royal India. The customer service was great and the Indian food was excellent

Pros: Best Indian Food In San Diego

Posted 05/21/09