Bombay Cafe

The food is good, but the portions are so small....for the price, it's hard to justify it. You look at the menu prices and think, "Oh that's not too expensive", but trust me, when you see the portion...you'll have a different take on it! You can get twice as much at any other Indian restaurant in the area.
The service was good, the owner is nice...but the prices/portions just ruin this place.
I've been going here every now and then for 8 years now. When the economy was booming, this place was packed. Now that people are hurting financially, it's empty. You don't even need reservations on a Friday night now. It's too bad the owner hasn't changed with the current economy. I would eat here more if the prices came down.

Pros: Good food. Fresh and well spiced.

Cons: Way too expensive for small portions, parking is rough too.

Posted 09/21/09

A coke costs 3.25 plus tax, the menu prices were comparable to a fine restaurant in a much nicer district. Overall our lunch experience there was a disappointment never to be repeated.

Cons: Cost, taste, decor, parking - all grungy

Posted 09/07/09

I went here upon recomendation of a friend. Apparently they catered her 1st birthday party twenty-some odd years ago. Great location, very convienent, $4.75 valet seems a little excessive for Pico on a monday night, but all the street parking was taken. There were six of us that ate, and we decided to split 6 entrees and a couple appetizers. So we got one shrimp curry ($22!! expensive!) a few lamb and chicken entrees all costing at least $16-17. The food was good, but it did not warrant the expensive price tag. So when the bill arrives they included a 18% gratuity (I usually tip 20% so their loss). And we asked to pay evenly with 6 credit cards, the manager comes over and says it is impossible... nowI I have worked at quite a few restaurants on quite a few different POS (point of sale) systems, and this is ALWAYS possible. In fact we even told him how to do it!! but he very rudely said they could not do it. So I then busted out my entertainment book card and told him I forgot to get my discount... which he reluctantly honored and then threw the bill back on the table and told us to recalculate. I then told everyone to give me an American Express card instead of Visa or Mastercard, because AMEX charges a higher transaction rate to the business. And we left. You want to be difficult to a customer, I am going to make you pay for it and make it difficult for you right back. There are many other indian restaurants I would rather go to instead of going back here. The food will be just as good, Cheaper, and friendlier staff.

Pros: Tasty and Very Expensive Indian food

Cons: Management and Very expensive Indian food

Posted 02/16/09

I've been goint to Bombay Cafe on and off for 15 years and still find the food delicious. I had dinner there last night and have to agree (to a certain degree) that the service is just okay and the prices can be a litte on the high side. Last night, there were four of us, we shared an appetizer, four entrees (the lamb vindaloo which is a must, three veggie dishes, rice, and a couple of naans). We didn't really drink and our bill per person including tax and tip was $25. For a nice ambience, just okay service and outstanding food, $25 is nothing to complain about, I'll be going back.

Pros: Great food

Cons: Service can improve

Posted 01/27/09

Food was decent, but very pricey. We paid $6 for plain white basmati rice. It didn't even have a little saffron on top like other indian restaurants. The rest of the dishes were slightly more expensive than we would normally pay and were not as good. The ambiance is lacking. The blue and white walls are nothing special with very few paintings on the walls. There wasn't even music playing in the background. Just not sure what we were paying extra for.

Pros: None

Cons: Expensive

Posted 01/03/09

Although the food is pretty good, the prices are extremely high. In addition to 15-25 dollar entrees, the restaurant has the gall to charge more than three dollars for sauces that usually accompany dishes. Finally, the staff, especially the hostess, is rude and dismissive. During a time when money is an issue for many of us and there are a lot of good restaurants out there, I respectfully recommend anyone choose an alternative indian restaurant to frequent.

Pros: food is okay.

Cons: staff and prices.

Posted 12/19/08

Naan (meager portion)
3 small entrees
1 Six dollar rice (Small bowl/Two cups)
1 beer
1 glass wine
$80.00!!!!

Pros: Great Indian Food!

Cons: Very pricey for Small portions, rice is six dollars extra!!!

Posted 11/20/08

This used to be the best Indian restaurant on the West Coast, up until its sale about a year ago. Since that time, it has gone steadily downhill, yet the new owners still continue to "coast" on Neela Paniz's reputation for great food and ambience. They have not even changed their website to reflect the fact that it is no longer owned by a well-known Indian chef/cook. Very unethical. And very disappointing. Dirty restroom, sad, uncared for ambience, slovenly wait staff and embarrassing food. At best, typical mediocre Indian fare...all at star prices. Please do not be fooled. This once wonderful restaurant has been ridden into the ground.

Pros: unfortunately, none

Cons: poor parking, tired food, lackluster ambience, unfriendly management and staff

Posted 08/16/08

It is a shame that the Bombay Cafe has deteriorated in both quality in food as well as service. It maybe a place for those who are faint at heart, as all of the spices have been reduced in all of the dishes- making it unrecognizable to Indian palette. Most of the dishes were sweetened and certainly did not meet expectations. Changing hands in the ownership, has not done well for this restaurant. This restaurant is also very overpriced for its lack of quality.

Pros: Maintains original Bombay decor

Cons: Overpriced, crowded seating, poor quality of food

Posted 05/31/08

Being a little tipsy from the insanely strong drink certainly helped when the huge bill came. I used to remember getting a lot more value for your money at Bombay Cafe.

Pros: Strong drinks

Cons: Too expensive for what you get

Posted 03/18/08

The regular dining room looks fine, though the tables are too close together. It seemed as if even our skinny waitress was having a hard time getting through the tables. My wife said the ladies bathroom was nasty. The toilet seat was falling off. They were out of TP. And worst of all she saw a something scuttling across the floor - yuck!!

The food is nothing special. I know there are a lot of good reviews, that's why we went there, but now that I look back I realize most of the reviews of this place are pretty old. Maybe they were just having an off night but our food was disappointing. The fish was NOT FRESH. The entrees are totally OVERPRICED. The bartender had no idea what she was doing, my wife ordered a glass of white wine and got about 1 oz and I ordered a glass of red wine and got about 6 oz. They were using different size glasses for each kind of wine, but still shouldn't the amount of wine be the same?? I pointed this out to the waitress but she really didn't seem to care or understand.

The parking situation is ridiculous. They supposedly have valet, but when I pulled the car up out back I was told the valet was full, so I had to park my car myself on the street and walk two blocks to the restaurant. I don't mind walking, but what is the point of the valet?!!

The only thing we enjoyed was the chutney and popadum that they brought at the beginning of the meal.

Posted 03/17/08

I don't even know where to start, except to say there is a reason this restaurant is now offering coupons!

I used to love this place, but it seems like the new manager/owner is running this place into the ground. I was there on a Monday night; it was NOT busy, yet the servicer was slow and rude! I had to send my drink back it was so gross. But still I was looking forward to my favorites: California tandoori chicken salad, gobi sabzi, deva and naan. The salad and gobi were very greasy; the deva tasted like it was days old and looked like it had been reheated. The naan was half-way burnt. The worst part, when I complained to the manager (who barely speaks English) he got all defensive.

I'm so sad because this used to be my favorite Indian place in all of LA and now I don't even know that I ever want to go back.

Posted 03/13/08

Excellent Makhni Tikka - Parking is a drag ...but worth all the effort to eat at this cafe. Service is good, atmospher is welcoming and the dishes are unique, yet very traditional, with their won little twist on things.

Pros: Great Food

Cons: Parking

Posted 03/02/08

My goodness- my husband and I have been in LA for almost two years and have yet to find an impressive Indian place. This place is at the bottom of my list after dinner tonight. I ordered the palak paneer which was the blandest I have ever tasted; it was very watered down. The waiter was inattentive and could care less when I told him I did not enjoy the meal. The dinner was very expensive as well-- I would recommend staying away from this place.

Cons: Expensive and food is very bland

Posted 01/17/08

Seriously, the worst Indian food I have ever had! NOT AUTHENTIC. Even if I didn?t eat Indian food regularly; I don?t think I would have enjoyed this. Extremely slow service on the night I was there (Thursday). I have to say the staff was extremely friendly and the restaurant itself is nice, but who cares when the food is that bad?!

Pros: Good beer

Cons: Bad food slow service

Posted 11/01/07

I heard great things about this restaurant and went with a few friends to try it out for the first time. We ordered some somosas and for the priced they would be the large ones you find at most places, they were tiny, about the size of someone's thumb, but they gave 4 pieces....ohhhh! The food was GREAT, the price not worth it at all, I'd look elsewhere. If you are very very light eaters then go for it, don't expect to take anything home. For a value, go to just about any other Indian restaurant in LA. For large groups, I would not suggest this place. Give it a shot if you like, the food is great!

Pros: great food, ambience

Cons: no indian waiters (odd?), TINY portions, value

Posted 04/10/07

I was craving Indian food and didn?t have time to go to the place by my house. First thing that I was disappointed with was there lack of variety and missing typical Indian food (lamb korma). The price for my lamb massala was a bit high at $14.00, but then when I picked up my order, my bill was $23.00. Here's what Happened: I was asked if I wanted rice and Nan with my meal, I know low carb is a big deal these days and a lot of places ask if you want the carbs with your meal. Yes, Sometimes you have to pay for rice (rare at Indian places) but it happens. The most I?ve ever paid for a side of rice was $1.50; Bombay cafe charges $6.00 for a flippi'n side of rice...what? Ya crazy I know. Now here is where it gets really good, I have never once been to an Indian restaurant and been charged for the nann, once again at Bombay cafe I was charged $3.00 for pretty sub par nann if you ask me. Now I didn?t complain because I work in the industry and an owner can charge whatever they want for there food, and hey it?s my fault I didn?t ask if the rice and nann where extra. Here?s where I was disappointed, I paid the exuberant fee for my takeout, left a 2 dollar tip for the hostess (remember we are talking takeout) and went to work to eat my food. Now I?m expecting when this food touches my lips it will be an experience like no other, that this food will dance on my tongue, that it will be the best darn Indian food my stomach has ever had the pleasure of digesting....WRONG.... it was terrible as far as Indian food goes. Edible, yes. Tasty, no!!! You could feel the heat of the dish but there where no layers of flavor, hell there was no LAYER of FlAVOR. The usual place I go, 8 bucks gets me, lamb korma, rice, another side dish of my choice, and yummy nann!! Do yourself a favor and don?t waste your time or money on this place. The place I go is on Venice and motor (I can?t remember what it?s called).

Pros: Have'nt really found any.

Cons: everything

Posted 01/04/07

A great selection of good indian food. Their bhel puri, malai kofta and nan are just delicious.
The ambience is good, service is excellent. I would consider it one of the really good high end indian places in US.

Pros: Delicious food, variety, ambience

Cons: may be a bit overpriced but worth it!

Posted 10/08/06

this place is way too overpriced. they charged us for the extra rice crisps that should've been complimentary. it's like going to a restaurant and asking for extra bread only to find out they charged you for it. i've tasted better curry for two thirds of what Bombay Cafe charged us and the atmosphere wasn't all that great either... no wonder it was soooooo empty.... hmmm.... yeah, i agree with alot of you guys, there are alot of better indian restaurants out there...AND BOMBAY CAFE ISN'T ONE OF THEM!

Pros: the Himelayan beer

Cons: everything else

Posted 08/02/06

I went to Bombay for the 2nd time this last Friday. Because we had no Reservation, we had to sit in the Bar. Kinda a bummer, but we wanted to stay, because it's the best Indian food around. The Bartender made sure to pour us doubles for no extra charge (I think he felt bad for us). My only complaints are that for one, only the tables in the dining room got their roti and chutney, and we did not, (amazing stuff, better than I've had anywhere else), and the service was rushed and not very personal, because our server had a full dining room section to deal with also. I sure missed that yummy roti; My guy and I figured it was because they only enough metal chutney dishes for the dining room tables and not for the Bar. But all in all, we'll be back with Reservations next time, because the food is amazingly delicious and authentic. I give it a 9 plus, would've been a 10 if we were given the same yummy snacks as the dining room crowd.

Pros: food, drinks, prices

Cons: no free roti, service was rushed

Posted 07/30/06

I love good indian food. Atmosphere aside, if the food is good I'll suffer bad service, horrible decore, slow service ... just about anything. But if the food is not authentic or bland I don't give a you-know-what about the rest of the package. So this place was very disappointing. Bland food. Shabby chic presentation. Loud, noisy environment.

Posted 04/25/06

There is nothing authentic about this place. Indian food should not be this bland. I felt like I was eating at an Indian food night at my dorm.

Pros: Large space

Cons: Food

Posted 04/05/06

A complete let down. With a 9.2 rating we were expecting finger-licking good food. If you've ever eaten Indian food before then stay away from this place. Complete ripoff, bad food, high prices.

Cons: Bad Food, Expensive

Posted 04/03/06

We wish that we had read the reviews before we went there. The absence of Indians when we arrived at the restaurant should have clued us in too so I guess that we deserve the bad food. First of all if you are an Indian, avoid this place. The paneer makhni and the baingan bharta were too sweet. I have never had sweet baingan bharta in my life. Secondly, it is also a rip-off! $7.00 for pani puri???! What a disappointing experience.

Pros: ambience, prompt seating

Cons: food, value, price

Posted 04/03/06

I don't understand how this place got a 9.2 and/or why it is ranked #1 in Zagat for Indian food. The food is fine, but nothing special. There are MUCH better Indian places in LA. The service was so-so, the ambience so-so. The menu was a little limited - no lamb saagwala for example, which was surprising and disappointing. Many reviewers complained about the prices. I wasn't outraged at the price - $50 for more than enough food for two, but this place does not live up to the hype.

Pros: Prompt seating, food

Posted 02/06/06

I have done a lot of traveling in my life, and I have NEVER seen an Indian restaurant which charges $60 for two pieces of bread, and three A LA CARTE entrees (except perhaps in London, b/c of the pound-dollar exchange rate). Usually Indian food is tasty and cheap, but in this case it was average and TERRIBLY expensive. Unless you have money to spend, I wouldn't recommend it.

Posted 12/15/05

I would say this is an ok restaurant compared to other ones. Food was good and tasty, but extremely spicy. We tried the lamb vindaloo dish and i was litterally sweating. I am surprised it is so spicy & hot after seeing some of the reviews complaining the food was bland. May be its b'cos of the dish we had tried out or simply the waiter had thought we r indians & made the dish extra spicy. The nimbu cocktail was really good & the nan was excellent. I think the quantity of the dish was sufficient for two people. Don't know about other dishes, haven't tried them. The dishes are really expensive, so expect $40 per person if you have a drink and a dish. The rip off really is valet parking, expect to shell out $5.

Pros: food, ambience

Cons: valet parking, price, reservation

Posted 09/06/05

i went with the recommendation of friends but wouldn't go back.....here's why....to start, there were open parking spaces in the back and still had to "valet"..the valet guy drove off because of course it would be weird to pull right into the lot before i even walk into the door...food was ok.portions small. asked for rice..server didn't say it was extra, so $3 was added at the end. chicken was dry, minimal curry sauce. i asked for more and server said ok, didn't mention that a small cup of it was $2.75. bill for one person ended up over $35! and with valet was $40! one person, indian food. i would have got sushi instead!

Posted 06/11/05

We had dinner here the past week and were totally disappointed. The food was sub-par at best. We couldn't understand why this place was rated so highly when there are so many better Indian restaurants in LA. Plus they charge for Chutney!!!

Posted 03/07/05

Nice service but very bland food. One of the entrees was undercooked and had no taste/flavor. I will never recommend this place to any of my friends.

Pros: Service

Cons: , Parking

Posted 12/25/04

The food was absolutely delicious. We've been to a number of the Indian restaurants in Los Angeles and Bombay Café was our favorite. I'm glad we found this place.

Pros: Food, Price, Drinks

Posted 07/12/04

We had dinner at Bombay this past weekend. It was wonderfully creative. The service was good and the prices represented a good value.

Pros: Food, Valet Parking, Service

Posted 06/18/04

Two kinds of people exist - ones giving weight just to ambience; second who would take bland food, waiters reminding customers the tip isn't enough or valet act in back acting as extortionists for people who park their car themselves but forking $5.00 just because they say so - seriously.

I fall in the second group - sure food's good but not good enough to overcome these shortcomings. I accidentally under tipped (by a mere 3%) - my fault. Our waitress had the gaul to come back to remind us that the tip% was quite unsatisfactory. Its one thing to inquire about service adequacy but demanding a bigger tip is a bit presumptuous in my book. Ditto with valet.

Unprofessional and cocky menu charging for simple easy to prepare items like chutneys & onions, why not charge for the plates we are eating on.

Westside locals are not that unforgiving.

Pros: Ambience, Good cocktails

Cons: , Cocky service, Unprofessional

Posted 03/15/04

Good Indian food in a very small but confy place. Try the Sindhi chicken and the delicious different types of chutneys available...The best ones are the walnut and the pumpkin(if you are into spicy food).
Good for small groups of friends. The atmosphere is relaxing and the place is well decorated. To drink try the Indian spiced tea with milk...and it comes with free refills.

Pros: good value, tasty food, ambience

Cons: , small place

Posted 02/27/04

Some delicious choices at decent prices. Our server seemed a little distracted and distant, so we had to feel our way around the menu and dishes that we chose, but everything that we tried, we enjoyed and would return any time.

Pros: Food

Cons: parking, servers

Posted 01/19/04

I would say that the best part of our meal was the appetizer chutney and the samosas. Otherwise, my sister and I were very disappointed in the vegetarian dishes we selected (matter paneer, vegetable pilaf, and rita). Very bland and an excessive use of turmeric which canceled out any other spices that might have been in the dish. As an Indian woman, I would say that the tastes in the main dishes could have been MUCH better. Overall, it's an okay place to go. Who knows, maybe it was an off day for the chef and maybe it was just the dishes we got. I guess it's worth a shot.

Pros: Ambience

Cons: parking, service was very slow

Posted 01/18/04

Okay, so it may not be the most authentic, but its consistently great food with friendly service for a reasonable price. And if you're up for it, try the ginger margarita!

Pros: friendly service, great portions

Cons: parking, very loud when crowde

Posted 12/08/03

My husband and I just moved from Los Angeles and we miss Bombay Cafe on a daily basis! It was our go-to restaurant, we went at least once every two weeks. It is my favorite restaurant of all time!!

Everything is excellent and worth trying but these are our favorites: Samosas and the Chutney Sampler with Walnut, Sweet Tomato and Mango chutneys. For dinner, I always got the cauliflower (Gobi Sabzi) and Mirch Masala Tikka with Pumpkin Chutney (ohhh.... my mouth is watering!!). My hubby loved the Lamb Vindaloo. And dinner isn't complete until you've tried the Chai!

The service is outstanding, especially if you request Alyson. She's the best waitress ever! If you see her, tell her "the newlyweds" sent ya! Enjoy!

Pros: Food, Service, Ambiance

Cons: I moved away

Posted 08/20/03

What can I say?? The most excellent Indian I've had in Los Angeles - try the chicken or paneer in gravy, or the indian 'pancake' with coconut chutney. Delicious desserts too - I love the badam cake and the carrot rice pudding. YuM!

Posted 05/25/03

While it goes against every ounce of taste I have, I actually liked the food at Bombay Cafe. One would expect Bombay Cafe to be much like Tantra: mediocre Indian food masked by the (Americanized) Exotic Nature of Indian culture. However, I found that Bombay Cafe actually put a bit of focus into their food. Paru's it is not, but if you are trapped on the West Side, feel free to eat here. Just try not to be seen. And skip dessert.

Posted 10/27/02

Not so well-versed in Indian cuisine? This is an exceptional place to start, or to introduce skittish friends to the delights of samosas, curries, and chicken tikka. Saag paneer--a creamy spinach dish containing cubes of Indian cheese--is outstanding here. This restaurant space, formerly an upscale Italian trattoria, gives Bombay Cafe a sophisticated feel that's a far cry from beaded curtains.

Pros: Dim and romantic

Cons: Expensive for Indian, Charge for chutneys

Posted 05/21/02

This place has the best lamb dishes and really refreshing ginger infused drinks- ginger martini, ginger lemonade. Don't forget to sample some of their exotic chutney's. Good food, good drinks and friendly wait staff!

Posted 05/16/02