Seva Indian Cuisine

This place is amazing! I’d ordered delivery and was exited to go there and dine and it was so worth it. The staff are very attentive, we did not want for anything during our visit. Coming from the UK I’m very familiar with Indian food and this was some of the best I’ve had. The dhal is divine, paratha truly delicious and delicate, saag paneer excellent. I loved the touch of fresh ginger. Go here and eat — you will be very happy!

This Review For Delivery:
Decent Indian food but not as good as what you can get on Hillside Ave. around Jamaica Estates. I think it is made for a certain palette. This is not so much their fault as it is the area and patrons likely and here’s why I say this:
We ordered the Fennel Curry Chiken and Chicken Tikka Masala. I think there was a little too much cumin flavor in the Fennel Chicken and the Tikka Masala lacked a kick. Keep in mind we did order plain but it ended up being a little TOO plain. As in there was almost no paprika or any kind of spicy condiment at all. I mean if you’re going to eat Indian food there will be spiciness, so we estimated their «normal» would be about a «medium» on the spicy scale. I think this could be solved with a more gradient scale offering at least 3 options instead of just two.
Delivery was quick and prompt and portions were generous. Naan was great. The chicken samosa was a bit lacking a kick as well but I don’t recall there being an option to choose spiciness level on that item. Admittedly I don’t eat Indian food often as it often doesn’t agree with my digestive system even if it tastes good — But I used to eat it fairly frequently when I was younger (and immune to such effects). If we dined in it’d probably be 5 stars. I think the ambiance looks great from outside and perhaps there would be an ability to specify or sample the spiciness level first.
In the past it used to be simpler for me (I just said make it hot) but now I need a medium which seems to be more of an art than a science. It can make all the difference in a dish.

This is my favorite go to Indian spot in queens. Service is excellent and food is good. I can’t eat spicy and they make mild chicken saag just right!

Came here for lunch with a friend. Their lunch special deal starts at $ 9 which includes a soup and an entrée which is served with basmati rice. And they also have a $ 14 pre fixe which includes an appetizer an entrée with rice and rice pudding for dessert. Service was great and on top of everything. Food was yummy and rich. I got the chicken korma as an entrée portion was big and very coconutty and creamy. My friend had the chicken tikka masala which she liked very much as well.

I love Indian food but this place just does not stand out to me.
My experience at Seva wasn’t the best but it wasn’t the worst. So my review is based off of two things, environment and food.
Environment: This is a really nice place to bring a date to. The music was just a bit too loud but it’s a nice dimly lit setting. Everyone is friendly and the staff is very attentive. It’s a bit small and cramped so people kept bumping into my chair and table a couple of times. It was understandable but it was bit irritating. But the place is really clean. Even though the bathroom can be used between males and females, it’s really clean. Props to a clean bathroom!
Food: I ordered off the Prix Fixe Menu, with a chicken samosa to start, then the fennel chicken curry, finishing with the rice pudding. My friend ordered the butternut squash soup, with chicken tikka masala, and rice pudding. We also got two orders of the garlic naan.
The filling inside the samosa was a bit bland and I didn’t like how they had the sauces on the bottom on the plate with the samosa on top. It led the samosa to be soggy and no one likes a soggy samosa… (or maybe some people do!). The fennel chicken curry and the chicken tikka masala was tasty but because my appetizer was so big and heavy, I took two bites of rice and my entrée and I was full. The butternut squash soup was WAYYY too sweet for my taste buds. The rice pudding was super tasty! That I loved! The garlic naan was just garlic. I wished it was a bit more buttery instead of just salt and garlic.
This is a cute spot. I would come again. Maybe next time, I’ll just order half of what I ordered this time for two people. We took the leftovers home. We couldnt even finish ¹⁄₅ of the entrees. We had a lot of naan left over.

I had vegetable tikka masala curry with little bit spicy. it had zucchini, carrots, and broccoli and they were cooked perfectly! I enjoyed creamy source too. If you like spicy food, you probably wanna go with normal or spicy so that you can taste it;)
As a vegetable lover, I wish they added just 2 – 3 more vegetable in the curry!

I’ve heard about this place way before I lived in the area and that definitely says something. Word of mouth buzz with a 25 mile+ radius is never a bad thing. Family owned and super focused on customer service with high quality authentic food output, you have to respect Seva.
Weekend Lunch buffet at $ 10.95 from 12 – 3 with a handful of solid Indian dishes. Chicken Tikka Masala, Green Chili Chicken, Chana Masala, Navratan Korma, Sag Paneer, Vegetable Samosas, and basmati rice, naan, rice pudding, and various sauces/​chutneys made this totally worth it. Not one thing let me down.
Support this place. Hopefully you dig it as much as I did.

Seva used to be my go-​to for Chicken Tikka Masala, but the last time I went, it was a much lighter color (maybe more cream?). It tasted fine (albeit RIDICULOUSLY salty) but within 30 minutes I started feeling ill. I spent the entire night awake with heartburn and other unpleasantries I won’t go into here. Honestly, the heartburn and dehydration was so bad I almost had to miss work today. My husband had green chili chicken and he was fine.
I talked to another Astoria friend about my experience and she said the SAME THING happened to her with this dish. It made her sick for two days. I don’t know what they’ve done differently to this dish, but buyer beware.

Great Indian cuisine spot in the neighborhood. Food is a little heavy but it may also just be because I order the heavy stuff! I love their chicken tikka masala with basmati rice. Their naan is also incredible and they offer different flavors

If you’re having a cheat day. Get the fried appetizer sampler and the chicken tikka masala with basmati rice. This place is amazing the food is delectable. The flavors are bold and everything you would hope for in Indian cuisine.

They get five stars because they have good prices, good quality food and good service!
I like Indian good and this is a good place I recommend the chicken tikka masala with rice and the tandoor grill and of course naan. Yummy flavorful place.

While I don’t dine out at many Indian restaurants, I think Seva fit the bill of what a good Indian restaurant should be. The servers are always on point with the water and seeing how you’re doing. The food was also very good and fairly priced.
— Garlic Naan was bursting with Garlic. Very fresh, toasted to perfection.
— Shrimp Tiki masala was pretty on point. Best I ever had? Not quite but still quite delicious.
— Chicken Briyani was just okay. Wasn’t too impressed but definitely flavorful. Perhaps I was spoiled by the version my former colleague cooked.

Delicious food! We went for dinner, and it was pretty crowded on a Friday night, but we only had to wait ten minutes. We all had the prix fixe menu, and it was $ 14.95 with an app, entrée, and dessert. It was more than enough food, and I loved the flavoring in the different sauces. It was well balanced; normally I don’t like to have too many sauces on my food because there’s too much cucumber or whatever else.
We had samosas and lamb spring rolls for our apps, and the portions were huge. The lamb spring rolls were SO SO good.
For entrees, we had saag paneer, lamb saag, and chicken tikka marsala. They were all great, and we couldn’t finish our portions. Obviously had to get some garlic naan, too.
I could’ve lived without desert… we were so full. Definitely coming back!

I’ve been coming here for years, and I have yet to find a better Indian restaurant. The vegetable samosas were delicious-​Full of flavor with each bite! The crab cakes were just A-​OK so don’t waste your time or stomach space on them. I also had the mulligatawny soup which is still the best soup ive ever had. The lamb spring rolls were just divine.
I had the chicken tikka masala which was complimented by the coconut naan– holy lord. Words cannot describe! My sister and boyfriend each had a lamb dish which was seasoned to perfection. The portion sizes for the pre-​fixe meals were bigger than you expect– I could hardly finish the complimentary rice pudding for dessert! Definitely a great place to bring friends and family!

Great Indian food at a great price with a nice, cute small location in Astoria. It’s pretty crowded here and Seva has a great reputation among locals. There are always take-​put orders coming out of the kitchen and the place is always bustling with customers. Friendly service although you might have to flag someone down since it always is busy. Food is great, more than enough for one person if each person gets a dish. You can’t go wrong with a pre-​fix dinner.
I’m giving in three stars only because I find the places in Jackson Heights to be a bit better.

Wow, such good Indian food. Some of the best I’ve ever had. Deliciously flavored dishes that are more than just spicy. I could taste a lot of the herbs and spices used. For example, the Aloo Gobi had a distinct flavor of coriander seeds, which was a nice addition. The Daal was also nice and creamy and earthy.
I totally get the hype now and it was worth the 20-​minute (or maybe a bit longer) wait to be seated. The space isn’t that big so they can’t accommodate that many people. But the service was great, and I’m happy their menu identified which dishes are vegan (even though I usually have no problem figuring out which ones are vegan when eating at Indian restaurants … just need to avoid cheese and yogurt).
Will definitely need to try to come here for a weekend brunch.

You can’t be a soccer (football) goalie if you can’t Seva penalty. And you can’t become religiously enlightened until you Seva light. And if you want to sleep with Simon LeBon, don’t Seva prayer for him now. Seva til the morning after. And if you’re wondering which NYC-​area Unilocaler that is not Elite, should be Elite, more than any other, the answer i Seva.
What to get: Chicken Tikka Masala
What else: Why were there only one set of footprints in the sand in my hour of need, I said to Shiva?
Because, my child, when you were hungry, I curried you. The footprints you saw were Priya’s. She was running in and out of the kitchen making sure the rice didn’t burn you stupid moron.
If you want to get rid of all your body hair (like I do) then you need a Shaver. But if you want an amazing curry, get a Seva instead.
This is some of the best British-​Indian food anywhere in the USA. It’s one of the most delicious Chicken Tikka Masalas I have ever eaten, including all the ones in England. It’s a dish that was invented by immigrants to England from India and Pakistan, which were regrettably colonized by the bastards, I mean the British. I apologize. But thanks for the amazing food and I hope you’re at least enjoying the cricket and the Vimto.
Anyway it’s enough to make me Seva my ties with the Brits forever. Like the Scots wanted to do. But then didn’t.
I have to thank all of the Unilocalers including several friends such as Jando and Stephanie, Kevin and Carissa, Theresia and Ken. You guys wrote 5 star stellar reviews so I followed your advice and got the CTM. I usually don’t order Chicken Tikka Masala (too bland for me) but all of you raved about it to the degree that I had no choice. My goodness, it’s right up there with the version at India On Wheels in Pittsburgh and Hyderabadi over in Flushing. It’s utterly incredible.
Don’t go in the kitchen though. These people are cannibals. In their storage closets, you’ll find a bunch of Seva’d heads. But I’m okay with that.
I recommend coming here at lunch time for the special. Portions are still huge and you can get a CTM (or any one of a number of other curries) for under $ 10. It’s nice inside but extremely crowded (welcome to Astoria!) so I usually get it to go, although eating this food in the car is extraordinarily treacherous.
By the way you should check out what’s in my pants. I have Seva and a half inches right here. Now back to the review.
Easily some of the best Indian food I’ve *ever* eaten in the US. Bear in mind that if you’re familiar with *real* Indian food (such as in Jackson Heights, or if you’re actually Indian), this might not be your cup of tea. It’s the kind of British Indian food that the UK is famous for, which was invented by Indians but aimed at the Brits. For some reason most of the USA has «americanized Indian food» which I find to be incredibly bland and awful and lacking in flavour. British Indian on the other hand rocks my world and drives me crazy and may actually be my favourite cuisine *in the world* maybe, possibly. It’s that good.
Whether you like it depends on which Seva you like. Do you like Seva from NYC Unilocal,or Seva Mendes? Seva Herzegova or Seva Braun (ew, that’s kind of wrong). Seva Peron or Seva Longoria? Or perhaps Seva Angelina (before she shaved all her hair off, and without the glasses)? Anyway, Mendes, Herzegova, Longoria, Angelina and especially the girl from Unilocal are filling my head and getting me a bit hot and bothered, so I have to go. (Secretly thinking about Eva Braun. Omg I’m almost there. Don’t stop. Imagining her with a moustache. Nein! Nein! NEINNNNNNN!)
So come here and try the Chicken Tikka Masala for yourself, and fall in love with it the way I fell in love with Eva Braun. I mean Longoria. Never mind.
Just make sure you Seva bit for me. And Seva bit for Simon LeBon too. After all, he wrote this song for you. «Seva Prayer»
You saw me standing by the wall, somewhere in Astoria
And the lights are flashing off your silver to-​go container
All alone ain’t much fun so you’re looking to share your Chicken Tikka Masala
And you know just how it tastes when you swallow
Don’t Seva prayer for me now
Seva til the morning after, no
Don’t Seva eat it all now
Seva bit til the morning after

My absolute go-​to spot. I don’t think I’ll go to anywhere else to eat Indian food.
The WEEKEND BUFFET is a freaking steal. For just the cost of two halals ($ 14 pp including tip & tax), you can get 4 – 5 different types of curry (tikka masala, chicken vindaloo, saag paneer, and some kind of zucchini curry.) You also get unlimited rice, nan and my personal favorite kheer (rice pudding.)
If you are busy and won’t be able to make it to weekend lunch, you can always order the three course prix fixe which is just as cheap and good.
The service here is also impeccable. All of the waiters are well-​mannered and attentive.
If you have not been here yet, slap yourself on the back of the head cuz you’ve been missing out!

Im addicted to their crispy lentil crackers, which they generously offer at the table with sauces of varying heat. Is it a cracker? The texture is crisp and melts in your mouth, while the shape and size resemble a tortilla.
Start with the thick and creamy butternut squash soup, served piping hot, and generously portioned. Hint of cardamon, salt and cinnamon, I was satisfied and full with this hearty soup and did not need additional food, but carried on.
The 14.95 special grants you an appetizer, entrée, and taste of kheer pudding, which swats your rice pudding buds in the face with flavor… Sorry not sorry…
Chunks of juicy chicken in a velvety Korma, you can taste the love in their food. Its really special. Take note, Thai Palace in Brooklyn. This is how its done.

My co-​workers decided to treat me to a lunch as I’m actually leaving my current job for another position. I had remarked previously I was a big fan of Indian food, so my co-​workers decided on a farewell lunch at Seva.
Seva is a nicely decorated small restaurant right off the very busy 30^th Avenue.
Having recently eaten some pretty special Indian food locally where I live in NJ, it was interesting to see the Indian food quality in this very busy section of Queens.
I ordered the Saag Paneer which was pretty good, but I say confidently I’ve eaten better. Spice level was mild (I requested spicy) and the Paneer tasted like skim cottage cheese versus the richer luxuriant Paneer I expect in Saag Paneer.
The spinach was fresh and a good provided an excellent texture though.
My coworkers had some varying dishes like the Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Tikka Masala, Chicken Saag, Lamb Korma, and Lamb Vindaloo. Each commented that their dishes were pretty good.
I had a chance to sample two other dishes; the Lamb Korma and Chicken Saag and both were okay IMO.
Lamb Korma was not spicy enough and the Korma a bit watery.
Chicken Saag was okay with the same nicely cooked spinach I experienced with my Saag dish.
However, the most disappointing part of the meal was the naan bread.
Naan is an essential component of an Indian meal, as it provides an awesome vehicle to enjoy the delicious curries and sauces famous in most Indian dishes and Seva’s variant was disappointing.
We ordered two orders each of garlic and cheese naan,
Both naans tasted and felt (texture wise) more like pita bread than traditional tandoori baked naan.
— The garlic naan was average at best IMO. The garlic seemed to be just garlic powder dusted onto the dough either pre and post baking.
— Cheese naan was average tasting too. Sparingly sprinkled with small bits of cheese, the cheese naan barely lived up to it’s name.
Both naans was relatively thin, and didn’t have that slight glutinous texture you find in good naan.
Finally service was attentive, but the entrees took a very long time to arrive. I noted the time to get our entrees right around 42 minutes, which IMO is a pretty long time for lunch.
Granted we had a large group of twelve people, but of one of our office staff had called Seva several days before to notify them of our large group.
My dish aside, my companions fairly positive remarks was just enough to give Seva a 3-​star review.