Bombay Bistro

Recently tried weekend lunch buffet. Very limited options. Food was just ok… I don’t think i will visit this place again.

Oh me OH MY! Where do I start? Well first I can say I WILL NOT be back to this restaurant. I arrived and asked if they had any seafood dishes without dairy. You would have thought I was speaking and language unknown to humans! It did not stop there, I was then told that just about everything has dairy and even worse, ITS PREMADE! GROSS! I’m surprised to find a restaurant ike this in Fairfax, as I would think places in this area are well aware of various dietary restrictions. Oh was I wrong! The waiter then gave me an option (which really wasn’t an option, more so a «here’s what I can give you» instead) of one type of fish and veggies. I told his that I was interested in seafood with Indian flavors and he then shares that once again everything has dairy. I asked if the grilled scallops were OK and he said no as they are marinated in a dairy sauce before grilled. I expressed that, this was all new to me as restaurants I normally visit offer fresh food made to order. He continued to walk away after giving what he thought was «options.» Oh and did I mention that this was the manager??? HA !! I will never come here again and I suggest you do not either. If you are interested in GREAT Indian food that DEFINITELY offers dairy free options visit Woodlands Indian restaurant. It is located in Langley Park, MD. P. s I did not want to give any stars but my review wouldn’t go through if no. THE IRONY!!!

This food was excellent! I came at a weird hour 4pm on a Monday so I was the only one in there but wow was the service and food outstanding. They gave me a chickpea curry on the side with my samosa app order. The garlic naan was awesome. And the saag paneer was outstanding. Not the cheapest prices but great quality food with a nice atmosphere.

Excellent service. I went there one time for a lunch buffet. I was the first person to get there so everything was hot and fresh. The saag paneer was my favorite and the bread is pretty good too. I got to chat with the owner for a bit who was very friendly and offered some good advice to me as a college student.

I would give negative if there is an option to do so… Food sucks and price are too high compared to others in the area.

I was impressed– altered menu to create paneer dosa. It was very good. Eggplant sabji was delicious. Service was excellent.

4.5 Stars!
The only thing I am going to ding them on is the pricing!
I actually used to come here a bunch when I was growing up in the area, but I hadn’t been back for years! I am so glad that they are still here after all this time! Anyway, to start with the review.
The interior is really nicely decorated. I will say, it is a little dark, but it gives a nice mood and it makes the restaurant cosy and intimate. It was still light enough to read the menu! I liked how the menu had a lot of different dishes and there were a lot of dishes for those who are vegetarian too.
We ended up ordering the Vegetarian Platter (Bombay Thali) which was a lot of food! It was really good though. It was expensive. 15.95! The price was a little high. I would have been happier if it was around 13 $. Especially considering there was no meat.
We also ordered the Saag Ghost, which was lamb cooked with mildly spiced spinach. I didn’t like this dish that much and I thought it was overpriced for how much you got. There wasn’t that much and I didn’t like the way the lamb was cooked. The spinach however was really good. I think I just didn’t like the dish that much. I should have ordered another entrée but I think you did get a pretty good amount of lamb! (Costed 15.95 $)
The last thing we ordered was the Malai Kofta Curry. (11.95). It was amazing! I absolutely love the sauce. My only complaint, there were only 4 little cheese croquettes and that was disappointing since it was such a steep price. I would of rather had less of the curry sauce, and more of the croquettes.
For dessert, we had the Gulab Jamun. This was AMAZING! I loved how it was served warm! I would definitely order this again! We also got the Pista Badam Kheer. It was amazing as well! The desserts were also on the more expensive side. 4.95 for each of them, but the desserts were amazing.
The service was good! I don’t care if not all of the waiters could speak English very well. They were all super polite and tried their absolute best. I also liked how all the waiters would help each other out. It was nice to see them all working together and being very attentive to the guests. I also really liked how the owner/​manager was working in the restaurant and he came around to the tables to check on everyone. It made me think that he really cared about his business and he had many customers who knew him and were regulars. I also remember seeing him there a lot when I was a kid growing up.
All in all, I may come back but I really think they should reconsider some of their prices. The portions of their food is good because they give yummy rice and they give out a lot of sauces and vibrant flavors in the dish. If only they added more of the meat, or the main substance in their dishes (for example, more croquettes, more paneer, more meat, or more veggies), then I would be more content with paying that much.
So, for checking in on Unilocal,we got a 20% off the bill and honestly, I think those prices are better and reflect the true value of the food. I would come back again, but I would definitely order less.

Love their Sunday buffet! everything is tasty. They have chicken, fried fish and goat for buffet for $ 12! I love their Papri chaat! So tasty! The fried bread is good to! Pair with butter chicken, yumm! Definitely returning to this place soon :)

I’ve been a couple of times, it’s ok, they got our carry out order wrong last go around and the chicken in the Madras Chicken was definitely not fresh. Veg options were good but communication is not great.

Tasty food, excellent hospitality, one of the best Indian restaurants in the DC area

Consistently good. Reliably authentic. Bombay Bistro serves all the great dishes of India. Kababs, curries, biriyani … Every one is a winner. As will you be when you come and experience their attentive service and excellent cuisine. Don’t miss the Rogan Josh.

Bombay Bistro is the BOMB. They’re chaat is to SO good. And they’re butter chicken is also amazing. The service is great everyone is so friendly. Highly recommend!

The butter chicken is OUT OF THIS WORLD! It’s a sweet, family run restaurant with really beautiful décor. The food in general is amazing, and the employees are always helpful and timely. I’ve also heard they hold parties here if you make a reservation. One of the best Indian restaurants in Fairfax for sure.

I’ve been going here on and off for about 8 years. They have great Indian food for very affordable prices.
I have also met the owner on several occasions and he was very friendly. I went in for pick up and walked away with some free desert because the owner knew me as a regular.
Still one of my favorite restaurants.

I’m speechless. Usually my reviews are a decent length when I’m in love or disgusted. I will keep this short since I’m currently bathing in the afterglow of an amazing meal. Tried the lunch buffet for the first time. I’ve been meaning to forever. The food is amazing! The quality is very high end especially for a buffet. So many unique and delicious flavors. I’m sad right now because I’m so full I can’t taste any more food… again. I will be coming back for their buffet on the regular from now on. The prices are reasonable, but considering the quality and flavor… the prices are even easier to swallow. See what I did there? Come here for dinner or the lunch buffet. You will be pleased.
Oh yes, also the ambiance is perfect. The décor and music really takes me away. I have nothing negative to say at all, and I usually try to balance my reviews. Used Unilocal to check in and got 20% off my bill. Score!!!

The chicken tikka was very spicy, Tasted good at first but bothered my stomach after. Rice was very dry. Make sure to get bread and yogurt on the side to help with the spiciness of chicken.

Visited for lunch on a Friday, service was prompt and friendly, buffet items (chicken tikka, rice, spinach & cheese, veggie curry) were all tasty and flavorful

Its a OK place. Nothing special about it. we had ordered a goat curry and chicken curry. The goat was bit chewy. The chicken curry was good. The curries were served with a small portion of rice. The rice was not properly cooked .
The service is good !

Went on a weekday evening for dinner — service was excellent and prompt, good atmosphere for friends or dates. I had not been there in a while, used to go regularly with friends for the lunch buffet. I love to order Thali, for variety of flavors, this time got the Bombay Thali, which included several meat dishes — a lamb curry, chicken curry, and a large half-​breast chunk of roasted chicken, 2 puffed bread pieces, a large fried veggie appetizer, yogurt, lentils, spinach paneer, and rice, with some nice flavoring a including pickled lemon (yum!), and 2 balls of gulab jamin. Some of the meat was a bit tough, but the veggie dishes were very good, would probably get the vegetable Thali next time. Also ordered a chicken tikka maheni, which was a bit rich and tender, good, but the best was the tandoori chicken. Good meal, worth a visit! Very relaxing and delicious!

I’m not too fond of Indian food because of the smell of curry and some of their spices. However, I went here for a holiday party dinner with my company. There were assorted appetizers which consisted of some fried items and assorted chicken marinated in some different things. Not all that bad.
Next was the meal. There was this salad with jalepenos, onions, and tomato and also a normal salad with lettuce and such. There was a fish dish and a chicken dish with a variety of other stuff. Sorry, I don’t know the names of these. I honestly didn’t really like the food, but the place was nice. The staff were nice and friendly and accommodated to all of our needs and served drinks to our table.