Royal India

Seriously the best Indian food I have had in a very long time. I got the spiciest dish on the menu and it was to die for but I love spice. Next time I order it I will have them kick it up a notch though because their 7 was my 4−5ish. Garlic naan was perfect. The samosas were delish too and the 2 dipping sauces were out of this world. (Sorry I don’t know what they are called, but it’s the stuff they bring out with the fried naan chips… At least I think that what that was… Soooo good!). Everything was fresh and very savory. Atmosphere is really nice. I felt underdressed! I wan to go back to try their buffet. Eat here and I promise you won’t be sorry. I can tell there were a ton of regulars there!

Got stuck on the 5 Fwy hell on my way back up to LA. Pulled over to burn an hour and eat dinner. Ended up here and this place is a gem. Had Tandoori Chicken and Naan bread. If I lived here I’d be here a couple of times a month. Really good. Pleasant décor, solid service. Next time it’s the curry. Go for it.

What a great place. My only complaint would be that they keep it a little warm. But besides that, the food is good and so is the service.
The chicken tikka masala and chicken vindaloo were both good, although I wish both dishes had been spicier. I wouldn’t say it’s the best Indian food I’ve ever had (but in all fairness, I’ve had a lot of Indian food) but it did have some great flavor. I probably would’ve given three stars except the service was top-​notch and the restaurant is beautifully decorated. Oh, and I love that rice was included with the entrees– I hate places that make you order it as a side, as if you would eat the dish without it.

Yum! Are here for lunch and had the $ 10 buffet. There was a decent variety and the food was tasty. Clean atmosphere, nice ambience, would definitely recommend.

Ate here again last night. Great waiter and service.
The Veggie appetizer was sort of disappointing. All fried food. The menu should identify it as such. Way too much fried food, unhealthy.
The entrée we shared was well-​spiced and very enjoyable. We noted that there are many entrees which could be made vegan if the restaurant would only make a few minor changes.
Overall, a really nice restaurant with several vegan dishes and good waiter service.

I’m going to be honest and say that I’ve hated on Royal India for a long time. I visited this location a few years ago and was very, very disappointed. After sampling their food at recent Unilocal events, I decided to give their restaurant another try.
I was surprised to see that the entire restaurant and menu have been revamped since my prior experience. I think the ownership has changed since then. We ordered the Paneer Tikka Masala, Malai Kofta and Navratan Korma and really liked each dish. Our food with two orders of naan came out to be $ 60. Prices are a little higher than what I would have expected, but the portions are generous. The service was great and ambiance for dinner is very nice!
I’ll definitely be back and would definitely recommend this place if you’re looking for a sit down Indian dinner.

Ambience is really good, so is the service! The food had a distinctive North Indian flavor. I think we messed up ordering a 8 on the spice level that caused some heartburn later on.
We will definitely try this place, as most of our usual places are typically South Indian.

This is a great lunch spot with a pretty solid buffet. It’s a bit Americanized compared to some of the more authentic places off of Miramar Road, but for $ 10 and change it’s a damn good deal. And you’ll see Indian folks dining here, which is always a good sign.
There’s both indoor and patio seating and plenty of parking in the busy and often crowded parking lot.
Overall this is a convenient, quick and delicious lunch buffet go-​to if you’re in the mood for Indian food.

I’ve lived within walking distance of this restaurant for more than 20 years and I can’t believe this my first time coming here. Royal India is located in a moderate sized strip mall amidst a few other restaurants. There is plenty of free parking.
We came on a weeknight evening without reservations but didn’t have to wait for a table. The interior is beautifully decorated with very comfortable seating. Once we were seated our server came up and took our drink orders and explained a few things about the menu. We started with the hummus & nan bread. The bread was hot and fresh and without a doubt I prefer nan bread over pita. The cut the nan bread up into small square sizes that are just bite size. The hummus was also fresh and creamy. Very delicious! We probably could have sat and had hummus and fresh nan bread all night and been satisfied.
I’m still kind of a newbie when it comes to Indian food so we both ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala. I’ve had other Indian dishes before but usually at a buffet style place so I’m just choosing what’s already in front of me but I don’t know the names. I didn’t want to experiment tonight. I figure if the Chicken Tikka Masala isn’t any good, then there probably isn’t much chance of the other food being any better.
Well, we weren’t disappointed. Our server took our order and asked how spicy we wanted our food and we just told him medium. It wasn’t long before he brought out two trays with the Chicken Tikka Masala and a large plate of basmati rice. Now I wish we had ordered another dish because I didn’t know they served it in a platter so anyone at the table could sample it as well. But again, not a problem because the Chicken Tikka Masala was amazing! And the spiciness was just right. Not to sound like the Three Little Bears, but it wasn’t too hot or too bland… the spiciness was just right! The basmati rice was also fresh and hot. For what looks like such a simple and plain meal, it is anything but that! The chicken was delicious and the flavor of the sauce is absolutely amazing!
It’s a beautiful restaurant with amazing food and great service. I’ve read others main concern are the prices here and I would agree they are on the higher side, but on the other hand, this isn’t some take out restaurant. The restaurant is quite beautiful and service is great along with quite good food. Undoubtedly we will be back to learn some other Indian dishes and if nothing else, to have that great nan bread and hummus.

Been here for dinner twice now: last night we ordered a la carte, while last month we came on a Monday night and got the buffet (I believe the buffet dinner is only available on Mondays).
The saag paneer we ordered last night was quite delicious, as was the perfectly cooked rice that accompanied it. The vegetarian kofta balls we had were good, but the sauce that they were in was too rich for our taste… when we had come for the buffet, they had kofta out which was much more to our liking (not as rich).
The atmosphere is pleasant, especially if you can get a seat by the «waterfall». The servers are very professional.
Going as a a party of two, we much preferred the the Monday buffet, being able to fill our plates with a variety of flavors.
Although I’d probably give the a la carte 3 stars, solid food but a little pricey, I’m giving my overall review 4 stars for the following reasons:
Given the dearth of Indian options in the area, I’m going with 4 stars, especially since I’d go back for the Monday night buffet any time, and Unilocal gave us a $ 10 discount offer we were able to use on the a la carte last night making the a la carte a better proposition than it would be otherwise.

Royal India is a more upscale, fancier dining experience compared to other Indian restaurants. A nice place to go on a date or celebrate a special occasion. It has a nice modern décor with plenty of seats. Like other reviewers have mentioned, the food here is more expensive than other Indian restaurants and their portions tend to be smaller. But my husband and I tried the Monday night buffet ($ 19.95 but you can find local coupons for $ 5 off) this past week and thought it was delicious! They have a nice variety of 4 vegetarian and 4 protein (shrimp, ground beef, and chicken) entrees along with green salad, chickpea salad, plain rice, raita, vegetarian samosa, and desserts. They also bring naan to your table.
The buffet goes from 530 – 9 PM. Worth trying on a night that you are super hungry!

Pretty good all around! 3.5 for food but a definite round-​up to 4 stars for ambiance & service.
Other Unilocalers mentioned it, and yes — Royal India is more expensive than most Indian restaurants by about $ 2-​$ 6 per dish. However I didn’t feel like I was overpaying in the least because Royal India offers a fine dining experience that most Indian restaurants don’t come close to. Excellent service, beautiful music, classy dining room, a nice wine selection, table clothes & fresh flowers on every table… you get the picture. Consider Royal India a great place for a date or a nice family dinner.
The food’s pretty good, just not the most authentic, but definitely worthy of a thumbs-​up. While we were deciding what to order, our waiter brought some seasoned crackers similar to wonton chips along with two chutneys. The crackers were fine but it would have been nice to receive a crispy papadum instead!
We decided to share the cauliflower & potato pakora and the chicken madras curry with basmati. The pakora looked beautiful & the vegetables were cooked perfectly — tender but still firm. The veggies did lack flavor though & I think they would’ve tasted better if they were salted before frying. I also like my pakora crispy so next time I’ll request it to fry a little longer. The madras curry with the rice was really delicious and not spicy at all (though we ordered it 7 on 10.) If you like spicy, I recommend ordering 10! We did think it was a little strange that our dish was garnished with chopped green onion & would have preferred more cilantro instead — another note for ‘next time!‘
Overall we had a really nice first visit to Royal India. Right now they’re running a great Unilocal Deal so definitely swoop in on that if you’re heading there soon.
P. S. Don’t forget to take a scoop of their mukhwas at the door — it’s a good one!

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Indian cuisine is amazing because each dish is so complex with sometimes dozens of ingredients, it’s truly not something you can taste and then mimic at home. All my years of being a home chef it’s been one of the most difficult cuisines for me to master.
The food at Royal India is great, and what’s really special is that the menu is SO extensive. You can come once a week and order something new each time you come. I have tried some of their more unique dishes, but tonight I wanted to try some of the barometer dishes. I ordered lamb samosas, chicken tikka masala and lamb curry. I really must say that this was one of the best chicken tikka masalas I have had (I’ve probably had it from at least 30 restaurants) and the lamb curry was also excellent. I also wanted to mention that the kids really enjoyed their kids meal, and referred it to as «the best kids meal ever!» Yes, they are mine; they love to eat. Both girls got chicken tikka masala, rice, naan and mango lassis and made audible noises while eating.
Aside from having wonderful food they also have very attentive servers. The last two times I came my server was «Indi P» and he’s been really amazing; so attentive, helpful and in general pleasant to have around. He also has a very genuine smile; very welcoming.
If you come here you will find the prices are a bit higher compared to other Indian restaurants, however you are paying for the white tablecloth, change of plates, actual silverware, nice ambiance and attentive servers. To me when you throw in the extensive menu selection it was totally worth it.

While I still feel that Royal India is overpriced, I must admit that I’m a big fan of their paneer tikka masala. Actually, I’m a fan of the masala sauce in general as it’s delicious with chicken as well. The creamy tomato-​based sauce melts in my mouth and is quickly becoming one of my favorite foods.
My only issue is that this dish costs $ 15 here and usually costs around $ 10 at other Indian restaurants. Sure, the ambiance is nicer at Royal India, which makes it great for a date night or special occasion, but for the random night out, I’d be just as happy picking up food of the same quality at a lower price elsewhere. Of course, Royal India is the closest Indian restaurant to my house though.

This is the best Indian food I’ve had over the years. We had been to the Elite Week Event as our first time here, and now we went back to try the Champagne Brunch buffet.
There was a large selection of options, veggie and non-​veggie. Salad, lentils, chickpeas, roasted potatoes with onions, and a mixed curry of vegetables for the veg heads. Tandoori chicken, and 2 chicken curries for the meat selections, plus desserts and all the sauces. They have the best Naan that we’ve had anywhere, and it came to us piping hot from the oven!
It was a good deal at $ 15 a person, and if you don’t order champagne, you can have a Lassi.
I do wish they had some of the more exotic offerings like lamb or goat (seen at the family-​style buffets in LA), but I understand that chicken is cheaper and more mainstream.

I came here as part of a Unilocal Elite event, which I reviewed separately but I have to give props to Royal India for serving such delicious food.
The highlights:
* Mango Cinnamon soup (appetizer)
* Shrimp Pakora (appetizer)
* Shrimp Coconut Pineapple (entrée)
* Lamb Ginger Tamarind (entrée)
* Rice & nan bread
The food was so plentiful and so good we are already planning our next trip back. Our server, Sergio was also fantastic… he was incredibly helpful and always sported a smile ;)

Nicely decorated and well lit for dinner, there is also a tv playing in the background like most indian places. When we came in, there was no server for a few minutes. When the server came he seated us, gave us a menu and no one came by for a while, no water either. I admit, it was somewhat crowded so i’ll let it go.
Eventually we got our waters and were given complimentary fried chips topped with cilantro and a side of two dipping sauces (chutney & tamarind sauces). We had an order of 2 samosas, lentil soup, vegetable malai kofta, chicken tikka white wine masala, garlic nan and rice pudding. We were stuffed, we took most of our entrees to-​go and the leftovers were still delicious the next day.
The SAMOSA was similar to any other place, fried and carby. I actually enjoy the samosas at delhi kitchen, theirs have more spice to it.
LENTIL SOUP, I really enjoyed especially with the lemon on the side, yum! Though my other half did not because there was too much lentils and he said it was plain, but really it will depend on your taste buds and if you even like lentils. Everyone has their preferences.
VEGETABLE MALAI KOFTA was amaaazzziinnnngg, the combination of flavors and spices in the curry was just so delicious!!! The balls were interesting, they reminded me of falafel’s stuffed with vegetables and the curry again, yum yum!
CHICKEN TIKKA WHITE WINE MASALA was different and very creamy, we definitely could taste the wine, and wished it was a bit sweeter like how most tikka masala’s are. We were also given an abundant amount of chicken.
I really enjoyed the GARLIC NAN, I love garlic and most places don’t add enough of it, but this garlic nan was perfect. Maybe a little burnt but still delicious and flavorful. It could be eaten on its own!
Dessert was the RICE PUDDING which I thought was interesting. There were crushed pistachios on top and was very milky creamy. It was great, a dash of cinnamon would be nice too.
Surprisingly, my personal preference at indian restaurants are the veggie curry’s. They just seem to have so much more flavor than the meat based curries. The spice level for an indian restaurant, I believe wasn’t spicy enough. The waiter said the chutney was a 5 out of 10. Next time instead of getting a 7 for our entrees, we’ll have to try a 9 or 10 because the masala wasn’t even spicy and the malai kofta’s spiciness was very subtle. The wait was a bit long for the entrees, but you can tell they took time and worked hard on perfecting each dish because the veggie malai kofta was definitely perfect! Prices are a bit steep, but the portions are pretty generous. And there was always coupons and deals available. AND, If I wasn’t so stuffed, I would have ordered a MANGO LASSI, it looked so delicious on our neighboring table… next time!!!

Yes! What a little hidden gem in Del Mar! It is so rare to find an upscale Indian restaurant that serves quality food you can’t find anywhere else. Royal India has several locations in San Diego and this location is particularly impressive because the décor and ambiance is quite exquisite. As you walk in, the breath-​taking waterfall just transforms the entire place into something more than just a restaurant.
My fiancé and I love the dishes served here. Everything from the mango lassi to the desserts are very satisfying to our palate. The food is incredibly fresh and the portions are huge!
This place is perfect for date night! I highly recommend you stop by for a nice meal or even take it to go! The portions are generous and you will definitely have leftovers to take home!

Came here for an exclusive Unilocal Elite dinner reservation.
I would first like to say, that I was never a fan of Indian food. Probably tried it once somewhere else, didn’t like it, and simply ignored it all together. BUT since my recent visit here… this place has completely CHANGED MY MIND FOREVER!!!
Let’s just say that the food quality here is amazing!
SETTING:
Located in a shopping center with plentiful of parking spaces.
They have outdoor and indoor seating.
Personally I think it’s nicer inside because they have beautiful décor along with a wall waterfall inside. Lots of candle lighting. Dimmed and romantic.
SERVICE:
I was so shocked to see how every single worker, server and even the busser were all so polite, professional, and made sure that everything was ok!!!
SERVICE HERE IS TOP KNOTCH! Thank you for such good vibes.
FOOD:
Mango Cinnamon Soup $ 6.99
AMAAAAZING! I need more of this soup in my life. Such a simple dish but so good. It was lightly sweet and packed with so much flavor. And it was overdosed with cinnamon. Highly recommended!
Onion Chili Bhaji $ 7.99
Indian style deep fried onions anyone? The serving size was very generous and can definitely be shared between 2 – 4 people. It was lightly seasoned. They offered two different types of dipping sauces, one sweet, and one spicy. It was a nice treat.
Kabuli Nan $ 4.99
(bread stuffed with raisins and sweetened coconut)
This bread is similar to a pita bread, except its stuffed with real coconut shavings and raisins. AMAZING! Highly recommended.
Shrimp Coconut Pineapple Curry $ 20.99
(Blend of sweetened coconut milk, creamed curry, pineapple chunks and spices)
Another DELICOUS plate! Beautiful colored curry. Slightly sweet flavor with real coconut shavings and pineapple chunks. The shrimp were pretty large pieces with the tail on. It might seem small but after you eat it with the rice and breads, you’ll definitely be full.
Lamb Ginger Tamarind $ 18.99
(Buttery ginger curry cooked with tamarind, herbs and spices)
I’m not much of a fan of the slightly sour tamarind flavor, but the lamb was delicious. Very soft and buttery. And my boyfriend enjoyed this dish.
Mango Kulfi (Indian Ice Cream) $ 6.99
This dish reminded me of vietnamese ice cream. It tastes like a thick texture of blended fruit and ice cream. Thicker than normal ice cream. But still really good.
Overall, Royal India, you have gained another customer!
DEFINITELY coming back here again one day for a dinner date.
I loved everything here. Quality food, quality, service, and quality environment.

Royal India grew on me over a few years since i moved to the area.
I’ve explored the menu more and more each time i visited the restaurant. The portions are substantially larger now and service improved greatly.
I’ve enjoyed their lamb lamb bibyani as well there is a extensive selection of curries. Try them all :) and you will discover your favorites. So far i’ve tired saag paneer, mashroom korma and butter tarka. Can’t go wrong with any of them.
Don’t worry vegetarians, there is a large section of the menu dedicated just for veggie dishes.
For dessert i highly recommend to try their Mango Lasi, its a heaven in a cup!