Navya Lounge

Looks like this business has closed. Website is gone and phone is disconnected.

Strange place. Went in at 6pm on a wednesday night and we were the only table. There were about 4 people sitting a few tables away that obviously were family or friends of the workers/​owners.
As we walk in the server says, «no appetizers, just indian food» so we say ok and sit down. We have a Tippr gift certificate so we have to spend about $ 45. We order the lentil soup, garlic naan, salmon tikka masala and another dish with shrimp. The server leaves and talks to someone at the friend table then returns and tells us that they don’t have any meat only the vegetarian dishes. Okay, why didn’t she tell us that in the beginning? So we order some items off there and it was fine. The food was just ok. Another table came in and basically the same thing happened to them. I didn’t understand why the server didn’t just tell people what they did/didn’t have up front. Just a strange feel to the place.
Oh, and we asked if they had any wine or beer and the server said no, we had it yesterday but none tonight. So weird.
We only went because I got a Tippr gift certificate. Not going back.

Ate there with our Tippr Voucher. It was empty at 6:00pm on Friday which tells you something. We were the only table but still had poor service.
There were flies in the dining room, flat coke with no options to have it replaced (new machine that they didn’t know how to use), the appetizer crackers were WAY too spicy/​hot for your average diner, and to top it all off, there was a long black hair in my husband’s food (he’s got short brown hair). When we showed it to the waitress, she only wanted to take his plate away, not the serving dish — very odd. I would not only NOT recommend dining here — I would discourage you from doing so.

*Note this is a review of the lunch buffet only. It appears from Navya’s website that they class it up a bit for dinner.
Hiding in the corner on the second floor of the Rainier Square atrium is very good service and decent Indian food but an unusual dance hall atmosphere. There is a band stage that dominates the room, and speaker wire and electrical cords can be seen jury-​rigged around the room. A dance floor strobe sits prominently over the kitchen window. Most strange is that I didn’t notice any any décor (Indian or otherwise). It could pass for a VFW, but it doesn’t feel like any Indian restaurant I’ve ever been to. I loved the large windows looking out over big trees, but other than that the dated, dull space left me cold.
Not what I would expect downtown, much less in the same building that houses Louis Vuitton and (until recently) designer label retailer David Lawrence. Navya seems to be suffering from the same kind of identity crisis as its landlord, Rainier Square «Upper Fifth.» The shops and cafes on Fifth avenue are high end, whereas the indoor atrium on the northwest corner of Rainier Square feels soulless and badly in need of an update. Navya is no exception.
While the server (/​owner/​chef?) was nice and very attentive I am looking forward to trying one of the other Indian places downtown.

I’ve tried both Pabla lunch buffets in downtown Seattle and Renton. While I personally like Pabla’s a smidge more, Navya is also directed at more of that «lounge» crowd and atmosphere, what with being in a spacious corner spot at the base of the Rainier Tower and stuff. This is also alot closer to me, so location generally wins out for my downtown Indian buffet fix.
Wasn’t too slow for lunch; probably 3 other tables occupied when i arrived late lunch. A friendly elder man was my server whom also brings out pretty good (freshly warm?) naan bread; not fluffy like Pabla’s but then again easier to use as small wraps.
The buffet selection was decent… I also thought it was kind of tacky having a typical small American salad bar offering opposite the Indian portion… o_​O
I wanted to finish it off with some grain-​variant kheer dessert, but i think they had some vermicelli (?) kheer… hm, i might try that later.
And don’t forget you need a code for the shared tenant restrooms outside down the hall.

Wow, this place is attracting a lot of hate for its dinner and happy hour service, so maybe I’ll even it out a little by writing about the lunch buffet. I’m always interested in a good Indian lunch buffet, and this one is even closer to my office than our usual standby, Pabla.
The restaurant is very hard to find, tucked away in a corner on the second floor, and they have a «yes, we are open» sign taped to the door — it’s that bad. It was almost completely empty at 1:00 pm, and the inside is so spacious and high-​ceilinged that it’s kind of creepy to be eating by yourself. But it did have a big patio that looked like it would be great for happy hour.
The lunch buffet is a mishmash of Indian and Russian dishes, which is weird, and skews slightly more toward the Russian side: pierogi, borscht, pickled cabbage. The few Indian dishes included chicken tandoori, tikka masala, and, uh, hard-​boiled eggs in mint sauce (which tastes exactly like it sounds). The borscht was pretty good, but it was a strange collision of flavors on my plate. The samosas were probably the best thing I had.
The service seemed just fine for a buffet — they bring out naan rather than having it at the buffet, so it’s made fresh for you, and they stopped by to refill water glasses. Lunch was around $ 10 per person, which is slightly pricey for an Indian buffet, but I guess you’re paying for the novelty.
Decent food, and fun for the multicultural experience, but it hasn’t replaced Pabla in my book for downtown Indian lunch buffet. I’d still give it another shot for happy hour, though, since they have pretty good discounts on drinks and snacks.

My boyfriend and I had the pleasure of dining at Navya recently and were pleasantly impressed. I am a very picky eater and have a problem finding restaurants that i actually enjoy however i had no problem enjoying not only my dinner but the ambiance and service as well. Tim the bartender looked over our needs and was very versed in the menu as well as pleasant to be around. My boyfriend had Indian food at another place not too long ago and had such a bad experience he almost turned away from ever eating Indian food again. He was so impressed by our meal that he was raving about it and definitely plans on going back. All in all i have already recommended this restaurant to people in know!

This place smacks of desperation. We walk in, no host/​hostess to greet us; a busboy walks by, asks if we’ve been helped and goes to yell at someone for not greeting us. The hostess turns out to be our first server and takes our appetizer order. Our second server, an older Indian man, brings out the food; we haven’t decided on entrees and he says he will return. Our third server, a woman dressed in Russian garb comes and takes our order; she returns to confirm which of the two mushroom dishes we ordered; she returns again, with our second server, to tell us they don’t have any mushrooms today. I’m convinced the restaurant had more waiters than guests that night.
Why did this Indian/​Thai/​Fusion restaurant have a waitress in Russian garb? They were doing some special «extra menu» of Russian foods. And as for Thai and Fusion, I really don’t understand — the menu has all Indian foods except for two or so Asian appetizers. Why bother? (And our food? Neither great nor terrible.)
The whole time we were there they had a live jazz band playing loud enough to drown out any conversation we tried to have. A different hostess came by to ask us how we liked it and then told us «you’re welcome» even though we expressed no thanks for the unwanted free music.
We thought we were free and clear after leaving Navya, but we had to return a few days later to retrieve our credit card… we think they never returned it when they gave us the receipt to sign rather than us forgetting it (never happened before).
One last dig: I hate their website. It’s got unnecessary moving pieces and music you can’t turn off.

Navya has now made it to the top of my must-​go Happy Hour locations. I went there to meet up with some friends and it was absolutely delicious. The half price apps and 1.50 schooners definitely delivered.
Not only that, but Tim, the bartender, was amazing as well. He knew the menu very well, and was able to provide helpful recommendations. I especially liked the veggie pakora. Yum!

Always in search of the awesometastic happy hour, when a friend informed me of Navya Lounge, an Indian/​Asian fusion restaurant, we had to give it a try. $ 1.50 schooners? ½ price apps? Yes please!
After a couple rounds of beers, we started in on appetizers: samosas, spring rolls, pakora, and crab rangoon – all delicious (thought not nutritious!); the pakora are definitely recommended. We also tried a couple of entrees. The shrimp vindaloo was rich and spicy. And the garlic naan – yum!
What brought me in were the great HH drink and app prices; what will keep me going back were the good food and friendly staff (thanks, bartender Tim!).

This place came up on our Stranger Happy Hour app on the phone and we decided to check it out cuz the deals seamed to good to be true — they weren’t!
We all were able to walk into the bar and sit down. There were 7 of us so we were not sure if there would be room. It was wide open. $ 2.50 wells $ 3 pints and $ 1.50 schooners. All the Appys were half off. Our bartender Tim was really nice and filled us in on all the deals!
We tried the Calamari, Crap Won ton and the Spring Rolls. The food seemed to have been cooked a bit too long but the calamari was still really good. The won ton had more crab in it than any other rangoon I have tried in the area.
Did I mention $ 2.50 well drinks? We heard that the lunch buffet is really good and we will be back to try it out. I would definitely add it to your happy hour tour — it runs from 3 until 9! all night! It’s not easy to find — but its in the Ranier Bank building in the mall area on the first floor — below Rock Bottom Brewery.

Navya came on my radar from
I bought a gift card and ate there on a Sunday around 5pm, yes, early dinner, but we were already there. The atmosphere was a mix between Indian and club style, which confused me. I would think two businesses owned the space.
(2÷5 stars)
Entering the building, we found our host slouched over on a stool, not the best way to make a first impression. I had expected the service to be almost full of energy since we were the only people there. After our host sat us, he asked us for drinks before we had the drink menu, then consecutively waited 20 minutes in between visits afterwords.
(1÷5 stars)
We were the only people in the restaurant besides a 3-​person band setting up for the night. Unfortunately we sat by the window which was extremely cold even with a PORTABLE heater plugged in next to us, kind of tacky. We had different people coming to our table which was also a bit confusing. The band would start testing their instruments and it became too loud, almost like they were there to drown the uncomfortable silence from the blind-​daters. The band needs to go to the recording studio, and the restaurant needs to play the music lightly on a speaker system.
(3÷5 stars)
The menu was what you would expect from a Indian/​Thai restaurant: all the American Favorites from each cuisine put into one menu. We had the vegetarian samosas which were nice and crunchy on the outside, flavorful on the inside, but the sauces tasted watered down. For an entrée I enjoyed the lamb saag, a spinach-​base dish spiced 4/​5, which was so well seasoned that I found a cardamom pod in my dish. Unfortunately it found its way to my mouth and the crunch and over-​spice ruined my experience.
I believe I might have had an unlucky time, almost like I was the practice table for the dinner rush. I will attempt this restaurant again, to try the Thai side and make a SOUND decision.

Wow, there is nothing like eating at a restaurant and reading the bad reviews on Unilocal at the table right before each and every thing people complained about happens to you.
Not only did it take 20+ min before we managed to flag down one of the two waitresses to ask if we could order (as warned in Unilocal), but the waitress had to come back because she forgot our order (as warned in Unilocal). They even forgot our silverware and practically ignored us while they refilled water from the friends and family there to watch the band.
The food was lackluster and either overcooked or undercooked (my dog enjoyed the leftover chicken immensely though). We had the feeling that we were eating reheated leftovers from the indian party happening in their banquet room next door. Even the live music wasn’t quite bad enough to be considered bad, but not good enough to be enjoyable.
If I didn’t have a groupon for this place that made the whole entertainingly bad train-​wreck of an experience only $ 10, I would have been upset. But hey, we have a fun story about the worst restaurant experience ever. Definitely not going back.

I wish Unilocal let me do ZERO stars!!! ONE star is TOO GOOD!
We made reservations for 6 ppl @ 8pm, including a birthday girl (which we let them know). We arrived on time, no table was ready, so they seated us in the lounge. By 9pm we were still waiting in the lounge. Meanwhile they had seated other ppl who came after us. They were still full and not turning over their tables. To make it up to us, they bought only the birthday girl a drink on the house, lol — they should have treated us all to a round or to appetizers at least. They never even offered us an appetizer menu the whole hour!
Needless to say, we paid our tab, left, and ate elsewhere.

Hhhhmmmm… it sounds like another reviewer walked in on the disaster we exeperienced on Sat. night. Good friend was playing at the restaurant and celebrating his birthday. Apparently, this restaurant thinks 1 server on a Saturday night is enough because even with the extra people attending for the birthday they had no-​one. Poor guy trying to manage everything was literally throwing napkins and silverware at people. The bar ran out of white wine, margarita mix, and even OJ before 9pm. The bartender was apalled and apologetic but not his fault.
The food was blah. Overcooked chicken satays served with peanut butter, no seasoning in the lamb saag. The naan was good but I need more than that at a true Indian restaurant.
Would definitely not go back and have to wonder who is managing this place. It was a complete mess…

So when you walk in they charge $ 10 cash to see the show.
Yeah, I understood, no I’m not sitting inside to watch the show, yes I am with the outdoor party of 8. Learn to see whom you’ve booked;even better learn to read their name!
«I would like the fish dish»
” No, the cooks will not make it, it takes too long, it won’t be ready”
«Ok, I would like this dish» (I point to it)
«No, you can’t have this one either»
«Ok, what exactly can I eat here?»
«What about the tiki masala»
«I guess I’m going to have to since you refuse to give me things I want from your menu».
I could have gone ghetto, but it was my BIL’s b-​day party. I didn’t want to make a scene…
They also gave us food other people did not order.
It was cold outside; they should have heat lamps.
My SIL didn’t get her food until almost everyone was done eating.
«Oh, I thought you said chicken»
So what part of vegetarian don’t you understand?
The bathroom was a coded entry outside the restaurant.
I could go on, but ya’ll know me. Once bitten twice shy baby.
I’m giving it two stars for the location. Its downtown. We found free parking on the street (always a plus) and I enjoyed seeing all the women dressed up in their sari’s.
Other than that, book at Cedars or Saffron instead. Good food, better prices and excellent service.
Oh and I guess it was closer to B&O which we went to afterwards to eat cake. Cake makes me happy and warm inside :)

The lunch buffet is inexpensive and good. The service is spotty and they don’t always have pakora, but it is a good place for lunch.

Amazing!
I attended an event held here for my organization and I was amazed by everything. The food was spectacular. I love trying new food, Indian especially. The Tikki Masala was to die for, oh and the calamari is out of this world. The nan was tremendous… you know, everything was GREAA+T. Even the spring rolls (fried with a «curry“inspired breading). I am definitely coming back to this place again and again. It is right by The 5TH Avenue Theatre so that is always a plus. The outdoor seating is the largest of anywhere downtown, I tell you I cannot wait for the summer the outdoor deck was made for summer. I cannot comment on the service because I was at a private event but I am sure it is excellent. I will definitely reccommend this top everyone I know.
Nathan W. Gregg

I think we came to Navya at the wrong time, wrong day. I wish we could give half-​stars on Unilocal,and I’d put this place at 2.5.
— There was no one there, which is always a little worrisome (uh, should I eat here if no one else dares???).
— They were out of the first two wines I requested (I’ll try to give them the benefit of the doubt because of the weather).
— The chicken satay was bland and uninspiring.
— I couldn’t get the reasoning behind «fusion» as there were Thai and Indian items on the menu, but nothing really «fused» (hmmm…).
On the redeeming side:
+ I think the hostess did double duty as waitperson, and made sure we were seated right by a space heater to counter our window-​seat chill.
+ When she realized they were out of the first two wines I requested, she offered another wine that was not on their by-​the-​glass menu and took it off the bill.
+ Appetizers are half-​off during happy hour. How can one not be happy about that?!?
+ Salad roll was delicious: fresh and herby — yum!
Unfortunately, service does not redeem a mediocre dining experience. Sorry Navya. I won’t be seeing you again…

We were in Seattle visiting earlier this week and after 2 days of non-​stop fried fish, burgers, chips (aka fries) and all other things western and greasy we decided to put some culture in our bellies cue Navya Lounge.
We were staying at a hotel pretty close to the restaurant (which is in a shopping mall looking thingy) and liked the look of the menu.
The place has a Indian/​Thai variety that’s not really a fusion, but more two menus in one.
So for dinner we stuck to Indian, getting the malai kofta (spicy) and lamb curry which were both very good. We are both mad about mango sticky rice but had stuffed ourselves on the main course. The waitress rocked and served us a good portion to go.
Sadly we only got to visit this place once but will definitely be back the next time we’re in Seattle. With respect to some of the earlier reviews about the service, I think it may have been the first few week kinks of a new place as we were very happy in that department (unless we just got lucky with our waitress!).