New Delhi Palace

We came on a Friday night, no wait, enjoyed our dinner. Service was attentive, looking forward to returning.

Came here starving & craving some good Indian food. Then afterwards, I left with a happy belly (and a tight fitting pant). Yes, it’s a lil pricey but you get delicious Indian cuisine. The service here is lovely too-​they have great service with a smile. We brought our lil one and they we’re attentive an kind to go out of their way. The Naan is huge-​big enough to share with 1 or 2 people. But I never share my Naan. Let’s be honest. I ordered the chicken tiki masala with basmati rice-​really good but next time I want to order something new to try. As I was stuffing my face, I couldn’t stop smiling because the good was so good and it’s good to be back in Tucson after being gone for two years!

Review #2 I intend to probably try everything they have about once a week or so, so I’m trying chicken curry– medium.
Again super fab service, really nice people and I love their prices, however still the curry is ⁵⁄₁₀ and very mild even though I ordered medium and the curry was very tasty as a basic curry but a tad watery even though I love lots of gravy– I’d still come back as I’m a series Indian food addict

Wonderful service and delicious food St a reasonable price. Don’t miss the blue Bollywood buzz drink!

I am not normally someone who write reviews, but this experience was so disappointing that I felt obligated to share my experience. I haven’t been to New Delhi Palace in about 7 years. Back then, it was OK. Nothing special, but when I needed my Indian food fix, I could get it there.
Today I went for the lunch buffet. Walking into the restaurant, all I could smell was some kind of cleaning product, not the usual aroma of rich Indian spices. That should’ve been my first clue.
The buffet wasn’t anything special. I was disappointed that there was no chicken Tikka Masala or Butter Chicken. The food looked fine, but again, no aroma to entice me. The temperature of the food was a bit cooler than room temperature. Naan bread was not offered to us.
Nothing that we sampled from the buffet was spiced. It was truly as bland as baby food. Bland, and cold. The restaurant was nearly empty, and now I know why. Seeing a review from yesterday makes me think that this might have been an «off day» for them.
I’ll never know, because I won’t try it again.

Came in to try their lunch buffet. Food was okay, some bland and others over salted. I was mostly disappointed in the time it took to get anything that was ordered. 5 – 10 minutes for water or refills and 55 minutes to get the to go order. Sadly we overheard the waitress say our ticket was forgotten and a second time say it was lost. I didn’t have two hours to dally over lunch but I guess they thought I did! I’ll try it again someday but maybe their other location.

We should have walked out when we walked in at 1 pm and noted not mouth-​watering aromas, but a cloying odor of bathroom air freshener. Or, perhaps we should have bailed after sitting down and feeling the tell-​tale baked on lumps of ??? on the back of the dinner plates.
As noted by others, we also came in on a Groupon, 2-​drink, 1 appetizer, 2 entrée dinner for 2 «valued» at $ 52. Site imposed «restrictions» –which menu items were included/​which were not – came across as a bait-​and-​switch deal and made it impossible to attain anywhere near the stated value. This is bad and the quality /​taste of the food does not make up for it.
Based on positive review comments, for appetizers we went for the keema samosas – light and flaky they were not. The pastry was flat and tough. The lamb filling was dry and reminiscent of the lamb and rice kibble we feed our dogs.
For entrees we chose the Delhi Mixed Grill, and sampler plate of tandoor specials suggested to be «Where All The Natural Flavors & Juices Are Sealed In» and a vindaloo. Overall the tandoor selections were dry and rather tasteless. I love lamb and even enjoy good mutton, but this was definitely lacking in taste and texture; the bone-​in chicken pieces were somewhat better. We’ve had better vindaloo from Costco pre-​packaged meals.
Portions are adequate, but on the small side. I expect a change of plates between appetizer and main course, but the same plate functions for both. (I also expect the plates to be clean!) Overall the experience was disappointing and definitely not up to good solid economy restaurant standards.
What was good? The Mango Lassi was delicious, thick and smooth and well-​priced. Servers were attentive (there was only one other couple dining at the time).

Came here on a Groupon: 3-​course meal for two… but they cheated us. The Groupon says it is good for $ 52 (purchase price was $ 26) and comes with an appetizer; 2 entrees; 2 drinks; and a rice dish. When you look at the menu, there is a clear, separate section entitled «Rice Dishes.» Beneath that heading are about a half-​dozen different kinds (Biryani, Vindaloo, etc.) with your choice of protien (chicken, lamb, shrimp). These run about $ 10 – 12. At the end of the list are the two plain rices, including basmati, and these two options run $ 2 – 3.
When we tried to order one of the meat-​rice dishes, the waiter said that only the $ 2 – 3 side of rice qualifies under the Groupon. We’ve used this exact same Groupon before (when the elderly couple basically ran the restaurant for years, prior to this summer) and they always honored all of the «rice dishes.» Here’s the proof that this isn’t right. Even if you order the most expensive 2 entrees and drinks you only hit $ 40 total. In other words, there is NO way to reach the stated value of $ 52. Our average/​typical assortment of appetizer, drink and entrée resulted in a total bill of $ 33… a $ 4 saving over the Groupon. The (new) staff have essentially devalued the purchase price of the groupon, so be warned.
As for our food, we had chicken korma and lamb pashanda. While the serving sizes are modest/​average, both dishes were quite good. As so many others have noted, however, it is odd and disappointing that these sauce-​heavy dishes do not come with any kind of rice (in all of my Indian-​loving restaurant treks I have never seen this). So, while these entrees hover around $ 10 – 12, you must also buy your rice on top of that, effectively making each entrée $ 13 – 15 apiece (hence the $$ rating).
The mango lassis were our drink of choice… tangy, thick and pretty high on the sugar content, but delicious.
Aside from the sudden depreciation of our Groupon, the only other disappointing thing were the three little bowls of sauces that are delivered with your appetizers/​entrees. Again, when the older couple seemed to run the floor, the first glass of water was poured before the pitcher was left at the table (I do like having the pitcher at my own disposal though). In addition, the tray with the three sauces was spic-​n-​span clean. What comes out instead now are three little sauce pans (same as before) but these have dried crud around the edges and sometimes spilling over the edge… as if this had been used by other patrons and simply recycled (this was the case both times that we went in July/​August). It is so gross. But it portends of a new management that is bent on cost-​cutting, even to the detriment of their customers and their own integrity as a restaurant.
Other than these critical defficiencies, things were quite decent: Ample parking; attentive wait staff; relatively short wait-​times for appetizer and entrees; and a simple-​but-​comfortable interior. In sum, the food in this competitive east/​far-​east genre, actually gets 3−½ stars, but the suspect business practices are alarming and result in demerits down to 2-​stars over all… sorry.

Stumbled upon this place after purchasing a Groupon.
Was very quiet on a weekday evening. The service was disappointing. Perhaps I’m just being picky, but it would be nice to have at least the first glass of water filled instead of just setting down a pitcher of water and some empty cups. The palak paneer and chicken korma dishes were okay and slightly on the cold side. The paneer was cut in the tiniest of cubes. Should also note that the entrees do not come with rice or naan — either or both must be ordered separately. To me, it seems analogous to a burger joint charging separately for the bun. But maybe that’s just me. The mango lassi was pretty good, but really the only thing that I found enjoyable.

Food was AWSOME!!! First time eating Indian food. Was a little scared. Didn’t know what to expect but boy I was surprised. Didn’t expect food to be this good. To be honest I grew up in Tucson. Of course Mexican food has always been my favorite. However, I think after eating Indian food I found a new love. Don’t know if all Indian restaurants serve food as good as this place but if not, let’s just say I will be back. Many times

We’d been here for the lunch buffet before and I was less than blown away then. This time we came with a groupon, which they had no trouble honoring. We decided to order off the menu this time.
The vegetable samosas we ordered were good. The three chutneys that were served with them were all very different. I couldn’t put my finger on the flavor of the most liquidy one (not so much a chutney but a sauce) until I read Christy F.‘s review. The mint chutney, though, hit me over the head. Not in a spicy sense, but the flavors were very apparent. The onion/​tomato chutney was my favorite — perfectly flavored and spicy.
We probably bastardized it by ordering the Chicken Tikka Masala extra spicy, but I have had better Tikka Masala. I commented to my buddy that maybe they make it spicy to begin with and cool that down by adding cream. This lacked the pink color and creaminess of others I’ve had. I think the flavor of the dish suffered from that. The Chicken Vindaloo we ordered medium (I’m not a wimp but this was lunch and I didn’t want to suffer the rest of the day) and was flavorful and spicy, but I have nothing else to compare it to, so I’ll leave it at that.
Having to pay extra for the basmati rice ($ 3.95) and garlic naan ($ 2.50) we ordered annoyed me just a little, especially because the garlic naan was $.25 more than the regular naan and I tasted no garlic. Charging extra for these things may be standard in Indian cuisine, but I can still whine about it.
In my not-​so-​expert-​but-​I-​know-​what-​I-​like opinion, the food here is middle of the road, so I’d say the three star overall rating is about right.

Atmosphere here is a bit strange, because there was a fair amount of people in the restaurant coming and going, but because the dining area is large, it seemed like a tumbleweed was going to pass by any minute. Service was borderline obnoxious; my meal/​conversation was interrupted multiple times by the servers (we had more than one) just to ask if everything is OK. It made me think that maybe majority of the customers have complaints if they feel the need to continuously probe me. To be fair, many restaurants are guilty of this, and this is usually due to poor training. Some etiquette flaws — server asked if I was still «working» on my meal, as if there was a rush to get us out, although only 20% of the dining floor was occupied (at best).
The meals are almost family style, which is a nice touch, and makes it easy to share. The downside is that it isn’t clear that the orders don’t come with «carbs» — rice or naan is ordered separately. The food, however, was much better than the service. Lots of spice and flavor, just as Indian food should be. It didn’t taste as good as some Punjabi homemade food that I’ve had, but it certainly hit the spot.
Overall, this review was probably more a rant than an objective description of the restaurant. It’s the first Indian food that I tried in Tucson, and I’ll be checking out other places before I come back.

Below average Indian food. Everything is pretty bland and uninteresting. I have been coming here for years, and it never gets any better. We had the lunch buffet today and it was not worth the $ 8.95. We also had a chicken tikka masala, and it was below average. The lemonade was good but had no ice in it. They would not honor their Unilocal 15% off discount for the buffet, and they are not particularly friendly here. There is better Indian food in Tucson, and better service elsewhere.

My company ordered online from Delicious Deliveries and there is no indication on the menu or on their website that rice is not included — not New Delhi’s fault other than trying to slide an extra $ 2.95 under the radar of customers, but why wouldn’t you include rice in a $ 13 small bowl of curry?
Like other reviews mentioned, the vindaloo has no spice. This dish is supposed to be spicy, and this is the southwest, what happened?
Quite honestly the frozen chicken tikka masala from Trader Joe’s has a richer and better tasting sauce. I feel like they go heavy on the tomato paste and light on the yoghurt.
I found the garlic naan to be overpriced as well. $ 2.95 for what is basically one large tortilla?
Regarding the plates — I’m not sure if the paper plates are provided by DD or by New Delhi, but 6″ plates are difficult to eat on if you’re not a child or an oompaloompah.
I love Indian food and I wanted to like this place, but I’m very unsatisfied overall with quality and cost. Except for the rice! The rice was pretty good.

Bought a groupon for $ 26 for two drinks, an app, two entrees and some rice. I showed the waitress my groupon prior to ordering and she didnt mention any restrictions. We ordered some naan so when a bill came at the end of the meal i wasnt surprised as that wasnt covered in the groupon. But i WAS surprised when the bill was for the total a la carte items just minus the $ 26 we paid for the groupon. My husband hates to make a fuss so wouldnt let me question it but ive never had that happen.
Food and service was ok.

I attended a Meetup event at this restaurant last night, and the company and conversation were great! The food and service… not so much. I understand that having a group of 20+ can put some stress on a small restaurant like this, which is the reason I am giving them two stars. The «benefit of the doubt,» if you will.
My meal started with a soup that was on the specials menu. It was very tasty, but it took it over an hour to make its way to me from the kitchen! Don’t restaurants have soups made already, and just ladle them into bowls? Anyway, the delay was surprising and disappointing.
For an entrée, I chose the vegetable curry. Unfortunately, there were a few notable issues with the entrée. First, I was asked if I wanted rice with it. Of course — isn’t that what curry is typically served with? They had several varieties of rice, which is nice, but they charge for all of them separately — and they aren’t inexpensive. I was a bit shocked that rice wasn’t included with the meal. I’ve never seen that before, in an Indian restaurant. Second, I ordered my curry hot, in terms of spice level. It was the mildest Indian entrée I’ve ever tried — no spice at all. (And when she delivered it, she said «vegetable curry, hot,» so I don’t think it was a mistake!!!) Finally, there were very few veggies in the VEGETABLE curry. It contained a couple of carrot slices, and a few green peas. Otherwise, it was all huge chunks of white potato. If I had to use one word to sum it up: bland.
I’d like to say I’ll give them a second chance… but I probably won’t. There are plenty of Indian places in Tucson, and many of them have higher ratings on Unilocal than this place. I trust my fellow Unilocal reviewers, so I will most likely bid adieu to New Delhi Palace.

Great murals on the wall. No tv showing Bollywood is a bonus. The water tastes bad. I asked the waitress if they had chicken chili and she said she knows they have lentils. Two very different things. I was confused at first but then figured she must have thought I was asking about chili. Like red beans and ground beef chili and thought the next best thing to chili is lentils? Or lentils are legumes and so are chili beans?
The pakoras are the size of big meatballs. They taste pretty good.

Lots of vegan offerings, with a nice range of spiciness. Foods are fresh and colorful. Atmosphere is lovely with painted murals on every wall, Indian music overhead, an incense hinted in the air, and the friendliest staff I’ve met anywhere. Even the bathrooms are quaint. I always enjoy coming here.

Tonight we had another delicious dinner at this family owned restaurant where we come every time we’re in Tucson. The chicken tikka masala is especially wonderful as was the kootu, a veggie entrée with a lentil sauce. The staff was knowledgeable and friendly. The walls are painted with lovely murals which add to the ambiance. We can’t wait to come back!

I went here for lunch on a weekday, but decided to order off of the menu instead of trying the lunch buffet. The restaurant is charming and has gorgeous full wall murals that give it a unique Indian atmosphere. There was only one other seated table for most of my visit, and they were eating the buffet.
I ordered a lamb dish off of the specialty menu, and picked «spicy» when asked if I wanted mild, medium, or spicy. I also ordered a piece of naan.
I felt like the service was slow considering the restaurant wasn’t busy. I wasn’t watching the clock, but it felt like a long wait. When my lamb turned out to be overcooked, it made me less forgiving of this wait.
The lamb dish looked rather small for a $ 12 item, but the bowl was deceiving and the portion size seemed good for one person. The dish had the sweet, warm flavors of exotic spices, but had just a hint of actual heat — I wouldn’t call it «spicy» by any stretch of the imagination. The biggest issue was that the lamb was very very tough. I thought they overcooked it.
The naan bread was delicious and went well with the lamb, but I was surprised at the cost. It was more than $ 2 to add a single piece of bread to the meal? The waitress didn’t mention that when she asked me if I’d like bread with my order, and I think that’s a high price for what it is.