Aditi Bistro

The place is OK with the quietness and modern decoration. We were 2 and we sat in to be taken care by the server who was nice. We ordered chicken wings as an appetizer and the Mihraja platter. The appetizer took 25 minutes to be served but it tasted good. After that the main dish came with lamp, chicken and salmon. The chicken was good, the lamp was greasy and taste old and the salmon was definitely the worst on that plate. Overall it was an OK place but not the best.

This place has seen several change in ownership in the last few years, that it seems to me to be a case of «going out of business’ rug store.
The food has been a revolving door of «meh» Indian food at best. it does appeal to a few people who want something on the plate in the name of Indian food, but for folks who can discern one curry from another, please look elsewhere.
The nice décor, unfortunately does little to get the one time guest come back as a regular :(

We were lucky to sample the goat curry on a Saturday, as it is not served very often. Loved the rice pudding.
If you are looking for something quick and inexpensive, give this place a try.
3 stars for the cooking, 1 extra star for value!

How does this place only have three stars? Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines. And I think this place is one of the best I have ever had. We ordered so much, and everything was amazing. I highly recommend!!! Seems like everyone is giving bad reviews due regarding atmosphere.. . seriously!!!

I went over for weekend lunch buffet and guess what 7 out of 10 dishes were empty and the place was only half full. When inquired the staff said the chef is working on getting all dishes out in few minutes but the wait lasted for 35 minutes. Lost my appetite and hence this rating/​review. The place is understaffed and food was cold. In my opinion save your time and energy and find another Indian restaurant which can really cater.

Aditi is a great Indian restaurant. We have been there a number of times, and have never had a problem with service. The Tandori and Thali platters are my husbands favorites, they have a nice selection of a variety of items. Bring your appetite! The sweet rice dessert is always nice too. This place has great prices, service and food.

This review is based on the lunch buffet. Aditi Vienna is a nice Indian restaurant in Vienna but I only wish that the food lived up to the modern, artsy feel of the restaurant itself. The selection at the lunch buffet was good but not spectacular. All the «favourites» were there, butter chicken, palak paneer, tandoori chicken, though none of them truly stood out and were bland in comparison to Indian food I’ve had in the past. The food also wasn’t terribly hot which was slightly offputting, especially for the naan which was almost room temperature. It wasn’t terribly busy when I was there with a friend so the service was quick. One stand-​out was a dessert which seemed like rice pudding but was made with short, vermicelli like noodles. It was flavoured with star anise and other spices and was a good way to finish off the meal.
If you’re looking for Indian food in Vienna and don’t want to go to neighboring Fairfax, Aditi Bistro is worth a look, otherwise, I’d drive the extra few miles for better Indian food.

ADITI BISTRO, are you READING this???
I’m an American that likes Indian food and USED to take my wife and daughter to Aditi Bistro regularly. My daughter and I loved the chicken kati rolls and my wife enjoyed the vegetarian masala wraps.
But no more. Once they changed the restaurant’s concept to a sit-​down place with buffet, I walked in, saw the «new décor», and asked if they still served the kati rolls and masala wraps. They told me «No, we don’t serve them anymore».
That was it. I walked out, and none of us have been back since.
BRING BACK THE KATI ROLLS AND THE MASALA WRAPS!!!
They were a great Indian twist on the Chipotle concept. And the Kati rolls were small enough that you could eat one or two, feel gently full but not stuffed, and not overeat like at Chipotle. Kati rolls were a delicious and CONVENIENT relatively healthy fast-​food concept for time-​pressured Northern Virginians and it just BITES that Aditi Bistro discontinued these items. They lost THREE customers with one stupid decision.
Unless they bring back the Kati rolls and the Masala wraps, I don’t see a reason to ever eat there again.

This place is under the same management as Amma Vegetarian (see my review about that place).
The food is here is just ok. I think the owners were trying really hard to make this a cool, hangout place but as Mr. Foo said, the end result is very awkward and completely opposite what the owners were thinking.
I can appreciate the thought that went into thinking of this concept but the owners should invest some time in better customer service behind the counter (including a friendly greeting or two) and better lighting. I feel like Im trapped in a weird time zone between a lounge and a restaurant. The only place that I can think of that has pulled off that look is Mei n Yu in D.C.

Awkward. One of the strangest restaurants I have ever been to.
FOOD:
The food is below average. This is probably one of the worst Indian restaurants I have been too. The chicken was chewy, dried out and cut up really small. The vegetables were lacking in flavor. Half my plate was just filled with rice. Portions are extremely small. $ 8.50 after tip.
AWKWARDNESS:
When you walk in you are not greeted and have no idea where to go or what to do. I guess they want you to notice the cool atmosphere that someone spent a lot of money on. It appears there is a buffet in the back so you make your way back there. Then you find out it’s someone else on the other side serving you and you have 2 options: 1) Regular and 2) Vegetarian. There are only a couple choices. Nothing was really explained. Then the guy behind the counter came around and said they had a full menu also. We sit down look at the menu and agree the prices were too expensive, so we get back into the fake buffet line, I guess it reminded me of a mall. We get our food and sit. Water came later and then bread. I actually got a plastic cup and got water from the machine, but then was presented with a glass of water 5min later.
The waitstaff acted like someone had died. They were the complete opposite of the really cool interior. It was just extremely odd. I’m not sure what they were trying to do in this place. My coworkers and I started laughing when we got to the car. «Worst lunch ever.» They honestly tried to be friendly, but it just came off as extremely odd, disorganized and not a good experience.
CONCLUSION:
Avoid. Don’t waste your time or money. No hot chicks here either.
Instead go to Bombay Tandoor’s Lunch Buffet. It’s rather expensive, but the food is good and it is all you can eat. Plus you don’t have some weirdo serving you.

Beware: I ate there on a recent Sunday evening and got food poisoning.
This was particularly upsetting because I was 7 months pregnant.
There are much better, safer Indian takeout places in the area.

So my coworkers and I decided to try this place out, after reading a review from Tyler Cowen. (
) So we decided to check it out.
The décor– was great, it did feel a little loungy but I think it gave a welcoming feeling also. I def loved the seating arrangments with the high tops next to the window to watch the traffic drive by.
The food — very flavorfull and delish oh and spicy! watch out! I had the 2 curry specials — spicy chicken which is really spicy. Also i had the veggies with paneer cheese and rice. All this for $ 7! It was a ton of food. Couldnt even eat it all. We tried there samosas that were delish. Flakey on the outside, warm and spicy in the inside. Filled with potatoes, peas, and spices. A coworker of mine had the chicken wrap which was $ 6 and HUGE, double the size of a chioptle burrito for sure. Very flavorfull she really liked it. There were many items on there menu that I still want to go back and try !
Service– The little old guy at the register was really nice and served us rather quickly. The food was made in 10mins and we had to order for four people! Overall were going back and the food was a great value.

I have a new obsession with Kati rolls (was reading about Kati Roll Company in NYC, which I’ll try this weekend), so I decided to do a search on «kati roll» in the Fairfax/​DC area and, thanks to Sarah G’s review, I found Aditi Bistro! So I promptly oinked my way over today at lunch and ordered a kati roll with paneer jalfrezi (strips of paneer and tasty cooked vegetables) and chicken saag.
The good: OMG I love the music they play… I’m not sure what exactly they got goin on but it seemed like downtempo meets world music or something I’m not cool enough to recognize! The atmosphere was also modern, clean, and nice. The workers were kind enough but it felt quite impersonal and fast-​food in service, even though I was the only one eating at lunch. :(Shame considering the food tasted good. Definitely tough competition in this area. Maybe a kati roll stand (or multiple ones) in the city instead? Hope VA digs this, but not sure it’ll happen.
The filling of the kati roll was very tasty, mostly veggies with a bit of paneer — the paneer was yummy tho. The wrapper itself was good but nothing like the buttery egg-​fried heavenly thing I’ve had before (Heritage India’s frankie) and what seems to be so popular at Kati Roll Co in NYC (will find out soon!). The chicken saag was huge, and served with a huge and deliciously slightly-​buttered piece of naan, aromatic basmati rice, and plain old chopped lettuce (!!!) The flavor of the spinach was excellent and the chicken was tender.
The reason I’m not giving Aditi more stars is because, for the price I paid (13 bux and change), I’d much, much, much rather go to one of the many outstanding indian lunch buffets in the area (Bombay Bistro, Jaipur, Saravana, Woodlands, Minerva, Amma — actually haven’t tried this one yet but saw it nearby) and have a delicious variety of food… there’s no shortage of great Indian food in the Fairfax area!
Aditi was a cool experience tho. I may come back. I did love the store next door (All World Groceries), and picked up some lentils, spices, and a couple jars of my favorite (somewhat hard to find) Patak’s garlic relish! That stuff is soooo good mixed in eggs and scrambled!!!

A-​ok pretty much sums it up.
I can see where reviews can vary some based on expectations. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, and it ended up seeming like they had started out going for a nice sit-​down place, but shifted gears and came away with a pretty good lunch or moderate dinner spot instead. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, though.
I enjoy the food, though an Indian friend says it’s ok. I’m not arguing with her, as it’s good but I’m not blown away. On the other hand, it’s only $ 6 – 6.50 for a big wrap and not that much more for entrees, so if I’m sizing it up against the variety of burritos, sandwiches and Chinese lunch specials out there at that price, well, this place is looking pretty good.
Anyway, for recommendations I’d just say do a wrap and a mango drink, or maybe some samosas. Don’t drive across town for it but if you work at Tyson’s or you’re going to the mall or a movie, try stopping here instead of the overpriced stuff over there.

Aditi Bistro is an awkward attempt to create a loungy feel within a strip mall shopping center. The lighting, menu fonts, and even some of the cuisine (a salmon from Bombay? really???) scream lounge, yet the walls are bland and boring, there is only one TV in the place, the service is more akin to a take-​out place, and they use an old school numbers system to actually bring you the order. Also, there is really not much alcohol here which again begs the question, «What is this place attempting to do?»
If they want to serve upscale Indian, what are you doing locating your restaurant a in Vienna, VA strip mall? This strategy can work for down-​home, authentic spots similar to what Grace Garden does in Odenton, MD. The problem here is that Aditi tries to inverse the formula, and in so doing they unduly cause friction from an atmosphere perspective.
I should also note that the service is not good. My father initially had ordered shrimp vindaloo, but changed his mind when the lady at the cash register told him the shrimp were small. Thus, we decided to get him chicken vindaloo. When the server came with a plate of shrimp vindaloo, we told them that it was fine, but that we had ordered chicken vindaloo. The manager accusingly stated that she heard me order shrimp vindaloo, and with marked restraint, I stated that she had only heard part of the conversation. Having said all that, the shrimp in the vindaloo was fine (they weren’t small). So the whole messy incident could have been avoided at the forefront simply with better communication between management and staff. Unfortunately, that doesn’t happen here.
As for the actual food, my brother thoroughly enjoyed his Nigiri chops, but I was quite disappointed with the lamb vindaloo. It was rather bland and lacking any true care in preparation. Then again, given my earlier experiences with the waitstaff, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. My father seemed to enjoy the shrimp version okay, and our other dining companion spoke well of his salmon order. So overall, it appears that the food here might be hit or miss.
But that doesn’t change the major problems with service and atmosphere, and it doesn’t allow this place to move from the bottom of the mountain of Indian restaurants one can find in the Virginia suburbs.

Delicious, authentic and big portions! I usually order the lamb vindaloo but, i find their Kati rolls/​appetizers and entrees to be top notch! My favorite thing is that this establishment is not a big commercial chain, which is hard to fine now a days.
I would say Aditi is one of the top 2 carry out restaurants in Vienna, only second to Plaka Grill.
Two thumbs up! They also deliver but, I would recommend calling ahead or eat in.

I came here with one of my co-​workers by accident because we were actually looking for an Indian buffet, which I assume used to be in this location. Even though this was not what we were looking for the food was good but the atmosphere is definitely fast food like. It felt like an Indian Chipotle.

I did a tasting here, so I was able to try pretty much EVERYTHING on the menu. Loved it all. The Kati rolls are AWESOME, especially since you can’t really find those outside of NYC… spot hitter.
They have a wonderful lamb chop, excellent salmon dishes, and all of their curries are authentic and wonderfully flavorful. There’s a beef curry that is as South Indian as it gets, my mother can’t even make it as well, I hope she never reads this. South Indian food is hard to replicate because people typically DON’T know how to make it, but the owner is a South Indian and knows exactly what he’s doing. Love it.
Very chill atmosphere.

Ordered the Seekh Nawabi which itself was great, but the sides that came with it were underwhelming, especially the salad.
Definitely going back to try more items on their menu.
Loved the ambience.
Also would like to mention their website, which is actually useful, with no unneccessary bells and whistles. Just need to add a non-​pdf menu and it’ll be perfect.

Wonderful! in one word.
Their Nilgiri chops are awesome, I have never had anything like that in the recent past, it is more of a Fast-​casual dining thing and has some good food on the go, they call them something like Kati rolls. Everything tasted good and has a good ambience too. Not the typical Indian stuff and they have good Tandoor Chicken.