Munch India
Indian · Berkeley
About Munch India
At Munch India, we serve up gourmet, locally sourced Indian dishes with a focus on vegetarian options that delight your taste buds. As a Berkeley favorite, we take pride in our cozy atmosphere, where you can unwind with friends and family amidst the vibrant flavors of the subcontinent. Our team is d...
At Munch India, we serve up gourmet, locally sourced Indian dishes with a focus on vegetarian options that delight your taste buds. As a Berkeley favorite, we take pride in our cozy atmosphere, where you can unwind with friends and family amidst the vibrant flavors of the subcontinent. Our team is dedicated to providing exceptional service, often praised by customers for their warm hospitality and attention to detail. From hearty curries to flavorful naan breads, every bite is a testament to our passion for Indian cuisine, made possible by our local suppliers who share our commitment to quality.
What Customers Say About Munch India
Munch India is highly praised for its authentic and delicious Indian cuisine, with many reviewers calling it the best they've had. The food tastes homemade, fresh, and flavorful. The only downsides are the takeout-only format and potential wait times.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Be aware that Munch India is currently takeout-only and pre-ordering may be required. Walking in for their limited takeout menu is also an option, but expect a wait.
Features
What to see nearby
Data from Wikidata
Explore the area around Munch India
Munch India is located in Berkeley, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- South Berkeley Community Church (A 643m) — church building in California, United States of America Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
Religious Buildings
- St. John the Baptist (A 290m) — Russian Orthodox Church in Berkeley, CA
Parks & Gardens
- Grove Playground (A 555m) — park in Alameda County, California, United States of America
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Munch India
Munch India Berkeley Reviews
Munch India operates with quiet rigor from a compact storefront just off Shattuck. There is no dining room, only a kitchen. The entire floor plan is devoted to the hotline and prep station. There is no freezer, only refrigeration. Ingredients are purchased daily, mostly from Berkeley Bowl a few blocks away. Orders are placed online each morning before noon; cooking begins after. The daily walk-in menu is limited, changes daily, and is prepared to order. The results are consistently superb. Spicing is precise, textures are balanced, and the dishes—drawn from across India—reflect deep training and care. The chefs, Diana Afroza and Nick Ahmed, have cooked professionally since the early 1990s, with backgrounds in Boston, Europe, and India. Prices are extremely reasonable given the quality and labor involved. They are searching for a larger, dine-in location. If they find one, their costs—and likely their prices—will rise. For now, this is high-level regional Indian cooking, offered at below-market prices. It smells wonderful inside and the people you’ll meet are awesome. Order while you can.
THE Best Indian restaurant I have ever tried. The place is small but cosy, the kitchen is open so you can see the preparation. The menu is rather small but changes frequently. Do not forget to book! A definite must go in Berkeley.
Wonderful experience. Delicious food, great service. If feeling like we were in a family kitchen but fed Michelin star food. Will definitely visit again.
Authentic, delicious, and well curated! It's a family run business, and the experience is obviously crafted with care. Excellent vegetarian options -- try the gobi with all the sides. The pulao, dal, and phulka are a complete meal all by themselves. Attentive service, charming ambiance, and lovely hammered copper decorations are highlights. BE HERE
Saying this is my favorite Indian restaurant seems like an understatement. Eating here makes me feel understood. Like I'm home.
Munch India operates with quiet rigor from a compact storefront just off Shattuck. There is no dining room, only a kitchen. The entire floor plan is devoted to the hotline and prep station. There is no freezer, only refrigeration. Ingredients are purchased daily, mostly from Berkeley Bowl a few blocks away. Orders are placed online each morning before noon; cooking begins after. The daily walk-in menu is limited, changes daily, and is prepared to order. The results are consistently superb. Spicing is precise, textures are balanced, and the dishes—drawn from across India—reflect deep training and care. The chefs, Diana Afroza and Nick Ahmed, have cooked professionally since the early 1990s, with backgrounds in Boston, Europe, and India. Prices are extremely reasonable given the quality and labor involved. They are searching for a larger, dine-in location. If they find one, their costs—and likely their prices—will rise. For now, this is high-level regional Indian cooking, offered at below-market prices. It smells wonderful inside and the people you’ll meet are awesome. Order while you can.
THE Best Indian restaurant I have ever tried. The place is small but cosy, the kitchen is open so you can see the preparation. The menu is rather small but changes frequently. Do not forget to book! A definite must go in Berkeley.
Wonderful experience. Delicious food, great service. If feeling like we were in a family kitchen but fed Michelin star food. Will definitely visit again.
Authentic, delicious, and well curated! It's a family run business, and the experience is obviously crafted with care. Excellent vegetarian options -- try the gobi with all the sides. The pulao, dal, and phulka are a complete meal all by themselves. Attentive service, charming ambiance, and lovely hammered copper decorations are highlights. BE HERE
Saying this is my favorite Indian restaurant seems like an understatement. Eating here makes me feel understood. Like I'm home.
I love what they're doing here. The food is insanely good and I think the ordering system is brilliant—allowing for less food waste and an expansive menu. My wife also wants to point out that it was ready promptly. Tbh it could have been an hour late and I still would have given in 5 stars.
Some of the best Indian food I've had in my life. It's a little complicated-- you either have to order well ahead of time or walk in for their modest take out menu, which has like only 5 items or so. And then after you walk in, it takes another 20 min or so( it's a tiny place, no seating). But everything we got was exceptional---
This has got to be some of the best Indian food I've ever had. My friends and I tried a lot of dishes and each one of them was completely delicious. Highly recommend!
I used to go to their food truck ages ago and loved their food. When they stopped coming, I heard they had opened a restaurant back in 2018. Unfortunately I found out that this is now just a takeout only operation and you MUST pre-order by 12PM the day you want your food. When we came to pick up, the owner came and talked to us and told us that the reason they had closed was because someone notorious for targeting mom and pop operations sued them for $40k over an inaccessible bathroom and because they either couldn’t fix the issue in their current space or couldn’t afford to move to another location, they had to pivot their business model. Because of the new model, they are just breaking even with bills, so please support them in any way they can!
This place is to-go only since the pandemic. Ordered butter chicken and lamb kabob, they were both incredibly tasty and felt like homemade. Only complaint is that the mango lassi was overly sweet IMO.
Really well-prepared, delicious Indian food. Amazing flavors, tasted very fresh and interesting. Probably the best Indian food I’ve ever had. Don’t be afraid if you don’t see the standards— everything we ordered was great.
So amazing. I love this place. It’s the best Indian food I’ve had in the Bay. I’ve loved every dish!! Extremely high quality and cooked with great intention and care. The only downside is that it gets really chilly in there! Brrrr. I also love how friendly and helpful everyone is. The chefs often say hello and goodbye too. An all around A++ restaurant.
Wow! I love Indian food, really really love it. I obsess about spice combinations and reproducing the flavors from that region of the world from scratch in my own kitchen. But, usually, when I go to Indian restaurants, the quality of the ingredients is lacking and it ruins the whole experience. Not at Munch India! The ingredients here are exceptional quality, the flavors are incredibly balanced, and your mouth will experience spicy, wild, wonderful ecstasy.
If you want the finest cuisine from all the regions of India, Munch is the place to go. Chef Afroza is probably the foremost expert in this regional gastronomy that one could find in this country. Don't miss it! You are in for a treat & an unforgettable experience!
This is the best Indian food I've ever had. I had the tandoori chicken with naan and basmati vegetable pulao. I didn't know what I was missing all those times I had this at random places. This was clearly multiple notches above. The naan was extremely fresh and tasty and the rice was beyond perfect. I ordered on a whim since it's the closest Indian place to me and wow so glad they're here.
Phenomenal! The best Indian food I've had in the States. Each dish is tasty and unique, and it all crosses over between professional and homecooked in the best possible way. Highly recommended.
Munch is excellent. An absolute must among East Bay restaurants. The spice was so well balanced, the meat tender and cooked perfectly. We walked in and ordered to-go ~20min wait and worth every minute. Not sure if there's a seating area inside -If no, that would be the only thing this place is missing. Great conversation with who I'm assuming is the owner. Apologies not getting your name sir but my girlfriend and I will undoubtedly be back in no time at all.
Some of the best Indian food in America, Very good Chicken Tikka Masala.
Some of the best Indian food in America, Very good Chicken Tikka Masala.
I love what they're doing here. The food is insanely good and I think the ordering system is brilliant—allowing for less food waste and an expansive menu. My wife also wants to point out that it was ready promptly. Tbh it could have been an hour late and I still would have given in 5 stars.
This has got to be some of the best Indian food I've ever had. My friends and I tried a lot of dishes and each one of them was completely delicious. Highly recommend!
Munch is excellent. An absolute must among East Bay restaurants. The spice was so well balanced, the meat tender and cooked perfectly. We walked in and ordered to-go ~20min wait and worth every minute. Not sure if there's a seating area inside -If no, that would be the only thing this place is missing. Great conversation with who I'm assuming is the owner. Apologies not getting your name sir but my girlfriend and I will undoubtedly be back in no time at all.
This place is to-go only since the pandemic. Ordered butter chicken and lamb kabob, they were both incredibly tasty and felt like homemade. Only complaint is that the mango lassi was overly sweet IMO.
I used to go to their food truck ages ago and loved their food. When they stopped coming, I heard they had opened a restaurant back in 2018. Unfortunately I found out that this is now just a takeout only operation and you MUST pre-order by 12PM the day you want your food. When we came to pick up, the owner came and talked to us and told us that the reason they had closed was because someone notorious for targeting mom and pop operations sued them for $40k over an inaccessible bathroom and because they either couldn’t fix the issue in their current space or couldn’t afford to move to another location, they had to pivot their business model. Because of the new model, they are just breaking even with bills, so please support them in any way they can!
Some of the best Indian food I've had in my life. It's a little complicated-- you either have to order well ahead of time or walk in for their modest take out menu, which has like only 5 items or so. And then after you walk in, it takes another 20 min or so( it's a tiny place, no seating). But everything we got was exceptional---
If you want the finest cuisine from all the regions of India, Munch is the place to go. Chef Afroza is probably the foremost expert in this regional gastronomy that one could find in this country. Don't miss it! You are in for a treat & an unforgettable experience!
Phenomenal! The best Indian food I've had in the States. Each dish is tasty and unique, and it all crosses over between professional and homecooked in the best possible way. Highly recommended.
Really well-prepared, delicious Indian food. Amazing flavors, tasted very fresh and interesting. Probably the best Indian food I’ve ever had. Don’t be afraid if you don’t see the standards— everything we ordered was great.
This is the best Indian food I've ever had. I had the tandoori chicken with naan and basmati vegetable pulao. I didn't know what I was missing all those times I had this at random places. This was clearly multiple notches above. The naan was extremely fresh and tasty and the rice was beyond perfect. I ordered on a whim since it's the closest Indian place to me and wow so glad they're here.
So amazing. I love this place. It’s the best Indian food I’ve had in the Bay. I’ve loved every dish!! Extremely high quality and cooked with great intention and care. The only downside is that it gets really chilly in there! Brrrr. I also love how friendly and helpful everyone is. The chefs often say hello and goodbye too. An all around A++ restaurant.
Wow! I love Indian food, really really love it. I obsess about spice combinations and reproducing the flavors from that region of the world from scratch in my own kitchen. But, usually, when I go to Indian restaurants, the quality of the ingredients is lacking and it ruins the whole experience. Not at Munch India! The ingredients here are exceptional quality, the flavors are incredibly balanced, and your mouth will experience spicy, wild, wonderful ecstasy.
The Bombay butter chicken was reallyyy good 🤤🔥 the chicken was tender and sauce was delicious - the best butter chicken I’ve had in the US so far! But I had to leave 3 stars because everything else was just okay. I had the samosa, chana dal, basmati pulao, & garlic naan. The garlic naan was the biggest let down 😞💔 it was too thick (like pizza dough instead of the thin, flaky naan dough) & had big chunks of garlic on top, so the garlic flavor was unpleasant & overwhelming 😢😢. The people seemed really nice though.
The Bombay butter chicken was reallyyy good 🤤🔥 the chicken was tender and sauce was delicious - the best butter chicken I’ve had in the US so far! But I had to leave 3 stars because everything else was just okay. I had the samosa, chana dal, basmati pulao, & garlic naan. The garlic naan was the biggest let down 😞💔 it was too thick (like pizza dough instead of the thin, flaky naan dough) & had big chunks of garlic on top, so the garlic flavor was unpleasant & overwhelming 😢😢. The people seemed really nice though.
good chat with the owner but the seven or so vegetarian dishes we tried were simply too salty. They were also ready twenty minutes late, even though we ordered them eight hours in advance
good chat with the owner but the seven or so vegetarian dishes we tried were simply too salty. They were also ready twenty minutes late, even though we ordered them eight hours in advance
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3015 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705
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3015 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94705
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