If you’re in Carmel and craving Indian food, this place is an absolute must visit. From the moment you walk in, the stunning décor and cozy atmosphere set the tone for a top-tier dining experience. The ambiance is elegant yet warm, with a perfect blend of traditional Indian touches and modern flair easily one of the best-looking restaurants in town. Now let’s talk about the food: flavorful doesn’t even begin to describe it. Every dish we tried was packed with rich, authentic spices and cooked to perfection. Whether it was the butter chicken, lamb curry, or the vegetarian dishes, each bite was mouthwatering. The naan was fresh and fluffy, and the chutneys were spot-on. The staff was incredibly helpful, welcoming, and attentive, making the whole experience even more enjoyable. They explained the dishes, helped us choose the right spice levels, and made sure we felt taken care of throughout. This restaurant isn’t just a meal it’s an experience. If you’re in Carmel, don’t miss it. Amazing food, stunning interior, and five-star service . I’m absolutely in love with place , can’t wait to go back.

One of my favorite restaurants in Monterey, CA. If you want Authentic Indian food then this is the best place in the area.

Delicious food. Best kheer I have tasted after a long time. Absolutely recommended food.

Love the food!!! Hard to find good indian food. Move here from the central valley and i found the spot!!!! Ethnic and real flavors!!

I went here on my last night in Monterey and it did not disappoint. I had the paneer biryani and I am still thinking about it days later. It came with raita and I got the garlic naan too. I wish I’d been able to take the leftovers with me as it was a lot of food and so good.

We visited this beautiful restaurant with the intention to dine-in. There's a funny story! The main road in the front was packed with cars and we couldn't find a parking even after driving for a couple of miles. So we parked in the back street and even paid for it from the machine. When our order was served, my husband just enquired with the waitress if the back street is safe and she immediately said NO, you should park in the front! We being tourists didn't want to take any chances since the back street looked shady. So we immediately asked her to get the order packed and apologised for the inconvinience. My husband went to sit in the car while I waited for them to pack. My point is, 1) Dine-in only when you find a safe parking on the main road. We were a little confused with the parking rules. 2) Staff was super sweet and polite. They co-operated with our request without any fuss. I couldn't take the food pictures due to the rush but it was extremely tasty. Tried Palak Paneer, Veg Malai Kofta (both come with plain rice) and Bread basket.

Great Indian food in central Monterey...the Tika Masala is fantastic!

Good place in Monterrey to enjoy Indian food! Service is a bit slow, but we enjoyed Kadai paneer and naan order!

Food was awesome, tasty and perfect! Staff was so genuinely kind and attentive as well Collectively made a great experience

Absolutely delicious food. I would be a regular if I was a local, but I was just lucky to stop in while vacationing in Monterey. We had the kadahi bhindi and the channa masala with rice and a side of tandoori roti. Everything was great but our favorite was the kadahi bhindi. The service was friendly and efficient and the interior was welcoming. Highly recommended!

We are the first customers after this restaurant’s renovation! The lunch buffet has a great variety and tastes amazing! Highly recommend it to everyone!

We’ve traveled and never eaten better Indian food anywhere. We live in another state but always eat here when we visit the area. Their remodel is beautiful, all of the staff are lovely and kind, and do NOT miss their lunch buffet. The quality is first rate!

Food was delicious! Service was superb. As a out-of-town visitors looking for authentic South Asian food, this place delivers!

If you’re around in monterey and looking for best Nepali or Indian food, y’all should come here and try buffets. Best food!!

It’s a must visit Indian restaurant with an amazing Tandoor. Their naans, kulchas, tandoori chicken and malai chicken were the best which is product of their own tandoor(clay round grill). We had thier Palak Paneer(spinach with cottage cheese), Dal Tadka(Lentil soup with some spicy tempering), Chicken Curry and Matar Paneer(Peas with cottage cheese). I would rate each of these dishes a 4/5. But their tandoor products are 5/5. We finished both the bread baskets right away, a must try. On their website it is mentioned that we can turn any main course dish to a thali but that needs to be updated as they provide just a side of rice with every dish which is still better than that Bay area.

Our go to when we need a comfort meal. Easy to order online for pickup. Friendly and welcoming. Some of the best food in the area.

I was looking for Indian restaurant and one day someone recommended me that you should try food from namaste India. I would say we had the best food and best service and friendly people at NAMASTE INDIA ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Great food though the holiday season gets overwhelming and affected the service. There are a few roadside parking spots in front of the restaurant. The food tasted authentic Indian. This place boasts a bar as well and seating space is limited.

A great spot with an awesome lunch buffet. The buffet included Lamb Rogan Josh, Tikka Masala, Chana Saag, and several other items. The naan was very fresh and cooked perfectly. The staff was very responsive and always available.

+1

Great service and delicious food. The tandoori chicken was the best I’ve ever had!! Super tender and flavorful!! We will definitely bookmark this in Yelp to come back next time we’re in Monterey.

Small family run and every dish is delicious. Splurge (if you're like me) and get it and don't regret it. I never have.

I love this restaurant! The food is just amazing. The staff is amazing too. Our family goto whenever we visit Monterey!!

I recently enjoyed the Lunch Buffet at Namaste India Bistro in Monterey, and I must say it was an exceptional experience as a regular customer. The food and service consistently exceed my expectations. The variety of dishes available during the buffet is outstanding. From classic favorites like butter chicken and paneer tikka to a rotating selection of indian specialties, there's always something new to savor. The staffs are welcoming and create comfortable and create an atmosphere that makes every visit a pleasure. The buffet pricing is reasonable, especially considering the quality and quantity of food provided. If you're a fan of Indian cuisine or looking for a memorable dining experience in Monterey, I highly recommend giving this place a try.

+1

This is my favorite restaurant in all of Monterey. Been in this city for a bit and the service and food is better than anywhere around. Monterey is generally expensive but this is one place I genuinely feel that the cost is worth what you’re getting. It’s a great place to order take out or for a nice date night! Definitely recommend. We typically get the tikka masala and the butter chicken but you can’t go wrong with this place. Everything is delicious

Amazing food. Definitely try this restaurant for authentic Indian food. Service was little slow, but staff was nice and friendly! Ambience is pretty cool too! We didn’t try chicken biryani but I saw lot of people ordering that! So perhaps would try that next time! I have added pictures for the dishes we ordered!

We stumbled across this place and decided to give it a try! It was amazing the best choice we could make. The food was so flavorful, inside is really calm and cozy and the owner/manager checked in on us a couple of time. If you are looking for something new to try out and variety of options-this place is for you.

Hands down our favorite restaurant! All the dishes are packed with great flavor, our favorite is the chicken tikka masala with rice & naan. The service was warm and welcoming, the place was clean and lovely. We’ll def be coming back!

All food was extremely fresh, even down to the curries the gravy felt like it was prepared wholeheartedly. As for the service, all the staff was extremely friendly and accommodating of our dietary restrictions. Would definitely recommend for all when in the area!

Namaste India Bistro provided wonderful catering for our Haldi/Mehndi event. Their communication was professional and seamless, and they went out of their way to accommodate allergy-friendly meals. They handled delivery and setup, and pickup efficiently, making the process smooth for us. The food was absolutely delicious, and our guests loved it! A quick note: They provide serving utensils, but you’ll need to bring your own eating utensils, napkins, and a wine key if serving alcohol. Overall, I’d highly recommend them for any event catering needs.

Great food with full flavors. This restaurant was deserted when I dropped in for dinner last year, it's in a fairly small town not exactly known for large Indian expatriate presence, and it's right off the main tourist drag near the aquarium, which are factors that allhad me nervous that it might not be all that. I took the risk, though, and it paid off in delicious fashion. The menu is a pretty standard and generic collection of Indian dishes of the sort commonly found in most Indian restaurants outside of India, which may not sound too inspiring, but they do them all well. In particular, the lamb vindaloo was one of the spiciest versions of it that I'd had in a while. The portion size wasn't big by any means but also wasn't too stingy -- just about right for this kind of restaurant. Sometimes you just have to drop into these unassuming joints with an open mind and it pays off, no regrets. I went to Namaste, and I left happy, full, and satisfied.

Some of the best Indian food in the area. We came here, got seated immediately and enjoyed some authentic Indian food at the buffet. It’s mildly spiced and everything nice. My friend wanted to leave early but I said Nah I’ma Stay.

The restaurant itself isn't a big restaurant but it's really nice inside. We came for the all you can eat lunch on a Wednesday. As soon as we got there we were greeted right away and seated right in front by the window. The service was really good and they were friendly. When we went up to get our food when we got back they had placed a bottle of water at our table and brought us some naan bread. The food was really good and fresh. The butter chicken, chicken Tikka masala, and the tandoori chicken was really good. The vegetable samosa looked a little different than what I was used too but it was so good! The wrapping was so soft and the inside flavorful. My daughter had a lot of watermelon and tried everything they had. This was her first time trying Indian food and she loved it! The price was also really good. With tax is about $19 total! Can't beat that anywhere in town. If you want some good Indian food and all you can eat I highly recommend this place!

Love Namaste India bistro. Such a good food and good environment recommend everybody to have a taste on this place . Thank you namaste Jay Nepal🇳🇵

The food was worth the 3hr drive. Spicy and well made. Bright atmosphere with comfortable seating. Optional spice levels for beginers.

10/10, 100% my favorite place I have ever dined at! I frequent this wonderful restaurant with my boyfriend nearly every week, usually twice a week (once, three times in one week!) We get the same delicious order almost every time (which the very attentive and kind management have memorized by heart): a Mango Lassi to start (true classic) For appetizers: Vegetable Samosas (spicy and fresh) or Papadum with an array of chutneys/sauces to dip (palate-opening and just purely delicious to munch on) Entree: Spicy Chicken Tikka Masala (served with fresh, steaming Jasmine rice), and of course, a side of naan breads or Potato and Peas Kulcha (get the Bread Basket for a great variety!) Desserts: the Gulab Jamun is the perfect portion and flavors to conclude your meal, a sweet, warm dish perfect for two to share! Another delicious option to try is their delicious Indian Pistachio ice cream. My favorite part about Monterey is this cozy, inviting bistro and its unforgettable dishes. Monterey’s Namaste India Bistro is truly a sensational dining experience!

+2

In A Nutshell: -The Namaste location in Monterey is awesome. -I liked the interior decor, which made the dining experience very comforting. -The lunch buffett was delicious & I enjoyed all of the quality choices. Overall, I don't eat alot of Indian food, but this restaurant would be a place I would eat at.

+4

Namaste is a quick walk from Wave Street Inn and was a great choice instead of going to a tourist spot on cannery. The Chana masala was the best I’ve ever had. We had veggie samosas, chicken curry and garlic cheese naan as well. It was 10/10. Service was great too and really cute inside. We loved it.

This place has the best chicken tikka masala around, hands down! I’ve tried all the nearby spots to find my favorite, and this one easily wins. I’m not embarrassed to admit I come here almost once a week because it’s just that good. If I could eat it every day, I would! The employees are always friendly and helpful, and the atmosphere is warm and welcoming. I genuinely enjoy everything about this place!

The entire team is efficient, greeting customers with a smile and often candidly interacting during taking orders and service to customers. Food is consistently excellent and delicious. We love the renovation and decor. Makes the place feel cozy and comfortable without feeling closely spaced. Pricing is right for the area on the peninsula. Parking is hit or miss as you may have to go around or turn across for available street parking. Overall nice friendly Indian Cuisine restaurant to serve the 831 and Monterey Lighthouse , Canery Row and Aquarium areas.

One of the best indian restaurants I've been in a while. The food and momos were so delicious i'm already planning to go back tomorrow :)

Tandoori chicken salad. Awesome flavors. Try this dish. It should be their top seller. Goat cheese kebab- yum Garlic naan- turmeric lime rice to complement. I’d pay more for salmon chicken tandoor salad, but only chicken is fine. Very flavorful with goat cheese, cherry tomatoes, grapes beets and lovely dressing.

The food was really tasty. I am a Nepali and I have very high standards for liking most Indian cuisine. However, this place was exceptional and the people were very welcoming.

Amazing food. Being from nepal im super picky with my food. But this hit the spot. Thank you so much Indra for your amazing service and making sure we were taken care of. You were absolutely amazing!!

Jeneé Bridges

Quite literally some of the best Indian food I've ever had! The fresh ingredients, vibrant spices and delightful service makes this restaurant one of my favorite go-to spots for a meal that leaves me feeling cozy and warmed up. If you haven't been to Namaste, make it your next lunch or dinner destination.

Thomas K

This is my favorite spot to go to in Monterey! If you’re looking for authentic Indian food, this is the place to go! The food here is so delicious and they are very friendly here. The chicken is so tender it melts in your mouth and the curries are so delicious. 10/10

ANTHONY MICHAEL SLOAN

Fabulous Indian lunch buffet! Not a vegetarian buffet, but lots of veggie options and always a desert option. Each day is slightly different but equally delicious: Friday is fish and goat on the weekend. Super staff and locally owned. Great dinner menu, too!

Vanisha Patel

The best Indian food in town- by far. Great atmosphere, great food every time we come here. Lots of veggie and non-veg options. The service is always so friendly and we love this for a satisfying, hit the spot, meal any day of the week

Ather

My Dearest Foodies and Fellow Desi Folks, Lemme tell you, I just had the most mind-blowing, soul-satisfying lamb biryani from Namaste India Bistro, and I had to spill the chai about it. I got it for takeout, and let me tell you, that aroma alone almost made me swerve off the road. Seriously, if you're ever having a rough day, or even a great day that could be made better with food, this biryani is your answer. From the first spoonful, it was pure magic. The rice was cooked to perfection – fluffy, separate grains, each one singing with flavor. And the lamb? Oh my god, the lamb! It was so tender, it practically melted in my mouth like butter on a hot paratha. No chewy bits, no struggle, just pure, unadulterated meaty goodness. You know how sometimes you get biryani and it's all dry and sad? Not this one. This was juicy, flavorful, and had that perfect balance of spices that makes you close your eyes and do a little happy dance. It wasn't just spicy for the sake of being spicy; it was a symphony of flavors that reminded me of my Nani's cooking – that perfect blend of warmth, comfort, and a little kick that wakes up your taste buds. I'm telling you, this isn't your run-of-the-mill biryani. This is the kind of biryani that makes you want to call your mom and tell her about it, even if she lives halfway across the world. So, if you're in the mood for some authentic, finger-licking good Indian food, especially if you're craving some biryani that hits all the right notes, do yourself a favor and get it from Namaste India Bistro. Trust me on this one, your taste buds will thank you. I'm already planning my next takeout order!

Gabriel

I’m a regular for the lunch buffet. Most of the foods they have are solid. (I’m always happy to see the chana masala, lamb curry, and fish curry). The only mid lunch dish is the eggplant curry since the skin doesn’t really ever soften—at least not consistently. They’re good about replenishing foods. They’re less good about getting dishes washed between early lunch and late lunch crowds so you may have to ask someone for more of the small bowls. Reliable, tasty, and (unlike other reviews of mine) I didn’t get sick here!

foster smith

At Namaste you feel at home. Service is friendly and formal. The menu is loaded with Classic Indian dishes. Sipping on an herbal tea with a plate of curry chiken and a side of basmati rice is my happy place. Don't forget about the garlic Naan. And the Eggplant biryani goes hard in the paint! Can't wait to find myself at Namaste again.

+5

Abby D

We ordered the chicken with ginger lime sauce appetizer, which was a delicious and substantial amount of chicken breast with a lovely, mild but fresh and zesty sauce, the lamb saagwala, a fabulous creamy green sauce over chunks of lamb and served with basmati rice which was fluffy and light and fragrant, and the chicken vindaloo which my husband ordered "Indian Hot" (from a scale of mild, medium, hot, Indian Hot) and it did indeed bring a tear to his eye as he happily consumed every bite and mopped up the last of the sauce with the delicious garlic naan. We liked the music, which was at a good volume to be audible but not overwhelm conversation or give a headache. The decor was tasteful and gave it an extra boost of ambience. My family and I really enjoyed our meal here absolutely recommend it. It was very filling and flavorful and for the area not terribly expensive.

shailesh nagar

The buffet had a good variety of vegetarian options and the naan server were soft and fresh. The best part was it was less than a mile from the aquarium

S P

Namaste India Bistro is a great place to dine in with family and kids. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming, and the staff is friendly and attentive. All the food is fresh and flavorful, especially the fruits and side dishes, which taste homemade. The customer service is consistently good, even during busy times. It gets especially crowded on Saturday and Sunday evenings, which adds to the lively vibe. Highly recommend for anyone looking for authentic food and a family-friendly environment!

María Caust

This place should be top rated. Such delicious food!!! Amazing place for vegetarians. Me and my kids who are vegetarians enjoyed our food so much. Must try this restaurant while visiting Monterey

Real World

Food was really good. The menu was generic Indian dishes . Naan and tandoori roti was soft . Butter chicken and paneer tasted good although the portion size is really small according to the price. And the place is really small as the people sitting one table away were loud. Unisex restroom. All in all we spent good time enjoying food .

+5

Ali Hanks

Delicious! Lots of options at the buffet! From veggies to meats, we were so happy to be back in an Indian food buffet. I also ordered a chai, yum! On Fridays, the buffet has a fish dish; on Saturday, there is lamb; and on Sunday, there is goat. Plus, there are vegetable dishes and two different types of chicken. Also appreciated the fresh fruit and all the garnishes, like raita and chutney. In the mood for a dessert? Be sure to order the honey balls (gulab jamun) off the menu. They are hot, fresh, and like the best donut hole soaking in a warm honey syrup. Hardworking and friendly team.

+6

We tried only a couple of dishes from here during a quick trip to Monterey. We loved the Lemon Ginger Chicken - it's a special twist on a regular Indian dish that tastes like a fusion with South East Asian flavors. Dal Tadka was also excellent, but a little spicier than it should be.

Samosa was good with chai. We took tandoori chicken and shrimp bento box in lunch. it was good. However they can add a small portion of gravy to the box as it becomes very dry with rice. We packed veg pulao, paneer tikka masala and gobi aloo. There was no salt or taste in the Gobi. Paneer and pulao was fine.

+2

Pretty happy with my Rogan Gosht lunch bento box. I asked for it to be spicy and the heat level was perfect. Lunch comes with nice tasting Dahl, rice, a small salad, Naan, pickled ginger and a ridiculously small rice pudding dessert. Overall, the meal was filling and a good value. The place is also clean and the servers courteous and attentive. My only real gripe was the Mango Lassi which was too thick for my taste. Overall, I was happy with lunch and will be back

Good place for indian food. They have quite a lot of variety and only Indian food option at Montrey. One issue was that they serve only buffet during lunch and only start serving a-la-carte after 3PM which was a bit of concern. Also Mon to Thur buffet price is 18$ while fri,sat and sun was 21$

This place was pretty tasty. Me and my fiance came here for dinner and the food was delicious. I got lamb shank Vindaloo, spicy, and the spice was perfect, as well as the flavor. This was my first time trying lamb and I do think I'd get it again based off of this. We also got veg samosas which were ABSOLUTELY delicious. They were crsipy, spicy, and freshly made as they were very hot when we got them. The only reason this gets 4 star not 5 is because the service was semi-ok. They were not rude by any means, but they were just stiff and not as friendly as I would hope for. I'm not by any means expecting people to go a over and beyond and chit chat or give more than they're paid for, but a little friendlyness and a smile can go a long way in someone else's experience. Overall, would go again, great food, medium high prices, great atmosphere.

+6

We were here for lunch and ate buffet style. There were 4-5 curry options. I focused on devouring the chicken tikka masala and lamb curry because they were delicious and actually not spicy (I can’t handle any spice...). There were also both rice and naan options with the all-you-can-eat. The table’s favorite was the tandoori chicken. We added some Indian wine and mango lassi to our meal. I would get the mango lassi again but might try a different wine. They also have kheer as part of the buffet. It was probably the best kheer I’ve had. The best part of this is the affordable price for all this food! I’d come back again for this amazing buffet lunch!

+1

The staff managing the places were quite courteous and seated us promptly. We visited them for lunch and tried some of their entrees. We ordered their Kadai Paneer which has pan fried homemade Indian style cottage cheese with bell-peppers and onions, daal makhani, garlic and butter naans and all the food was good and very tasty.

Good food but felt the service was bit lack luster. Their menu is not very extensive or expensive but food was good. They give free papad at the start( South Indian style- appalam). Malai kofta was ok bit salty. Naan, mango lassi, salt lassi and biryani were good. They seem to have lot of pick ups. They don’t go above and beyond. I found it weird when I asked for extra raita and the guy gave a look at food ( as if ) to determine if it requires additional raita(based on remaining qty) I could be over reading it but i felt little weird. Anyways food good ok service. Decide for yourself. Oh btw parking is a challenge so plan to park elsewhere and walk for a bit. I went on Sunday yet found it difficult to find parking. They seem to have an apartment building behind them not sure if there are parking out there reserved for this restaurant.

+2

Only thing I did not like was they brought the bill before we even finished eating. I mean what's the rush; not like you had many other customers at that time. Food was good. Nice ambience and service otherwise! Complementary rice with entree.

+3

Jose Mercado

I got the curry chicken, it was delicious, the basmati rice was plain, but I've never had it so maybe I ate it wrong, personally I mixed it with the curry. The service was amazing and it felt a little to fine dinning for me. Would go back again.

Nivedita Veeramanigandan

This restaurant offers a buffet during lunchtime. We visited this place for dinner. The food is good, but the naan could have been a little bit softer. The dishes are a little overpriced. But the overall service and the ambiance were good. Very difficult to find parking.

+5

We had a delivery from Namaste. The Chicken Malabar was under cooked and Tandoor Bass was bland and over charged for $30 a plate. They should send their chefs for retraining to understand and appreciate the authentic Indian food!

Getting Indian food delivered isn’t the best. For starters I ordered mine spicy but it was the most mild I’ve ever had. I thought the flavor was too similar to bbq sauce? Weird, but overall it was ok. The naan was awful. Way overcooked and needed seasoning, especially salt. I wouldn’t spend as much as I did to get what I got

Had the lunch buffet, decent selections. Only liked the basmati rice, dal and chicken curry. Butter chicken was sweet, excepted savory. Separately ordered samosas, shell was thick, inside was not tasty or spicy. Gobi Manchurian was not tasty either, again turned out sweet for a savory dish. Goat dishes only on Sundays. Biryani not advertised as dum biryani likely stir-fry style. Staff was excellent in their service.

During my recent stay at a hotel down the street, I decided to give this establishment a try, primarily due to its glowing reviews and my personal love for Indian cuisine. I placed an online order and strolled over to collect my meal. Upon arriving at the restaurant, I was pleasantly impressed by its inviting ambiance and the warm hospitality of the server. Once back at my hotel, I eagerly dug into my meal. I must commend the lamb's tenderness, which truly stood out. However, there was one notable drawback that marred the overall experience: the lack of seasoning. Unfortunately, I didn't have access to salt, and to my dismay, the hotel kitchen was closed, leaving me with no recourse to enhance the flavor of the dish. I remain optimistic that this seasoning deficiency was a one-time occurrence, as I firmly believe that with proper seasoning, the meal would have been amazing.

We ordered cauliflower Manchurian, paneer tikka, tandoori roti, cilantro naan (very forgettable), Chana masala (this was good) and matar paneer (too sweet for our palate). If you look at other reviews, you would notice a complaint of service, which was indeed slow. However, I’ve given an extra star coz despite the restaurant closing, they allowed us and although we had to wait for 40 min, we were fed. It was surprising that they close at 9:30 but start refusing entrance to the restaurant from 8:15 pm itself. Very odd. Given that this is one of the two (I think) Indian restaurants near Monterey, there isn’t much option. But if given a choice, we won’t be returning.

+3

Methi Paneer with Mango chutney was absolutely delicious! Worth it! The main course wasn’t as good as the starters. Onion kulcha was good but kadhai paneer could’ve been much better. Service was slow. Had to wait long and Food wasn’t worth the wait! Chai could’ve been better as well.

Too much of wait time. Dined in at 03.48 pm it’s 4.20 no food still. Ambience is good but service must be faster. Also, would expected authentic flavor in butter chicken.

Indian food has been seen better days … this restaurant is mediocre in my opinion, it gets a 2 ⭐️ just to be nice . You can do better cook .

Ordered take out for the evening since it was a little busy we opted for the picnic tables across the way. When we ordered it said it would be ready in 25 minutes. There was no txt about when the food would be ready so we showed up at the designated time.They told me they were waiting on some items. I waited another 15 minutes before I asked what items were missing and I was told to sit down and it would be ready when it was ready. Another 20 minutes went but and they brought out the Mango lassi the only item we were waiting on. Our food was cold because we were waiting 35 minutes on a drink that they couldn't even tell us about. I understand it's a small business but the lack of communication was bad and they were rude.

I love Indian food and was so excited for it. This was pretty disappointing. The staff could not keep the buffet stocked. Lines were long. Food was scarce and mediocre and they really didn’t give us any options other than their lunch buffet. Will definitely not be back

L “Nickname” G

Since I haven’t received a credit for 4 naans I paid for and didn’t receive for a pick up order on Tuesday night, I’m going to do an honest unbiased review. I’m an unbiased fair person. We were upset that we didn’t receive our naan as we’re all busy people and it was one of the two things my son asked for after a 12 hour shift. He doesn’t ask for much. We got four orders because it always gets eaten before I get any. We were coming home from a long trip and just wanted to go home unpacked and get ready for work the next day. We didn’t want to spend more time driving back and forth to get the naan. They didn’t offer to bring it to us we did ask. I patiently waited to see a credit on my card I paid with. Still not there. Do I really have to spend my time calling and talking on the phone? Many businesses can issue the credit. 4 naan plus tax please. But also the food wasn’t as wonderful as I remember. New chef or owner or just a bad night? It was busy. The lamb Barriana had big dry tough chunks of lamb. The chicken tiki Marsala was also dry. The butter chicken was very red in color. Those two tasted very similar and unspectacular as was the lamb. They changed the interior to a light place removing lots of the authentic decor. I preferred the darker decor

Jenson Cruz

The food is good but unfortunately with the high prices, you can't ignore the service. And it's absolutely awful. No one ever at front host stand so you have to wait there. We were notified our food was ready at 7:00pm but after checking in twice, our food was not handed to us until 7:45pm! Being busy is understandable but ignoring guests is either poor management in scheduling or lack of customer care. I just can't recommend.

Review Blogger

I ordered from here pickup using uber. It was mentioned curries come with rice firstly there was no rice. I ordered 2 curries. Secondly i did not get all the naans that i ordered, they had stapled the order so i just checked the bill attached on top. Beware and open and check the order when you pickup from here. I ordered for medium spicy and it was over spicy the only flavor we could taste was red chilly.

Debajit Das

Date visited -11/20. We visited by looking at Google reviews. I am not sure how the restaurant has 4.3 stars or it's our experience which was bad. We order Chicken Biryani and it felt like we were served Rice soaked in Chicken Curry 🙄. The Dal Makhani lacked flavor of cream and butter. It tasted like normal black lentils. The only good part was the Naans. I am sure others enjoyed the food but my experience indicates it is not Indian cuisine that we tasted 😀

+1

Ordered Samosa and chicken biryani - Samosas were old and didn’t taste good at all. Chicken Biryani was no good either. They added 4 piece of chicken boneless breast in veg pulav. No masala no taste. Talked to manager and gave feedback. Didn’t like biryani at all and not worth 22$ as well.. Not authentic indian food.

Very very suboptimal food quality and quantity. Never seen only 5 pieces of gobi in Gobi Manchurian. 5 pieces of paneer in Curry. Definitely would not recommend.

We got there right when they opened at 5 and we were the only table for 35 or so minutes. Our waiter never came and checked on us that whole time - if we knew it'd be so long of a wait for food we would have ordered an appetizer at least. We ordered shortly after arriving and didn't get our food until 550. Again, we were the only table. We saw maybe 5 door dash style orders go out but that's it. Table sits down way after us and gets their food RIGHT after we did? I don't mind waiting when it's busy or for really good good but it was neither. The kabob was super dry and my lamb Rogan Josh was so bland! We both kept adding more chili paste and still, just no flavor. Out quest to find palatable Indian food in Monterey county continues.

We ordered take out, the food has no taste. 1. The curries were not bad. 2. The biriyani is not biriyani! 3. The Rasmalai was the worst!!!

Ordered via Uber eats - Lamb kabab was too salty No rice with palak paneer Paneer tikka was dry as bone (really bad) aloo paratha was worst ever I would not recommend ordering from this place. Save your money and spend calories on something else

Absolutely unacceptable. We drove over 1 hour after confirming our reservation with them, only to show up and be told they’re not honoring it. No apology. No explanation. Nothing. Just a complete disregard for our time and effort. If this is how they treat customers, they don’t deserve anyone’s business. The level of unprofessionalism is shocking. Making people travel that far after confirming, only to deny the reservation on arrival, is beyond disrespectful. This place clearly has zero accountability, zero communication, and zero respect for customers. Save yourself the trouble—go somewhere that actually knows how to run a restaurant.

I recently visited Namaste India Bistro in Monterey with high expectations, but unfortunately, the experience was quite disappointing. We initially went to order from the menu, but the staff refused and asked us to wait, then insisted we go for the buffet instead. The buffet was clearly in its last batch, and most of the items were nearly finished, not fresh, and not hot. The food lacked flavor — the paneer dish was overly sweet, the aloo sabzi was cold, the dal was bland, and overall, the quality was nowhere near what one would expect for the $20 price tag. There was no attention to customer satisfaction, and the staff seemed disinterested in addressing our concerns. It felt like we were served leftovers just before closing. I wouldn’t recommend this place based on our experience, especially considering the cost. It's definitely not worth the price for the taste or service.

This my 5th time trying food, i gave them enough chance but not any more. Recently, I ordered chicken biryani it's of oil it's like chicken birayani floating in oil so greasy avoid this this restaurant and I ordered aloo parantha even my dog won't eat not recommend don't go there thanks

Very disappointing experience. When we politely asked if we could sit and eat our to-go order inside, the staff refused in a way that felt disrespectful and discriminatory. The interaction made us feel that we were being treated differently because of our race, which is unacceptable. Additionally, our order was not ready at the promised time, and we had to wait another 15–20 minutes. Poor service and lack of professionalism.

Jacob Melero

Don't bother. Rice was clearly old, naan was flatter than a pancake, butter chicken medium was mild at best, normal was bland and it took over 90 mins to get our food. Pakora and mom's were delicious though!! Go down the street to Zab Zab for a great and faster meal.