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India Princess

The India Princess in Hillcrest follows in the successful footprints, and namesake, of Owner Jesse Singh’s first restaurant in San Marcos. In Hillcrest, he continues to demonstrate that his philosophy—to provide food and service expected of royalty—makes for an outstanding establishment. The food—savory Northern Indian cuisine—is exquisitely flavorful. The service is always smiling and friendly. And the atmosphere is ideal for enjoying everything from authentic samosas and flavorful Tandoor to the wide variety of chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian entrees. Details such as a mild Children’s Plate and free parking off of busy 4th Street make India Princess an excellent choice for exotic Indian cuisine.

Cuisine Fit for Royalty

Hillcrest has become a magnet for just about every type of ethnic food that you can imagine, but there is one new addition to this throng of eateries that will truly capture your heart, particularly if you are a devotee of gourmet Indian cuisine.

India Princess is located in the middle of Fourth Avenue between Washington Street and University Avenue. If you don’t look carefully, you might even miss it. But that would be a big mistake, because this is no upstart cafeteria designed for the flustered ‘lunch bunch’ mentality. The marvelously flavored, traditional recipes available here are meant to be savored, and mirror those of Owner Jesse Singh’s original India Princess, which has been recognized as one of the finest dining establishments in San Marcos for years.

This location features a modern, restful décor, along with walls festooned with authentic artifacts and a serene ambiance that reflects the ancient, resonant culture of India. The tastefully appointed bar offers a full selection fine wine, beer, and cocktails. Jesse started my guest off with a glass of crisp Chardonnay, while I enjoyed a bottle of cold Taj Mahal Beer. Bottled under the supervision of its parent company in India, this tasty brew features a full European-style bouquet and flavor. Both beverages proved to be excellent choices.

One of the waiters arrived promptly with a basket of crisp papadum flatbread along with a sampling of aromatic and flavorful condiments. The mint and cilantro relish was bright, tantalizing and made for a perfect prelude to the main course with the small bowl of red onions and chilis and cup of piquant tamarind sauce that accompanied it.

Next, we were served a sampling of aromatic Indian dishes, each of which Executive Chef Shabber artfully crafted to tantalize our taste buds. The Chef’s Mixed Tandoori Platter was exquisite, featuring an assortment of tender lamb, chicken and shrimp that had been artfully seasoned and cooked to a turn near glowing embers in a ceramic Tandoor oven.

Our Chicken Tikka Masala was made from tender, bite-sized pieces of Tandoor chicken in a tangy tomato and yoghurt sauce that was enhanced with a striking touch of masala seasoning. Jesse then delivered a generous serving of Basmati rice and some delicious Madras Chicken Curry, a succulent, spicy recipe prepared in the classic, regional style.

My guest and I were also inspired by the wonderful Lamb Korma, which incorporates juicy chunks of lamb cooked in a sophisticated, creamy sauce and sprinkled with raisins and crushed cashews. The spicing combination in this dish was masterfully subtle, and would have been suitable for 18th century Indian royalty. We both agreed that this was some of the finest Indian food that we had ever eaten.

After topping off our meal with a couple of cappuccinos and some wonderfully rich rice pudding that added a light, crowning touch to our wonderful dining experience, we sat transfixed, as the exotic music began to dance with the appetizing fragrance of rare spices and braised, Tandoori treats.

Although it was difficult, we eventually had to summon the resolve to rise from our table to once again face the modern, busy world of Fourth Avenue. We took solace, however, in the realization that we had just discovered a captivating oasis of unusually fine Indian cuisine that was truly worth a return visit.

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Restaurant Info

  • Address: 3925 4th Avenue, San Diego CA 92103
  • Cross Street: Between Washington Ave. and University Ave.
  • Location: Hillcrest & Uptown | Hillcrest
  • Cuisine: Indian | Vegetarian | Sunday Brunch |
  • Cost: $$ | Inexpensive | $25 - $50
  • Category: Casual Dining
  • Star Rating:
  • Reservations: Recommended
  • Dress Code: Casual
  • Meals Served: Brunch | Lunch | Dinner |
  • Parking: Street | Public Lot |
  • Payment Options: VISA | Amex | MasterCard | Discover |
  • Corkage Fee: 10.00 | Per Each Bottle
  • Phone: 619.291.5011

Business Hours

Monday
Main Dining Room | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Tuesday
Main Dining Room | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Wednesday
Main Dining Room | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Thursday
Main Dining Room | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday
Main Dining Room | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Saturday
Main Dining Room | Lunch 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Sunday
Main Dining Room | Lunch 11 a.m. - 3 p.m.
Main Dining Room | Dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Features

  • Sunday Brunch
  • All You Can Eat
  • Catering Services
  • Private Room
  • Smoking Area
  • Takeout Available
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Personal Wines Allowed

Occasion

  • Child Friendly
  • Romantic Dining
  • Dining Alone
  • Business Dining
  • People Watching
  • Quiet Conversation
  • Special Occasion

 


F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions


Menus

Dinner Menu

APPETIZERS

SOUPS AND SALADS

INDIA PRINCESS SPECIALS

TANDOORI CUISINE

MURGH (CHICKEN)

BHED (LAMB)

SAMUNDARI (SEAFOOD)

SHAKAHARI PAKWAN (VEGETARIAN DELIGHT)

ROTI WALI GALLI (FRESHLY BAKED TANDOORI BREADS)

DEGCHI SE (RICE DISHES)

ON THE SIDE CONDIMENTS


Map

Restaurant Address: 3925 4th Avenue, San Diego CA 92103

User Reviews

My Favorite Restaurant  

When I was growing up my mother use to go to a take out Indian Restaurant. She loved it. I hated it. India Princess has totally changed my mind about Indian Food. India Princess is now one of my favorite restaurants in all of San Diego County. My favorite dishes are: Tandoori Chicken, Lamb Vindaloo and Chicken Curry. Whenever I have out of town guests I always take them to Indian Princess, because I know they will love it!!

Best on the West Coast!  

This dining experience was the best I have had on the entire west coast for Indian food. The flavors are delicately put together to bring out a very welcoming sensation in your mouth! I love the variety on the menu and how they choose the top favorites for their lunch buffets. The staff go out of their way to make you feel welcome. A must.

Great Service  

Service is impeccable. We felt really special dining here.

First Visit  

The food was delicious!!! The service was excellent.

Excellent Indian Restaurant  

Amazing food, charming service and a relaxed atmosphere. We tried the Chicken Madras Curry and the Lamb Vindaloo - both were amazing. The naan is wonderfully light, subtly seasoned with fennel - best I've ever tasted. Also make room for the mango lassi - spectacular. India Princess is a wonderful new addition to the neighborhood!

Best Indian Food in San Diego  

I have been searching for a good Indian restaurant in San Diego for the past 7 years. I can stop searching; India Princess fulfilled everything I could want in an Indian restaurant. The food is not only excellent (my friends and I had the chicken curry, lamb vindaloo and the tandoori platter), but the wait staff is extremely attentive without being intrusive. I recommend India Princess to anyone looking for a restaurant that has a combination of superb food, excellent service and a serene environment.

Excellent Food!!!  

A friend of mine and I eat at your restaurant frequently and LOVE the tikka masala and lamb korma! Excellent food, service and atmosphere!

Very Accomodating - Fabulous Flavors  

8 of us had a most enjoyable dinner. We were greeted by not one but two hosts. The entrance way is grand - restaurant colors soothing - and table inviting. We wanted to try India Princess before leaving for New Delhi - the tastes were wonderful. Our 2 kis 10 and 11 enjoyed the buffet - the adults tried a variety of appetizers. My shrimp was excellent. We we will be back.

Best Indian  

My girlfriend and I have officially decided that this is the best Indian restaurant in San Diego. We've been to all of them but this is the best. You'll love it.

Do you only print outstanding reviews??  

I am just wondering if my review on India Princess will be printed, or you just print favorable ones??? Should I go to Zagat?

I Apologize!  

Read reviews of other restaurants that were unfavorable...Will look for my review to be printed...Thank you, Melody

Wonderful Experience  

Living in Washington,DC we have many Indian restaurants but Inida Princess was by far one of the best! Service was grand and the food was wonderful!

They catered our wedding!  

Long story short...we wanted Indian food at our wedding and were working with "another" San Diego Indian restaurant until we came to eat at India Princess. India Princess WOWED us with their amazing service and delicious food so we immediately asked them to cater our wedding. They agreed and ended up doing a FANTASTIC job. Everything went PERFECTLY and now we tell everyone to eat at India Princess. Thank you India Princess!

Thank you india princess  

Thank you guys for you greate service and wonderful food we are looking fordward to visit you very soon.

A Hidden Treasure  

I was so excited to find authentic Indian food here in San Diego that I have been back several times for lunch. I was equally pleased when I brought about 12 of my friends for Sunday Brunch last Sunday wich had the same great food, fabulous service and of course the Champange just kept coming....we had a GREAT time! We were all equally pleased with how reasonable the price was for such great service. A definate "MUST TRY" for Indian food lovers!

The Best Indian Cusine!  

Excelent food and service  

The place was perfect. Great dinner, fantastic food, great price, fast and curteous service. Great atmosphere. My water glass was filled faster than I could ever possibly drink it. I will definately be back.

Wonderful Service  

I had my graduation dinner at India Princess and the service and food was amazing! They were very accomodating because we had more people than expected and all the food was fresh and came out fast. The banquet hall in the back is perfect for a large dinner party!

Excellent Food and Service  

We have eaten at the India Princess on a number of occasions and always enjoyed their food and service. Their Champagne Brunch is very nice and at a very reasonable price. When it was time to have my son’s graduation party we could not think of a better place than India Princess. They have very large spaces that were able to accommodate all 80 people comfortably. On the day of the event they put up decorations throughout the restraint to make it look festive yet elegant. The crowd was mainly non-Indian and they had servers stationed along the buffet line to explain what each dish was. Their service was impeccable, they were constantly attending to the needs of the guests and making sure everything was OK. I was a little concerned about the quality of the food with a party of 80 but the food was outstanding. They never seemed to run low on any dish and everything was hot and fresh. If I was going to have another party there would be no doubt in my mind that I would have it at India Princess.

SUPER service and UNBELIEVABLE food  

Our two servers were both very attentive, very cordial, and eager to please. The food was absolutely delicious. I have had indian food at several restaurants in several cities and I would easily call this one of the 2 or 3 best I have ever been to. The spices and naan were perfect!! My girlfriend and I were raving about this place after dinner and are eager to return. If we lived in San Diego (we live in LA) we would frequent this place quite often.

www.indopopular.com  

This restaurant is very good..good place to eat very good indian food.

Cozy and elegant  

Doesn't look like a big place from outside,but is spacious on the inside. They also have a small private banquest hall (25-30 people) and is perfect for a small event. The food is pretty decent and the ambience is pleasant.

good food  

This restaurant provides very good food and service..good place to eat very good indian food.

rude service  

After one of my friends who I was eating with had cold water spilled all over her and it took over an hour for our food to come I thought it couldn't get any worse. That was until the waiter was passing out the food and chastised my friend for not claiming her dish immediately when he was calling it out. Most of my party had never eaten Indian food before and the server had a thick accent and a poor memory for who ordered what. Although the water glasses were always full, the servers were not accommodating to young people, like us, who were new to Indian food. On top of all that, no where on the menu did we see the policy that 20% was automatically taken out when paying by credit card for tip for large parties. Therefore the terrible waiter was over tipped in cash because we didn't know they were automatically taking more money out of the credit cards. The food was delicious, but our enjoyment was stunted by the rude service.

Hire more.....  

The service was very friendly until a few more tables came in. They were very understaffed and could of got better service. Our server was doing everyones job. The Lamb Curry had to much oil, but the dessert was good.

Where's the SERVICE???  

Went to India Princess with great anticipation of a relaxing evening with excellent service, and was truly disappointed!..We were ignored..Ordered a bottle of wine, Never served...No one came by to check on the food... Table was left dirty...Never asked if we wanted dessert...Took forever for the check to be picked up...On top of that, the glass for my sparkling water smelled like disinfectant, and after three glasses, gave up, and drank out of the bottle...Told the waiter all of the above, with no comment... The Lamb Vindaloo was good as was the Paneer..But I cannot return, as I feel that service is extremly important, and after a hard week at work, I wanted to relax, and not feel compelled to write an unpleasant review....Melody

Listen to your customer  

Jesse Singh called while I was at work and spoke to my Husband... However, when I spoke to him, he argued, and evidently didn't think anything was wrong with the service on December 23rd...So much for listening to the customer...He told me that he trains his employees not to bother the customer if they are talking!,,Also does he tell them not to clean the table, not to offer them dessert, and ignore them totally???..Next....

IS THIS REALLY GOOD INDIAN FOOD!  

Went there reading all the reviews here. The dishes were horrible to say the least. These guys don't know how to cook and I think the other reviewers for these restaurant are either the owners or from people who don't know the difference. Ever had Tandoori Naan like a thin crisp roti! The Chicken Madras and Karahi Chicken were horrible. I can make better Indian dishes at home with a blind fold. NOTE: I am an Indian and have eaten at thousands of Indian restaurants all over the world.

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