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Royal India

Royal India is where to go when you want to dine like kings and queens. The Gaslamp area restaurant serves authentic Northern Indian cuisine in a refreshing, elegant setting. An outdoor patio offers prime views of downtown foot traffic, while inside, the tall ceilings and open space give the feel of a modern palace, complete with regal décor imported from India. Ornate chandeliers cast an elegant glow, while a cascading waterfall offers a backdrop of serenity. The menu is as rich as its surroundings, with flavorful curries, tandoori kababs, and a tempting array of fresh tandoor-baked breads. If you’re unable to make your mind up about the menu, visit during lunch or on Monday evenings, when over 20 dishes are offered buffet-style.

A Royal Indian Delight in the Heart of Downtown

The first bite I had at Royal India won me over. It came just moments after I sat down, before I had even thought about what I was going to order. Two chutneys sat on the table, to accompany the plate of crisp papadums that had just arrived. The light, airy cardamom and lentil crackers broke easily, and I spooned a dollop of mint-cilantro chutney onto a piece. Then I took a bite. The chutney's flavors were multifarious, a vibrant, refreshing tang giving way to a subtle spice that lingered for minutes after I swallowed. My mouth felt like it was filled with layers of intrigue, the taste equivalent of a symphony. Complex and resonant, it was unlike anything I had tasted.

And that was just the first bite. The rest of my experience at Royal India brought dish after dish of intrigue, taking me on a wild ride through spices and flavors I wished I had discovered long ago.

The drivers of this flavorful ride are Sam and Jag Kambo, brothers who share the roles of co-executive chefs and owners. Their menu is an extensive collection of family recipes and original creations, with an emphasis on generations-old cooking methods. Dishes are given hours of preparation—enormous pots of flavorful curries simmer all day long, letting the flavors of onion, garlic, ginger, tomato, and spices slowly meld. Meats are marinated overnight before being slow-roasted in an 800-degree clay oven. The oven itself is imported from the brother’s hometown of Punjab, and is, according to Sam, an essential tool in preparing authentic cuisine.

The decor, too, hails from their homeland. "We built this space ourselves," Sam says with very modest pride for someone who spent nearly a year tearing apart the building's interior and rebuilding it from scratch. They imported gorgeous art from India—a hand-carved wood bar, and hand-carved bronze sculptures made by talented artisans. They sent a team of designers to India to copy the patterns of arches in royal palaces, and were gifted oil paintings from a talented artist and close friend. What they didn't import they selected with the finest eye—light, slate-like stone that forms the outermost walls, a stunning waterfall that stands before bronze statues of Indian gods and goddesses, and ornate crystal chandeliers that hang from the high ceilings. The result is transporting, a peaceful, serene space that seems miles away from the hectic nearby corner of Third and Market.

The restaurant features a weekday lunch buffet and a champagne brunch on weekends, but we visited for dinner. Seated at a quiet table in the peaceful space—the tables are intentionally spread far apart to provide the rare privilege of privacy—a feast slowly unfolded before our eyes. After the flavorful but slightly spicy chutneys, we were enticed by the specialty cocktails, which seemed designed to provide sweet refreshment between spicy bites. The Royal Mojito offered a sweet, refreshing blend of mint, syrup, and rum, served with a splash of 10-year aged Indian rum floating on tip. The Mango Martini was sweet blend of mango puree and vodka that was so thick it seemed more like a smoothie than a martini.

One of many tempting starters, the Spicy Onion and Cabbage Bhaji was addictive and flavorful. Thin slivers of onion and cabbage were coated in a thick batter of ground chickpeas and spices and deep fried. Biting through the crisp coating, we were rewarded with a sweet, moist filling, but it was the batter that was the alluring part—the thick, deep flavor of chickpeas and the subtle complexity of spices lent a crisp and savory dimension to every bite.

The Shahi Bread Basket allowed us to sample several versions of fresh tandoor-baked Nan bread, including plain, garlic, and paneer. Each arrived too hot to touch, having literally been baked seconds before. The nan, we learned, is baked using a traditional method that dates back generations: after stretching the dough flat, a chef skillfully (and carefully) sticks an arm elbow-deep into the burning oven, slapping the dough to the side of the wall. Because of the oven walls, made from clay from the Punjabi region of India, are extremely porous, the dough sticks to the clay as it cooks, which only takes minutes. "If the oven was built with clay from this region [San Diego]," Sam explains, "it wouldn't work." There may be no more satisfying moment in a meal than pulling apart fresh, steaming bread; in this case the pleasure was in a crisp, toasted outside giving way to a soft, doughy center.

Exotic Mango Soup was one of many delightful surprises. Expecting a bright soup the color of my mango martini, I was pleasantly surprised when silver bowls arrived filled with a deep rust-colored liquid. The thick soup featured pureed mango blended with a curry-like concoction of tomatoes, garlic, ginger, and onion. As deep-flavored as it was, the texture was amazingly light and airy. We ate spoonful after spoonful, relishing in the marriage of flavors between mango and spices.

In addition to baking nan, the tandoor oven is used to mesquite-roast meats, again using a traditional method. The oven opens from the top, allowing skewers of meat to dangle above mesquite coals while fat naturally drips toward the bottom of the oven. The result is lean but flavorful meat that is astonishingly tender. The section of Tandoori Specialties on the menu includes chicken, fish, shrimp, and lamb, all of which are marinated in a yogurt and spice mixture overnight. The Chicken Tikka Kabab featured moist, tender chicken, dyed a bright, vibrant orange from the overnight marinade. The plump pieces pulled apart gently, imparting a flavor that mingled the sweet taste of the meat with the unmistakable flavor of a traditional yogurt marinade. While I had dined on tandoori dozens of times, I had never found meat this moist and sweet. Perhaps it was the imported oven, or some secret to the marinade, but the chicken was outstanding.

Curry is a specialty of the house, and indeed Sam and Jag serve more curries than anything else on the menu. There are at least 30 to choose from, with ingredients that include chicken, lamb, shrimp, fish, lobster, and vegetables. There is an extensive selection of vegetarian preparations as well as some very unique house specialties. The traditional can be found—there are several masala, vindaloo, and korma dishes—but the gems lie in the unique and the unusual.

The Butter Tarka with shrimp, featuring a vibrant red curry sauce and oversized, tender shrimp, was indicative of the brother's Punjabi roots. The butter-based sauce was rich and powerful, tempering the tomatoes, and allowing subtle spices, garlic, and onion to develop on the palate. The shrimp eagerly embraced the feisty sauce, their tenderness a delight in each bite. It was a close call, but I eventually declared this a favorite.

Chicken Coconut Pineapple was another unique rendition, this one incorporating the usually-Thai ingredient of coconut milk. This was a feisty and exciting curry, a deep brown mixture of sweetness and spice. Large pieces of pineapple mingled with larger chunks of chicken, and we delighted in discovering the chicken was far more tender than the fruit. Slow cooked for hours, this was the most succulent boneless chicken I'd tasted. It practically melted in the mouth, absorbing the sauce's flavors with grace.

Vegetarian Chilli Ginger Masala was the spiciest dish we tried, and its feisty flavors were playful and teasing. The dish was chock full of vegetables—cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, zucchini, yellow squash, and peppers. Each tender vegetable soaked up the feisty sauce in its own way, making the vegetarian version just as filling and complex as any other, and perhaps more so. Like its predecessors, the sauce was bewitching and complex, with a tomato-forward sweetness that gave way to a spicy finish of ginger and green chilies.

The Lamb Shank Curry offered the most impressive presentation of the evening, a whole bone-in lamb shank sprawled across a bed of deep purple curry sauce. Slow-roasted in its sauce for eight hours, the lamb was fall-apart tender, while the sauce soaked up the lamb's distinctive flavor. Rather than being overpowered by the lamb, however, the sauce offered a sweet complexity that paired with the lamb’s resonant flavor. Some bites seemed dominated by lamb, others by sweet spices. Each bite was a rich and satisfying arena of flavor.

Dessert always seems most appealing to me after a spicy meal, and Royal India offers an array of sweets that gladly wash away all traces of spice. Pistachio Ice Cream was a simple treat, two scoops of bright green topped with crushed pistachio nuts. The unmistakable pistachio flavor was cold and sweet, and we relished in each scoop's hidden center: whole almonds, waiting to be discovered.

But the real treat was the Rusmalai, a dish of soft Indian cheese cooked in a sweet syrup, served with rich cream and crushed pistachio nuts. The dish was truly unlike anything I'd ever tasted, a honeyed sweetness giving way to an almost smoky, milky flavor. It was as intriguing as each dish that preceded it, and a fitting conclusion to a meal that, from the first bite to the last, proved wondrous and alluring.

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Restaurant Info

  • Address: 329 Market St, San Diego CA 92101
  • Cross Street: 4th Avenue
  • Location: Downtown | Gaslamp Quarter
  • Cuisine: Indian | Vegetarian | Nepalese | Vegan |
  • Cost: $$ | Inexpensive | $25 - $50
  • Category: Fine Dining
  • Star Rating:
  • Reservations: Recommended
  • Dress Code: Casual
  • Meals Served: Lunch | Dinner |
  • Parking: Street |
  • Payment Options: VISA | Amex | MasterCard | Discover | Diners Club |
  • Corkage Fee: 10.00 | Per 750ml bottle.
  • Phone: (619) 269-9999

Business Hours

Monday
Restaurant | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Restaurant | Dinner 2:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Tuesday
Restaurant | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Restaurant | Dinner 2:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Wednesday
Restaurant | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Restaurant | Dinner 2:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Thursday
Restaurant | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Restaurant | Dinner 2:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Friday
Restaurant | Lunch 11 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.
Restaurant | Dinner 2:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Saturday
Restaurant | Dinner 2:30 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Restaurant | Brunch noon - 3 p.m.
Sunday
Restaurant | Dinner 2:30 p.m. - 10 p.m.
Restaurant | Brunch noon - 3 p.m.

Features

  • Full Bar
  • Sunday Brunch
  • All You Can Eat
  • Catering Services
  • Outdoor Seating
  • Private Room
  • Takeout Available
  • Wheelchair Access
  • Happy Hours
  • Personal Wines Allowed
  • Lounge / Bar
  • Healthy Options

Occasion

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

 


F.A.Q. - Frequently Asked Questions

On the interior wall of the restaurant's tandoor (clay oven)

Menus

Lunch&Dinner

  Monday-Sunday: 11:00am-10:30pm. This is a sample menu only. Prices and availability may be subject to change.


Exotic Appetizers

Savory Soups

Refreshing Salads

Side Orders

Curry Specialties

Royal Curries

Biryani (Rice Specialties)

Chef's Vegetarian Curry Specialties


Map

Restaurant Address: 329 Market St, San Diego CA 92101

User Reviews

Excellent food with a great atmosphere!  

First time at the restaurant....we were there for Father's Day. The food was very good and the service was very attentive and quick. We especially enjoyed the look and feel of Royal India - very unique. We will definitely go back.

Royal India has the best Mojitos!!!!  

Royal India has the best Mojitos I have tasted in San Diego. Perfectly balanced Mojito and I was told that the Mojitos at Royal India are made from special Indian Rum. Ambiance is very unique and elegant. The food is excellent specially the Herb Baked Salmon and kabuli nan( coconut raisins). The service was attentive and friendly. Great place to take a date or just to enjoy good Indian food with some friends. Thumbs up!

The food was excellent  

Recently ate at Royal India restaurant with a friend, and I think the food was excellent. The lettuce wraps that we ordered for an appetizer were amazing, as was our main course comprising of Chicken chili ginger masala, Lamb korma and Kabuli nan. We also ordered Pista ice cream for desert that was heavenly. The decor is elegant and soothing (wonderful outdoor patio), and the service was incredibly good. Overall, it's a great restaurant, and I would highly recommend Royal India

You will be utterly happy here  

Having been recommended by a friend who wasn't really a foodie like I am, I happily tried Royal India restaurant in the gaslamp, let me tell you this: whether you've' have Indian or Thai food before or a 'haute cuisine' devotee, you will be utterly happy here. the restuarant has a sleek, chic look, but is easy and casual in demeanor. so you'll be fine whether you're dressed up or dressed down. but it's all about the food: delicious curry like chicken tikka masala or garlic kabab meats, the flavors in curry and marinations for kababs are perfectly done. i've been several times for lunch buffet and dinner and just keep trying different things as the mood takes me. i've recommended it to all my friends and we all agree; it's our 'currant' fav restaurant!

Satisfying Experience with Indian cuisine.  

I read the review about Royal India's Indian cuisine in the union tribune today and our company decided to try lunch buffet at Royal India. We loved both the salads, all the chutneys including the mango and yogurt dressing. I loved the samosa with mint chutney and tandoori chicken with tamarind chutney. It was an outstanding experience. Talking about curry OH MY GOD I am addicted to Royal India the roasted chicken cooked in creamy tomato curry I believe its Chicken Tikka Masala and palak paneer the spinach item with farmers cheese in it and vegetables in coconut curry with cashew paste is really great and I agree with the review by Margret King the food editor that it is addictive. I do not like it spicy but the chicken curry and lamb curry looked very tempting. The fresh Nan bread was awesome and I mean it. Two Desserts the silky mango and the rice pudding are must try and Royal India is on our list for once a week office lunch. It was a satisfying experience. Royal India is on the top of the list for Indian restaurants for us.

Absolutely the best Indian food for my taste  

I am frequent eater at Royal India and I fell in love with it for its delicious Indian food and unique beautifully decorated Indian restaurant, cozy romantic seating. It has beautiful hanging chandelier, some hand carved wooden full bar, lots of custom stone work, beautiful arches you walk under to reach the waterfall and the best of all is very comfortable spacious seating . The curries are always good and portions big and the clay oven roasted tandoori chicken is served on the sizzling sizzlers served with vegetable beds and one can live on those health flavorful meats. Everything is fresh and if my friends need it mild they get it mild and if they want it hot it comes wild and everyone goes happy. Nans are the ones to die for they are soft and fresh breads. The dessert RusMalai is mouth watering. A creamy dreamy dessert with pistachio and cherry. Wow I am craving while I write. I am addict to Royal India in the Gaslamp I think its the best Indian restaurant in the whole universe and I am very repeat customer. If I cannot dine in I order take out

Best Food, Best service, An excellent restaurant  

I dined here last weekend , as this was my first time tasting the indian food and my experience will be unforgettable. If you're looking for great service and creative, delicious food,that's Royal India. Their food is delicious, presentation is exquisite, service is impeccable, and prices are just right. Must visit this place. thanks Nancy Faulkner

THE BEST RESTAURANT  

"This is where you want to eat. A restaurant that’s friendly, authentic, nice enough to make dinner feel a little special. You’d love to walk over, . You can just show up at the door and know you’ll get a table before too long." The staff and owners are friendly and attentive. The moderate prices and warm atmosphere, gives the real taste and feel of Indian food and culture.

BEST RESTAURANT  

This is where you want to eat. A restaurant that’s friendly, authentic, nice enough to make dinner feel a little special. You’d love to walk over, . You can just show up at the door and know you’ll get a table before too long." The staff and owners are friendly and attentive. The moderate prices and warm atmosphere, gives the real taste and feel of Indian food and culture. THNX LISA

the best restaurant  

This is where you want to eat. A restaurant that’s friendly, authentic, nice enough to make dinner feel a little special. You’d love to walk over, . You can just show up at the door and know you’ll get a table before too long." The staff and owners are friendly and attentive. The moderate prices and warm atmosphere, gives the real taste and feel of Indian food and culture. THNX LISA

WOW!!! :) :) :)  

I love this place..... My wife and I dined here for our MY WIFE'S 25TH b day, it was excellent, the service was Superb, we,ll be going there again and again, we enjoy the different dishes that we are on the menu, the Best chikan tikka masala , I ever had. First time to visit this restaurant, very impressed, I have been in San Diego for 5 yrs, and I thought I had seen it all. I love this place........ MUST GO THERE... THE BEST INDIAN RESTAURANT EVER BEEN. THNX

WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE  

Just 2 words "Amazing food!" I consider myself to be a veteran of indian food Province wide as I travel a lot and honestly their food is amazing. The taste is very authentic and great. Very presentable also, will go again whenever passing through the MARKET AND 4TH. we were really nervous about trying the place but were really impressed. The samosas are amazing, one of the best i've tried. All the food was great including the the dessert, but the end we were really full. Service however was superb, and the server was also very kind, nice and good. conclusion is that the there was attentive staff, buzzing atmosphere, quality food and worth prices, equate to good value for money and a pleasant dining experience. i Enjoyed a lot......

BEST RESTAURANT  

Absolutely the most wonderful food and experience I've ever had in an this Indian Restaurant. The server was accommodating to my Veggie dishes and the food was wonderful! The decor was beautiful and completely authentic . . . even the music! The service was excellent, the seating intimate and comfortable with indoor and outdoor options, and unforgettable. Can I say again how wonderful the food was? And the servings are more than generous! I call it a diamond because from the outside it looks so inviting, and once you're buzzed in you enter a beautiful scenery and you feel like VIP from the moment you step in and the door closes behind you . . its a wonderful experience. I love Royal India. thnx

wow!!!!!!!!!!  

This Indian Restaurant serves the finest authentic and traditional Indian cuisine. Portions are very generous and the atmosphere is casual and comfortable and the service is known to be very attentive and friendly. Open for lunch with a separate lunch menu featuring a buffet. Also equipped for private parties and all your special occasions. It is a great place.

amazing experience  

It has been one of the best Indian restaurants I have visited in San diego. I am a frequent eater at this restaurant. Not Being an Indian and living at home most of the time, I can appreciate the quality and quantity of good indian food. Royal Indiais a very busy restaurant and I myself have seen how each and every guests visiting the restaurant are accomodated. The food has always been delicious and worth. The prices are just right. I recomend any one who wants the taste for good North Indian food to visit Royal India. thnx

BEST RESTAURANT  

This restaurant is our favorit place.: This restaurant is just 5minutes from our apartment complex. My wife and me both love this place and its food. They have very good service and nice location at downtown. They also have food courts at horton plaza and utc mall also. Its little bit Americanized, by that I mean they have little blend food compared to Indian spicy food. But if you have love Indian food you must try.

Excellent place  

This place is exquisite.. Delicious food.. Great friendly service..awesome atmosphere... we all are in love with Royal India....its our favourite restaurant!! even though it was our first visit...it was worth it...we had a wonderful dinner... wel we Ordered: Chicken Pakora, full tandoori checken, butter chicke, Lamb rogen josh, saag paneer, veggi briyani, shirmp korma, 4 galric naan's and drinks (Mango lassi etc..) About the food in one word>> WOW!!! YUMMMY!! The waitress was friendly and always smiling... the spices are perfect!!! what we wanted, its worth to go back!! will visit again!! I'm just in love with this place!! if you like indian food you should try this place..its worth it!!

Excelent restaurant  

Hello guys I highly recommend this place, the food is fabolous as well the service is great, i've never tried indian food i was skeptical, but i really liked it and totally worth the price...

Great Dinner!!  

I HAD A GREAT DINNER AT ROYAL INDIA. IT WAS AN OFFICE PARTY AND ALL 12 OF US WERE REALLY HAPPY WITH THE FOOD AND THE SERICE. mY PERSONAL FAVORITE WAS A lAMB SHANK WITH GARLIC NAN AND I TRIED MY FRIEND'S CHICKEN TIKKA MASALA AND I MUST SAY IT WAS EXCELLENT. I WILL GO BACK IN A HEARTBEAT!!! LOVE IT.

Best Indian Restaurant in San Diego!  

The quality of service and the authentic cuisine is excellent!!

Great first time experience  

It was me and my husbands first time eating Authentic Indian food. Loved it!

Hot and Spicey  

We had a very nice time!----

Great food slow waiter  

Good Indian food if you are not in a hurry.

OK -- not worth it at the end  

Celebrated my birthday with 5 friends, at the end the service was slow. Our busboy accidently threw away our food that was left instead of putting it in a "to-go box" when we told him we need a box. Rice was soggy. The famous curry was ok, have eaten at better Indian Restaurants where this restaurant was supposed to be the best in San Diego. Definitely nothing special. Not worth it for the price. To the restaurant Manager -- Improve the service, refill the waters and beverages, garlic nan needs to be more "garlicky" and don't overcook your rice!!!

Not satisfied  

The CEO of our company asked me to select the finest Indian restaurant in San Diego during our Solar Power Convention.... so I carefully researched on the Net.I selected Royal India, Masala and Monsoon.I was shocked, dismayed and disgusted to learn that the sugar coated restaurant reviews for Royal India did not live up to our expectations..alot of false fabrications....something very fishy with so many perfect reviews....we had a horrific experience with lousy food, service and ambiance was just okMasalas decor is done with no expense spared..i saw people taking photographs non-stop. A real knock out ...OUT OF THE WORLD....our CEO flies just back to dine at this incredibly and magnificent restaurant with fine, spectecular, exotic Indian cuisine prepared by real top notch Executive Chefs like Miss Ashley Popat..... not cooks like Royal India has.I GUARANTEE you will be blown away from this unforgettable and truly ultimate Indian Restaurant.

Horrible service  

It was a nightmare going to this restaurant. We made online reservations, there were no reserved tables. They sat us in a corner with no AC. It took hour and half to get our food and when the food arrived they completely messed up the order. They have no concept of customer service. When I called and spoke to the manager, he said that they were busy and he cannot help it. I recommend anybody who wants decent service to please try some other Indian restaurant. This restaurant's service is HORRIBLE.

Not an enjoyable experience  

Poor service, food badly spiced and dishes classed as medium hot served much hotter than that. Very disappointed. I know there was a big convention in town at the time but that's no excuse for such poor standards and other restaurants we ate at during the week were able to maintain good service and food standards. Although we had been before a couple of years ago and thought the food was ok then, we will not be back again. Much better food (and value)to be had elsewhere.

Royal India  

Poor service, food is not great. Added gratuity for groups of 18% despite of poor service. It was not noted anywhere that they added gratuity for groups. The service level would only deserve 10% tips, not more.

A Sad Experience  

I come to San Diego about twice a year and enjoy the gaslamp district greatly. I was especially excited this year about coming to Royal India for dinner with a select group of friends. I made a reservation nearly a week in advance this year to make sure that I could easily get a table for four since I was coming during a large convention. I can't say enough about the low quality of service I received. We were rushed to order, rushed to eat, and then whenever we actually needed someone who was part of the staff, we received no attention. In addition, two members of my party were african american and the attitude of the waiter was disgraceful towards my friends. I am very sorry to say I will never return.

Embarrassingly Bad  

I come to San Diego about twice a year and enjoy the gaslamp district greatly. I was especially excited this year about coming to Royal India for dinner with a select group of friends. I made a reservation nearly a week in advance this year to make sure that I could easily get a table for four since I was coming during a large convention. I can't say enough about the low quality of service I received. We were rushed to order, rushed to eat, and then whenever we actually needed someone who was part of the staff, we received no attention. In addition, two members of my party were african american and the attitude of the waiter was disgraceful towards my friends. I am very sorry to say I will never return.

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