7 Atlanta restaurants you can count on for great Indian food

Whether you’re looking to grab a quick bite for lunch or treat your family to a dinner that stretches from spicy appetizers to the comfort of Basmati rice, Atlanta’s Indian restaurants offer rich and flavorful options. Here are a few you won’t want to miss.

Aamar Indian Cuisine

At Aamar Indian Cuisine you can take it out or dine in: Either way, you’ll encounter only fresh ingredients here, and you can count on new twists on old favorites. Start off with a soup — mulligatawny or coconut — and move on to your favorite masala — shrimp, lamb or chicken. The list of options is long and varied here with specials ranging from tilapia to shrimp to goat. Check the website for discounts before you go.

Location: Downtown - 100 Luckie St NW; Website: aamarindianatlanta.com; Contact: 404-257-6959

Blue India

This eatery highlights the longstanding British indulgence in spicy curry and IPAs. Britain established a presence in India in the early 1600s, and an offshoot was its absorption of a culinary influence that’s endured to this day. Blue India puts its own take on this tradition with starters like masala fries (enjoy them with curry ranch) and main dishes like seekh kebab (ground lamb shoulder with house spices) from its clay oven. Pair your choice with an ice-cold IPA for the true British experience.

Location: Midtown - 933 Peachtree St NE; Website: blueindiaatlanta.com; Contact: 404 963 5775

Jai Ho

At Jai Ho, you’ll find genuine Indian fare alongside offerings in the French Pondicherry tradition at this kitchen in Krog Street Market. Enjoy the freshness of a chicken tikka salad with its spiced meat, crisp onions and sweet cranberries. Or envelope flavorful lamb in a wrap with veggies (avocado and jalapenos optional) accompanied by crunchy chips.

Location: East Atlanta 99 Krog Street NE; Website: jaihoatlanta.com; Contact: 404-464-7600

Raduni Indian Cuisine

Dine in or order online and carry out at Raduni Indian Cuisine, a restaurant focused on health and hospitality. Its name, a Bangla word, references the concept of a female chef. The affordable offerings range from appetizers like tilapia samosas to main dishes with meat like chicken, lamb or tilapia and varying levels of spice.

Location: Dekalb County - 2566 Shallowford Rd. #112; Website: raduniatlanta.com; Contact: 404-254-0948

Botiwalla

This Indian street grill inside Ponce City Market is based on the concept of Irani cafes — Iranian-style eateries on the thoroughfares of Indian cities — with offerings like flatbreads and savory meats. At Botiwalla you can order counter style at the restaurant and enjoy the Victorian-meets-Indian aesthetic, or order online for delivery or pick-up. Start off with a cocktail like the tamarind whiskey sour, a sweet take on a classic with its tamarind syrup. Botiwalla’s sigri (charcoal grill) offerings include lamb sliders with touches of cumin and mint and a chicken tikka roll — marinated chicken enveloped in warm naan with raita on the side.

Location: East Atlanta - 675 Ponce De Leon Ave. NE; Website: botiwalla.com

Naanstop

At Naanstop there’s a focus on family tradition. Open since 2012 in Atlanta, this establishment began as a food truck in Los Angeles and brings the owners’ family matriarch’s recipes to the public with dishes like its vegan favorite, which features a layer of basmati rice under flavored punjabi dal, chola and gobi (lentils, chickpeas and cauliflower). And if feeding your household with one dish is your goal, look no further than the family meal with its chutney and samosas, naan and rice, and two protein options. Find Naanstop’s offerings in three locations around town.

Location: Buckhead - 3420 Piedmont Road NE; Atlantic Station - 265 18th St NW #4110; Downtown - 64 Broad St NW; Website: naanstop.com;

Tabla

Enjoy a modern feel in its lounge and dining hall as you experience Tabla’s Indian liqueur-inspired mixed drinks and classic main dishes. Its Midtown dinner offerings (there’s another location a short jaunt north in Buckhead) include nargisi kofta with some spice to the accompanying garlic/ginger sauce. Or try a curry with chicken, paneer, lamb or shrimp — the korma offering features cream and almonds.

Location: Midtown - 77 12th St NE #2; Buckhead - 3005 Peachtree Rd #400; Website: tablaatlanta.com

This story was originally published by Fiza Pirani in 2015 and has since been updated.