7 Indian Restaurants in Baltimore You’ll Want to Eat At

If you’re visiting a city, you can’t exactly pack your entire kitchen with you, as much as you may like to. And, no matter how long your visit is, you’re going to have to eat. After all, spending a day out on the town is never a good idea on an empty stomach.

So, naturally, in addition to looking at what sights you’re going to see, it’s also important to look into where you’re going to get your meals. What better way to close out a visit to the city than with a nice, sit down dinner?

Baltimore has a great variety of restaurants to choose from, and if Indian food is a favorite of yours, you’ll find several great places to grab some in the city!

And lucky for you, most of them also happen to be supported by GiftYa, a virtual gift card company that lets you send an eGift card through the app that the recipient can have joined to their credit card. That way they don’t have to remember to bring a gift card with them. Handy, huh?

So, here are seven great Indian restaurants in Baltimore. Consider purchasing a GiftYa from one of the participating stores so that a loved one can have a great meal on you! This is one gift you know for sure they’ll use, especially if you’re planning a trip to Baltimore!

Namaste Baltimore

With Indian, Nepalese, and Himalayan food all on the menu, Namaste Baltimore is definitely worth a visit for their variety alone!

Entrees, appetizers, and desserts alike are all on the menu at Namaste Baltimore. Order some of their chicken dumplings for the table, served with a delicious, spicy sauce called MoMo achar. Image courtesy of Namaste Baltimore’s Instagram.

413 W Cold Spring Ln MD | Baltimore | namastebaltimore.com

A family owned restaurant with fresh ingredients and flavors, Namaste Baltimore is open from 11:30 a.m. until 11 p.m. on weekdays and Sundays, and on Saturdays and Fridays it stays open until midnight. This makes it the perfect place to grab lunch or dinner!

You can order online for pick-up or delivery— an offer which  extends to the beverage choices —or have a sit-down meal. Namaste Baltimore has a full bar, and includes some menu items that are based on cuisine from Nepal, so they certainly have a lot of variety! They also offer catering, if you live in the Baltimore area already!

“Namaste is the best quality Indian, Nepalese, Himalayan food in Baltimore. I know that's a big mix, and they do it all well! As we all know, consistency is key, and they do it again and again.” - Yelp Review

While they aren’t participating in GiftYa, you can purchase a gift card there on the website!

Akbar Restaurant

A great Indian restaurant with a varied menu and takeout to accommodate your comfort level.

While sitting down at a restaurant may be a bit different than it was when this post was made in 2018, a lot of restaurants are opening this option back up in light of vaccinations— and that includes Akbar. Image courtesy of food blogger thehighyellabella’s Instagram.

823 N Charles St MD | Baltimore | akbar-restaurant.com

The lunch hours at Akbar Restaurant are from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Friday and from noon to 3 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays. This is a special circumstance due to COVID-19, and lunch is only available on a takeout basis.

While it’s not open for sit-down eating yet, sometimes it’s nice to grab food with a friend and go sit down in a park to eat instead! If you want to keep sightseeing in Baltimore without stopping for an hour or so to eat, this could be the perfect place! Just grab your food and go!

You can sit down at Akbar for the dinner hours, though— from 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the weekend days. However, takeout is still available at these times— order online on their website!

“Akbar is an awesome local Indian food joint that has all sorts of curry dishes as well as breads, tandoori, and more. They also have a great range of vegetarian and gluten free options, and thus, can accommodate everyone's diet.” - Yelp Review

It could be the perfect Indian restaurant to purchase a GiftYa for, if the recipient has some sort of dietary restriction. Even if not, the food is still bound to be delicious!

Ambassador Dining Room

No matter what way you want to dine, you can do it all right here! Brunch buffets, takeout for lunch, and a nice sit down dinner are all within reach.

3811 Canterbury Rd MD | Baltimore | ambassadordining.com

The Ambassador Dining Room, contrary to its name, offers pickup and delivery options in addition to more traditional, sit-down dining— which can be either indoor or outdoor right now! 

On Tuesday through Sunday, this Indian restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. for lunch, and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. for dinner hours. On Mondays, this restaurant is only open for party booking.

You can both book a table and order food on their website, and they also offer weekend brunch buffets! So, no matter what you want your dining experience to be, you can find a way to accommodate it here.

“I'm a huge Indian food fan and lived in India for six months. There are some decent options in the city but this is my favorite. Works really well for delivery in COVID times. Super fresh, everything always tastes just made.” - Yelp Review

You can buy a giftcard to the Ambassador Dining Room on their website, but you can also purchase a GiftYa for this location!

Darbar

An Indian restaurant with great portions and even better service and staff. Pay a visit or order online!

Darbar has buffets full of fresh ingredients, meaning that you’ll be eating delicious food if you go there, and lots of it! Image courtesy of Darbar Baltimore’s Instagram.

1911 Aliceanna St MD | Baltimore | baltimoredarbar.com

Darbar prides itself on the staff that work there and the amazing service, as well as their use of fresh ingredients. With those ingredients, Darbar makes classical Indian cuisine with a modern twist.

Lunch hours are from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. every day except for Friday. Dinner hours are all week long, and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. It could be a great place to stop at if you happen to be in Baltimore.

“Loved my first takeout experience from here! The potato chaat, garlic naan, and paneer tikki masala were all amazingly delicious. Very friendly, quick service and so much food means lots of leftovers! Can't wait to go back.” - Yelp Review

If you want to follow in Kelsie’s footsteps and try it yourself, you can purchase GiftYa to Darbar to do exactly that!

Kumari Restaurant (Federal Hill and Mount Vernon)

This restaurant and bar has two different locations in Baltimore— each equally worth a visit.

They sell so many delicious dishes at Kumari Restaurant, and you’ll want to try them all! Image courtesy of Kumari Restaurant & Bar’s Instagram. 

847 E Fort Ave MD & 911 N Charles St MD | Baltimore | kumarirestaurant.net

According to the website, Kumari Restaurant and Bar is open from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on weekdays, and on Saturdays and Sundays it opens at 9 a.m. and closes at 11 p.m. You can call to schedule catering or a delivery, or book a table online.

There are two locations in Baltimore, one on Federal Hill and One on Mount Vernon. Whichever location your trip around the city takes you closer too would probably be a great place to stop at.

“We love Kumari, it is consistently great and some of the best tasting Indian food anywhere, and most certainly the best in Baltimore! We're so lucky to have them so close by!” - Yelp Review

This review was posted for the location on East Fort Avenue, and that same location also happens to be supported by GiftYa!

Little India

Don’t let the name of this restaurant deceive you! The list of options at this restaurant is a very long one, indeed.

411 High Street MD | Baltimore | littleindiabaltimore.com

Little India tries to make sure their service is a cut above the rest, for both dine-in and takeout options. Ordering food online, making a reservation, and ordering catering are all easily performed via their website.

The restaurant is open from 12 p.m. until 10 p.m. for the whole week minus Tuesday, but they also have an events page you might want to keep an eye on.

Their website certainly gives a well-rounded and positive impression of the restaurant, with a place just for customer reviews. However, if you don’t want to get your feedback right from the horse’s mouth, hop over to Yelp for even more votes of confidence!

“This is the kind of a place where you go for lip smacking Indian food over and over again. If you are in downtown Baltimore do check this place out for it's amazing food. The chef has many years of experience cooking and really delivers on taste.” - Yelp Review 

You’ll also find a spot for purchasing gift certificates on Little India’s website, though the restaurant is unfortunately not supported by GiftYa.

Indigma

This Indian restaurant is one of the most popular in Baltimore, and for good reason!

While you won’t find a shortage of Indian food for dinner at Indigma, it’s also a pleasant surprise that they offer things like this— a full-on breakfast buffet. And hey, maybe those doughnuts don’t look like what you’d picture when you think of Indian food, but they sure do look delicious! Image courtesy of Indigma Bistro’s Instagram.

900 Cathedral Street MD | Baltimore | indigmabistro.com

Open every day of the week from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m, Indigma is the perfect place to visit if you want some delicious Indian cuisine for dinner. They do offer lunch as well, however, and have a happy hour from 5 to 7 daily. On Wednesdays, wine bottles are half off.

So, you should feel encouraged to— responsibly —enjoy a delicious beverage along with your equally delicious meal!

Indigma has also taken the proper amount of precautions during the COVID-19 pandemic to ensure the safety of their patrons. And currently, as it happens, they’re hiring! So if you’re a really big fan of Indian food and you live in the Baltimore area as opposed to just visiting, that’s definitely something you should look into.

And look no further than Yelp for reliable reviews of this wonderful restaurant.

“I had the best experience coming to Indigma for their Thali Night. Thali is an Indian-style meal where various dishes are presented on one large platter. Such a cool concept and a great way to try a little bit of everything.” - Yelp Review

Indigma might not be supported by GiftYa, but out of the many amazing Indian restaurants in the city of Baltimore there are quite a few! 

So, next time you’re going out to eat with a loved one and you resent the dance of who will pay, asking to split the bill, or leaving gift cards at home, let GiftYa make the process just a bit easier!