Nirmal's

We brought a group of seven here to celebrate a friend before he moved away for medical school. Our choice was based as much on convenience (near Smith Tower, where we wanted to have drinks) and the need to accommodate multiple diets (particularly vegetarian) as anything, but we could not have made a better choice. Oliver and his staff are Southeast Asian food anthropologists. They have tremendous knowledge of different regional cuisine styles and recipes, and regularly change up the menu to both take advantage of what is available locally and internationally, and to keep the menu fresh and diverse. This is not a dumbed-down takeout menu for Western sensibilities; their food showcases the grand diversity of Indian and other Southeast Asian cuisines, at various levels of heat, libraries of seasoning, and styles of cooking.Our group ordered across the menu - samosas (perfectly cooked, super flavorful) and paneer cubes to start, and a broad selection of dishes including vegetarian, fish, chicken, and red meat options, plus many breads to accompany everything. Our guest of honor had the Dungeness crab curry, a star of the night, but each dish was its own delight, from "humble" yellow dal to the Gujarati-style goat. Meanwhile the staff was consistently friendly, attentive, and skilled. Drink orders were regularly taken and promptly filled. Multiple servers and Oliver himself kept us feeling well cared for and like special guests. We got to hear about Oliver's encyclopedic knowledge of cuisines, his care for the diverse community in Pioneer Square, and his commitment to offering jobs and food to local unhoused people. An unforgettable meal both in terms of the food and the hospitality. We can't wait to come back.

This high end Indian restaurant is located in the heart of Seattle and has a rich ambience. The staff is friendly, but unfortunately, the food was quite disappointing. I tried their bhaji pav, which tasted like plain tomato puree without any spices. On the upside, their bharva Shimla Mirch was unique and tasted good.While the main courses were pretty average, the desserts were fantastic. The homemade ice creams and their chocolate cake with chikoo ice cream were standout items, offering something unique and delicious.Overall, I would recommend this place primarily for its desserts.

Great food; good service. We got the pakoras for appetizer; it was good. Star of our meal was the stuffed bell peppers. It was rich and hearty. And delicious. Makki di roti was the softest I'd ever eaten. Sarson ka saag was good too. Portion sized were good here. We were too full so didn't get any desserts. The owner was around; so he came and chatted with us. Nice and friendly guy.The Seattle Restaurant Week menu was not that great for vegetarians. It was comparable to their regular menu.

I went for lunch while at work. They only have two options , the vegetarian and chicken curry plates among other curries. I was surprised it was delicious. The ambience was sooo different from Pioneer Square. So clean inside. The waiter was friendly.

We booked our table weeks in advance, a smart move considering the limited seating at the restaurant. When we arrived, the hostess seated us and swiftly handed over the menus. Our waiter soon took our order, and we settled in, eagerly anticipating our meal. However, I couldn't help but notice that the restaurant's vibe didn't quite match its fine dining label. The cutlery and dishes fell short of the expectations associated with upscale dining, with scratches, chips, and even a dirty plate making an appearance. To add to the quirks, some dishes at our table had curry spills on the sides. To cap off the evening, another waitress accidentally dropped some used cutlery while clearing our table.As someone who appreciates authentic Indian cuisine, I was disappointed by the food at Nirmal's. My party ordered the chicken biryani. I usually prefer goat when it's on the menu; however, when I asked the waitress she said that the goat is not very tender. Unfortunately, the chicken didn't live up to our tenderness expectations, and the biryani leaned heavily on clove and cinnamon flavors. The stuffed bell peppers, intriguing on their own, took a weird turn with the addition of curry and cheese, resulting in an unappetizing taste. While the brown goat curry was the tastiest dish I had at Nirmal's, the meat's chewiness and dryness took away from the overall experience. On a positive note, the garlic naan, soft and adequately garlicky, was a highlight. The chocolate cake with chikoo ice cream for dessert was decent.

-1 for the cold atmosphere... it's like we were almost eating outside Otherwise the butter naan which I've never had anywhere else was perfectly airy and had a nice chew. The chicken was delicious and perfectly spiced. Almost like a tikka masala. And the drinks were really good too! Tried the curry margarita and the one with coconut cream. Good balance to have both... cause curry margarita was spicy! Will come again and bring others to try.

I can safely call Nirmal's a bit overrated. I went with a large group and we had mix feelings. Filter Coffee was too strong while tea was good but they served when it got bit cold.Angare chicken was okay while macchi kolivada was divine. Chicken rasa was interesting and the chicken patiala was superb.Garlic naan was good. We also tried misil pav and it very bad. Definitely not the way you make one.Bottom line Nirmal's doesn't do justice to all cuisine for the price it charges. It's a hit or a miss.

Nirmal's is the classic Indian restaurant to go to in Seattle. They have high quality food, good ambiance, and lots of options. However it's a higher price point and the food can take quite some time to arrive. Our last visit was during the Rajasthani festival and it had some diner experience errors. We ordered 2 entrees. We ate half of the first one and intended to box the rest for lunch tomorrow. The waiter came by and picked up our first dish and threw it away even though there was obviously still food there. We told them this and they shrugged it off. Then they double charged us for ice cream. We noticed because the ice cream was $10 each. While it was probably housemade, 1 scoop of turmeric or chickoo wasn't worth that much. They should've comped the ice cream anyways considering they essentially threw away our first entree.

Nirmal's is a fantastic, up-scale restaurant with a super unique menu full of Indian fare that I've never been able to find anywhere else. I got a fantastic steal with the SRW ($35 for an app, entree, and dessert!), but otherwise I'd expect to shell out a bit here (~$30 or more per entree). Location wise, it's in Pioneer Square, which means your parking options are a lot that costs 20 bucks an hour at night or hard fought street parking. The owner is an adorable man overflowing with knowledge about different regions of India and just excited to share his passion.Paneer Amritsari (3.5/5): The paneer itself was pretty standard, nice char on the outside. The real highlight of this was the chutney, which is INCREDIBLE. Chutney 5 stars, but the appetizer itself wasn't anything special.Beef Ularthiyathu (4.25/5): This was almost like a beef rendang where the beef is fried to the point of almost pulled pork texture. Super peppery where you don't think it's spicy, but at the end of the plate you're tongue will r e a l l y feel it. Heads up, the roti it came with was more crispy than flaky, but was enjoyable nonetheless.Saoji Chicken Rassa (3.5/5): The chicken drumsticks were actually cooked pretty well, but this dish just wasn't my favorite. This was served with some savory donuts, which were a little dry and dense and a peanut sauce that I thought clashed with the curry. I would've preferred rice or something softer that could soak up the curry instead. Interesting, but I wouldn't order again.Ras Malai (4.25/5): Very mild, fluffy disks of cheese with pistachio bits and soaked in a lightly floral, saffron milk (think condensed milk-esque). Great combination of textures and flavor.

Went for lunch with the team. It was fixed thali. Great food and service, definitely recommend!