Celebration by Rupa Vira - Modern Indian Cuisine

The whole experience was just Meh! I guess I was expecting a lot from the place and it under delivered. Got the Goat Kashmiri which tasted just like a regular tomato base curry. The butter naan was too dry, looked like reheated Naan with hardly any butter on it. The Sabzi Mandi was the best amongst what we have got and I can surely order it again or take out.The ambiance is nice and the host/service staff were helpful. But on the whole I wouldn't really look forward to spending the money for such average food

This is the best Indian lunch buffet in the D.C. area. It is only on Sundays from 11:30am-3pm. The cost is $27 for adults. There are ample and excellent choices for both vegetarians and non-vegetarians and it has the look and feel of a high end Las Vegas buffet. There is also a made to order station for dosas. Few Indian restaurants are able to combine North Indian (Punjabi), Central Indian (Gujarati) and South Indian cuisines as well as Celebration does. It is a little bit of a trek from Arlington or D.C. but well worth the trip!

Celebration by Rupa Vira was voted as the best Indian restaurant by the readers of Northern Virginia Magazine. With a pedigree like that, I was excited to try it. Unfortunately, I don't think it lives up to the hype.The ambiance is quite nice. It's intimate -- which is saying a lot considering how big the place is. But that's the vibe you get when you walk in.The service was a bit dodgy. Our server would disappear for long periods of time for no apparent reason -- the place wasn't all that busy while we were there. But that wouldn't have been a real issue if the food was great. But it it wasn't. It was just average.We went with another couple and ordered the following for the table: Bombay Bhaji Cheese Toast, Lotus Root Stem Chaat, Keema Pav, Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Salmon, Butter Chicken, Vegetable Dum Biryani with Lamb, Dum Ki Sunehri Nalli (Braised Lamb Shank), and Dal Makani.With the notable exception of the Biryani and the Cheese Toast, the food was bland and didn't live up to the menu description. I expect my Indian food to be vibrant. That's not an adjective I would use to describe the majority of the food I ate.That is not to say that the food was bad -- it was eminently acceptable and in some cases visually stunning. But I have had better Indian food than what I was served at the "best Indian restaurant in Northern Virginia."

This really is a hidden gem in Ashburn! My friend and I came here for the brunch specials and everything was delicious! The price is very reasonable and the service is great. The waiter was friendly and explained each dish in detail while giving great recommendations. We ordered the murgh pav (fried chicken sandwich), keema pav (lamb), goat curry, garlic naan, and jeera rice. I wish I had room for dessert or else I definitely would have ordered that too! The inside has an upscale vibe and very spacious. I love this place!

Was empty when I came but such a good spot for Indian food! We came for brunch and got a few items and we surprised with how cheap everything was. Our waiter was very nice and patient with our decisions, and all the items were got were so tasty! I loved the murgh pav's chicken crispiness alongside the sauce and brioche buns, the keema pav was tasty, and the goat curry with rice and garlic naan really hit the spot. I would come to Ashburn to eat here, because the interior is nice, staff are attentive and friendly, and food is delicious for a reasonable price!

Rupa Vira's restaurants are very popular in NoVa, and my friends have said great things about her other restaurant, but I knew I had to come to this location for food. The ambiance of the restaurant was so peaceful yet modern. The lighting and the interior design really helped contribute to the fancy restaurant feeling. Even the waiters were kind and helpful. They introduced us to their popular dishes and explained what each dish consisted of. I think if you're looking for a fancy meal without breaking the bank, this is the perfect option for you. The highlight of this restaurant is the way they carefully plate each dish they give you. The aesthetic is the best part. The dishes they have are pretty basic for someone who eats Indian food regularly, but they've made these great variations to the classic dishes which makes you want to try it. My friend and I got the lotus root chaat and the butternut squash kofta. Classic malai kofta is made with potatoes and paneer, but this restaurant made it with butternut squash. I was a little skeptical with how it would taste but honestly I was surprised. In my opinion it tasted better than regular malai kofta! We ordered an appetizer, entree, 2 trays of naan, and an alcoholic drink and our total was under $60. And we had plenty of leftovers! The only gripe I had was that they charge for sides that usually come with your entree at other restaurants. Usually gravy entrees come with rice at Indian restaurants but at this one you have to pay a little extra for it. Even sides like pickle, onion, etc are extra. But other than that, I would definitely recommend coming to this restaurant for some tasty Indian food.

Got take out food from them - side of dal, tandoori chicken and chicken Purana. I will say even though it is on the pricier side and portions are small compared to other Indian restaurants the flavor of the food is definitely spot on. I would say they are the best Indian restaurants in the Ashburn area.

Below is a review by my 12-year old kid, who along with us really enjoyed the food, service, and ambience:When we came into the restaurant  we were immediately greeted with friendly service. After they cleared up the confusion about a dessert which my parents had come specifically to eat at this restaurant, they sat us at a quiet corner. We then looked over the menu and decided our dishes. I ordered a rose lassi. The taste was very interesting - it tasted like the smell of an Indian store. As for the texture, it was a bit too thick for my liking. We then ordered appetizers: a lamb dish and a lotus root salad. Both were extremely delicious. The salad came first and we could tell that they went all out on it. It had a crunchy texture, and the combination of sweet and sour was exquisite. Then the lamb dish came. I was very impressed with the presentation, it was flawless. It was finely minced lamb on a paratha with onion and sauce, and the texture was melt in the mouth as the dish had said on the menu. The sauce was perfect, minty with some sweetness. The lamb was prepared to perfection, and it went well with the flaky paratha. As for the main dish, it didn't impress me a lot. We ordered rumali roti and a gravy with vegetables. The gravy was a bit on the oily side and maybe they could have cut the vegetables a bit smaller. The roti was just simple roti in my opinion, although it was really thin and soft and my parents seemed to like it. Then came their showstopper, something that was gonna change the course of this meal forever. The dessert. When it came out, it looked stunning. With the rose petals, the almonds and to make it fancy, of course they had to put 23-karat gold on top. But that was not the point, the point was its presentation. It came out on a bed of dry ice, the waiter then proceeded to pour water over the ice that created a smoky effect as shown in the photo. As for the taste, I mean it blew our minds. All the flavors worked extremely well with each other, the airiness of the cream was what really made this dessert special. Overall, Celebrations by Rupa Vira was a very good restaurant with friendly service, awesome food and a pretty clean bathroom.Drinks: 8.5/10Appetizer: 9/10Main course: 7.5/10Dessert: 10/10Service: 9/10Atmosphere/Setting: 8.5/10

This place is an absolute gem! The food was nothing short of spectacular every bite was packed with bold, authentic Indian flavors. The chicken tikka masala was rich and creamy, the biryani was perfectly spiced, and the naan was warm, soft, and just the right amount of crispy. You can tell they use high-quality ingredients because everything tasted so fresh! And let's talk about the service, Luisa was AMAZING. She was so welcoming, attentive, and had the best recommendations. She made sure our drinks were always full and checked in just the right amount without being intrusive. You can tell she genuinely cares about making customers happy. Five stars all the way! Can't wait to come back.

Chef Ajay, a very impressive young man, visited our table and discussed the menu and his background. We found the Chicken Korma, Nan, and the Spinach with Cheese to be superior to other Indian/sub continent restaurants in N.Virginia. I am familiar with Punjabi dishes as I lived in Lahore, Pakistan for two years and this place ranks among best in that city has to offer. Tom Sietsema was right, this place is wonderful.