A taste of Indian food brings intense flavor, colored with strong spices and creamy textures. The complexity of Indian cuisine is often what keeps its most fervent aficionados coming back for more. While thinking of Indian food can elicit thoughts of more common menu items like tikka masala, biryani, and curry, the reality is Indian cuisine encompasses hundreds of regional dishes that can vary dramatically in taste and texture. Nashville is fortunate to possess several good Indian restaurants, from a handful of long-established local favorites to hidden gems that fly relatively under the radar. Here’s where to get that Indian food fix in Music City.
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8 Essential Indian Restaurants in Nashville
Where to find biryanis, dosas, kati rolls, and more

Woodlands | Indian Vegetarian Cuisine
Woodlands Indian Vegetarian Cuisine has been a hugely popular restaurant among vegetarians and non-vegetarians alike for years. After briefly closing for a few months in 2017, the city breathed a sigh of relief when it reopened, and it continues to be a go-to spot for its lunch buffet and dinner.
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Bombay Palace Restaurant
Bombay Palace draws crowds for its lunch buffet, which offers many traditional Indian favorites including several vegetarian options. While there are other good Indian restaurants on the west side of town, Bombay Palace’s patrons continue returning for the restaurant’s consistent quality and accommodating staff.
Sitar Indian Restaurant
Sitar Indian Restaurant is located within walking distance of Vanderbilt University in the heart of Midtown, serving Indian and Pakistani cuisine for lunch and dinner in a warm, relaxing space. Don’t miss the scallop patia or chili pakora.
Swagruha
Nashville’s Farmer’s Market on Rosa L Parks Boulevard is home to one of the city’s favorite destinations for spicy goat curry, chili chicken, vegetable korma, pakodas, and mango lassi. Swagruha’s quick and easy to eat-on-the-go fare is thanks to Vijay and Siva Pavuluri, both South Indian natives.
Chauhan Ale & Masala House
One of three local restaurants from celebrity chef Maneet Chauhan, Chauhan Ale & Masala House marries a traditional approach to Indian dishes with an appreciation for Southern ingredients. Before diving into the desi fare section, make a pit stop at the appetizers for gol guppa shots.
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Saffron The Indian Kitchen
A mix of traditional fare and modern on-the-go takes on Indian specialties, like biriyani bowls, is the name of the game at Saffron the Indian Kitchen, located in the new Assembly Food Hall downtown. It’s from the same folks that were behind the former Mysore Palace in Franklin, which is now home to a new Indian restaurant, Persis Biryani Indian Grill.
Taj Indian Restaurant
Ask a local where to find the best Indian food in Nashville and Taj will likely be near the top of the list. This south Nashville restaurant is one of the most popular places to enjoy Indian cuisine, and a wait is common during peak dinner times.
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Sindoore
Sindoore serves north Indian cuisine in an elegant space tucked away in a Donelson strip mall. Try the chicken kati roll, an Indian street food staple resembling a burrito, and don’t miss the homemade ice cream, which is flavored with betel leaves and rose petals.
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