This place finally re-opened! My husband and I ordered from here take-out for dinner and we also tried the lunch buffet. It's been awhile since we've been to a lunch buffet at an Indian restaurant due to the pandemic so we were really excited this was here! The chicken tikka masala was delicious and flavored well. The naan served fresh was to die for! The best part about this place IMO is that when I asked if anything was spicy, they said no AND IT WAS TRUE. Usually at any Indian restaurant, I tell them, no spice - and its still super spicy :( But here, they were true to their word so I was so glad! I look forward to coming back here to satisfy a craving! read more

I guess Indian Aroma got their name right... because the aroma started before we even reached the restaurant. My friend and I walked 16 minutes because we were starving and didn't have a car. The reviews looked decent, so we figured it was worth the trek. As we got closer, however, we ended up on a street with a smell that could only be described as a warning sign from the universe. I told my friend, "If the restaurant is on this street, I'm not going in." Naturally, it was. My friend convinced me to at least give it a chance. We walked inside, and while the smell wasn't quite enough to send me running, it definitely wasn't helping build confidence. My friend was fine with it. Later I realized she was simply too tired to walk anywhere else. I ordered the lamb biryani, and she ordered the butter chicken. We also got what was advertised as a green salad. Calling it a green salad felt generous--it was more of an onion convention with a few green leaves attending as guests. The food arrived, and I was so hungry that I would have eaten almost anything at that point. I started enthusiastically. Then something magical happened: as soon as my hunger went away, so did my desire to continue eating. The butter chicken was the biggest mystery of the evening. It tasted nothing like butter chicken. In fact, I'm still trying to solve the case. Was it chicken? Was it butter? Was it an entirely new life form? The world may never know. The lamb biryani wasn't terrible, but it wasn't memorable either. The most memorable part of the meal was trying to figure out what exactly we were eating. There were only two other occupied tables, and they looked just like us--hungry tourists who had followed the reviews and were now silently reevaluating their life choices. As we left, my Indian friends' advice finally came back to me: "If you walk into an Indian restaurant and there are no Indian customers, keep walking." Sadly, my brain remembered this valuable life lesson only after I had already met the world's most mysterious butter chicken. Some lessons are learned the hard way. Others are learned 16 minutes from your hotel while carrying a to-go box you know you're never going to open. On the bright side, the walk there and back counted as cardio, and I left with a story that was more satisfying than the meal. for the adventure. for the food. read more

I hope that the dinner menu is better than the buffet items? This buffet is really lacking selection and quality. No desert items to finish with either. read more

Still one of my gotos for good Indian Food. I've been going here for years. I went recently with my girls family for lunch and everything was amazing per usual. I did wanna mention that we sat outside in the back patio. It's really nice back there. I sometimes forget it's back there. They've done a really good job on renovating the place. Anywho maybe when it gets a little warmer, try eating outside sometime! read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

I just went back again and tried their food again. Their veggie soup is delicious and all their dishes were amazing again! read more

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Good food but this biggest thing I will note is their customer service. They really go above and beyond to take care of their guests and it is very obvious the care and attention the owner puts into his restaurant. Staff is very welcoming and the food was tasty as well. Can't wait to come back in the future. read more

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Ordered take out for the first time about a week ago and was very impressed with the food. I ordered a spicy buttered chicken, a medium chicken tikki masala, a garlic naan and a basil naan and everything was delicious. The naan was fresh and flavorful and I was able to reheat on a skillet the next day and it was still fresh and tasty. The butter chicken was probably the best I've had in years and the tikki masala was great too. I love spicy food so I will be ordering extra spicy for both next time and I'm looking forward to it. My husband picked up the food but said the place was nice and the person who he got the food from was very nice. I'll likely continue take out but look forward to visiting in person myself soon. read more

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The food is tasty. We did have the buffet The food was tasty, but it was not super hot when we got it to our table. There are not a lot of choices at the buffet, but again the food is good Keep in mind that when you go to pay a tip is added to the price. We generally do not tip that much at a buffet The owner was quite personable. I think we would've been better off just ordering off the menu. We probably would've paid about the same amount. read more

Went here for the lunch buffet. It is 11-2 and it was stunning! $20 per person. Highly recommend! I loved it

Absolutely disgusting experience. The entire restaurant smelled like sewage the moment I walked in -- not a mild odor, not "something off," but a full-on sewer smell that made me question why the place was even open. As if that wasn't bad enough, I found a hair in my chicken kebab. At that point I was done. Appetite gone. Trust gone. Basic sanitation clearly isn't a priority here. There is zero excuse for serving food in conditions like this. Cleanliness is the bare minimum for a restaurant, and Aroma Indian Cuisine completely failed. I regret eating here and will never be back. Save yourself the money and the nausea. read more

Delicious and not overly spicy like some places in town. Love the patio outside! Service was ok

The food and service was great. The food was tasty and our waitress was attentive. We look forward to trying their buffet. read more

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TLDR: descent food, little variety but expensive lunch buffet. So, I went to the lunch buffet on Friday, October 24, 2025, around 11:30. I arrived and didn't get a warm welcome from anyone. I wandered around for a bit, and it seemed like the kitchen was a bit surprised to see me since they opened at 11. The waitress finally came out and sat me down, and it was obvious they were a bit behind schedule. She showed me the lunch buffet, and for $20, it was a bit of a disappointment: just two chicken dishes, mixed veggies, a potato curry, and some cold fried veggies. At least they had dessert! Overall, the food was good, but the value wasn't there. The restaurant was clean, but it was a bit chilly. It was also strange that they put sparkling water on the table, but it wasn't included in the bill. And they don't mention it unless you ask, which seems a bit shady. Also, $8 for sparkling water? That's a bit much, don't you think? read more

Outstanding food & outstanding service! The rosemary naan was incredible. I could come here and just order it with a drink and be happy. The biryani was also out of this world. The tika misala did not miss. read more

Have been going here for over a decade, and with the recent renovations it has been an even more enjoyable atmosphere! My two boys under 10 years love coming here for lunch and dinner. They love the butter chicken and they try to order endless naan. I'm on the path to try the entire dinner menu, however you can't go wrong with the lunch buffet during buffet hours. In my experience they make chai the best. Sukh has been quite a host for our table. Accommodating my kids, and enjoying we are having a great time! We have eaten in the back since the renovation and it is equally an enjoyable experience. You truly are missing out if you haven't been here before. Great people, great food, competitive quality! read more

Amazing Tikka masala! The Garlic naan is delicious. Portions are great!!! Spice level is on point!!! read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

Aroma is a gem. The service was excellent (shoutout Jeet for being so attentive), the ambiance was relaxing and comfortable, and everything we ordered truly a 10/10. The vegetable samosas were a standout, the cheese pizza naan was fun and delicious, and the chicken tikka masala was super flavorful. Honestly, such good quality for how affordable it is. Definitely coming back soon! read more

The food here is amazing. Very wonderful service. The ambiance was very calm, sexy and cool. We will be back. read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Ambiance - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

I went to Aroma Indian cuisine for lunch with my friend. We were lucky enough to be there for the buffet. There were so many delicious choices! Everything was fresh and delicious! We also ordered a side of naan and some chai tea. It was all so tasty. The staff was also impeccable! Very friendly and attentive. read more

Best Indian food I've had in long time! Blows all the other spots in the area away. The best saag paneer I've ever had, chicken tiki masala and lamb vindaloo were also so flavorful and meats were moist and tender. Service was great and the patio was super cute. 12/10!! Will definitely be returning for their $20 lunch buffet read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Saag Paneer, Lamb Vindaloo, Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

Ate here for lunch with a friend, and it was phenomenal. While they did have a lunch buffet available, we didn't do it because I was looking for some chicken tikka masala (spicy) and boy did they deliver. The service was amazing. They are so friendly and polite! We ordered vegetable samosa, spicy chicken tikka masala, garlic and regular naan, a side of rice, and Indian iced coffee. Everything was so fresh and flavorful, cooked to perfection! The spicy chicken tikka, was the perfect amount of heat - enough to make your nose run, but still able to enjoy the flavors. Naan was nicely made and the Indian iced coffee? The most creamiest, velvety iced coffee I have ever had. It was refreshing to sit out side on the back patio! We will definitely come here again! read more

Wow literally 10/10. From such kind service, clean and beautiful environment, and absolutely delicious food. Will most definitely come back soon. Pardi was an amazing server as well. read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Butter Chicken Tikka Masala Garlic Naan Cilantro Naan Paneer Tikka Kebab - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

Me and my boyfriend were in the area looking for somewhere to eat when we stumbled upon this place. We decided to give it a try and ordered their butter chicken, bullet naan, and chicken kerma. This is the freshest Indian food we're ever had, and we're coming from the emeryville/Oakland area. The butter chicken was fresh as well as sweet, however paired with the bullet naan it had the perfect amount of spice. We enjoyed our overall experience and will definitely be coming back! read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Butter Chicken, Bullet Naan & Chicken Korma - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

My original review was removed for being too vague, so I will provide a more detailed review. We ordered a tandoor meats plate, Chicken Tikka Masala and Butter Chicken. None blew us away, they weren't terrible but weren't really good either. Chicken Tikka Masala lacked complexity to the point of being bland but hot and sweet at the same time. Like a simple tomato sauce that had hot pepper and straight white sugar added to try to make it seem like more than it was. Butter Chicken was basically the same as the TM, very sweet but not very good. Tandoor meats were dry, I actually thought they could've been reheated and not cooked fresh. I'm not saying that was definitely the case but that was the first thing I thought of. Naan was okay. I appreciate Yelp asking me to expand on my previous review which they deleted. After revisiting my experience in detail I believe I was able to give a more accurate rating for the food we received on this occasion. read more

They've re-opened after a years-long closure, surprised as I figured they had to be done for good (especially with two other Indian restaurants in town now, I don't know if Benicia can support 3 Indian restaurants). As always, for better or for worse, I grade Benicia restaurants on a very slight curve, since I don't expect SF-level 5s in such a small town. Food is quite good imo. Portions aren't huge, but the curries are very flavorful how I like them. Their Tikka Masala is better imo than the other options in town, and that's my go-to. I like the sharp/strong tomato flavor. Naan was on point. Mixed veggie pakora was competent. I ordered online so I can't really speak to service at all. I'm glad they were able to re-open though and wish them success. read more

Went here for my birthday earlier this week, with my family. Really, an outstanding experience all the way around. Food was amazing - the best Indian food I can remember having. Our waitress was perfect as well - she showed up just often enough, but she gave us plenty of space and was not at all hovering over us. I will definitely come back here!! read more

Atmosphere was extremely welcoming. Owner was personable and accommodating. Food was delicious and authentic. There were lots of vegan options. I will definitely be back! read more

Review for Saturday takeout dinner. Used the online order website, user friendly. They'll text you when they accept your order and when it's ready to pick up, this was nice! We ordered: Chole bhature (the bread/bhature was yummy! Samosa chaat (all in one container, samosa was no longer crunchy, chutney sauces mixed in. Better to enjoy dine-in.) We ordered these 3 dishes mild, but they still had a kick to it. Chicken tika masala, Methi malai chicken, Kerahi chicken needed more salt. Ingredients were fresh. It was ok overall. read more

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This was my second time visiting and only my second time trying Indian cuisine, and once again I was completely blown away. The service was amazing -- the tall, handsome gentleman who assisted us all night gave excellent recommendations, especially the coconut shrimp, which was absolutely outstanding. We ordered the samosa chaat, butter chicken, and garlic naan, and every single dish left us speechless. We sat on the back patio listening to great music and stayed warm with the heaters, which made the experience even better. The food, the atmosphere, and the staff were all a 10/10. I can't wait to come back again. read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

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Look, I love Indian and south asian food and I dont mean to be a jerk but this place drove me nuts. It smelled crazy inside, and I don't mean jerk who isn't familiar with other food crazy, but dirty sink drain crazy. And immediately after I'm struck by the fact that this like 25 sec mantra is chanting over and over, it starts hecka loud and then slowly lulls off and then starts over again loud as heck. Then, we get our samosas and one of them is extremely lukewarm inside. The butter chicken and lamb masala were baller, I couldn't stop burning my mouth on it. So good. But then I get a refill on my water and BAM. A freaking bug floating in it. I probably won't come back unfortunately read more

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We ordered through DoorDash so this review will be a little limited. No comment on the service or the ambiance. So Aroma is the highest rated Indian restaurant in the area on DoorDash. It's 4.8 stars. It was also the quickest delivery time. I think it was under 30 minutes. The restaurant is probably a 15 min drive away from my house. We ordered the butter chicken, chicken tikka masala, plain naan, and two mango lassi. It's a good amount of food! We had leftovers for the next day. The naan arrived still warm and wrapped in foil. The containers were clearly labeled with BC and CTM. I always appreciate not having to play food detective. The mango lassi was carefully Saran wrapped. No spillage! So the packaging was immaculate! The food tasted good too! It was exactly what you expected. Delicious Indian food. I requested mild for the spice level and they delivered. It was a very satisfying dinner. DoorDash always jacks up the prices. But I think delivery from Aroma was worth the price we paid. Welcome back Aroma! read more

Super clean and tidy restaurant! Servers were very friendly and informative. We are not very familiar with Indian food so we had a lot of questions! The food blew our socks off! Wow! We are big fans! Started with the Samosa Chaat. Pretty rich but soooo flavorful with the spices. Shared the chicken kebab and it was served to us in a sizzling platter with onions and peppers and big chunks of chicken. There was a slightly sweet sauce on the bottom that was wonderful. Lamb curry was delicious as well. Fluffy basmati rice excellent. The Naan OMG! We got the garlic. We can't compare to the others but all we know is that we were happy with our choice. All this came to $62 for 2 people. which I thought was pretty reasonable. And lots left over we took home. Don't skip over this place on 1st street. It really deserves you to try them out! read more

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Excellent food, both husband and I enjoyed our lunch. We had tikka masala lamb and Methi Chicken... Highly recommend! read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Rosemary naan.. excellent!! - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

My boyfriend and I went over the weekend, looking forward to a wonderful dinner, as I had not been there in many years, and remembered the place fondly. It was surprisingly empty yet the tables were dirty, and the lovely ambience I remembered from years past was no longer there, replaced by loud pop music blaring overhead. The young server was kind, but seemed distracted. She asked us to order immediately after sitting down, before we even had a chance to look at the menu ... when we did order drinks, appetizer and entrees, pretty much everything came at once instead of timed, and we had to ask repeatedly for missing items. I'm hoping last night was just a one-off, and that the owner will remind staff of the importance of timing in restaurants. read more

Truly cannot recommend this place enough. I've been coming to Aroma since they re-opened last year and I can't say enough good things about it, especially for those who have any special dietary needs (vegan, vegetarian, or pescatarian). Their food is made fresh and all the items I've tried have had great portions, good flavor, and taste authentic. In addition, they offer excellent customer service and it's clear that they take the quality of their food seriously. My favorites include the pani puri, vegan tikka masala, samosas, and the Gobhi Manchurian. But really whatever you end up ordering will be good. read more

I'm honestly shocked this place gets the praise it does. From the moment we walked in, the experience felt off. There was no real greeting, no sense of hospitality just awkward waiting while staff seemed distracted and uninterested, as if customers were an inconvenience rather than the reason they're there. The food did nothing to redeem it. The dishes were bland, watered down, and completely forgettable. Nothing tasted fresh or thoughtfully prepared, and the portions were surprisingly small for the price. Indian food should be rich, aromatic, and comforting this was none of that. It felt rushed and careless, like minimal effort was the goal. What really pushed this experience into uncomfortable territory was the overall lack of cleanliness. Sticky tables, an unkempt dining area, and a general sense that basic upkeep wasn't a priority made it hard to relax or enjoy the meal. By the time the food arrived, I'd already lost my appetite. When a restaurant makes you genuinely consider calling the health inspector just to be sure everything is up to code, that's a massive red flag. Service was slow and inattentive throughout, and when issues were apparent, there was no urgency or concern. To make matters worse, unexpected charges appeared -- items placed on the table without explanation that later showed up on the bill. That kind of practice feels misleading and leaves a bad taste long after you leave. Overall, this was an overpriced, uncomfortable experience that fell short in food, service, and basic standards. There are far better Indian restaurants nearby that actually care about quality and their customers. I won't be returning, and I definitely wouldn't recommend this place to anyone. And bathroom was DIRRRTTYYY AND STINKY!!! read more

I came in during my lunch hour because I was craving some chicken tikka masala, and boom they had it, but they also had it as part of a lunch buffet. Take advantage of that buffet special because you could eat your fill -- naan and that butter chicken -- so good! My only gripe was that mineral water that was on the table, Pellegrino I believe it was, I thought that was included with my meal, as most waters are complimentary. Nope, it wasn't. Add $8 onto that tab. Wasn't expecting that and the server on the phone could've given me the heads up. Other than that, great food, clean place. read more

Excelente food and service. Thank you JP Good Ambience. Good friendly service. Buffet Monday- Sunday 11- 2:30 read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California

Best Indian food in the Bay Area! I came in around 9pm Tuesday night and had such an amazing experience as usual. I'm so happy they re-opened! The naan is perfect, and the tandoori chicken is so flavorful. My favorite is still their butter chicken. It's honestly hands down the best in the Bay. Highly recommend it. The aesthetic inside is beautiful. They really did their thing with the recent remodel. Comfy chairs and a cute back patio area. Service is top notch. Every time I've come in the staff has always been attentive, friendly, and seem genuinely happy to be there. I love that. Overall amazing restaurant. I can't say enough good things. read more

Excellent, and welcome back. We purchased home in Benicia 4 years ago before the unfortunate kitchen fire here. We we delighted after all these years for your return. Quality of food was excellent, as well as presentation and service. The staff was very attentive to all customers needs. They check in with you often, and were interested to know if the food met are expectations, and it did. My family agreed they all wish to eat here again, and that means it's on the list of local favorites for us. We had the vegetable samosa, basil naun, chicken tiki masala and rice. Very simple week night after class dinner. It was a spontaneous decision to visit, so we will bring all family next visit. Thank you again for the great hospitality.. read more

Aroma Indian Cuisine - Vegetable Samosa - Indian Near Me - Benicia, California