Real Indian food. Local and independently owned. Organic meats and entrees listed on the menu. The decor is nothing too fancy but still nice enough to enjoy a casual meal out. smaller and intimate. Everything ordered was fantastic! The flavors were very well developed and delicious. The best Indian restaurant I have found in the Bay Area; in sweet little granola town Fairfax! read more

Food was excellent, say a little above 4 stars. Vindalu was outstanding. Minced lamb kebab was both different and quite good. Garlic naan was decent but not amazing - not enough garlic and it's not baked in (despite the menu description to the contrary). Service was mediocre. Not bad. Just average. I used to wait tables so perhaps I'm a hard judge of service. Why the 5 stars? Backyard seating was very nice. Truly family run restaurant - nice to see Indian staff making Indian dishes. Most importantly, the price point was outstanding. At this price point, I'd say 4.5 stars. read more

Cafe Lotus is a small, pleasant place in downtown Fairfax. I have had their tandori, tikka massala and their naan lunch wraps. All of the items have been tasty and reasonably priced. I don't know if I would travel a long distance for their food, but it is a great place to stop when you are in the neighborhood. read more

A rainy night and a waiter who's English was less than adequate was not a great start to dinner. We ordered the vegetables in coconut curry and naan. We were brought the wrong dishes twice. The food was very good but the portion was relatively small fro the price. If I was in the neighborhood I would eat here again but I wouldn't go out of my way and I wouldn't choose it for a special occasion a little too casual. read more

Just had dinner at Cafe Lotus for the first time in a couple years. My last experience was so-so, but read some of the updated reviews here on Yelp and thought I'd give it another try... I got the Navrattan Korma and Pesto Naan-ordered it online for take out (which was very streamlined and no problem, ready when I got there...) So not sure if this was a bad night for them, or another case of ethnic food getting watered down to suit the general public, but there was very little spice to the curry-it tasted almost watery. Even after adding salt, it was hard to get some flavor from it. The pesto naan was more appetizing, a little more burnt around the edges than I prefer and less fluffy, but oh well. I'm going to try Cafe Lotus one more time for lunch, simply because I really want to find a decent take out place in Fairfax, but wasn't so encouraged by this latest visit. read more

Two stars may be a little harsh for this place... the service is fast and the food is pretty tasty, but there's just something that didn't mesh with me here. The whole experience just didn't hold up to the feelings that made me drool when first seeing the Indian Food sign in the window. The food was very average, and it was a little too expensive for what it was. Oh, and the chair hurt my butt. TWO STARS! read more

I've eaten at this Cafe a few times and they do a pretty good job, featuring an organic menu with gluten-free and vegan options. Most recently, we ordered: 1. Shrimp Pakora (a bit bland without the dipping sauces) 2. Lamb curry (surprisingly quite spicy!) 4. Basmati Rice- a smidge underdone as some of the grains were still crunchy 3. Gluten-free Garlic naan- nice because I haven't had naan in a very long time but OK in terms of texture. It was on the crispy side and didn't have the nice chewiness that I like. The only thing I was a bit concerned about was that every item seems labled as either gluten-free or vegan, but with a closer look, I saw that one dish labled as gluten free contained "wheat". When asked, the server did confirm that the dish contained wheat and was not gluten-free. So even though it's nice that they've gone to such lengths to accomodate those with gluten allergies or dietary modificiations, it's always safer to check and ask. read more

Food was terrible, a few peas on top of some white rice, nav korma was disgusting and small portion, flavor was very flat, even the chai was bitter. After the food came we sat for 20 minutes before someone came to the table, my date commented on how the food was flat and tasteless and the comment from the waiter was "have you ever been to India?". Well, she has for 6 months out of the year since the mid 80's, so she held her ground and told them the food was terrible, eventually the waiter said he agreed and "this place doesn't cook like they do in India, they cook for Americans". The owner got word we we're not happy, came over to give us our naan and only gave a glaring look to my date. No comment, no asking "how is your food?", nothing! They have always been slow, but slow and terrible for $40, never again! My date apologized for recommending the place, and I think a lot of the Fairfax crowd give it good recommendations simple because it's the only Indian food in town and loving Indian is so trendy and hip. Get better Indian food at the liquor store next door. read more

My friend and I had a lovely dinner at Cafe Lotus after a fun day of Yelp festivities at Peacock Gap. I had actually been wanting to try Cafe Lotus for a while! When we decided to grab dinner in Fairfax, Cafe Lotus popped right into my mind. What a delicious meal! We ordered the vegetarian coconut curry, chana masala, and a side of brown rice. Everything was wonderful and all of the flavors meshed together perfectly. I especially enjoyed the coconut curry! Our food came very fast and everything was extremely fresh. The service was quick and efficient! I'm also very happy to know that they use organic ingredients. I enjoyed our meal and I look forward to returning again very soon! read more

YUM. We requested "spicy" for our saag aloo and paneer tikka masala, as we have learned to do in northern california, because the default offerings at most indian restaurants in this area tend to be a bit subtle/plain. I don't mean we just want heat - we want heat and rich, vibrant flavors. Cafe Lotus' "spicy" was not "melt your face off," or "can't finish my dinner," rather a delicious, lingering fire on the palate. Even better the next day for lunch leftovers. The pesto garlic naan was a lovely surprise! Quite tasty. Samosas were light and flavorful, not too greasy. Looking forward to our next visit! read more

This is literally my favorite place of all time ever in existence never again will anything be so awesome.

Pesto Naan? Really? If you say so... Cafe Lotus isn't too bad. It's not the best Indian I've ever had, but it's certainly not the worst. Their chaat is passable but doesn't hold a candle to Vik's in Berkeley. Their vegetable curries are a little better. One thing I like are the lunch specials available. One of my main complaints about Indian at lunch is that there's always too much there to eat lightly, and I never want to take back boxes after lunch. Their specials are pretty good and nicely varied. Good stuff. read more

Beautiful food for the money - great value! Kind quick service. Among the best Indian food I have had in Northern California - Loved it!

This place is simply amazing. Loved the garlic Naan and the lamb curry. Their Chai is the bomb diggity. Best Indian food I've had in the Bay Area. Great stuff!! read more

Wonderful food and service!!!!! The only thing that could use improvement is the decor. read more

I found a hole in the wall!! We were meandering and undecided on where to go, saw the sign for Indian Lunch special, and parked real quick. What a great surprise! The place has two 4-person tables, and four 2-person tables, which made it look really cozy. The menu was varied, and had a small section for lunch specials. We got the Tandoori chicken and lamb curry. Both tasted absolutely delicious and cooked to perfection. The place was packed and I can easily see why. Service was great, and you can even order directly on their website! (super convenient, check it out) Our lunch specials were 7.99 and 8.99, totally reasonable for Indian food. I can't wait to be back.. to take pictures, and most importantly, to try everything on the menu. It does say that minumum charge for CC is $10, so maybe if you're eating alone for lunch, bring some cashola. read more

The food was excellent. We had tikka masala and tandoor chicken with naan bread. I especially like the tikka masala. The restaurant is small and intimate. The service was good too. The food came out fast and they were attentive without being overbearing. read more

I love that they have gluten free garlic naan, and love that their menu specifies all of the gluten free entrees and options. Tip: you have to ask for the mint and tamarind sauce, they're not on the table. Also, it was hot today so sitting outside in the back patio was key. Came here years ago before and it's still just as yummy - will definitely be going back again and again :) read more

First things first-it is about time that Fairfax had an Indian restaurant! And for that, Cafe Lotus is a welcome addition to the dining choices in Fairfax. Unfortunately, the cuisine was a bit inconsistent. Aloo Gobi was flavorful, as was the tika masala however over priced for the portion size. Vegetable pakora was far more oily than I prefer. Everything was adequate, but didn't knock me out. Except the naan. Very fresh, very hot, and very tasty. Service was also very attentive and never let a water glass lay empty. read more

We stumbled upon this lovely little hole in the wall after a beautiful hike. The food was outstanding. We ate the Vegetable Pakoras, Chicken Vindaloo, Basmanti Rice and a side of Raita. Everything was cooked to perfection, and I would say they had the best raita I have ever had. The place is small, small enough to hear everyone else's conversation, but the food makes up for that. And the service was impeccable. The vindaloo was hot--but not as hot as some I have had. The mint and tamarind sauces that came with the pakoras were delicious, and the mint sauce was the most interesting color green I have ever seen in the food world. I would highly recommend this place to anyone who loves Indian food. read more

Yummy food. We loved the classics - Began bhartha (eggplant) and aloo saag (spinach and potato). The dining room's a little small and the portions aren't huge, but I'm a fan. read more

5 stars for the food - which we have had many times and has been consistently great. But something very uncool happened on Monday night that is making us hesitant to return. We called to place a to-go order. No one picked up, so we called back, and they took the phone off the hook. We could hear them interacting with customers, but could not get their attention. For the next ten minutes, we tried calling back, thinking maybe they'd just forgotten that they picked up the phone. But we continually got a busy signal. So, we figured they couldn't handle phone orders right now and we ordered online instead, using the link on their website, which said to expect a 30-45 minute delay on orders, and to pay at the restaurant. We love the food, so we decided we were okay with the delay. We then drove half an hour to get there, and when we checked in on our order, they told us they didn't receive it. And they offered no apology and were actually pretty cold/rude. We understand that places get busy/overwhelmed, but in that case, you would ideally disable any portals accepting orders. And if you can't manage to do that, then at least offer a big apology when your hungry customers arrive, having willingly waited extra time for the order, and offer some kind of attempt to make it right. (I did notice that there were two different ways to make an online order, one through google and one through their website, so maybe their website version actually doesn't work - in which case, I hope they see this review and disable that function so that this doesn't happen to more customers.) read more

Went for lunch on a Sunday with a friend. The food was good but my friends portion was very small, barely enough for a few bites. We spent 50$ and although the ambiance is lovely on the patio the portions are way too small. read more

As a professional chef I am discerning when it comes to food. This restaurant may not be the best Indian you have ever had, but they are very, very good. I don't care about the Gluten-free aspect, but clearly the town of Fairfax, and a lot of other folk do, so that's cool that they offer it. Each time I have visited they have gone out of their way to make the visit special, a complimentary dessert here, a taste of Mango Lassi there...very sincere people. Not necessarily sophisticated, but ernest in their efforts to please. As a professional, I don't know how they can afford to have so many people working there all of the time; there are as many staff as there are seat for patrons (almost). Last night while there (it was blistering hot inside), they went out of their way to make sure the door stayed open to allow cool air to flow thru, despite then having to rescue a not-well-supervised toddler who kept wandering out the door. Take out rocks. Protein portion always a little low for this meat-eater... read more

Amazing. Authentic Indian food made by a bunch of guys who look like they know what they're doing. Watch out for the spice. And they are expanding. read more

Cafe Lotus - Lamb curry and mixed veg saag and naan. - Indian Near Me - Fairfax, California

Absolutely delicious! My boyfriend has celiac's disease and he was so excited to finally get to taste Naan again. Everything is clearly marked if it is gluten-free which we were very grateful for and they use a separate fryer. Everything was very authentic and tasty. The service was also very good. I accidentally spilled my chai on the floor and was very embarrassed but our server was kind and immediately brought me a new one. I wish we had this place in Los Angeles! I will definitely visit again. read more

Super delish!!! Good service. Friendly faces. Polite. Delicious. Lots of choices. And lunch special very affordable especially for Marin!!! I'll be back for sure asap read more

Can I give this place 6 stars? Seriously, this place awesome. Organic goodness served up. The food is colorful and tasty. Great for take out. It could be hard for large groups to be seated because the dining area is small. Naan is made fresh when ordered. Everything is fresh and uses high quality ingredients. read more

Cafe Lotus - Vegetarian lunch special - Indian Near Me - Fairfax, California

Great Place to eat in Marin county . Fresh food , Great Service Great election of wine

I eat here about once a week and it is always amazing. Chana saag, tikka masala, lentils, naan. My favorite restaurant in Marin. The owners and the staff are extremely nice. read more

Excellent service, Excellent food! Try the panner Tikka masala and garlic pesto naan! read more

5 stars for the service and the food. Delicious curries, vegan option of bread available too (based on pea flower). Pea flower based garlic bread is amazing with the curries they serve. Staff were all friendly, sweet and helpful. One has a feel of a welcoming family run business almost. I'll definitely be back next time I'm in Fairfax. read more

Amazing. Had dinner from here last night. Succulent and tasty. No need to go further. Thanks guys!!! I'll be back soon

We're always on the hunt for excellent vegetarian friendly restaurants when we travel. When passing through Fairfax we noticed this highly rated restaurant so we had to stop and try it. It's a smaller place, probably more popular to the locals for takeout. About 5-6 tables inside, but they have a lovely patio outside in the back with another 8-10 tables. We ordered the Paneer Tikka Masala, Saag Chat and Samosa Chat. Very tasty! The older gentleman that helped us (most likely the owner) was very friendly, especially with our 3 year old boy. We will definitely return when we pass through again next year. :) read more

Their food was so yummy and the service even better!! They were very kind and accommodating to us while we waited to pick up our order. We loved their coconut chicken curry - savory and filling, but also light and sweet! Also their mango lassi and chai tea were both very good. Can't wait to come back when indoor dining is allowed again. read more

We used to love getting take out here. However last nights order was in our opinion quite overpriced for what we got, $29 for three lamb chops, chicken tikka was just a few pieces of chicken . Seems like they have cut back a bit 1/3 of what we are used to getting quantity wise over the past years. We love their food but what has happened ? read more

The best Indian food around! Located in downtown Fairfax, this wonderful gem is the perfect place to eat after a long day of hiking on Mt. Tam! You can smell the delicious food even before you get to the restaurant. As you enter through the door, you are immediately greeted by friendly and smiling employees who are there to serve you. When the weather is nice, you can even sit out in the back patio to enjoy some sun while eating great food. The Chicken Tikka is by far my favorite dish, that it is sometimes hard for me to want anything else. That being said, everything on the menu is superb! There is a nice beer and wine selection to choose from, as well as tea, and mango lassi. Do not forget to order some of the fresh rice pudding, which is colored beautifully by saffron and tastes of cardamom. A great place to bring a date, go as a family, or even by yourself. You will not be disappointed! Keep up the great work you guys :) read more

This place was so delicious! We had the chicken coconut curry, garlic naan, tandoori chicken and it was so flavorful and delicious! I will definitely come back here again. read more

Excellent Indian food - fresh, well balanced flavors, and fast friendly service. So glad they are here!

Super amazing flavorful food and service was catered as requested. Lamb tikka masala, aalu mint parantha and mango lassi were amazing