High five, good Indian! It seems that the ratings are all over the place because of poor quality of the lunch buffet. Haven't been, but let me tell ya, my saag paneer and chicken tikka masala were the bomb d. Why? Cuz they've got the cream! Literally. There dishes are smooth textured but still chock full of flavor. The lassi was even a bit too potent for my sensitive tastes. I can't stand cheesy Indian art (or Japanese for that matter) so the bright murals with beguilingly smiling women baring their bellies in here make me want to scream. Dining partner is important. Look.at.face. They got us in and out quickly; pretty sizeable place so you shouldn't have to wait long. Service was cordial. But mint chutney for those yummy samosas? Well, it was $1 and it just shouldn't be. read more

I really wanted to like this place. I tried my hardest, I really did. In fact, if my friend found out what I actually think about this place he will check into suicide watch. So after weeks of raving from my friend and walking by here smelling the fragrance of my homeland (not really, I've never been to India, but am Indian by blood), I decided to grab a "Groupon" to come, $6 for $8. I really wasn't expecting much for the price, and it sounded like a great deal. I wasn't going to complain about the food, because it is afterall, buffet food. I was pretty content with the tandoori chicken, but the chicken tikka and chicken jalfrazee were probably best left off the buffet menu. I found neither appetizing, and since I love naan and some sort of curry together I was forced to eat it. The naan was good, the chicken tikka wasn't horrible, but it wasn't great. However, the chicken jalfrazee was plain bad. I didn't even bother getting it twice. The other stuff I felt obligated to get more of simply because I wanted to get my moneys worth. Rice was definitely stale, and the raita was a little too sour for me. The highlight of the whole thing was when our server tried telling us he couldn't take our "Groupons". First his excuse was that we didn't tell him before we came, but to our defense there were no stipulations on the Groupon itself. Then he told us he will only do 1 per table, which again, not on the Groupon. After some hard deliberation by himself, he came back and agreed to accept our Groupons. We only had 3, and were a small party, I don't think it should have been that big of an issue, but it was. Worse than anything was the service. I hate to rate a place on service, because if my taste buds are tickled, I don't care if I am treated like the Shah of India, but we also saw our server giving another party some trouble that I'd rather not get into. Get rid of the server, and its still maybe a 3-stars at most. read more

The people who work here are extraordinarily kind and generous. One time I ordered catering for a 20-30 person function at MIT. In one of my genius moments, I thought a few of us could order pick-up and carry all the food back to campus on the T. Yeah, not so much. I could barely lift one tray of saag paneer. For a couple minutes, we just stood in the middle of the restaurant nervously, as the kind staff tried to come up with helpful ideas. Then owner came back from a delivery and asked about the situation. He insisted on driving us back to campus, and helped up carry all the food to the conference room, for no charge. In the car, he talked to us about Cambridge and the decades he's lived here, the restaurants that his father founded and that he now owns (including Punjabi Dhaba, another awesome restaurant), and his family. It was apparent that he really loved the city and his businesses, and that he really cared about making a quality establishment that was affordable to the people in the area, many of whom are students. It definitely shows. IP is really clean and spacious, the servers are always prompt and friendly, and the food is consistently good. They are always on time or early with delivery and pick-up. The lunch buffet is also one of the least expensive in town, and what they serve there is the same quality as the ordered meals. In general, their curries are flavorful, thick and creamy without feeling too heavy. I think their vegetarian dishes are the best. The naan is consistently fresh and chewy, and their filled naan is some of the best I've had in Boston. My favorite dishes here include malai kofta, chicken tikka masala, kheer, gulab jamun, and samosas. The vindaloos aren't spicy enough for my preference and one time the saag paneer had a weird taste, like a combination of soap and soot, but that was an anomaly, and it's usually good. The only somewhat off-putting thing about the restaurant is the door. Since they remodeled, they have like this steel door, which is kind of unwelcoming, especially because you can't really see into any of the windows either. I think if I'd never been there before and I were just walking by this place, it would not be my first restaurant choice because of this. read more

Easily my favorite Indian restaurant in Cambridge, which is quite a considerable feat considering the glut of almost indistinguishable eateries representing the little Asian subcontinent-that-could in Central Square. The food is consistently delicious, with reasonable portions, just the right amount of seasoning (generally not too spicy), and the meat is always tender and flavorful. I've had many chicken tikka masalas and lamb kormas with underwhelming pieces of meat. Not the case at India Pavilion. The service here is also quite good, although not stellar. I've only had a few instances where items we ordered came a little later than they should have, but the staff have always been warm and willing to remedy any issues that crop up. I think the best part, and what sets India Pavilion apart, is the fact that everything is surprisingly affordable. I almost always will order the "Complete Dinner" option, which adds a soup (mmm...coconut), rice, dessert (gulab jamun!), and drink of your choice to a regular dinner entrée for usually only $2 more. Everything included, you can get a delicious meal for only around $12-$14, plus tax and tip. Of course, you'll want to order a basket of their superlative naan too. Yum. Oh and they deliver too. Score! read more

If you have not been back to Indian Pavilion since it has been renovated GOGOGO. It is beautiful, modern, clean, a little tacky, but just enough to be bearable and sort of nice in a way, and has plenty of seating with a great view of Central Square. I came here to meet up with some family to share a dinner together. It was super fun, the food came out quickly, and we all had a great time. We all got soup and shared some appetizers and they were all delicious. My aunt doesn't like spicy food and the waiter was helpful in aiding her select options that she would like. I ended up getting the tandoori chicken. While it was a little difficult to eat with a fork and knife, otherwise it was perfect. I actually caved and used my hands and ate it off the bone. Full of flavor, the chicken came with a delicious yogurt sauce, roasted veggies, and naan. I devoured every last tasty bite. Everyone else at the table all enjoyed their food and we all finished everything. The owner came back after we left and thanked us for coming and asked us to come back and tell friends about the new renovation. SO GOGOGO if you like Indian food for a decent price in a great atmosphere this place is awesome. read more

While wandering around in my old 'hood on Saturday, we stopped into India Pavilion for some vittles. (The one thing I miss about Central Square is not the bum who pooped at the #1 bus stop, but the Indian food ... ohhhh, the curry, the curry.) The minute we walked into the restaurant, I was struck by the rehab. The updated dining room modernizes the place: super bright and clean-looking with a much more open layout and freshly-painted walls. Yet they're still employing the silly, chintzy powder blue Grandma plates from before. Love it. The buffet is still magnificent and cheap. Still some of the best naan in the country (yeah, I said it.) Always perfectly puffy and NEVER greasy. There is always plenty of chicken tikka and chicken tikka masala, that old standby, plus at least 2 or 3 vegetarian curries, pakoras , salad, heaps of rice, and kheer to finish (!!!) I've never quite gotten to the kheer while at the buffet out of sheer, uncomfortable post-Indian body bloat. No worries. India Pavilion is not the most inventive in terms of Indian offerings. The entrees are classic and simple, but also cheap, spicy, abundant, filling, and not altogether unhealthy. Now that Rodney's bookstore is closing, this is the only reason I have to revisit the old stomping grounds. Tooootally worth it. read more

I ordered Chicken Biryani, Shrimp Tikka and Chicken Curry. Shrimp was under cooked so I requested them to replace it. Staff was genuinely sweet. They replaced it but the replacement was the same so now I am not sure if it was actually replaced. I had to waste it and it really bothers me to waste food. Chicken Biryani had that really great Indian aroma. I was excited but sadly it had broccoli and mushrooms in it. Point me to a single biryani recipe where they recommend you to add either of these two? I do not go to India restaurants to have non-indian vegetables mixed randomly in my dishes. Also peas doesn't go in Biryani. Chicken curry was good. It had the Desi (thin) gravy unlike Chicken Tikka Masala. Service was quick. read more

I had not been to India Pavilion in many years when, on a beautiful early summer evening, my girlfriend & biked from Inman to Central to indulge in yet another of Cambridge's plethora of Indian restaurants. After Maharajah (thumbs up), Haveli (thumbs DOWN), Tamarind Bay (ok, but you always get put at at a terrible table), and Punjabi Dhaba, India Pavilion is the best yet. Nice décor (not quite as over-the-top entertaining as Maharajah), including a very impressive bar, and delicious food (especially the papdi appetizer). One descriptive caveat: the Lamb Rogan Josh & Navratan Korma we ordered "very spicy" were _too_ spicy. 99% of Indian places, in our experience, serve barely stimulative fare when one asks for "very spicy," but India Pavilion taught us about the 1%. It tasted delicious at the time (though that kind of frenetic "ah, it's _SOOO_ spicy--gimme more!" delicious), but we should have made sure we were eating it with raita, because later we paid the price. Next time, we'll ask for "medium spicy"! read more

So far, the best indian restaurant I have been to in Boston. The price is good, the food is good. I ordered the chicken vindaloo and the veggie samoosa which were both scrumptious. The kheer was a little runny though. I wonder if they have a buffet. Forget about old country buffet, an indian buffet IS the shiznits. read more

Terrible customer service ! Terrible ! We are 3 people visiting Boston, two of us wanted the eat at this place and one wanted to eat a falafel that she got in the next the next door. The server and the owner's son didn't allow us to seat and have a lunch if one of us have food from an other place! Our friend had to eat her falafel outside and then join us. We had to stay because the other friend really really wanted to eat Indian food ... And of course she regret so much ! Horrible ! .... The worse part was when I told him that wasn't good that our grind had to eat outside and that we will give him a bad review because we didn't considered it right and the owner's responded to that that doesn't matter because he paid a big amount of money in order to keep good reviews on yelp !!!! Horrible ! I do not recommend it at all ! read more

Next time I come, I'm totally getting samosas. I want to say the lamb was melting from the bone, but there was no bone, so my dining companion put it best: The lamb was melting from itself. The naan was fluffy and delicious, and even the basmati rice was good. This is notable because I normally can't see the point of rice that isn't brown. The onion chutney, which at other restaurants is simply chunks of onion in a red goo, was more like a tasty salsa. read more

The food was fine, but they wouldn't honor a gift card despite multiple assurances otherwise. They kept on telling me the "computer wasn't working" or "the manager is not here" and that I should come back the next day. Gave up after the third try. India Pavillion, you owe me $50. read more

Went here for dinner on the July 3rd after two other restaurants I attempted to go to were closed -- and happily, this ended up being a great third choice. The food came quickly and were spaced out nicely -- appetizers eaten, the entrees quickly appeared. And everything was tasty -- very much so. The curry wasn't as spicy as I like it, but it was still quite good, and the naan was chewy and good as well. The Masala Dosai we had to start was flavorful and yummy. After a day in the sun and swimming at Walden Pond, it was a perfectly huge meal, and it didn't come close to breaking the bank. I'll definitely go again! UPDATE: Tasty lunch buffet as well! Yum. read more

Great food and service, Indian Pavilion was a good call, the food really hit the shot. We're originally from Houston, Texas where there are good Indian restaurants in every corner but we were impressed and really enjoyed the meal. Highly recommended read more

India Pavilion is a great little spot in Central Sq - the naan is pretty wicked, and the beef vindaloo curry is spicy and just awesome. The staff is always a pleasure to deal with. read more

8 bucks (incl. tip) gets you stuffed at the lunch buffet. The buffet has enough options. Good luck finding the chicken swimming in the soup of tikka masala sauce. The sauce is clearly the cheapest part of every dish in this buffet. I would totally give them another star if they had masala tea included. OK indian food. OK lunch buffet value. OK, I'll go with you. read more

This place gets 4 stars for the good-value lunch/weekend buffet 11am-3pm. It's the best-quality indian buffet I've found so far in Cambridge, and I can personally stretch 2 or even 3 meals out of it if, instead of sitting down for it, I get and fill up their to-go containers out the gate. (I'm a female and a "snacker", though; your mileage may vary.) It's usually not super-crowded on the weekend, too, so a good place to meet friends when someplace like Cafe Luna is booked. Outside of the lunch buffet, the mango entrees, coconut soup, raita, and rice, generally, are high quality. (Yes, good rice is important.) Less impressed with lamb or chicken korma or eggplant dishes, which are my favorites at other places. Kofta is decent though. The staff is also inconsistent in attentiveness (which matters less during the buffet). So, solid "A-ok" 3 in eve, given increased cost. read more

After many years of dealing with poor service at many of the Indian restaurants near me this place was a pleasant treat. The staff was super attentive and eager to please. The food was great, My girlfriend ordered the veggie Taahli which came with soup, rice, two veggie entree's. Dal and a bread as well as a desert. I ordered the meat Taahli with a chicken vindaloo which was perfectly spiced. There was more then enough food for us with a little bit left to take home. My only complaint is that there was no vegan dessert options that come with the meals. read more

SUUUUUUPER SALTY... on occasion, i think it depends who's cooking. I eat almost zero salt. India Pavilion fills the samosa urge when it hits. A long standing survivor in the Central Sq Indian Restaurant Wars, Pavilion is your best choice for quality, service, and price in this day and age. Gone are the days of Ghandi and the best kulfi, Shalimar's glamour is dross playthings for daytime rats (yes rats, as in rodents, scampering around during lunch buffet), and Dosa Factory you have to wait 30 mins before someone shows up at the counter and then another 30 mins for the dosa to cook... Pavilion has expanded and has lots of seating options for small to large groups. The dinner is better than buffet. If the buffet is busy, it is ok. Don't believe them when you order take out on the spot and they say it won't take long. It will take at least 25-30 mins. On a Tueday at 6pm when they are not busy. I think everything is made fresh which is nice. I went in one day with 20 mins before my bus, ordered a samosa and some tandoori, figuring that they'd be ready to go things, i asked if it would take long, and an Indian short time later... 35 minutes... I had missed my bus... read more

My favorite Indian restaurant in the Boston area. I currently am having a long term relationship with their Navratan Korma AKA Vegetarian Korma. Don't get me wrong. I've tried pretty much all the vegetarian dishes (Aloo Chole, Saag Paneer, etc) and they're all delicious. But the korma is my one and only love here. read more

Hands-down some of the best Indian food I've had in the area, and easily the cheapest by a couple of dollars per entree. I'm a fan of the saag paneer and veggie platter. Generous portions, enough for multiple meals. The paneer pakora is to-die-for. At a stone's throw from Central Square T, it's hard to beat the convenience. Also hugely convenient, they accept credit cards, unlike my other favorite Indian place, Punjabi Dhaba in Inman. read more

Amazing service and amazing food. I was SO IMPRESSED with the food. I have tried many Indian restaurants in the area and this one was amazing. I highly recommend the lassi and malai kofta. WILL be returning. read more

My roommate and I have made it to nine Indian lunch buffets so far... we are trying to eat at *all* of them (in the Cambridge/Somerville area, anyway) and I think we're almost half-way there. India Pavilion falls right in the middle of the pack, in our opinion. But if you are in Central Square and in the mood for all the chicken tikka masala you can eat, this might not be a bad choice. (And you have choices... four of them best I can tell. We've been to Shalimar, Gandhi and India Pavilion and will check out Desi Dhaba soon.) More than many of their competitors in Cambridge, India Pavilion feels like an Indian restaurant. It has a well-lit atmosphere and Indian music playing at just the right volume. The shape of the place is odd... I didn't even realize there was a whole other side until we were on the way out. As a result, it feels cozy, but can actually seat quite a few people. The buffet was pretty standard... plain rice, naan (in the buffet), some pretty salty veggie pakoras and five main dishes. I used to think that five was on the low side, but I've come to accept it as the standard, and am happy as long as they taste good. The saag (no paneer) was pretty bland, but for some reason I liked it. I still think Shalimar's is the best, and if you love saag, go there instead. The aloo mutter (potato and pea curry) was really good, however, as was the navratan korma. I got seconds of both of those dishes. The chicken tikka masala and tandoori chicken were both middle-of-the-road for Cambridge, which is to say that they were pretty good. They also had the four standard sauces/chutneys (mint,sweet,onions,yogurt) and a box of lettuce and tomatoes. No full salad bar here and no extras like soup or chai tea. The rice pudding was pretty good. Not the best we've had, but flavorful, a little runny, but not too bad. Service was very good with water refills and keeping the food in the buffet fresh and restocked frequently. That's about all I can say. India Pavilion didn't wow us, but they did everything fairly well. For the price of $6.95 I it's a good choice in the Central Square area. But if you don't mind paying an extra dollar, you could check out the huge selection of Shalimar or higher quality of Desi Dhaba or India Castle. read more

Pretty good food, pretty awful service. It's only worth it if you come for the $10 lunch buffet. read more

I've been here several times over the past few years and have gotten something different each time (always something with chicken or lamb), and each time the quality has seem to be pretty good. Better than average and not the best, but it's kept me coming back. The reason for me not coming back here now though and the three star review is that the last time I went, the service was horrendous. I don't know what was going on, but the waitstaff to customer ratio was literally 3 to 1, yet it took them 45 minutes to get the dishes out to us, and another half an hour to get us our check once we asked. We had to ask three times before the check actually came, and since we were in a rush this was pretty irritating. I don't know how service could be so slow when more than half of the waitstaff had nothing to do and just stood around idly, but it was a pretty aggravating situation. *EDIT 11/18/2013 I returned here for brunch, and after having tried almost every Indian buffet in the Cambridge area, my friend and I have concluded that India Pavilion is the best one! The quality is excellent, as I mentioned in my first post, and the variety is great: there are maybe 10-12 different dishes, and 3 dessert items. Waitstaff was also very pleasant and attentive this time, they seem to be an entirely different crowd than the ones we encountered for dinner last time. Also, the buffet is 8.95, the same as most of the others on Mass Ave, and you are definitely getting a deal considering the increased variety over the other local buffets. read more

I order Chicken Tikka, Peshawari Naan x2, and Lamb Samosa x2 for delivery least once a week. Rarely do the correct quantities show up. The past two times i've ordered, only one order (2pcs) meat samosa shows up and I get a bonus "free vegitable samosa"(2pcs) that I don't want. Other times I've also gotten four meat samosas (8pcs). Also the number of naans varies between either two or four. It's a crap shoot. read more

3.25 stars I have been to a majority of the "buffet" spots, but somehow I always missed this one. The food was decent with a few exceptions. A huge positive is that the food is seasoned and does not overwhelm you with mouthfuls of spice-bombs. Even at a buffet though I feel the dishes that are meant to be spicy-hot should be just that. It seems to me they are serving slightly watered down versions. All the vegetarian dishes I tried were quite good. The tandoor chicken is above average and they way the serve it, smothered in onions keeps if from drying out. Unfortunately the nan is left out to get dry. The pakoras were extremely oily and over fried making them hard. The onion chutney was weak, and did not taste that fresh. My mango lassi was more fruity than most I've had and very good. Overall I am impressed enough to return for dinner and IP will be in the lunch rotation. * Excellent service * Nice atmosphere, comfortable room and seating. * A good value and they have takeout for the buffet. * Mild on the spice read more

I would not consider Boston/Cambridge an Indian food destination by far, but this place stood out as below even the average experience in the area. With the exception of the naan, which was actually quite good, the food was not fresh and tasted as though it had come from a can with a very long shelf life. The service was pleasant-enough and the ambiance ok-ish. I won't be returning. read more

First off: Absolute, BEST peshawari nan bread EVER. fuckin delicious. stuffed with shredded coconut, almonds, raisins and apricots. veggie samosas are good. the meat ones taste a little weird. the chicken curRy is awesome. I was on an Indian kick a few months ago. . .seriously had delivery from this place @ least 3x a week for a month. They got to know me well. read more

OK so this place has a 3.5 star rating, which seems right, because I'd give buffet 3 stars but the sit down menu 4 stars. However, this place seems more popular for buffet based on my experience, so I have to weight that more. I should start by saying the buffet is fine. 3 stars reflects it will neither amaze nor disappoint you. How to improve? -they have the exact same selection everyday, and nothing is particularly unique. Tika masala, saag paneer, etc. -they need better dessert. they need a gulab jamun or something; now they just have these flavorless churo things whose name escapes me. -it's slightly more expensive than Tanjore in HSq/Shalimar in Central, but smaller selection. However, if you just want a quick, sit down indian meal and you're in the area, this place is fine. Dinner menu is 4 stars. Fresher, bigger selection. Mango chicken and lamb are spot on. read more

I've had the lentils, saag paneer, and aloo chole here. I came for dinner, and they have a fabulously priced dinner - entree, rice, soup, dessert and coffee for 10-12 bucks for a vegetarian dish, more for meat. Who can get Indian at that price?! It was a good meal, though I've definitely had better Indian. I guess I enjoy my food spicier so I feel like it lacked flavor. The rice was plain, and I feel that could have been spiced more. read more

I don't know what it is about Indian restaurants but I think most try to outdo themselves on how bad their service can be. Yes, the atmosphere is clean, but that really was about it. We came towards the end of the lunch buffet on a Friday. There were still a few people inside, and the lunch buffet was still being offered, so we were ready to eat. There were many standard offerings, and not too many with chickpeas (which I was happy about); such as rice, chicken curry, saag paneer, tandoori chicken and some veggie curries. Naan was extremely limited, so we had to ask for more to be made. The pickings were slim as it was the end of the buffet, so can't complain about that. However, what my complaint is, is on the service and taste. The food was not earth shattering; it was typical Indian Buffet food. The food got cold very quickly, and when I asked the server if he could warm it up, he looked at me like I had 4 heads. I asked, could you just heat this in the microwave for a minute or two and he really couldn't comprehend why I'm asking this. The only redeeming part of the meal was the jalebi. Perfectly done. If I'm back in Boston, I won't be returning here. read more

Very good food. Not cheap but not too expensive. I had an amazing meal that consisted of Lamb Korma, Peshwari Nan and a tasty Sweet Lassi. (I also tasted the Chicken Byriani and it was not a disappointment) The restaurant was tastefully decorated and clean, and the food arrived relatively quickly. All together this was a very pleasant dining experience. read more

Got my food delivered and they had really good portions! The Samosas are very large and they had great customer service :)

Great food and atmosphere. A quite place with quick service and good vibes. The food is really good and the portion sizes are generous.

A wonderful institution. A complete meal with soup, main dish, rice, and postprandial dessert and tea is $12 (add $2 for most lamb dishes). None of it will knock your socks off (that carrot cake dessert is pretty bad), but you'd be hard pressed to make the food for double that price. I have gotten fond of that coconut soup, even though the first time it seemed as though somebody poured boiling water over a bag of flaked coconut. The servers are wonderful; the dude with the 'stache remembers us every time. read more

This restaurant and Falafel Palace are among the top 10 reasons I love living in Central Square. The food here is fantastic and incredibly reasonable for Indian. Whether eating in or getting take out, I have never had a bad meal. The staff is very friendly. The one slight issue I have is that they CANNOT pronounce my name. "Betsy" is pretty much impossible to pronounce for non-English speakers, but even though I repeat my name numerous times when I call for take-out, my receipt has said everything from "Bepsi" to "Jessie." Oh well, it keeps things interesting. They could call me Princess Consuela Banana Hammock (yeah, I made a "Friends" reference, I'm kind of a nerd) and I would still be a loyal customer. read more

This is place for people who want good Indian, but on a budget. Whenever we got delivery (we're such dicks, we lived down the street) we'd order from here because it was just cheaper. To be honest, the sauces are a little watered down. Its not the rich, thick high-quality sauce you'd always like. But what that lacked, they made up in portions, and the food was always flavorful, fresh and hot. read more

A real favorite in Cambridge; their buffet is great, food seems authentic (at least according to most Indian friends), and everything tastes good. Location is also very hard to beat, and they are great for phone-in orders. Their non-veg plate is the best, and the kima and garlic nan is excellent. This is one of the standard places I like to eat when I am in the mood for Indian. Main drawbacks: Food is about 10% inconsistent (you get a bad batch or whatever), and their tandoori is nothing to rave about. Also there may be a matter of taste -- some people I've been there with have felt their dishes could use some work. read more

Excellent - inexpensive, delicious chicken curry and breads. I used to live down the street from this place and the bf and I loved going here. I really liked the bread with peas and potatoes in it (aloo? something? sorry :/) LOVE IT! read more