The Cambridge area contains more Indian restaurants within 10 square miles than probably any other place on earth. Yet when my family wants Indian, we think "Central Square Indian", meaning this place. We've been to other Indian places around and kudos to them but I find this place gives you the best for your buck. The best way to enjoy dinner here is with at least three people and a sharing attitude. Start with a vegetarian and non-vegetarian platter to go around, which include tasty pakoras among other things. For main courses I reccomend a rice-based biriyani, a meat-based dish like a saag or spicy vindaloo, and a creamy curry-based dish such as chicken korma. The selection is formidable, so sharing amongst a group is the best way to cover all the bases of this cuisine. Service is decent, and the prices are cheaper in comparison to other places in the area. Parking is limited, but public transportation is conveniently close. Consider this place when weighing the myriad of options for Cambridge Indian cuisine. read more

Yum! Looks like the bad reviews here are primarily due to the buffet. Luckily we walked in shortly after the buffet ended. Wandering in off the street after some difficult prom shopping we were very hungry. It was awkward when we first came in, the server not really speaking to us waved us to a table and turned to walk away. It was a little strange as the only other occupied table was apparently the rest of the staff and it was dead quiet. Soon enough a couple walked in and our conversation didn't stand out so much in the empty dining area. The menu is simple and easy to understand. I know very few Indian dishes so I like to explore new things. Luckily for $24 you can order a house dinner for two. We got the veggie lovers, of course, and it is an insane amount of food. You get two soups, four dishes, rice, bread, desert, and coffee. Get this, it's the same price as (less than in some cases!) as a one dish complete meal. The coconut soup is amazing, so simple and sweet. It's an unexpected treat to start off what was one of the best Indian meals I've ever had. We ate and ate and then ate some more, everything was so good it was hard to stop. I enjoyed all I tasted. The only strange part was the "carrot cake". Cake it was not. Nor did it contain the mentioned raisins. It was more of a ground carrot and...sweet potato(?)...concoction. Not bad, just not what I was expecting. Especially since it was hot. It's ok though, since we ate SO MUCH FOOD. This was such a nice little surprise having just wandered in off the street. I'll be coming back for sure. read more

Excellent food and we had top notch service. The lamb Jalfrazi was fantastic and my wide's chicken Korma was also excellent. The garlic naan was perfect and the meat samosa was extremely tasty. read more

Solid, fast, very good Indian food. There are a ton of Indian places in Central & Cambridge at large, but I am totally satisfied with this one. I'm pretty lame when it comes to Indian food, I love me some Brit-Indian and India Pavilion does not disappoint. I've only had take out here, but it's always ready SO fast. Even when was picking up dinner for my whole office. Oh yeah, and the naan is really good! They have pretty good delivery too, they bring things to me in Allston, yay! read more

I tried the lunch buffet. The most remarkable thing was how generic and basic it was. Every dish managed to be just good enough to be enjoyable, but this restaurant is way below the many special Indian restaurants in the area, often with buffets that cost just a dollar or two more. Unwelcoming, no-frills atmosphere. Best Indian restaurants in the Boston area: Indian Dhaba, India Quality, Tamarind Bay, Kebab Factory, Namaskar, Punjabi Palace, Salt & Grain. read more

Consistently decent. I'm normally verbose, but that covers it all here. Best feature of this spot is the 9.00 lunch buffet. read more

This place is awesome!!! The lunch buffet is incredible! Delicious variety of dishes. They are kept hot and all taste fresh, none of this congealed, sitting out for hours, buffet bullcrap. The naan and chicken tikka masala were my favorite. The service is good, the price was downright cheap, and the whole place is spotless! Even the ladies room was extremely clean. I can't wait to go back! read more

I thought the quality of food here was very poor, but the prices were exactly what they would be in a quality restaurant. I had a chicken curry but I felt that the meat was possibly undercooked. This place is definitely better than Gandhi on Massachusetts Avenue -- probably the worst Indian food I've ever had. I'm still looking for quality Indian food in the area. It is really hard to find. read more

We called ahead and asked if the rice or roti had butter in it. They assured us neither had butter in it. We clearly asked the server if any dairy products were in any of the dishes we were ordering, and he indicated that there were none. When he brought the food to table, there was cheese in one of the dishes and butter on the rice. They tried to argue with us about it saying that the rice was complimentary , and that they couldn't make it without butter. The only reason this isn't 1 star is that we left a fairly expensive piece of clothing on the table when we left and the manager ran out after us to return it. We will not be returning here. read more

Went to the restaurant at about 6:30 Thursday night, and there were plenty of tables available. Ordered goat curry and nan basket. The different types of nan were delicious and the taste of goat curry was okay. read more

Service: 4.5 of 5 Food: 3 of 5 Price: 2.5 of 5 I've realized that one weakness of Yelp is that a single rating score is easy to look at, but it creates tremendous variations in ratings. The way that I divided the score above would be more informative. Unfortunately, I've seen many reviews at Yelp and other places where the food was excellent, but then reviewers give an overall low score because the service and/or price was bad. In the end,, the thing that people care about the most when they go to a restaurant is the quality and taste of the food (or at least that's where the focus should be). India Pavilion Restaurant is conveniently located in Central Square. The servers were excellent, the food was okay, but there were certain weaknesses such as the nan being covered with a glistening layer of oil when it was in front of me. My big point is that unlike other Indian restaurants where the price is clearly displayed on outside signage, I didn't find out about the price until the end of the meal. And it seemed a bit expensive. read more

Food's decent (not quite what it once was under the old ownership), but it is the waitstaff that been weird the past few times, so we don't risk coming anymore. There was a really weird hold up last time: we came into the restaurant and a handful of waiters all saw us but there was no one to show us to a table, so we wandered in ourselves. Then we waited for nearly an hour for an appetizer/dinner, with 3-4 other couples. The couple next to us actually got up and left because it was taking too long. Another table was making murmurs of doing the same thing. The weird part was they seemed OVERstaffed...and apparently there was shouting in the kitchen. The waiters seemed unsure of themselves and confused, and distracted, milling around, and zoning out. It was probably one of the weirdest dining experiences I can remember. We almost left before out food came, too. It was hard to even flag anyone down for a napkin. In this situation, if something goes amiss in the kitchen and you see customers leaving, wouldn't you bring out a few baskets of naan to hold them over? read more

The Indian Pavilion is our canteen. The dinner is better than the lunch buffet though. The food is good, and the portions are generous. The only flaw is the service, when waiter keep asking you question when your mouth is full, and retrieve your plate when you are net exactly done. Have dinner there, try the korma. read more

This is the cheapest, reliable Indian buffet I have encountered. Especially on the weekends, it's cheaper than other places (~10.95) at $7.95 every day. The buffet usually includes tandoor chicken (with excellent roasted onions--get the onions!), a cool vegetable dish with cream or coconut milk and some fun vegetables (carrots, peas, and did I taste grapes or something sweet the other day--sauteed raisins?), a good tikka masala, and some ok rice. Plus pakoras, saag paneer (with very little cheese in it), some kick-ass raita, and the onion chutney. I think Tanjore has better food, especially on the weekends, but I like that the price here is so good, so I eat here often. The waiters often seem sort of distracted, and it might feel a bit crowded in the restaurant, but it's cheap and you know what you're going to get. read more

I live across the street from India Pavilion so I would love to love it, but the food just isn't good. We had the saag paneer, chicken korma, chicken tikka massala, and bhangin bhartha. The saag tasted like rancid ghee, and the bhartha was jellatonous. I should point out, however, that most of the reviews seem to be about their buffet. We went for dinner. It may be that they serve the buffet left overs for dinner and as such it is the dinner you want to avoid and not the buffet. On the upside however, the drinks were cheap with numerous $15 bottles of wine and $3.50 beers. (these prices were from before the renovation, I haven't been back since) read more

The food was really good--I had the veggie korma & my friend had the jerk chicken...we both loved the food! However that was somewhat polluted by the pretty horrible service we received. We saw that they closed at 11 so we arrived a little after 9:30 & thought that would be fine. Apparently not. We were asked about 3 times if we were finished with our meal as we were still chewing it. So out of awkwardness we were done with our meal in record time. Honestly, I probably won't go back, as there are a lot of other great Indian places to choose from in the area! read more

Food was pretty good. I had the exact same problem with the gift card. Crooks. They said because the computer couldn't read it, I had to pay with credit and dispute it later. Terrible service, and the fact that this has happened to others disgusts me. I was very polite and patient with the waiter, even though he was essentially useless. "I know! I know! But I can't do nothing! The manager is not here. Leave your number, but I can't do nothing!" I would never ever go back somewhere where they essentially steal the money from your gift cards. read more

Indian pavilion serves excellent quality of food, especially chicken tikka masala, jerk chicken tastes simply awesome. The best part about it is buffet. Its worth the money, everything at buffet tastes yummy and service is noteworthy. read more

I ordered food for pickup for dinner and it was delicious. We got chicken tikka masala and lamb vindaloo plus chili naan. The chicken in the tikka was fresh and moist, and not dry as it commonly is. The food was not too salty - what we appreciated. The price was also a few dollars lower than the nearby Surya. We enjoyed our meal very much and will definitely be back. Also, the staff was very nice! read more

Great! Like wow!!!!! Excellent taste for sure. You won't be disappointed. Friendly and fast.

I walked into the Palace on a miserable, rainy Wednesday. I was the only one there at the time, but I was showed to a table immediately and given chutney and crackers. (spicy!!!) The first thing I noticed was that the prices were surprisingly low. The interior was very nice and had a lovely ambience, I expected entrees to start at $15. You have the option of having a sole entree, or doing a "Complete Meal". Go for the full course! For two more bucks, you could have a cup of their wonderful soup, dessert, onion chutney, and tea/coffee. I had their coconut soup first, which was absolutely exquisite. Hot, milky, sweet soup which was so perfect for that crappy rainy day. I felt like I was eating a dessert already, some simple pleasure like drinking the sweet leftover milk at the bottom of your Frosted Flakes. Then I had their Chicken Curry. That was good, but not spectacular. I found the flavors just melded too much into this chicken mush. For dessert, I had these wonderful things... oh so weird, but good... Two hot, cake balls sitting in a soup of hot sugar syrup. Squishy, but not slimy. Very good, but very sweet be aware. I walked out paying $11.50 before tip and having a full belly. The server was a bit shy, but definitely took all his notes in server etiquette class. I'm especially happy because I was really early for dinner and the only one there, but they quickly hopped onto cooking my food (even after I ordered a Complete Meal like a bastard) and had each one ready as soon as I was done with the previous. I'll definitely come back many more times! read more

I have been here few times, mostly because Indian is my comfort food and this place is 2 mins walk from my apartment. Last week we ordered two entrees, our usual :one goat curry and one chicken do pyaza. The server showed up with only with the goat and had no idea about the chicken. When we asked for it he was surprised and ran to the kitchen and what came out after ten minutes was a very different chicken preparation than what we ordered- it tasted like a very bland chilly chicken. Both the waitress and the server kept avoiding eye contact with us and did not attend us anymore. It is the fault of the management as well as the waitress and servers who have no interest to work/ are extremely pretentious. We are highly disappointed at this place. Always remember, "A great plate of food will never overcome poor hospitality, but amazing hospitality will always be able to overcome a mistake that a cook may have made or that a server may have made."- Daniel Meyer, Restaurateur read more

I liked it. The samosas were just the right crispiness. I had the lamb vindaloo, and it was spiced just right. read more

We ordered takeout from here for dinner, and the food was great! We ordered, and the food came fairly fast. We got shahi paneer, malai kofta, saag paneer, and naan. Each of the gravies that the dishes came in had a fantastic flavor, and they each tasted fairly fresh. The naan was made correctly - it was perfectly cooked and not stale/old at all. The shahi and malai kofta came in the same gravy, but they were both very good. The paneer did not taste frozen and there was a good amount in both of the paneer dishes. The kofta was not dry (as so many koftas can be) and had a good taste. The only problem was that there could have been some more kofta. The portions were well sized, all of us were very full after and we even had leftovers. We felt like it was well worth the cost, and the food was very delicious. I would definitely recommend this place to a friend. read more

I can't believe I never found the time to leave a review for India Pavilion, almost certainly my favorite restaurant in the Boston area, until I moved away! I first discovered this place in either 2017 or 2018 when my student org met up with another school's counterpart for dinner there. That was the start of my love affair with their Gobi Kaju Masala, a fantastic cashew and cauliflower curry that I haven't managed to find hardly anywhere else during my travels. You can customize the spice level (would personally recommend medium, as their spicy is actually very spicy!) The unlimited basmati rice when you go in person is fantastic too, but definitely get their garlic naan as well. I just moved away from Boston, but I think over the last 3-4 years, I've averaged at least two orders a month from here, highlighting just how good I think their food is! I'll miss India Pavilion, but whenever I'm in Boston next, will definitely be back. read more

:lunch buffet: pakoras, saag paneer, tandori chicken, ohh yes. wasn't the best naan i've ever had, but let's face it, i know like nothing about indian food. the chicken was moist and tender, the creamed spinachy stuff was yummy, and for $7.95, grabbing all you can eat is a pretty good deal. looked like you could opt to stuff a styrofoam take out container for the to go option as well. read more

This is one of the oldest restaurants in the area, it's been there at least 30 years, and I have been going that long. It's in a new building now but is the same place. The food is excellent. Highly recommended Indian food. read more

We visit this place alot because we love their food..Foodwise this place is great.but being a regular customer Today i faced a difficulty regarding service. Our server (looks tall and heavy with a beard) was so rude..we asked for chicken biryani and he brought us veg biryani..i told him i asked for chicken he kept on insisting that we ordered veg biryani..he said so harshly that we didnt like to eat there anymore and left..With like this service this place will definitely lose their business..Very mannerless read more

Stopped in for a quick lunch today: so glad that we did! Masala dosa was delicious, crepe was light and crispy. Bread was flaky and piping hot. Entrees were flavorful and rich. Service was attentive without being intrusive. Gotta go back soon! read more

One of the best tasty India food that I've tried, the buffet was amazing with a good variety of dishes

No complaints about the lunch buffet! I was pleased to see they had Naan... another lunch buffet, closer to my own home (not naming names here) dose not. Or did not. The naan was really fresh, almost undercooked, there was a faint hint of flour/water taste to it, but I'm not going to lie, I liked it. All the buffet items were full and fresh. I had a piece of chicken tikka and it was really good, moist. I had indian rice pudding for the first time, and it left me wondering why no one has ever force-fed me this before, because I love it! I shall return! read more

Recently remodeled I don't know if that means they revamped their recipes, too. Had the buffet here and thought they offered a decent selection of popular Indian dishes. Price was okay, too. read more

Really nice weekday buffet, good selection, and very happy they had samosas available as many buffets will only have those on weekends. Attentive and pleasant waitstaff. I took off a star for weird construction or something though. I was there for a late lunch and they must have had a door open near the kitchen because the draft was incredible (and freezing cold). They likely chose this time because of low patron count, but I finished my meal with my winter jacket on, and another customer hurried to finish his meal as he blew on his hands to warm them up. Peculiar incident, hopefully it's not a daily occurrence. read more

Cheap, filling, and mostly perfect. Fancy containers hold the piping hot food, and the waiters kept bringing more and more during lunch, which assured me that the food was fresh. Also, the chef in the kitchen kept hitting the little "It's Ready!" bell. All kinds of Indian food staples: korma, saag paneer, chickpeas in spicy sauces. The veggie pakoras were outstanding (yes, I went back for seconds on those) and the kheer pudding was amazing, and put out the pleasant fire in my mouth. Definitely worth the whole $6.25. I will go again tomorrow. Best part about the whole meal? It kicked my Monday morning hangover right outta my head! read more

I've been here mostly for the lunch buffet, and once for dinner. Their lunch buffet is priced really affordably and the food definitely hits the spot when the craving for lots of Indian food hits me. As other reviewers have already noted, the naan is very good. They do make it fresh and it shows. Since I go to buffets mostly for the meats, I will only comment on the meat dishes. Their meat selection is also just decent. They almost always have Chicken Tika Masala and Tandoori Chicken. Then it's usually some other curry-like meat that is the selection for the day. The last time I went, they had goat curry. Generally, the meats are pretty tender. If you go later in the day, the tandoori chicken tends to be a bit dry. The best is when you are able to get it when it first comes out of the kitchen. I'm always full hen I leave, but I do wish that they had more meats for the buffet (or even fish!). I'd be willing to pay more for that. Service has been pretty good the times that I've been there. Their relatively new renovations have been really good and make it a really comfortable place to have a good meal. read more

Great lunch buffet. I especially enjoyed the tandoor chicken (including the delicious vegetables that are included in the dish), the warm naan, and the saag paneer. I'll admit I'm not exactly an Indian cuisine expert, but from my ignorant taste buds, this place is pretty good. Location is very close to the Central MBTA stop. Ample seating within the restaurant. Friendly and unobtrusive staff. read more

Had the lunch buffet here. The food was really mediocre. The tandoor grilled chicken was cold and you could really tell it was not marinated well enough or with time. The meat was also quite dry. The two paneer dishes seemed to seriously lack salt. All of the dishes were rather on the bland side. The coconut chicken and chicken tikka masala lacked differentiating flavor and almost tasted the same. On the other side the buffet price was cheap so I kept a star on for it. I think it was like $22-23 for two people so around $11 a person for buffet. There was a rice pudding stye dessert which was runny and again on the blander side. I didn't try to gazar halwa or carrot based dessert. The potato pakoras were okay but the food was really dry even the pakora selection. To the point of being too hard to eat. I wouldn't go here again. read more

I love their lunch buffet. It always has a lot of good options and tasty food. And, it's cheap! The only downfall is that the service isn't great if you want something other than water to drink. Took about 15 min to get a soda last time we were there.... but I almost think they went out to the store to buy it. But for the food and the price, you can't beat it! read more

Great place to get your Indian food fix! My review of this place is long over due. A two person vegetarian dinner is only $23.95 and includes: soup, poori or paratha bread, rice, 4 different entrees (nice variety!), dessert, and tea or coffee. I'm not a vegetarian, but get this one because it's slightly cheaper than the meat version. Either way, still a great deal with the variety and amount of food you get. The food is delicious! The poori is nice and "poofi". The kulfi (pistachio with spices) ice cream dessert is yummy in my tummy. Can't wait for my next date here! read more

I came here to try the lunch buffet (9.95) a few weeks ago and the service was notoriously bad compared to other indian places around the vicinity. I wasn't even acknowledged so I ended up just grabbing my own table and then getting food. Water wasn't automatically served to me (like all the other places) by default and I had to ask for it midway. The food, on the other hand, wasn't anything to rave about. Given that the restaurant commands a $1 price premium for its buffet compared to the other places around, you'd expect a little better. I won't be coming back. read more