On many occasions, we've arrived in Central Square and smelled the delicious aromas of India Pavilion. So while running errands recently, we were finally able to give it a try. We were a few minutes from the close of the buffet, so we ordered from the menu. They were out of soup, so we couldn't get the combination meals. We ordered a lamb dish and a veggie dish. Both were flavorful and perfectly adequate. The samosa were just fine. If you're in the area, it's not a bad choice for a meal. read more

5 stars for the food, a deduction for the service. (Wow, it looks like everyone else has the same review.) So maybe I should give a note about the service. We were tucked into a corner of the restaurant, and didn't even get a server for about 15 minutes. We considered leaving. But he came by more regularly as the night went on. The wait for the main course was about 25-30 minutes. It seemed a bit long, but I've had much longer waits before. In the end, the service was "subpar" as Sean M. mentions, but not "awful" as Alexandra suggests. (India Pavilion, if you read this - please listen to all of us!) Anyway, I came here because when I was in Cambridge in college, this was the best of the many Central Square Indian restaurants, and I was not disappointed. From the delicately spicy sambaar to start, to the excellent, richly flavored chicken jalfrazee, to the different and satisfying lamb dal masala, every part of my meat thaali (sampler) was on point. My girlfriend had the chicken mango, and that is some wonderful sauce. Even if it's not traditional, it blends the mango into traditional, more tomatoey flavors into something great. My seat offered the perfect vantage of the nonstop bread and pastry (samosa) making station, so I saw as my paratha was kneaded and prepared and then delivered hot and fresh. Every bread or stuffed dish you order is made right then! So maybe the wait isn't so bad. The gulab jamun were the standard dense but fluffy variety, I can almost never complain about those. So all in all, the ONLY THING holding you back from five stars is the service. I think that's fixable. Please make it so! read more

Summary: We curiously walked in there on a sultry spring day to check out their renovated space and we walked out full and satiated. Ambiance: They revamped their decor and boy does it look elegant! It could be a perfect place for a romantic couple or for a huge group. Great setting for pictures. Now the food: Perhaps I do not have much experience, but my South Asian palate does give me an edge as a culinary judge. The food was great! My friend and I gladly took advantage of the $8.95 lunch buffet. Granted that they did not have twenty thousand items, but what they had definitely tasted very fresh. The spices were just right. My friend was so impressed (FYI she is part Iranian) that she is planning to bring her family there soon. I, on the other hand, am also planning another visit soon. Service: Friendly and non-intrusive. Loved it! read more

India Pavilion - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Well...they should do a better job of describing what goes into the food on the menu because they failed to list cashews on this one thing my friend ate and she's allergic to cashews and she went and threw up all over their bathroom. It does say on the menu "please tell us if you have any allergies" and she didn't...but come on, EVERYBODY is allergic to nuts. Vomit aside, my favorite sit-down Indian joint. The food is tasty and the menu selection is spot on. It's done up enough to merit its white table cloths but not overly pretentious like a lot of the Indian joints around here. Quaint and kitschy if anything. read more

Hands-down the BEST service at any Indian restaurant in the greater Boston area. Well at least way better than the ones in West Roxbury and JP! Staff here are friendly and very attentive. They are very helpful about menu questions and they just want to chat it up. My friend and I were eating dinner last night and the server heard me talking about my trip to India and asked me about it. 5 minutes later we were all still talking about my trip! They have a great diverse menu with lots of vegetarian and vegan options. They don't label which dishes are vegan (like some places do) but you can just ask them. They also are way cheaper than other Indian restaurants (huge dosas are considered "appetizers" here and are only $5-6 !!; a glass of prosecco is only $6, some wine is even cheaper). Vegetarian entrees range from $8-10 whereas other places they are around $12-13. I have only been here twice but both times enjoy it. My first time I got the vegetarian thali which was yummy. My only complaint is that they don't have a vegan dessert option (most other places have some sorbet options) so when I got my dessert with my thai I gave it to my boyfriend since I can't eat it. Also they don't have a vegetarian for 2 dinner (most other places do , so you can get soup, samosas, entrees, dessert, tea for cheap). And lastly you have to pay for the papadum!! Say what?? Most Indian restaurants give you 3 for free when you sit down, so why charge us? They have lots of seating and are a good place for large parties. They also do a buffet sometimes and have a full bar. If I lived closer to Central Sq I would come here way more often!! Please open up a 2nd location in West Roxbury and give Himalayan Bistro a run for their money!! read more

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I loved the masala dosa here. My husband and I are average (quantity) eaters and we shared a masala dosa and a veg thali between the both of us and were adequately full by the end of it. The chutney with the dosa was not good as its not a typical dosa place where they would keep making dosa with fresh ground coconut through out the day but make it probably once a day with frozen coconut -but chutney is best when made 30 mins to one hour before serving and when made out of fresh coconut (being a south in Indian I know that at best ). Got a bit carried away with the chutney but moving on Sambhar is 2.7 out of 5. The veg Thali comes with A.any two veg dishes of your choice , I chose panneer masala and bhindi masala both were .5 better than average. B.Choice of puri or paratha or nana C. Rice , daal, raita D.choice of Kheer or gulab jamoon Overall my rating is 3.5 , but yelp allows 3 or 4 so didn't want to lower my rating. Total bill was only 26 $ read more

India Pavilion - Yummy Masala dosa .. served in an interesting way - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Perfect Indian buffet! Great quality for price and overall experience - great for dining in and take out. The selection is really good with good paneer options, rice, naan, vegetable curries, and great chicken options as well. My favorite is the tandoori chicken which has a really great flavor. Takeout is such a great option, probably my go to since you can get a takeout box and pack it with stuff. The pro tip is to not pack rice since you can make that yourself. The second pro tip would be to ask for some foil paper so that you can take the naan in it and so it doesn't take up space in the box. read more

I've been trying out Indian food buffets around the Boston area ever since things started opening up, and I have to say that this one does not disappoint. First of all, the $15 lunch buffet is a great deal. At most Indian restaurants, that price gets you one entreé. But here, this price offers you a solid variety of vegetarian and meat curries, lots of desserts, soft, buttery naans, and rice dishes. The staff is also incredibly nice, and it was a home-like environment akin to a lot of dining experiences in India. While the value for money is an undeniable positive at India Pavillion, the one drawback is that you're not getting the best Indian food you're ever going to have in Boston/Cambridge. For a higher price, you could try Maharaja or Kashmir. But, if you're looking for a cheap, filling meal in a warm, welcoming restaurant, go to India Pavillion. read more

They have a great lunch buffet, but they also have a complete and yummy menu to order from. Service isn't as warm and friendly as my favorite indian place, but the great food brings us back. They totally turned me into a Veggie Pakora lover! Pros: Fun location with lots of shops around to browse Great lunch buffet Delicious food Cons: Staff could be a bit friendlier read more

My boyfriend is obsessed with Indian food so stops in here almost weekly to take food home from work. I typically get the saag paneer which is good (but very oily) or the Malai Kofta (not bad!) I've also had their Dahi papri chaat which doesn't travel well (big ol ball of mush by the time it gets home) but still tasty. The big winner here for me is the peshawari naan. This stuff is AMAZING. Naan stuffed with shredded coconut, almonds, raisins and apricot. I literally will go to this place just for that. Everything else is just okay. read more

The food is pretty good - standardly Indian fare. The bindi masala, requested extra spicy, only reached medium heat, but it was cooked well - not too mushy, not slimy and with a few onions for flavor. The garlic na'an was warm, fluffy and freshly baked as any na'an should be, and the rice was nicely fluffed with a vague aroma of fennel and turmeric The service, however, was painfully slow, and upsettingly nonchalant. Ordering water took far too long, and refills were even more sparse. read more

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Had dinner here with friends a few weeks ago. Even though there were seven of us, there was no wait for a table. I tried several dishes but my favorites were: Paneer pakora - best thing I had all day. The paneer was warm and delicious and the pakora added a nice crispy texture to the paneer. Lamb saag - didn't look like much at first but it ended up being very filling. The lamb was tender and tasty. I'm also a sucker for saag so I really enjoyed that as well. Masala Dosai - good start to the meal; flavorful but not too filling. The service was good and the food was reasonably priced and more authentic than that of other Indian restaurants in the area. I definitely recommend it if you're in the Central Square area and are looking for tasty and filling food. read more

India Pavilion - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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I would give this less than a zero star since I cannot technically I'm giving it a one-star I ordered dosa from this place and found algae on my chutney, when spoke to the manager he shows zero concern. read more

India Pavilion - chutney with Algae, Worst expereience, worst hospitality by manager, has no concern at all - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Greatest Indian lunch buffet in Central Square! It's Central Square so there is virtually no parking. They rotate the main dishes around so your not getting Tikka Masala all the time. I recommend that the reader try the Chicken Vindaloo it has a nice flavor and spices, but not U.K. spicy. Also, the Chicken Tikka Masala is top shelf, the best in the state. The sauce is made with coconut milk and it is nice and thick, rich full of flavors of India! The bread leaves a lot to desire... they make it wrong here. Too thick and doughy. Since it is a buffet the bread dries out when over direct heat so you end up with a really thick chip or papadum. Over all very good and consistent Indian. read more

India Pavilion - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The best Tandoori chicken in and around Boston. Dahi Papdi and Tandoori chicken are must try.. read more

We had the lunch buffet ($15.99 per person, I believe). For the price, I thought the buffet was very solid. There are lots of options to choose from, which I really appreciated. I was able to try some new dishes I had not had before. However, this is definitely not the best indian food that I have tried (especially the saag paneer was underwhelming). Further, the service was lacking -- we never got our water refilled the entire time that we were there. read more

One of my favorite Indian lunch buffets in Boston. They are pretty consistent with their dishes but it's always good! Plus they have both garlic and regular naan with their curries. The chicken tikka masala is delicious! ~$11 for dine in buffet or you can get a little tin box and put whatever you can fit in it. read more

I got a yelp just to give them a review! The food is amazing and the serving staff is so friendly and helpful. We ordered Vegetable Samosas, Chicken Tandoori and Lamb Vindaloo, and it was the perfect amount of food for two people. Excellent flavors, and both the chicken and lamb were tender and well-cooked. Spice level is easily altered, and we found our medium spice to be just right (although as someone who loves spice I could have also definitely handled the hot.) Even the vegetables that came with the tandoori chicken were enough of a treat for me! (Cooked slightly to give the dish enough of a fresh crunch.) The area is clean, and food presentation is so pleasing. All in all, I love this place and I will be coming back with friends & family! read more

Always the best. Every time I go somewhere else I regret it. It seems expensive till you realize it's the cheapest Indian food around quite fair when comparing other locations. Love this place you will to. read more

It was a have-to decision. We could not really figure out which Indian place to eat and I had had Maharaja before so really did not feel like trying the same place. It was pretty good food although not "wow" type of food. We ordered vegetables samosas to start with. My date loved her samosa although for me it was just so-so. Chicken korma was really good - the nuts and raisins really added to the food. We loved the naan bread too - the garlic naans were so delicious. I cannot get the curry sauce on my naan perfectly without the help of a utensil though - still need practice. The lamb masala was delicious, too, although a bit tart and hot to my taste. We also had a mango lassi - such a guilty pleasure. Overall happy with the meal and felt so full afterwards that I could barely stand up. read more

India Pavilion - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

One of my favorite lunch buffets in town, made all the better by friendly service and a lovely renovation that makes the place far more airy and spacious. I strongly, strongly recommend stopping in. The food is fresh, constantly turned over and exceedingly flavorful. A real gem in Central Square. read more

Went there last evening for a dine in and was waiting to be seated, and a manager or the owner walks in to seat us, and I requested to seated near one of the two large windows and he said no and the only place that we, that is me and my 2 daughters could sit was at the table that is inside the room away from the windows. When the whole place actually had NO customers at all . So I tried to request again that ," look I'm from WV and am visiting here , so I'm sure you can do better". But no , he was adamant that we sit inside, when the weather outside was awesome and we could have enjoyed a good meal sitting by the window, and he was willing to let us go ..so we just walked out!!! Oh I forgot to mention, I am also from india , just like him, and it did not matter cause , for absolutely no reason he did not want he to be at the window!! So his attitude really needs a real time check !!! don't know how his food tasted cause we did not even get there!!! Glad did not waste my time or money on bad attitude... read more

My family has been going here for years, we love it. Later on in my childhood it was where we would go when Shalimar was closed, or full. I like this place a lot. They do a good buffet. They even let you do buffet take out? Who knew! My friend and I recently loaded up the take out containers to busting with food and paid up and walked home and ate at a pace that wouldn't kill us - so good. That is usually my downfall with buffet, I need time to digest and then go back again, or not... much easier to pace at home when you aren't taking up space in a restaurant. I haven't actually sat down for a meal in here for a while, but I'm apt to soon. I have been dying for Indian recently maybe tomorrow then... NOTE: There are two municipal parking lots on Green Street... if you are looking for parking, try there - Free after 6p read more

During visiting my brother in law, my husband and I were looking for lunch that was not expensive but good. Plus it was raining all day today so we didn't want to walk far. We found this restaurant on yelp and thought we should try. As we sat down, we have told how much the lunch buffet cost and it was really reasonable prices. Only $ 9.58 included the tax /per person (if I remember correctly) I was pretty much try everything on buffet trays. I don't eat big portion but the idea of buffet or all you can eat to me is I have more chance to eat a bit of everything there. And I love it! For my taste, I love the chicken Tikka Masala the most and the second dish was Palak Paneer (Spinach With Cheese) but don't get me wrong, other dishes were very good as well. I came from CA and I have tried many Indian restaurant for many years. This place is one of many that "I would recommend" to friends or family as well. The service we had today was friendly and fine. Do yourself a favor, this is a great place for an inexpensive lunch time! read more

India Pavilion - $9.58 lunch buffet! - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

The Indian Pavilion delivers on atmosphere. The Punjabi influence is noticeable throughout the menu. There are doorways arced with a palace outline. The service was great. I had a masala lemonade. The drink didn't match my tastes. It wasn't cold or sweat and had a salty/peppery aftertaste. I'm glad that I tried I though. It was vastly different than any drink I shad before. The chicken vindaloo was great. With just mild spice it left a tingle on my lips well after the meal. If you like Indian food and you're in Central Square I would definitely recommend it. read more

India Pavilion - Masala lemonade has a different salt/pepper kick to it. Not for everyone - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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Indian Pavilion offers an all you can eat Indian buffet with standard vegetarian options. I visited with two friends on MLK day for lunch. I was fairly hungry, so I grabbed every vegetarian option available and slapped it on one plate. That's one way to be successful at a buffet, right? This included mixed veggie korma, a pea curry, chana masala, and saag paneer with rice and naan. I won't dive into each dish, but overall, it wasn't great. The food was on the colder side, and also on the blander side. It reminded me of my own Indian cooking, when I forget to put in the coriander or the cumin or curry powder. Heck, at home, I'm going to eat it over a few days until it's gone, and I'm going to add the missing ingredients. At a buffet? The incentive wasn't so strong. The service here was painfully slow. On a scale of Galapagos tortoise to Zootopia's animated rabbit, I'd say it landed closer to the reptile. I watched my ice cubes melt into water, and then tried to sip up that water. I was stacking my plates on top of each other because no one was coming to pick them up. It was getting a bit messy. If I do come back, I'll have to try the dinner menu. And maybe bring some curry powder or hot chiles. read more

India Pavilion - All vegetarian lunch buffet options on one plate - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Please stop undercooking your potatoes! For the second time in a row, the potatoes in my chicken vindaloo have not been cooked long enough, to the point it takes an excellent dish and makes it below average. read more

The food was really bad. I ordered chicken Tandoori and it has raw carrots and cucumber (yuck) and it was not authentic at all. My Masala soda was actually just flat lime soda and made out of sprite instead of club soda and basically had little masala. And don't even get me started on the biryani it had peas in it. Who the hell adds peas to chicken biryani. I wasted 40 bucks on this non-authentic Indian crap. (Also, mint chutney is not supposed to be sweet). The food had unnecessary things added to it and really everything tasted so bad!!!!! I am never ordering from this place again. And for the sake of providing good Indian food please change your bland and useless recipe and cook some authentic food with real spices. read more

The food was good. The service was great. The manager does not understand how to run a business, and quite frankly is just a terrible person. In the middle of dinner, the manger (working on 8/24 around 5pm in case the owner sees this) comes from the back of the restaurant to scream - and I mean SCREAM - at the female serving staff as they were cleaning the buffet. His verbal assault lasted a solid minute+ and all three tables in the restaurant looked at each other in sheer disbelief. As he is screaming from across the restaurant it becomes clear that he is targeting our waitress in particular over her phone being in her back pocket. I have never seen an employer handle a situation in this matter. He did not approach them or have the decency/respect to talk to the employees, but chose to literally angrily scream and scold them from a solid 8 feet away. This is not how you run a business or how you treat employees. Aside from this, I enjoyed my food. The veggie combo was a great deal, and my partner enjoyed his chicken vindaloo. The service was prompt, professional, and kind. It was the unprofessional jerk who ruined our dining experience at this establishment. *Edit to attach photo of our food in case owner wants authenticity of review to write up this sorry excuse for a manger. read more

India Pavilion - Our food from 8/24 - the veggie combo was delicious, but the manager ruined the meal by unprofessionally screaming at his employees. - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Came here on a cold, wintery Sunday night with a few friends. The portions were surprisingly small, much smaller than expected. In addition, the food was much spicier than described by the staff and the menu. I bit into my lamb biryani with much disappointment as my mouth started to burn within milliseconds of my bite. On the other hand, I devoured the chicken tikka masala with much more delight. The staff failed to deliver some dishes until prompted. read more

I went here with my sister for dinner on a Monday night. From the waiter's recommendations, we had the Keema Chilli Masala (Lamb) and the Chicken Tikka Masala. We also got a butter naan and a plain naan. Both of the curries were very good; the Keema Chilli Masala in particular had lots of tasty spices. The naan was also really good; it was warm and tasted like it was fresh out of the oven. The service was also great; wait staff was very courteous and helpful. To top it all off, everything was pretty reasonably priced (each curry was about $10 to $12). Overall, we had a fantastic experience here and would definitely come again. read more

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Love eating here! Best Malai Kofta in Boston. And their vegetable samosa is delicious

This is my local Indian restaurant where I have been happily eating for years. They are always open and so far I have never been disappointed in the quality of the food. read more

I've been here several times for the afternoon lunch buffet. It's a good sized buffet and has a lot of choices on it. Their nan bread is delicious and the curries on the buffet are very good too with just the right amount of spice. I would definitely return. read more

2 nights ago I went there for a dinner and after that I was food poisoned for 48 hours. I called them to speak to manager and the guy called "Sing" told me the manager is unavailable and hung up on me... he said he is "too busy for this right now" following that I reported them to Mass Department of Public Health. they just need 2 customers like me to report them to start taking customers' complains seriously! read more

Came back for the weekend lunch buffet. Nothing to complain about since it's a 8 min walk from my house and the price is super reasonable. $11.95 AYCE weekend lunch buffet (which really counts as 2 meals since I'm full until dinner) with two different naan options and plenty of veggie/meat opions. read more

Last evening we were more than completely satisfied with the quality of food and most importantly the blended flavorful spices and level of heat were perfect. Here are the dishes we ordered for take-out and every plate was amazing. Vegetable samosa - these are plump, crispy samosas with nicely seasoned potatoes and vegetables Tandoori mixed platter - the chicken was cooked to perfection, moist and mild. Mild and medium chicken Biryani - delicious! Spicy Lamb Jalfrazee was superb, tender and spicy the way we enjoy it. Spicy Chicken Korma - wow! So delicious ! Dahi Papri Chaat! - Amazing dish. I think I could eat it all day. Spicy tamarind chutney and raita. Holy smokes soooooo delicious! Mixed naan basket - the best for "mopping" up the sauces. This wonderful restaurant knows what they are doing and is absolutely perfect. I could eat this meal everyday. I am already planning what I will be ordering next time to try. I am certain which ever dish we choose will be delightful. read more

Second time here and the lunch buffet is amazing. Speaking to one of the owners and found out this was the first Indian restaurant in Cambridge and the second in Boston, been in business 37 years. The food is fantastic, extremely clean and awesome service. Definitely check it out when you're in the area. read more

India Pavilion - Lunch buffet is fantastic! - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

Food - Good Indian food. Masala dosa or the samosa is a good choice for appetizers. To sample a wide variety at dinner, I suggest including a thali. Stay away from the soups. Since thali has a soup go with sambhar which can be used with the masala dosa. Chicken curry could have been better. The lunch buffet is a good deal and worth the money. For desert: Gajjar ka halwa is really tasty and is quite a large portion. Ambience - Spacious but nothing fancy. Service - Helpful folks. Would have been better if they smiled a little more. Cost - ~15$ per person without alcohol. read more

India Pavilion - Masala dosa - Indian Near Me - Cambridge, Massachusetts

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