I'm very impressed! My husband and I got the chicken tikka masala and the butter chicken, and they were both delicious! The naan was also fantastic. The portion sizes were generous, and the service was great! We will definitely be back, and I highly recommend this restaurant! read more

Great restsurant . Tasty food , fast service for take out . Prices are moderate . Everything I tried there was very good . The sauce of the chicken tikka masala was out of this world ! The vegetable samosas big and tasty. The rice is great , just the way I like it as well as the Naan . All in all a great place ! read more

KANAK is long over due in Charlottesville. This place is scoring high on food quality, service and value. The dining room is very clean and modern and thoughtful. The location is in a strip mall. They had a kids menu and I will promise the most flavorful "chicken fingers" you will find. The lunch menu is good, the dinner menu is expansive. Shared plates, classics, chutneys, and desserts were all quite excellent. Enjoyed a beer with my meal and an Indian Sav Blanc paired perfectly with a "hot" vindaloo. read more

This place is amazing. The menu has so many unique options (many of them vegetarian) and our waiter helped me pick a dish that I was very happy with. Large portions and great flavors. I have a low spice tolerance but it was still so worth the experience! read more

Tried Kanak for the first time today when I went for lunch with my young daughter. I have had a lot of Indian food in my lifetime in several different states and this was definitely one of the best Indian meals I have ever had! Both of us ordered the Chicken Tikka lunch but I had the salad that came with and my daughter had the soup. The soup of the day was yellow lentil and it was tasty. The salad had a wonderful yogurt dill dressing. When the food came it was a generous portion of chicken tikka, basmati rice, and a green pea dish that was out of this world good. There were also four nice sized pieces of Naan per order that was hands-down the BEST Naan I have ever eaten--hot, fresh, crispy outside and soft inside. The tikka was wonderful with large, high quality pieces of chicken in a savory, excellent sauce. The service was excellent--very friendly, accommodating, and efficient. The price was not low in my opinion ($14.00) but the amount and quality of the food was fantastic and this is Charlottesville and things are pricey here. We can't wait to return to try other dishes and to also take other family (and friends) who love Indian food as much as we do. Highly recommended! read more

Recently moved to Charlottesville and visited Kanak based on recommendation. It did not disappoint. Regulars include butter chicken, tikka masala and chicken korma and they're always of great quality. Portion sizes are generous too. The naan is Amazing and always tastes fresh!! I'm a regular customer and will continue to be! read more

This is hands down the best Indian restaurant in Charlottesville. Kanak has raised the bar for all cuisine. The chairs could be more comfortable for those of us 6' and over, but the food, service and ambiance are incomparable. read more

Really good Indian food at a great price too! We've been ordering takeout due to covid and the food is prepared quickly and ordering online through their website is very simple. Will keep coming back! read more

The food here is amazing. We have had at least half the menu and everything is a 10. The staff is also very kind and patient answering any and many questions about the menu. Only mark down is, i used the restroom same time as a member of the kitchen staff and they left without washing their hands. Especially now, it's important. read more

Uh. What!! We had lunch takeout for $10 each and it was literally so good!! We ordered the aloo ghobi (cauliflower and potato curry) and the bhindi masala (okra curry), and each came with sides of naan, basmati rice, and soup or salad. The curries were rich, flavorful, and only moderately spicy; the bhindi masala was our favorite by a mile! Instant re-order. The salad is a vinegary blend of chopped cucumbers, tomatoes, and onions with cilantro: very refreshing. The soup was the real dark horse of this casual Saturday lunch, however: a deliciously savory and refreshing hot corn gazpacho-type deal like no soup I've ever tried before. Everything was perfect. Get your lunch here right effing now!! read more

Everyone should try this place. I'd never tried Indian food before Kanak, and now I've been here three times in the past month! Excellent portion sizes for the price, great variety of food options, along with the ability to order mild-to-spicy versions of your dish. Highly recommend the butter chicken. read more

I only went to this restaurant because it had a 5 star rating. But this restaurant WAS NOT A 5 STAR for me. When I got there I had to wait about 5 minutes to be seated and the place wasn't even packed. I ordered the vegetable samosa and aloo gobi. And this is the first Indian restaurant that DOES NOT have vegetable pakora. The waiter didn't even know what it was when I asked about it. But they brought out a salad first which ...was a first for me at an Indian restaurant but was good. But the samosa was decent. NOT a 5 star best that I've ever had. But decent. The aloo gobi was ok too but it was served with butter naan and some other cream pea dish. As a vegan, I was disappointed that the waiter didn't even ask me PRIOR to bringing out this dish. He should've asked instead if assumed I'd eat it. A suggestion would've been to ask in advance if it was ok to include butter naan and that cream pea dish so I could've declined or had a substitute dish instead since I am a vegan. I had to ask for Roti instead but once it was brought out I was already done. Additionally, I had to ask the waiter too many times to refill my water instead of him being observant and seeing that I needed a refill. So DEFINITELY not 5 star! Needs to be taken down a peg or 2 because it's misleading read more

What's going on with this place? We've ordered takeout multiple times and each time, we have to wait (it seems like they don't start making the food until after we arrive at the restaurant). Terrible waste of time and this has happened more than once! Avoid this place if you value time read more

Great service. Tasty food. We will certainly be back. We ordered about 5 different items and all veg and non veg dishes were good!

Wonderful appetizer with soy chili glazed cauliflower! Lots of vegetarian and gluten free options. Had a wonderful dinner with rice pudding for dessert. Great cocktail bar! Beautifully decorated. Staff was very friendly. read more

Such amazing food! I absolutely loved it. This was perfectly made, balanced, and spiced, and I have not stopped thinking about it since we got it. I highly recommend this restaurant - the 5-star reviews were totally right. read more

Was impressed with the cleanliness and good service. Food was ample portions and seasoned appropriately for eastern tastes. Management was engaged and explained the menu and ordering process before out server arrived. This was a nice touch that you just don't see now days. I'll be back for sure. read more

Nice place to dine and have quality food. We had the butter chiken and Tandoori which were so well cooked and tasty. The price is also reasonable. read more

Surprisingly good variety and very well done food. Staff is knowledgeable and honest in assessing spice level. Full bar. Try the garlic naan and the chicken wrap appetizer.. read more

Amazing food and an awesome restaurant. After Covid we can't wait to dine in. Get takeout there, it's incredibly tasty (we tried 4 dishes) and they do Indian beer to go as well. The food is a really unique spin on traditional Indian food. Give it a try! read more

Outstanding experience! Amazing flavors, great service and attentive staff. Be sure to try the small plates (chili milli gobhi and the samosas). We shared a chicken korma (amazing!) and the spicy hot vin d' alho. Looking forward to making this a regular date night! read more

The food was average. It had too much Masala. We had ordered 2 on a 5 point spice scale but still landed with a really spicy dish. The restaurant has good decor and all, but missed the mark on food for us. read more

Wow! If you're looking for a burst of flavors this is the place. The drinks are on point as well. The ambience is modern but intimate. We met the owner and he was very pleasant as well. Happy customers. read more

Best Patia I've ever had - outstanding, adventurous cocktail menu. Garlic naan was smooth as butter. Khati rolls were flavorful and filling. One of the best restaurants in Charlottesville. read more

Nice ambience, service was great, and food excellent. Incredibly good lunch spot. Will definitely be back.

This is not your typical Indian restaurant. The recipes are truly authentic and delicious. If you love Manchurian Ghobi, try the chili mili ghobi, I could make a meal out of this dish alone. Usually I order multiple meals at a time and freeze some for later of all of them so that I can revisit the flavors any time I want. Most of the dishes freeze and reheat beautifully so go ahead and order more, you won't be sorry. read more

The food here just keeps getting better and better each time we order. It's run by the same family as Milan (which has always been a good restaurant), but for some reason the food here is starting to blow Milan out of the water. Kanak offers a selection beyond the usual Indian restaurant dishes, so it's fun to be adventurous. But the standards like tandoori are great too. The chicken 65 is especially amazing and is just as good as the versions I had in India. It's also the first time I have actually gotten true "Indian spicy" food, so if you're a spicy food lover, you will be satisfied. But if you don't love spicy, make sure to order mild. I am hoping Kanak becomes more and more popular because C'ville really needed a great Indian restaurant. read more

Really delicious food! We got there at 515 and it wasn't busy, but the food did take a while to arrive. Not a crazy long time but longer than anticipated since this was a stop while traveling through the area. The food definitely made up for the wait! We had the Paneer Khati Roll, Patia Chicken and Garlic Naan (based on other Yelp reviews). The flavors were were delicious and the staff were super friendly! read more

This is me and my friends' favorite spot. We love to go to lunch and share our meals, and the lunch specials are an amazing deal for how much food you get. I've always left with leftovers and it's just as great the next day. read more

Great quality food, awesome ambience, and fantastic service. For non-alcoholics, try green and spicy. It's a palate pleaser. Probably best quality Indian food in Charlottesville. We usually eat here at least once a week. Cacao kulfi is the best dessert I have ever had. Love! read more

I don't write too many reviews as of late. My last one was three years ago. But I felt like I had to do this. Kanak is one of the new best restaurants in Charlottesville. I would go as far as to say, it is the best Indian restaurant in town -- no cap (that means "no lie"). I honestly had no idea they were open for the longest time, but it was the best decision to check. Seriously, each and every time I go - which is at least once a week, I am not disappointed. I try and take someone new each time so I can open their eyes to the wonder that is Kanak. No one is ever disappointed (unless they're lying to me). I'd recommend going for their lunch special. For about $12, you get a soup/salad, an entree (I get either the chicken tikka masala or chicken tikka platter, spice level 3), rice, naan, and another soup-like bowl of deliciousness. If you don't want to eat out during covid, get the food to go because it's good and we need to support local businesses. read more

One of the best Indian food we have had in the US (yep). All four in our party liked it, which does not happen that often.

Great food. Good service! We were a party of 5 and the service was impeccable. Food was great! Worth visiting. We sat at the outside table because the weather was good and due to COVID. read more

We got the lunch portions and it was an amazing amount of perfectly cooked, spiced just right, such a delight Indian food. We got the Korma with Lamb and Paneer. Enough to save some for lunch tomorrow. Highly recommend! read more

Awesome- easy and tasty takeout. The butter chicken is to die for and the naan and chana daal are awesome.

This place is just freaking delicious. I love it. The staff is kind, gives great recommendations, and makes me feel valued.... and the FOOOOOODD!!! My goodness, the food! So delicious. Just A+++ read more

Got take out for the first time and will definitely be back! Very flavorful dishes and generous portions.

Delicious! We got the tika masala and butter chicken, and loved every bite of both! Can't wait to dine-in in the future

I have been here for both lunch and dinner takeout. The place lives up to expectations both in quality and quantity of food. I've been to many other Indian joints in Charlottesville and believe me I always walked away satisfied, but in my opinion, this is the best Indian restaurant in the city hands down. You do pay a little more (2-3$) than the average place but it is well worth it in my opinion. This place is becoming a staple in my weekly/monthly food budget, as one dish can last a whole day in terms of calories. Also, unlike other Indian places, I don't feel tired or drowsy after I eat, I don't know why. Either way, I don't usually recommend places but I had to leave a review. Will definitely be coming back. read more

The food is excellent. We were in a hurry to catch a movie in the same building complex, so our experience was a little hurried. However this is a great little restaurant that would have been well worth a more leisurely meal. read more