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    Malabar

    4.5 (21 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 2 months ago

    Malabar Reservations

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    MALABAR ATMOSPHERE

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    Lamb Roganjosh and Saffron Rice
    Shawn H.

    Genuinely one of the most complex and properly structured establishments that I have ever visited in my life. The food was prepared by Chef Alvero and our server was Abhi, both showed the best service that my friends and myself were able to have the pleasure of experiencing, the food truly opened my eyes to what it means to witness passion in not only cooking but love for a customer, 10/10 would visit anytime in the area/ the state

    Chris C.

    Malabar opened just a few months ago in the old Rosedale space under same restaurant group. Would have tried it much earlier had we not had all that snowfall and then we were out of town. Finally went on a weekday evening. It started getting busier around 7 pm. The dining room decor is not much changed which is great as I have always liked the way all the tables were set up, most very well spaced and a few quite secluded so you could have privacy even in a busy environment. We had the palak chaat (crispy spinach), lamb biryani, okra, crab cake, coconut rice and for dessert coconut crème caramel. Of which I really liked the crab cake and okra (Bhindi pepper fry), as well as all the coconut dishes. Especially happy to see that they have a relatively extensive and interesting dessert menu which you don't usually get at many other restaurants. Service was good overall - very attentive and water glasses were never empty - although some trainees could use a bit more training.

    Manglorean Chicken curry
    Sandhya J.

    Today, we went to the Malabar in DC, and it was absolutely amazing. The restaurant has a warm and cozy ambiance, perfect lighting, and the decor is beautiful with detailed leaves on the walls. As for the food, 10/10. We started with Meen Varuval, which is sea bass with an orange sauce. The sauce was mildly spicy, and the sea bass was delicate and flaky. The feeling you get from biting in -- absolutely delicious. Our next dish was Scallop Caldine, which is scallops in green sauce. The scallops were soft and smooth that sliced like butter. The scallops were not for me, but my parents loved it as the sauce was tangy and flavorful. We also got Red Snapper Pollichathu, which was a Red snapper, draped in banana leaf, with a side of lemon rice. Which was tangy and spicy. All the dishes overall was amazing, and I definitely recommend it. The last dish we had was mangalorian chicken curry with parotta. The chicken was tender and delicious, while the sauce was tangy and had a hint of coconut. We also got Payasam and coconut jaggery Empanada for dessert and we loved it! In my opinion, the Malabar is a great restaurant with great ambiance and even better food. It is a perfect place for a fancy dinner or party. - Reviewed by my 12year old foodie!

    Camille J.

    really really good indian food like yum the spinach is the same as rasika which is my fav & the service and atmosphere was super classy & great, even had good desert options like chocolate mint dessert we had was really good!!

    Halibut Goan Curry, Butter Chicken, Lamb Shank Chettinad, Ginger Black Cod
    Craig, T.

    We tried Malabar last week, and it was sooo good! Definitely a great new addition to the neighborhood. It took the place of Rosedale on Connecticut Ave across from Bread Furst. Same restaurant group as Rasika and Sababa. Delicious food, great service, good cocktails, great experience. The crabcake appetizer was amazing, the cauliflower bezule so good, the ginger black cod delicious, butter chicken, lamb shank, everything, so so good. Definitely make it your next night out in the neighborhood!

    Dishes top to bottom: Red Snapper Pollichathu, Halibut Goan Curry, Garlic Naan, Paneer Lababdar, Dal Makhani, Butter Chicken
    Michael M.

    We had an amazing dinner at Malabar last Saturday. We have been regular patrons of Rasika & Rasika West End for over 20 years and wanted to be one of the first to experience this new Knightbridge restaurant concept. It did not disappoint! Service was on point. Kudos to our server Shelley, and Veronica the hostess. Every dish we ate was delightful and exhibited the complex flavors Vikram is famous for. For starters we had Cauliflower Bezule, Palak Chaat, Randall Pattice, and Paneer 65. For our mains we had the Red Snapper Pollichathui, Halibut Goan Curry, Paneer Lababdar, Dal Makhani & Butter Chicken. All were remarkable but the standouts for us were the Red Snapper, Halibut and Butter Chicken. Malabar will definitely be on our list of go-to restaurants!

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    1 month ago

    Our server Abhi was phenomenal! The food was sooooo yummy & everyone who waited on our table made us feel so welcomed!! 10/10 experience!!

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    I've been to Cafe of India many times over the years. It's one of the best Indian restaurants…read morearound. Food is amazing! Friendly service and very clean. I've had their lunch menu recently and everything was delicious.

    Service was attentive and fantastic…read more Ambiance and atmosphere was relaxing, cozy with colorful artwork. Environment is not extremely casual, but more upward casual to semi-upscale. Tables had mini candles, white tablecloths and cloth napkins. I wish there were images of the food on the menu to get an idea of what some of the dishes were like. Everything like the curries, all came out in square shaped bowls, rather than on individual plates. I ordered Tandori Chicken which came with white basmati rice, and a side of plain naan bread. The chicken was delish, however it was dry and needed something wet like a curry to bring it all together. Next time, I would order another dish with the tandori chicken to bring it all together. The basmati rice was made perfectly, fluffy with toasted cumin seeds and a hint of oil. The plain naan bread was baked to perfection, toasty on the outside, chewy and moist on the inside with a hint of oil drizzled on top. Yumm! I had a Tamarind Margarita, which was unique and had a good kick to it. Everyone in my group enjoyed their food. Some folks shared a few items so they had more options. I would do that the next time. Highly recommend.

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    Kadhai Boutique Indian Cuisine - Rogan Josh and Chicken Masala and garlic naan

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    It honestly pains me to write this one-star review because I've been going to Kadahi for years and…read moreit's always been one of my favorite spots. Unfortunately, the last few visits haven't been great, and tonight was the worst it's ever been. I ordered the matar paneer and it was watery and almost completely flavorless, which is very unlike what I've had there before. The rice was even more disappointing -- it tasted old and was hardened into clumps, almost molded into the shape of the container instead of being individual grains. It was difficult to even break apart. The samosas were good, which was the one bright spot, but the garlic naan barely had any garlic on it. Normally their naan is amazing and very flavorful. I'm really disappointed because this used to be my go-to spot for Indian food. I'm hoping this was just a bad night, but after a few recent experiences that were also lacking in freshness and flavor, I may have to start looking for a new place.

    I arrived shortly after they opened on a Sunday and this place was almost full of diners. They…read morefeature a $22 lunch buffet with around 10 items you can choose from. All of the food was fresh and delicious. I loved all of the seasoning and sauces. The tandoori chicken and goat were cooked perfectly. The meats were tender a juicy. There were a couple of parties that called prior and made reservations. The ambience was very warm and inviting. I saw some diners dining alone and many locals. There was also a large party of 12 dining here. The servers were attentive. My friend and I really enjoyed our dining experience here and will definitely be back to try out their dinner menu.

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    Heritage is a neighborhood staple in cathedral heights. I have been dining in the area since I…read moremoved nearby for four years and finally decided to try this establishment. Indian food is not my favorite cuisine but it is mostly gluten-free which so I do keep it on my rotation. This location is never full so I was not sure about it. To be safe I ordered the butter chicken. It was good, but nothing special stood out. I did eat it all and the portion seemed adequate. They seemed a little understaffed even for not having many customers. The ambiance was fine but again nothing special stood out. There are way better Indian restaurants in DC starting with Rasika. Heritage is not bad, but there is nothing that popped for me. If you are in the area and the other restaurants are packed, you can give this a try, but if you are looking for something special, I suggest to keep looking.

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    Just walking up to this place, it was absolutely adorable with all the flowers and charming…read moreatmosphere. Inside, the music wasn't too loud, which made it easy to relax and enjoy the experience. I definitely recommend making a reservation. We didn't have one, so we were offered a seat at the common table or outside. Since it was a beautiful day, we chose to sit outside. Our server was training someone, and they were both fantastic. They gave great recommendations and were attentive throughout the meal. The food came out at the perfect pace, and everything was delicious. We shared two small plates, along with the fried chicken sliders and the butter chicken. The butter chicken had the perfect amount of spice and was incredibly flavorful. There were two of us, and sharing four dishes was just the right amount of food. We had a wonderful experience and will definitely be back!

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    Malabar - indpak - Updated July 2026

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