Masala Art in my opinion the best Indian restaurant in DC. The service, food and ambiance is great, especially the naan. The only downside is the price, but it's worth it to me. One interesting thing about Masala Art I would like to point out are the bathrooms. They are single bathrooms, but for some reason there are 2 toilets in the bathroom and they face each other... read more

I ordered the saag paneer and a butter naan. The flavor of the sag paneer isn't like any of the others I have had. It wasn't bad but it was too salty. I've had better naan. I would eat it again if I had to, but I wouldn't seek it out. read more

This place is great. The menu is extensive, the food is delicious and flavorful, and the waitstaff is AMAZING. The prices are definitely reasonable as well considering the amount of food you get and the quality/presentation. I go to Indian restaurants a couple of times a month, and this place will definitely be my top choice for my next outing. read more

Delicious flavorful food. I enjoyed my meal, and especially love the cocktail I had. I wish I had taken down the name of it. The ambiance is nice nothing over the top. read more

Great, flavorful food and a nice little happy hour. The naan is served hot with sumptuous sauces. The ambiance is cozy and comfortable and perfect for a date night. read more

Do yourself a favor, check it out! I had dinner last night with a few friends. The food was very good, authentic and creative compared to other Indian restaurants in the area. My favorite appetizer is the Pani Puri (try it). For entrees, I highly recommend the Tiragana Paneer (super moist paneer kabob) the Nariyal fish curry, and the Lassoni Corn Palak. We also had the Lamb Rogan-e-Josh and the Lamb Vindaloo (very spicy, get raita with it). In both cases, the sauce was fantastic but the lamb could have been a bit more tender. For dessert, get the "indian ice cream" with Falooda. The waitstaff was very attentive and friendly. The manager/owner was also cool too; he worked for 10 years at the various Hertiage Indias and did most of art work. read more

The best traditional, moderately-priced indian restaurant in Washington, DC. They also offer half-priced wine from Sun-Wed. The naan is excellent, particularly the cilantro and rock salt version. The goa fish curry is rich and creamy with moderate heat, not to be missed, the dal makhani is as tasty a version as I've seen and the lamb chops were an unexpected, spicy pleasure... but you can't really go wrong anywhere. Masala Art loses a star because it can be crowded, the food can take a little while to come out and the waitresses can be a little overwhelmed/inattentive, but the food is so good, and so cheap, that I wholeheartedly recommend you try it. read more

Very cool little place a few steps off of the Tenleytown Red line metro stop. We had a fairly large party and they were extremely accommodating. The food is great for sharing, so I suggest everyone ordering something different. Some of the dishes we had were the Lamb Vindaloo, which was so flavorful and spicy - not for the faint of heart! We also had the Tikka Masala, which is always a good choice. The rock-salt cilantro Naan was very tasty and actually my friend doesn't really care for cilantro and he liked it on this, so I definitely recommend that. I think for what you get, the cost is very reasonable. I wished my lamb vindaloo was a little larger of a portion, but honestly with appetizers, a few drinks, and the entree I was full, but not so full that I couldn't function properly for the rest of the night. If you love Indian cuisine, I highly recommend this place. read more

YUM! My first time eating here was on a Wednesday, which is apparently 1/2-off-bottles-of-wine night (score!) and I was totally impressed. Great, attentive-without-being-annoying service, pretty decor, nice vibe. We had paneer tikka for an appetizer...tasty--and the cilantro sauce was amazing. We also shared lamb vindaloo and chicken saagwala for entrees--both were very, very good, especially the saag. OH yeah, we finished off the night with a drink we'd never tried before and I can't remember the name, but it had red wine, amaretto and mint. SOoooo good. Can't wait to go back next time we're in town. Make a reservation. read more

My experience was not great. The appetizers were not good. All of them seem to have been prepared and just reheated when ordered. Moreover they all tasted the same. Service was poor. Dishes were served without serving spoons. Everyone seemed to be interns. They even charge for additional green chutney which was something I never have ever seen. It's like charging for hot sauce in an American restaurant. This place seriously needs to live upto the prices of its dishes. read more

We trudged through the snow Wednesday night and boy was it worth it! The staff at Masala Art were professional, polished and attentive and while it is a medium-large sized restaurant, it felt incredibly intimate. We started with the Bhelpuri which had a nice kick and great crunchy texture. The presentation was amazing--almost a pseudo tortilla bowl, but made out of nann. Very creative and fun. I got the Chicken Tikka Masala which had huge chunks of moist meat. The sauce had a ton of depth that didn't seem spicy when you first started eating, but definitely kept building as you ate it and ended up having quite a kick! My boyfriend got the Lamb Vindaloo and said it was quite good, but not the best he has ever had. Our friend ordered the Karahi Chicken which she really enjoyed. Overall we were qutie happy and will definitely head back again soon! read more

This place is a real hit or miss. I've been many times to the lunch buffet (only during the weekday) and my experience is either outstanding or very disappointing. Sadly the ratio is skewed towards very disappointing. The dinner menu is okaish. Lately they have been getting super lazy with the selections. What's even worse they changed the flour they use for their naan so you don't get naan anymore You get chewy, dry pizza crust. If you come after 1 and something is out they won't refill it. Today the place was full of flies. I'm partly writing this review because I'm commiting to never go back. read more

From the outside, it looked like a cheap fast food place. Surprisingly, it has very nice decor inside. They should change the sign outside! That sign makes it look so cheap. By far the tastiest Indian restaurant I have ever been to. Perfect for vegetarians. Their grilled entrees like okra was a killer. I am going back there. I give 4 star rating because of the service. It was not bad at all. The waiter was polite and attentive, but he could not establish a connection with us. Maybe my expectations were too high. I heard every waiter say "thank you" as we left, but the connection part was missing. It was not very personable. read more

Makes me sad to give this place only two stars cause I actually think the food is worth four... but the service was bad enough to make this place a one star in my opinion. I've experienced this place three times, in three different ways: take out, dine in, and delivery; each progressively worse. Take Out: the staff said maybe three words to us the entire time. No one greeted us when we came in. The person who brought out the food told us the price and then asked for my method of payment. No hello, no thank you, no goodbye. Dine In: unattentive and impatient Delivery: they told me 45mins to a hour. After waiting a hour and 10 minutes I called to check on my order. They guy rudely told me "I said 45 minutes to a hour so that means the driver must be on his way." I waited another 20 minutes for my food to arrive cold. Now that I've exhausted my options, guess I'll have to find another Indian restaurant with awesome paneer makhan masala. It's really too bad. I WANT to love this place.... but the people that work there really take away from the experience and make this place difficult to enjoy. read more

The meal at Masala Art was great. Very well spiced and seemed authentic. The vegetable samosa was a stand out as well as the chargrilled shrimp. The shrimp was fresh, huge, and very, very spicy. I wouldn't recommend it to those that don't enjoy that palette, just as heads up. While the food was amazing, the three star review is really for the service. We were tucked away in a back corner table and really felt forgotten once the restaurant got busier. The service for the first portion of our meal was great, but it took far longer than it should have to clear the plates as well as bring the check. I would all in all go again though. Well worth it. read more

Easy five stars, the food is fabulous. We only discovered this restaurant during covid and haven't had a chance to dine-in yet (just delivery), but we've absolutely loved everything we've ordered from here. We have gotten a variety of the entrees and a few apps and have enjoyed it all. Huge fans of the dal makhani, any paneer dish, and pao bhaji. I love Indian food and am so glad to have found this gem, it's now our go-to for Indian food. read more

Went for dinner with five people, and while some [and I stress some] of the food was flavored nicely, the portion sizes and the uncomfortable hovering of the wait staff made the dinner subpar. The good tasting dishes were the chicken Murgh Makhani [however it was 4 small bites of chicken with a massive plate of sauce [think not even the size of a chicken thigh put together] and the jumbo prawns [four prawns 22$] which were flavored great, but really overcooked. The cilantro naan was good, as was the vegetable samosas [an order of 2 is 5$] The bad? portions are very very small, prices are very high. The lamb biryani was a total joke. 18$ for a small bowl of rice with probably less than 3 oz. of lamb total. I think the flavor of the chicken and the naan saved it from being a one star experience [outside of my amazing dining companions]. The wait staff seems rude and ever-present and it just became uncomfortable. After the main course the waiter tried shoving dessert menus into our hands and when we told him we did not want dessert, he rolled his eyes and walked away. When you've spent almost 30$ a person already I wouldn't expect a waiter to be so insulted you don't want to order more. I may live within a couple minutes of this restaurant, and we may only have a couple nice food spots in tenley [go to Kitty O'Sheas or Guapos!] but I definitely won't be back. read more

Updated review.previous review. Suffered from loud guests unrelated to restaurant five stars for food and atmosphere great waiters. I can't say enough about this place simply a nice calm experience consistently read more

Masala Art - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Ordered via Doordash and was pleasantly surprised. Everything was exceptionally good from the rice to all the dishes (Paneer Makhan Masala, Saag Paneer, and Meen Moilee). One of the best and most unique Indian meals I've had in DC. Will order again and highly recommend. read more

Love this place. Clean, soft "Indian Techno" music, cloth cotton napkins, bountiful lunch buffet reasonable price and all you can eat - I went back for 3rds! Staff re super gracious and it's tastefully appointed. I took a donor there for her first Indian Food and she loved it - esp. the green salad with mango slices. Add this to your neighborhood fave list. read more

I've only been once for the lunch buffet, but the price was right and the food was great! Lots of delicious Nan, chicken tandoori, salads, rice pudding, etc. I have a very good Indian friend and he suggests that this is the closest thing to authentic Indian food around. I would give it a try for sure! read more

One of my new favorites! Everything I've had has been super tasty. My Indian friends from work tell me the food is extremely authentic. I particularly enjoyed the black pepper and garlic naan and the spinach and cheese. They have a wonderful selection of vegetarian dishes (can be a side for us meat lovers) and very good small appetizers. The deserts they have are awesome! I've done the lunch buffet a few times and it's a great value; however, the dinner menu has so much more to offer. All and all a great place; if you want to ensure a spot get a reservation as they are a little on the smaller size. read more

4.25 stars or better. I remember coming here nearly 2 years ago exactly after being offered a new job with increased pay and benefits so perhaps that is why I remember the buffet being so darn tasty. Or maybe the food is good on its own merits. Probably somewhere in between, but this is some of the better Indian food I have had in DC. Comparable to Indique heights, maybe a little better, and superior to the ones found around Woodley Park metro. It is a nice looking restaurant, good ambiance, nice price for the lunch buffet. I sampled a lot of dishes because of the buffet. The naan is warm and crispy. Most dishes are not "mouth on fire" spicy but spicy enough, which is what I go for. You still need a subtle kick and these dishes offered it. Overall check out if you are shopping around the area. read more

Ordered naan, samosas and tikka masala last night. Have been here several times, never had an issue. Unfortunately, did experience a horrific bout of food poisoning last night. Either the chicken was bad or staff aren't washing hands. read more

I've only had takeout from here, so I can't comment on the service or decor. But the food was tasty enough to earn 4 stars. I had the mixed vegetable miloni, though all of their vegetarian dishes sound tempting. It was creamy and delicious. The rock salt and cilantro naan and the vegetable samosas were also excellent. The prices are maybe a bit more than some other places, but pretty fair for the portion sizes. It's been a while since I had their food, but I'm thinking it's time to go back for some more... read more

This is one of my new favorite indian restaurants. Definitely a great upscale-modern Indian restaurant! I loved the decor in the restaurant, it has clean lines with the right amount of indian flare. It's very modern and contemporary! Delicious indian food!! Good size portions! A must-try place! The waiters were very attentive and understood indian food well. read more

We live in AU Park and are keen on the Indian food as takeout from Masala Art. On Friday after a long week, we decided to treat ourselves. We ordered online for pick up. It was ready in less than 25 minutes. We ordered a new bread - the red pepper garlic naan and we enjoyed it very much. Palak Paneer is one of our favorites and the menu allows ordering a full as well as a half order. We did for this and it was delicious. Just note that the full comes with rice and the half has no rice. The black dal was also ordered as a main and the lentils were perfectly done and the sauce was very tasty. We also had the chicken tikka masala and that was very tasty. A little less spicy than I might prefer but probably calibrated to American taste. The staff were very friendly and helpful. Back in pre-pandemic, we regularly ate in the restaurant and the service was attentive and responsive. It is a pleasant interior with good space between tables. We like and recommend this place for sure. read more

This unassuming Indian restaurant was delicious. Perhaps it was the dreary day, paired with the warm food, but everyone was thrilled with their dish. I had the zucchini jalfrezi, which was perfectly spiced. My family got a variety of chicken dishes that were all delicious too. Will definitely go back, probably for lunch: I saw they have a weekday buffet special! read more

This place would be a 4.5 star without the spotty service. I'll start with the good. First, Tenleytown is not known for its gourmet food, so having a nice restaurant in the area is definitely a big plus. Being an AU student, I'm constantly subjected to mediocre takeout, so having a really classy joint in the neighborhood is great. Overall, the food was great. I came here with a friend, and we definitely ate our way though the menu. We tried the rock salt and cilantro naan, which wasn't anything too special, but still tasty. The veggie samosas were overflowing with filling and had a really nice crust; definitely something I would order again. For our entrees, I ordered the channa masala and my friend ordered the murgh masala. The channa masala was delicious, but much spicier than I was expecting. Still, with the rice, it ended up being perfectly spiced. The murgh masala was also great; the chicken was moist and tender, and the sauce was very well-done. We also indulged in rice pudding for dessert, and that was quite tasty. Very sweet and creamy with just a hint of interesting spice. Great way to end a spicy meal. My only qualm with the food was the portion size. This place isn't bargin-priced, so I expected larger portions. Usually, Indian restaurants give you so much that you end up stuffed and still have enough left over for another meal, but this wasn't the case here. The samosas were especially tiny; they should almost call them "mini-samosas." The service, however, was pretty awful. They have a strange system where you don't have just one waiter, but whoever is closest to you takes care of you at that moment. When we came in at six on a Saturday, the restaurant was quiet, so this system worked alright. But once the place got a little busier, things started to slip through the cracks. For instance, one guy handed us dessert menus and then never came back to check if we wanted anything. The last half hour of our meal was spent waiting for things to arrive. If they could just tighten up the service (and maybe loosen their portion control), this place would be top notch. read more

Best Indian food I've ever had...better than Rasika! A delicious bottle of Syrah for 16$ to start it all off...hard to beat. And the fact that they offer half portions for 5$ of all their vegetarian dishes, lets you try more of their delicious food. I've been there 3 times so far, and always leave, full, happy, and with leftovers. The service can be bit iffy and awkward at times, but whatever....servers change- the food never has. It's consistently flavorful and delicious. I highly recommended the lamb saag and rock salt cilantro naan. All the appetizers are fairly good, except for the Sarson wali Gobhi, a little too mustardy for my taste. The Dal Panchrattan is also amazinggg...5 different types of lentils in one soup. Overall, I highly recommend this place. It's very fairly priced, which is rare to see in DC and especially at some high-end Indian restaurants. read more

This is my absolute favorite place to go for Indian food in the Washington DC metropolitan area. I have been to many places throughout DC including the very highly ranked Rasika. I would choose Masala Art over all of them for the service, for the price and for the food of course. This family owned and operated business offers a very unusual variety of appetizers. Each one is worth trying. For example, there are only two restaurants in the DC region that offer pani puri an Indian street food. Their pani puri is always exactly the same and what I might expect if I were in India. They also offer some surprises. The latest addition of tacos on the appetizer menu are both sweet and spicy. They are a welcome addition and my new favorite. The main dish curries are served in a serving bowl that is easy for sharing. Fragrant rice graces each individual's plate with an order of curry. Biryani comes in a copper pot with a separate plate for eating. Tawa and grilled meats also come on a grand serving dish with separate dishes for each diner. Every dish is excellent. I have never been disappointed. I love my old favorites like paneer makhan masala and lamb biryani. And I welcome the new additions to the menu like shrimp ambi curry. I recently brought my relatives here who were visiting from Florida. I hadn't seen them since the pandemic and was hoping to be able to talk someplace quiet. Masala Art was the perfect place. We stayed for 3 hours trying lots of new things and sharing some bottles of wine. My cousin had the new shrimp ambi curry. She said it was the best curry she has ever eaten. She has been to India many times. On a separate visit when I inquired how they get their dal makhani so perfectly spiced when I have failed at home the chef came out to explain his recipe. The wine list is not inventive but is fine and completely what you would expect at a neighborhood restaurant. The deserts are good but not spectacular. My favorite is the galub jamun, tiny fried balls of dough in a spiced syrup of cardamon and pistachios. I highly recommend Masala Art and challenge anyone to find a better place in the DC region. read more

I really want to enjoy this place. I really, really, really do. Nestled right in my neighborhood and looking chic, Masala Art piqued my interest quickly. I'd heard that it was pretty good, and since I haven't found an Indian food place of note in NW, my date and I rolled the dice and tried it on a balmy spring night. After lazing about the door for the first 5 minutes, it didn't take long for us to be seated. The restaurant was full of happy looking folks, and the ambiance was great. Very contemporary and tastefully done, it was a wonderful spot for a date. The food was completely meh. We enjoyed a fennel crusted.....something.....that was very plain. The lamb dish we enjoyed was also nothing to write home about, and the portions were small. I'll keep an eye out for specials here, because it's in my neighborhood and the reviews suggest that Masala Art can really hit a home run, given the right pitch.....but I wont be anxious to step to the plate again anytime soon. read more

I was first drawn to this place by being a new addition to my frequent flier miles program. It is close to work, and I LOVE Indian food. When I first went in, it was like deja vu. I knew I had been there before. Then I remembered. A few years ago, some coworkers and I had been there when it was a Japanese restaurant. Masala Art is so much better. The servers and bartender are very attentive even for just getting takeout. The decor is simple and homey. I will definitely be going back to share the great food with friends. read more

The next time I am looking to extremely over pay for very average food, I will probably have them pack food for my dog. But I would rather not get him sick on the high sodium content to feel full for days yet starve after waiting 50 minutes for the order to see the dreadful surprise of tiny bird size portions. I look forward to you guys closing down. read more

Ordered takeout from here for the second time. Dined in once. Takeout the first time was solid - sag paneer and dal makhani were both good. The second time, different story Paneer Tikka - Tough and chewy!, almost inedible. Paneer is supposed to be moist! Pindi Channa - Decent but really oily. Paneer Makhani - Ok, the paneer was moist here as it should be. Gobi Appetizer - Very average. Dal Makhani - Good. The only decent dish. Tandoori Roti and Garlic Naan - THICK and soft! Both are supposed to be medium thick and well done. The rice that came with the entrees was like a fried rice, dripping in grease. Why not serve fluffy white basmati rice with peas? Don't think I'd get take out from here again. read more

The buttered chicken was well balanced. The Lamb vindaloo was quite spicy, but not stomach burning. It was probably my favorite dish of the night. Pani Poori was unique, and tasted alright. Okra was average. The veggietarian dishes we ordered (including one eggplant dish) was not as memorable as the meat dishes. I went last week as I'm yelping a week later, I find the place to have not left and impactful impression on me. Yet as I think back to each individual dish and how they mixed together, I thought that the food was pretty good. All the dishes taste wonderful together when mixed together (that's the traditional way to eat Indian food). Perhaps for the publicity this restaurant gets as one of DC's best as voted by Washingtonian, I was diasppointed by my experience. Thus a 3, not 4 star experience. I like the décor in the restaurant. Very loud, service is slow. Food is great. read more

I totally love Masala Art!! It isn't too far from my house. But, even if it was, I'd drive across town to get there. This is some of the best Indian food I've had in the area. They have a small restaurant with a pretty good buffet. I love every dish I've had there. I would highly recommend it. My aunt, who is a total Indian cuisine snob, even liked it. I've taken her to every Indian restaurant in the area. She thinks she is some expert Indian food critic because she lived in London for years. And, she even approved! Hope you try it out. read more

If you have had great Indian food before I'd skip this place. I'm slowly hitting all the Indian's in the DC area and so far this is one of the worst. The man that greeted us was not friendly at all. In fact while we waited and looked at the menu he turned away a few couples that did not have reservations. Or offered an unreasonable leave time. I understand they were busy but he was not very pleasant about it. I could sacrifice that for a great Indian meal any day. Sadly the food was not good at all. Chicken Tika was very poor. My advice would be jump on the metro to Cleavland park (indique) So far out of 5 I've been to in DC it's good, However still searching for the best. read more

This is the freshest tasting Indian food I ever had. I really like the way it's prepared. I particularly love that they have a grain free missi roti flat bread . It is made from garbanzo bean flour (aka gram flour) and spices. Service is so so. read more

We went for dinner and it was good Indian food but not the best I've had! I had a mango lassi that was yummy but not the usual good bitter taste. The chicken tikka masala was good, but there wasn't that much chicken! Our shrimp dish and lamb dish were both pretty good. It was A-OK! read more