It's good. I really don't have any major complaints, but I don't have anything that really stood out in my mind either. The vegetarian curries are a little bland for my taste (and I even requested spicy!), but the flavors are ok - well balanced, not too oily, etc. If you go, the appetizers are excellent - definitely worth a go. Overall, I give it a thumbs up and will definitely be back for additional sampling. read more

Great great service! Delicious meals. Half priced wine (we went on a Tuesday) We asked the server for recommendations and it did not disappoint. Chicken saagwalla was deliciously spiced, very mild. Paneer with spicy tomato sauce and vegetable curry were flavorful. At the end - DO NOT Eat the seeds. I have had anise seeds before and they were fine. However, these ones tasted like perfume and all 3 of us had to spit them out... One almost lost her dinner... 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

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

Wow, Masala Art is good. I have been there twice over the last week, and both times were excellent. Good food, good service, fair price. Last week, I went for lunch and ordered off the menu. I think that due to the Holiday's, there was no buffet. Today, there was a buffet at lunch. Both times were exceptionally good, and both times were well priced. Try it. You'll like it. read more

Merely average as far as Indian food goes. The food was certainly edible, but somewhat lacking in quality. I got the Lamb Vindaloo (my personal favorite), and rather than the meat being tender, it was more mushy... The samosas were great, but it's hard to mess up a samosa. Oh, and we ordered the $3 Garlic Naan, and were only given one piece.... My friend and I had carryout from Masala Art delivered to us at school. We were quoted 30 minutes, it ended up taking 90, and they didn't provide any utensils. We had to run across the street to Starbucks and take some from there (with the barista's permission of course). read more

I went there for a dinner and a lunch buffet. The interior is nice. The "strange restroom" still exists, you know what I'm talking about if you know what was there before. People there are a little unfriendly, but OK level. In buffet, you can have a basket of Naan (maybe you can have more. I didn't try.) 4~5 variations of curries and desserts are good and tasty. The price is reasonable, considering the location. Not the best choice, but certainly recommended. read more

The food and the service were great. We were greeted, questioned during our meal and thanked by no less than 3 people. The dahi papri was delicious and could almost be a dessert. The flavors were bright and went really well together. Aloo aur Pyaz ki Bhaji is like exotic hash browns, and its initial saltiness ended up complementing the dahi papri. My murgh makhani was good, with a strong tomato flavor. The naan is excellent...perfectly chewy, crispy and charred. Our waiter made good suggestions, even promising that a request for extra spiciness would result in a dish "that will make you cry." (It did, and that was okay. Usually Indian kitchens tail back on the heat for Americans, even if you beg for it.) It's hard to beat a 3-course dinner for two that only costs $50 (and resulted in leftovers for me). read more

I enjoyed the pani poori - both taste and presentation. The wine list was respectable, and compliments the spicy dishes. The garlic naan was okay. I loved the sag chicken dish - very moist and creamy. Some of the artwork was charming. The pulau rice and noise levels keep me from giving it 5-stars, it was fairly loud. It's probably a better place for groups. I think plain rice will enhance the flavors of the dishes. The entree portions were fine, but not enough rice. read more

This place is amazing. It is the best Indian food in DC, far better than rasika. The food is really fresh and never oily like most Indian places. The decor is really nice. Compliments to the chef! read more

Bottom line: excellent food at a reasonable price. We just came back from dinner and had to rave about it immediately. We had a lovely dinner, with 2 apps, an entree, 2 sides, and a bottle of wine for about $45. The service was great, the food was fantastic, and the space is pretty and clean. Great addition to Tenleytown. read more

Great value, wouldn't rush back My husband and I had been hoping to check out this place since we heard it had opened. I love to cook Indian food at home but we have yet to find a really wonderful Indian restaurant in the DC metro area (except for Rasika, which is a bit pricey) that can compare with home-cooked delicacies. Anyway, we went with a group of 8 friends and had high expectations. As others have noted, the service can be a little slow but we didn't mind as we were with a big noisy group of friends who hadn't seen each other for awhile and wanted to catch up. The atmosphere was nice! Warm lighting, soft music and friendly servers. It manages to make you feel both comfortable and like you're treating yourself to a nice dinner out. The staff patiently waited for us to finish up so they could close the restaurant as we were the last group to leave. We tried the rock salt and cilantro nan but I must say I was less than impressed, the saltiness just overpowered other flavors. I thought the plain nan was a better choice. We shared some other starters and they seemed to be hit or miss. My Makai aur Mattar on Methi Missi was quite yummy but my husband's lamb dish was just so-so. By the time our main dishes came we were already filling up. The creamy tasty Paneer Makhan Masala seemed to be a hit. Lamb vindaloo was inedible - we ended up daring each other to eat an entire spoonful it was that spicy. Too bad because it could have had a nice flavor but it was impossible to say with the overwhelming heat. The tandoori chicken was tasty and came with some cute sides. Other dishes we ordered didn't stand out especially. In sum, at Masala Art you get a lot of relatively high quality food for a reasonable price. Definitely not DC's finest Indian food but fun for an evening out with friends. Menu is expansive so everyone should find something to tickle their fancy. If I went back I think I'd order half-sized portions of some of the entrees to sample among friends, thereby avoiding a menu miss. Also, I'll be sure to avoid anything labeled 'fiery'! read more

One of my favorites in DC! I've been three times and have pretty much ordered the same thing every time. Papri chat as appetizer, cilantro and rock salt naan, and saag paneer. Saag paneer is not usually a dish I'd order at an Indian restaurant but it came highly recommended. And it was hands down the best I've ever had. It had a kick to it that I've never tasted in that dish before. However, when I've tasted other dishes -- lentil dish and mixed veggies -- they've paled in comparison. It can get really crowded but its never too loud. And the service is great. One time we had to wait a little bit even though we had a reservation and the hostess brought us free drinks while we were waiting and a free appetizer once we were seated. Another time the manager (I think?) came and brought me over a new drink because he saw me make a face when I drank it. I wish it were closer to me in DC but its worth the trip! read more

My girlfriend had been here before and is a fan. I was inclined to believe her since she spent a semester abroad in India back in college. We arrived at 745 on a Friday night. The restaurant wasn't too busy. It didn't seem like our reservation was necessary. However, by 830 the place was pretty full. I ordered the butter chicken. It was delicious. We also ordered two types of naan (garlic and pepper / sea salt and lime). Both were delicious. I think I preferred the sea salt. Overall the atmosphere was nice, and the service pretty good. read more

This place just opened on 4th street in SW. It's easy to access via metro and the food is fantastic. Really good drink selection as well and great customer service. They have a large menu that will cater towards fans of Indian food or those who are trying it for the first time. Even the bread (nan) was spot on. They have options for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. I will definitely be adding this place to my regular weekend routine. read more

Great food! Great drinks! Great service! I have had the mint Merriment (cocktail), lamb neelgiri korma, saag paneer, rock salt cilantro naan, and bread pudding. The saag paneer was okay and everything else was amazing! I couldn't stop eating the neelgiri korma. The staff were incredibly friendly and helpful. I asked for food recommendations and they helped me navigate the menu. I highly recommend it. read more

We went for their lunch buffet this week and thought it was fantastic! They really revitalized the old Kuma space and it now has a great elegance about it. The manager was very attentive to us, as was the wait staff, stocking us with more naan when our bread basket looked low (a rarity in Indian restaurants where they usually charge for this). The buffet had appetizers with several kinds of chutney, salad with different accompaniments and mango pickle. Then they had 5 different curries and biryani (rice) - all of which were fantastic. Naan was served at the table and there were 2 desserts - gulab jamun and fruit salad. Everything we had was excellent and the a la carte menu looks more inventive than a typical Indian restaurant. Looking forward to our next visit. read more

Great food at good prices, but questionable service. I've eaten here twice, and both times have been very happy with the quality and taste of the food. I have also, both times, been left sitting at my table, with no service, for extended periods of time. I come to restaurants for the food, so the service is always secondary for me, but be prepared for possible server-neglect at Masala Art. read more

Loved it ! The decor was refreshingly different and Beautifull , unlike the usual indian joints - filled with pictures and statues of Ganeshas and maharajas ! The place did not reek of smells from all the food being served , thanks to good ventilation ! It also did not have over crowded tables had a waiting place ( missing in most Indian restaurants) . Food was excellent and staff were very courteous too! A must visit - worth driving all the way there! read more

Can't believe this is within walking distance from my place and I haven't been all this time! Found my new spot for Indian food. Came here on a fri night. Ordered two apps: aloo tikki chaat which was so delicious, and cauliflower bezule, which was essentially fried breaded cauliflower so what's not to like? The garlic naan was great as was the warki paratha which is one of my fave breads. For entrees we ordered paneer makhan masala, kofta Shaam savera, baingan mirch ka salan, and and pindi chole. The kofta is one of the best I've ever had. I didn't want to stop eating it. Paneer makhan is one of my favorite dishes at Indian restaurants and I'm glad this one did not disappoint. The baingan mirch was not my favorite because I don't tend to prefer eggplant in Indian dishes but my friend really liked it. Also it was nice to see this on the menu because it was prepared South Indian style, which you don't always see on Indian restaurant menus. I couldn't even get to the chole because by that point I was stuffed to my ears. But I loved the rest of the food so much I couldn't even wait 24 hours to eat the leftovers so I ate the chole the next day and they were really really good. I did find some of the dishes to be very spicy for my taste but I also have a very low tolerance for spice. It wasn't as crazy as I've had at other places though, and it wasn't enough to stop me from still eating it. read more

I'm writing this after a splendid experience at Masala Art. My husband and I chose Masala Art for our wedding dinner because we are big fans of their buffet lunch. For our wedding dinner we were offered a pre-set menu with appetizers, main course and dessert for a very good price per head. We chose this restaurant for three reasons: 1) excellent food 2) excellent service (let's be honest some Indian restaurants have much to do in that department) 3) several vegetarian/vegan options for our guests. Masala Art did not disappoint! My husband and I were thrilled (as well as our guests) with the array of food and drinks and we are so happy we chose Masala Art for this very special meal. THANK YOU SO MUCH FIVE STARS! read more

Their Chicken Tikkka Masala is delicious, I order it frequently. The restaurant itself is kept well, however I often times find myself wondering if the price is worth the meal. A generally good place to eat though. Side note...they really need to fix that funky two seat facing each other women's bathroom haha. My friends (the female one's) all laugh about it every time we go eat there. read more

The best Indian food in town!! Very North Indian type with contemporary twist.. al their items are super!! Not sure how they make the sauce but its definitely out of this world.. And I rarely give restaurants 5 stars unless they are on top of everything. These guys are amazing!! read more

The place is lovely, especially for an Indian restaurant, it has the colors - the saffrons and yellows that give it warmth. Only a few of us were on time, so they gave us water to start and it took a little while to get our drink orders in. We had Kingfishers, Samuel Smith IPA, and some Pinots. This place's strength is not the beer and wine menu, that's for sure. The service is generally pretty good, and it was no different tonight. We ordered appetizers: vegetable samosas, aloo tikki chat, pani puri, and chicken 65. No surprise on the samosas - 2 per order, with the tamarind and cilantro sauces. They were mild in terms of heat, but the other spices were apparent. The aloo tikki chat is potato pancakes with chickpeas and yogurt and tamarind sauces. It was very good. My mom puts sev on them, to give it a little crunch, and a red sauce for heat. Hers is better. The pani puri, I must say, is quite authentic. It's small, fried, hollow puffs filled with potatoes and small beans or peas and tamarind sauce. It's served with a flavored liquid (the 'pani' meaning water, 'puri' is the crispy hollow fried sphere it is served in). I liked it - it tasted like Juhu Beach in Mumbai. Finally, the Chicken 65. Not good. Not spicy. Did not seem fried. It had a lot of sauce. Maybe there are different varieties, but this is a fiery, bright red, dry dish generally. Or, with very light sauce, but almost never with gravy. Karaikudi has an authentic version. For the mains we got tandoori chicken, chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, lamb chops, baingan bartha, and some naan (garlic and rock salt/cilantro). The tandoori chicken was tasty, but it did not have that bright red color that you typically see. I wonder if that bright red is some sort of dye/food coloring, and that authentic versions don't get that bright? Chicken was moist, sometimes tandoori chicken can be dry. I like a little char, but that's a taste thing. The chicken tikka masala was ordered just in case there was someone at the table that needed something they recognized. Not much to say about it. As all the foodie types know, there is some controversy whether or not this is an actual Indian dish (http://www.menumagaz...ikkamasala.html). Masala Art's version is an acceptable version, with excellent color - exactly how I think the dish should look. The lamb vindaloo ... this is the star of the menu, to me. Yes, I prefer spicy, but there's really is spicy. Not dumbed down, you can't ask for it mild - it only comes one way. It is vinegary, with potatoes and lamb pieces. It is bright, the masala is not too thick (when you have this dish in Goa, compared to most places that make it in America, it has less of a curry consistency, but not quite broth), and it hot hot hot. The lamb pieces were tender. The lamb chops were good, but not as good as the first time I went here when I first moved to the DMV. Seemed to be more ginger and garlic before. The baingan bartha is an eggplant dish, and there's is better than most. It's better than mine or my mom's, which I think is saying a lot. It tastes fresh, you can taste that the eggplant has been roasted and then broken down. It's a solid dish, and probably one of the better vegetarian options. We had a great time, my friends loved the food, and our second annual Diwali dinner at Masala Art was again succesful. I'll probably come back next year. *** Caveat: the food here, as many people say, is excellent. Tyler Cowen seems to love it, as well. I have one problem, and it has to do with money. With tip, for 7 people we spent $300. This has to do with my parent's point of view growing up. We didn't have much money, and once in a while, we'd drive over the border from Detroit into Windsor and get the Indian lunch buffet for a special occasion. At the time, it was $6.95 CDN, which was close to $5-6 USD. Even at those prices, my parents would grumble about how expensive Indian restaurants were, how cheap the ingredients were and how they felt that though the food was good, they could replicate it at home for a fraction of the cost. Granted, at Masala Art, we are paying for ambience, high rent in NW DC, and experential dining rather than a buffet, but it always floors me how expensive the meal is and how small the entree portions are. But, with 2 people with 2 appetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 drinks a piece, you are not getting out for much less than $75-80, and that just seems expensive. But, at the same time, I'm willing to pay that or more for other cuisines ... I don't know. read more

We had dinner, five of us, three Indians and two Americans. We ordered Palak chat for starters. Awful. Palak was bunched in frying and became like a pakora except that it was not. We followed by ordering thalis. Bread does not come with it, so we ordered some, a mix of breads. I asked for aloo-paratha. The food arrived--no bread. We were about ten minutes in food and I had to repeatedly ask before the bread came. Aloo-paratha hardly had any aloo in it. Thin crusted and hard to bite. The rest of the food was heavy in cream and surprisingly, sugar. I am not kidding, I felt sick after eating and had to throw up. Sorry if it is sounds bad--it was awful. read more

This is Indian food for Americanized people. I've never been to an Indian restaurant where the food wasn't really intended to be shared. Each dish came with rice on it and then a bowl of your order on the same plate. We ended up sharing anyway but the food wasn't very flavorful as other places. Granted that made it a lot lighter and "healthier". I guess the initial feeling where it was full of Caucasians should have made us think twice. read more

Place is beautiful and art was lovely. Food not so much. Chicken 65 appetizer had too much color added. Pakodas doesn't taste anything like Indian pakodas - tasted like they added frozen French fries and onions together and fried. Eggplant curry was not spicy enough and too watery. One star is for garlic naan. Sorry cannot recommend this restaurant. read more

The food is pretty good, the ambiance is calm-- until, of course, the manager angrily yells at you for taking up a table! We had ordered a second round of wine, and were looking at the dessert menu. He was TERRIBLY rude and completely unprovoked. Sorry we spent $80+ at this establishment that clearly has no knowledge of customer service or care for its clientele. read more

What a disappointment. The food is not as described. It is not prepared as requested. Nothing worse than getting food that is too spicy to eat when you're really hungry. Rice is overcooked and greasy. Dish ordered "Mild" was way too hot, pretty much the same as "Medium," which was more like "Spicy." Chickpea flour bread (Missi Roti) was sour. The descriptions are great; the food is not. 3/24/17- I emailed this restaurant and they gave me full refund. They also explained that they do not modify spice levels to personal tastes and they cook authentic Indian food, prepared by chefs who have worked for 20-25 years in India, Europe, England and Japan. They used lots of ALL CAPS to make their points, including shouting MY NAME in their email. read more

Great food! (Or at least my meal was amazing, my fiance got a chicken meal that was good, but nothing special). The Paneer Till Tikka is great! Slightly burnt on the edges and it comes with a side of Dal Makhani (which we usually get an order of and share anyway). As for the service, we had no issues. It took some time to get the food, but I was told it was because my entree takes time to make. From my experience at Indian restaurants it usually takes some time to get the food. Overall, good food and half priced wine bottles on Tuesday-- who can complain. We used to swear by Heritage India in glover park, but after waiting more than 30 minutes for our entree and then getting the wrong entree which was followed by the waiter saying we were wrong and not him, we decided to look for a new place. Luckily, we found Masala Art... read more

not good at all. Tried the masala chicken for lunch. They only gave me a small leg and tight with hardly any meet, a side of something that was supposed to be a spinach based side, and a very small portion of naan bread. The spinach side was more like s soup with hardly any Spinach, and it was VERY salty. The plate was very expensive also ($13 for lunch). Will not go there again! read more

Food is great. Service is horrendous. Ordered food and was told it would take 1:15 for delivery and 30 min for carry out. Decided my wife and I would pick up since we were hungry (730pm). We got to the restaurant at 8 and were told the food was coming in a a few minutes. By 8:15 it was still not ready. I talked to the manager who took the order and he was unapologetic. He said they got busy and there was nothing he could do. 10 minutes later our food was ready after waiting nearly 1 hour. I told the manager this was unacceptable and if there was anything he could do and he said "I can only have the food ready when its available. It takes time to make food from scratch." I said at a minimum they should have called to let us know of the delay and his response was they got very busy and had no time. Once we get home we realized part of our order was missing. We called the store to let them know and he finally apologized for the missing item but said there was nothing else he could do except the next time we come in he would "take care of us". My wife said we were very disappointed and we were going to write a bad yelp review. His response: he HUNG UP the phone on us. This experience was completely unprofessional and suffice to say, we will not be going back. read more

There is something beyond magical in the saag paneer. Some may say addictive. Actually it is in all spinach based dishes. I could eat this every night. And I don't know if it's a weekly thing, but bottles of wine were half price on the Tuesday we ate here. read more

I visited this place on Sunday with my friends. They had buffet which had very limited options. The food was not tasty and poor customer service. We asked to give naan instead of roti and were asked to pay extra. Will never visit again. read more

Dishes were well prepared (tandoor aloo, saag paneer, Baingan Bharta - all vegetarian - plenty of veg options), our waiter was friendly, fast and knowledgable. Welcome to SW, Masala Arts! read more

After much eager anticipation, one of my favorite Indian restaurant in DC has opened a second location in restaurant-deprived Southwest. I'm thrilled that I no longer have to truck up to Tenleytown to enjoy their flavorful curries and unique dishes that I rarely see at most Indian restaurants, but unfortunately, some of the challenges found in the NW location are also present in SW. While Masala Art (mostly) excels when it comes to food, service is just as weak in SW as it is at the NW location. After a lackluster greeting from the hostess, we found ourselves with a very sweet and cheery waitress who didn't know the first thing about providing polished service. I kid you not, she sat down in the empty chair at the table next to us to take their dinner order... I've never seen that in my life. Like I said, she was sweet as can be, but checking in on us would go something like "You good, want anything?" Our finished plates sat on our table for 15 minutes before being removed. Our waitress even brought us our check and then scurried off without removing a single plate. After passing by us about 3 times, the manager finally took our payment and asked if we were done eating... um yeah we were done 15 minutes ago! Clearly there is a lack of attentiveness to diners and a lack of service standards and training. Bottom line: very unprofessional. Food wise, I love pretty much everything on their menu, but I was let down that the cashew chicken curry (Awadhi Dum ke Murg) had almost no spice to it, and I have a really low tolerance for spiciness, so for me to say that is really something. Fortunately, the tandoori chicken and biyranis are as good as ever. They did such a great job with the dining room, which is beautiful and so much more light and bright than the dark NW location. There is also a bar with TVs (not a fan, too distracting). This is not a formal restaurant but come on people, leave the tank tops for the beach and put on a real shirt for dinner. read more

Recently, I had lunch there. The appetizers were great. Chat Papri was authentic. The place was clean, service was good, and the food simply delicious. After learning that I am a vegetarian, they brought 2 extra veg dishes. Both were tasty. I recommend this place for a quick bite, or to linger on for a leisurely lunch with friends. Parking in the area is limited, so recommend hopping on the Metro Red Line for Tenleytown station. read more

This is one of our favorite Indian restaurants in D.C.! Great food, good service and the atmosphere is really nice as well (nice dark woods and not too loud). Our favorite dishes are murgh makkani, Bhelpuri, saag paneer, great nanns, various more experimental dishes from North India and good rice pudding (when we have room for dessert!). Great flavors and not too greasy. Yes, a bit pricey but my experience is that Indian is normally always a bit pricey and we always leave very satisfied! This is one of our go-to restaurants when we have visitors in town and normally can get a table without too much issue. Yes, the bathrooms are a bit strange w/ the double toilet situation (very weird) but not a big deal. Overall, highly recommended! We stil go even though we've since moved to Arlington because it's a favorite! read more

I think I'd give this place 3 and a half stars. I went with a big group and we shared many dishes. The Aloo Tikki Chaat (potato cakes) appetizer was really good. The Baingan Bharta (eggplant) entree, Paneer Masala, Chicken in cashew nut/saffron gravy as well as the Lamb Curry were delicious, but on the spicy side. I enjoyed the vegetarian dishes over the meat dishes. read more

I typically don't go out to eat Indian fare. Not that I don't like it, I just tend to choose other cuisines over it. My friend suggested that we eat at Masala Art on Christmas Eve and boy am I glad he did! The food was delicious! We started with cocktails which were small but tasty. We ordered Samosas as our appetizer. There were two big Samosas piping hot and deliriously spicy and full of flavor brought to our table. It was just enough to satisfy us until our main dish was brought out. I can't remember the name of the dish, but it was basically a hot pot of chicken and rice. I remember the menu described it as "exotic." It wasn't exotic, but it was so good I had to clean the serving spoon once the last bits of food were scrapped from the bottom of the pot. We also had the butter Naan. NOM NOM NOM! For dessert, I opted for the pineapple, mango, orange sorbet. Light and refreshing. As others have mentioned, the interior was a bit surprising...nice place for a first date or to take your parents. Definitely want to dress up a bit. Servers are very attentive. I plan to visit again next time I am in town! read more

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