The food was mostly delicious, the service was mostly good, and the setting is very posh. I would recommend this restaurant. My friend and I first tried the famous crispy baby spinach (palak chaat), the mango shrimp, and the sweet potato samosas. Each of those dishes contained the perfect combination of flavors. I was looking forward to the next appetizer, lamb kebab (malai seekh kebab). Unfortunately, that appetizer was so salty that it was nearly inedible, even with basmati rice, naan, and onion and sage naan. The chicken tikki masala entree was very nice. I'm not a huge fan of gulab jamun, but I gobbled up the lovely, creamy cardamom ice cream. The flavor was just perfect. The service was good, but at the beginning of the meal, I asked for hot water with lemon instead of ice water, and I made something like 10 requests trying to get that refilled throughout the night. Perhaps the servers were not accustomed to an unusual request like this drink? Anyhow, I persisted and managed to drink two or three cups with some citrus flavor. Three other points in this restaurant's favor: (1) the availability of lounge tables for walk-in guests, even when regular tables are completely booked. (That's how my friend and I tried these dishes.) (2) a good-value pre-theater menu (3) valet parking for $8, which compares well with parking garage prices in the area. I'm still looking for that elusive 5 star Indian / Indian-fusion restaurant in the area, but it was fun to try Rasika West End on my way there. read more

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SWEET POTATO SAMOSA - These samosas aren't your typical samosa, with the fried triangle shape. They remind me more of money-bags. The wrapping is thin and crispy. Still delicious! The filling was sweet and paired well with the cranberry. It wasn't too overwhelming flavor wise, but had a nice sweet flavor. Not sure if I'd order again, but worth a try! VEGETABLE THALI - I absolutely loved this dish! It is a fun idea to be able to try three different curries and each curry was a good size! I was able to easily get 2 meals out of this. The Paneer Lababdar was my favorite, it had a delicious onion and tomato flavor with a touch of creamy (maybe from cashews?). The Dal Dhungaree was also delicious! Had a nice flavor profile with a good amount of spices. The Paneer and Dal dishes were kind of similar flavor profiles. The Malai Palak was my least favorite. It didn't have too much flavor and I ended up giving to a friend who loves spinach to eat. COCONUT PANNACOTTA - I'm typically not a fan of Indian desserts, especially one that has the gelatinous texture; however, I was shockingly surprised by the coconut pannacotta. The texture still isn't my favorite, but it's definitely edible. The flavor however was delicious. It's a subtle amount of sweetness with a touch of coconut, but when mixed with the mango provided a nice refreshing dessert that wasn't too heavy! read more

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Great service and high quality food. I recommend getting the garlic naan with anything else.

Wouldn't know how their food tastes since they did not allow us there because we had a sleeping 2.5 year old with us. Their option was to have us sit on the patio in 90+ degreee temperature (our car reading it at 98). Keep in mind my toddler has eaten at multiple Michelin restaurants but this place won't allow him. He is behaved and if not we take him outside. We didn't try for dinner but lunch thinking it's more appropriate for kids. read more

Super expensive, little portions and food ordinary. Not close to Indian flavors. They used authentic Indian dish names but have no idea about the flavors of any fish they have on their menu. read more

Rasika West End - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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We had the chicken tikka masala and mango shrimp curry. The chicken was very soooft and divine. The mango shrimp was okay. Was expensive especially considering that portions were small-ish but good food. read more

We got take out and my friends forgot to order rice but everything we had was delicious. I especially loved the okra and the saag paneer (with generous amounts of paneer)! read more

Best dinner of our week in DC! The West End Rasika is gorgeous, has impeccable service, and had one of Brian's favorite wines on the menu for the best price we've ever seen... And that's all before the food! The pic didn't turn out very well, but the lamb chops were amazing -- my favorite bite of food all week, especially paired with the Shiraz! It's tender, has great char just around the edges, and is served with a mint sauce I could eat on just about anything. Brian's eyes rolled back in his head when we tried the smoked duck galouti with orange marmalade. The truffle potato dosa was light but rich at the same time. My saag paneer was exactly what I was craving, a special suggestion from our server (combining paneer that is in other dishes with the Malai palak from the vegetarian menu. The creamy smokey lentils were good too: I love the idea of getting two vegetarian dishes in "side" size with some rice as a meal! This will be at the top of my reco list for pals in DC. read more

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The bengali style lobster curry they make is one of my favorites ever, it really tastes like home food and it is so yummy and nostalgic. The servers were so kind that even I got free gulab jamun for mentioning that I was celebrating being done with finals. The decor of the restaurant really elevates the vibes, I'm particularly obsessed with the spice wall. read more

Terrible customer services and mediocre food: hyped up tourist trap at best,; embarrassing experience at worst. The fact that I came in for a 9: 45 reservation on a Saturday night might've been the reason for my terrible experience here- I.e., they were closing and wanted to get rid of us. The palak chat is no big deal, just some crunchy spinach and some cream. The lamb korma was done in a rush- perhaps some korma sauce heated up in a microwave then some chunks of lamb thrown in. It also had an overwhelming amount of spice. Actually, it was gross. The coconut shrimp dish was ok. They threw the desert at us like they were upset we ordered it. As I said, maybe my experience had to do with us coming in late, but don't make 9:45 reservations if this is the way you will treat the customer. It was truly embarrassing for the guests I brought here. Never again. read more

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This was a good meal, but nothing really blew my mind or made me want to come back. The dish that really stood out was the black cod -- it's really creamy and delicious. I had the truffle dosa, mango shrimp, and Palak Chaat. The dosa and shrimp were tasty, but nothing special really. As always, I am a sucker for Chaat dishes, this was no exception. I wouldn't say it was much better than other spinach chaats that I have tried though. For mains, I had the Chicken Tikka Masala, the Lamb Biryani, and the Black Cod. The cod was good, but the other dishes were pretty standard as well. Overall, delicious meal, but I can't say that I would come back, everything just felt really standard. read more

Rasika West End - Lamb Biryani - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

The service was exceptional... the food, meh... not so much. We had the scallops for an appetizer (delicious), the fish (sea bass?), but it was so dry, spongey almost, that we sent it back. We both ended up with the chicken tikka (average). Aside from the guest services (left 50% tip due to extraordinary service), nothing about this place is memorable. I would recommend you try it and see if it's better for you! read more

Rasika West End - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I ordered so much delicious food that I don't even know where to start on my review... 5stars Cauliflower - Had the texture of chicken Lamb Chops - Adding the lime and green sauce made it spectacular Chicken Tikki Masala - Sauce was amazing Andhra Chicken Curry - Sauce was amazing Garlic Naan Palak Chaat - This dish lived up to the hype Date & Toffee Pudding - Mouthwatering dessert 4 stars Fish Chili Garlic - Fish was 4 but the jeera aloo was so delicious that my cousin ate it all before I could get a second bite -_- Shrimp Balchao - Seafood doesn't hold flavor as well as chicken Tandoori Paneer - I love me some cheese Rice Pudding Gulab Jamun - Donut hole with ice cream 3 stars Eggplant read more

Nice, welcoming people and great service. Beautiful, high-end restaurant with tasty, well-made dishes and great plating/presentation. Only change I would make is to increase the tiny tiny tiny font size on their menus so that old people like me can read it. read more

Rasika West End - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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This restaurant has been my favourite Indian restaurant in DC for a while now. I always come back when traveling through US to Canada. Their curries are so flavourful and delicious, you just can't have only one! So much spice, flavour, creaminess. I highly recommend their Palak Paneer, Chicken Tikka Masala or Chana Masala. Also their cocktails are divine! As good as it gets! read more

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We made reservations for 2 adults and 2 children under 5. Never once was a text or call made to us to say we do not accept children under 8 at this restaurant. We arrive and are given a card to go to another restaurant they own which I find extremely disrespectful. I am disappointed in the way my family was treated. We go to plenty of restaurants with our kids a lot nicer than this place. Shame on you and I hope you close! You do not deserve to have a successful restaurant in this beautiful country! read more

The food is incredible and unique, I could not recommend it more. The service is some of the best in D.C.. Our waiter Victor was fantastic and made a point to put a smile on our faces!!! Please give the restaurant a shot, you won't regret it! read more

Food was amazing! We sat at the bar and had great service. I look forward to going back!

OVERALL: super good Indian food, beautiful ambiance, and the Palak Chaat is AMAZING. I don't even know all the things that went into it but that was so good. Definitely get that. Chicken is tender, curry is yummy, rice had good texture, chocolate samosas were a good finish to the meal. Garlic naan was disappointing though :( would be a 5 easy if naan was more flavorful. I went here with a few friends during COVID and we chose to be seated outside. It was raining but they had a really pretty plastic tarp-thing covering everyone so we didn't get wet at all. Also, the string lights were so pretty. We started off with the palak chaat, which was the highlight of my week. Seriously so yummy but can be overwhelming if you eat the whole thing so you should probably split with friends. I got the chicken tikka masala because I'm basic and it was pretty good and at a nice price too. What's weird is that it didn't come with rice so I stole some rice from my friends. We all got the garlic naan and all thought that it didn't taste like garlic at all so...maybe they gave us the wrong thing? But that part of the meal was definitely disappointing because I was looking forward to delicious naan with my curry. We ended the meal with the chocolate samosas and they were so crispy and delicious. Will come here again! Maybe I'll try the paratha instead of the naan though... read more

Rasika West End - Chicken Tikka Masala - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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There is something I have to admit to my fellow Yelpers. I have a personal rating system that goes from one to five, and for those very special dishes, a sixth rating.... Death Row. Death Row is a very special rating. As the name suggests, if I were to go on death row tomorrow and I had to order my last meal, this is a dish a I would order. Rasika has one of these Death Row dishes, palak chaat. The palak chaat is incredible. It is truly something unique. I have ordered palak chaat at other Indian restaurant locations, but I continue to dream of this one. The spinach is perfectly crispy and the sauce really compliments the ingredients. You must order this! Aside from the palak chaat, suggest the Bengali Fish Curry. I've had the baked Salmon as well, which was good but if you're looking for something heavier I highly suggest the fish curry. It is made from grouper so it's mild. Don't skip dessert! I've ordered a fair number of desserts here and I suggest the rose dessert I forget the name and the coconut dessert. I am still astonished that Rasika does not have a Michelin star. I guess it will continue to be DC's best kept secret until it does. I suggest getting a reservation if you plan to visit on the weekend. All in all, I recommend Raskia to everyone. If you stop by, order the palak chaat! read more

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Absolutely delicious Indian food. The veg wheels kabab was a blockbuster. Reordered it to stuff ourselves. It is a nice sit down restaurant so the ambience and service is also pretty nice. The cocktails were another gem. Tried the Padma and Asha; really good mixes. Definitely recommend if looking for a good Indian place in DC read more

We dined at Rasika during restaurant week. There was three of us in our group, we each selected a different appetizer (pic attached) and and entre based on our server's recommendations. We were beyond delighted with everything he suggested. You really can't go wrong with anything at this restaurant. The service and food is fantastic. Each dish was better than expected. I will definitely make it a point to revisit when back in the area. read more

Rasika West End - Appetizers pictured - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Run by the same people who run the restaurant by the same name on D street. Overpriced fake Indian food. Served by rude staff. Avoid like plague. There are many great alternatives in the DC area. read more

Unbelievably rude service checking in- we had heard great things about the food but when we got here they insisted we checked in late (we did not) then blamed us for a reservation "error" that THEY made. I get it, they're really popular so they don't have to care about everyone but we will never come back and we will tell people not to come either! read more

I really wanted to love this restaurant, but it fell short for me. I am all for high concept and fine dining with Asian cuisines, but to me the flavors were underwhelming and our waiter was a bit of a curmudgeon. Certainly overpriced. Ambiance is great and ventilation is also great so you won't leave reeking of spices, but that's pretty much where there greatness stopped for me. Glad we tried it though! read more

The food was awful!!!' The spinach they are known for was good, as was the raisin chutney, but the two vegetarian mains I got (the eggplant and the butternut squash curry) were inedible. They tested like bitter vegetable water. We got ice cream on the house for our anniversary and it was fabulous. read more

One of the best if not THE BEST Indian restaurants I have ever been to. We were in town on business and made a reservation at Rasika after hearing wonderful things from many people! The reviews did not disappoint. EVERYTHING was soooo good. From the food to the ambience to the service. My mouth is watering just thinking about it! We started with the Palak Chaat (fried spinach dish appetizer). So tasty and sauces extremely flavorful. We continued to have the black cod, Paneer Mussalam, Gobhi Mattar, Baingan Achar and some white rice. This was all fabulous but the paneer mussalam was my favorite! For dessert we had the Rice Kheer & Cardamom Ice Cream. Yum!! Unlike any other rice pudding I have ever had. Overall, what an AMAZING experience with unbelievable food. I have a lot of dietary restrictions but if I did not, I would highly recommend the tasting menu! The couple next to us had it and it looked incredible. A little bit of everything. read more

Great food and service. The wine b18 was at the low end of the price range but very good. The kale dish was excellent read more

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Always love going to Rasika today was even more spectacular. Amazing service from Jason at the bar. He is knowledgeable and super hospitable. He epitomizes what the Indian culture is about. Congrats Mr Bajaj you have a winner. read more

My wife and I celebrated her birthday at Rasika West End last night. The entire experience was stellar. We had the tasting menu, and each dish was wonderful. The food was incredibly flavorful, was the right temperature, and was beautifully presented. And our server, Namy, was perhaps the best server we've ever had at any restaurant. She was very pleasant, extremely attentive (always explaining what each dish was), and unbelievably knowledgeable. It was a marvelous dining experience from start to finish. read more

It was a steamy Sunday for patio dining, but these are small sacrifices to be made nowadays for eating out. We started with the palak chaat and the avocado chaat - the palak chaat was absolutely perfect, with the palak pakode mixed with just the right amount of dahi and kaala namak for my taste. The avocado chaat tasted to me like guacamole, with a dash of imli chutney qualifying it as "chaat," and was probably my least favorite item. For mains we did the baingan, daal, and fig paneer kofte - all delicious, with the kofte having a perfect "khatta-meetha" flavor. They paired best with the lightly-flavored pudina paratha among the breads we ordered (the onion naan wasn't charred enough for my liking). Overall excellent vibes and a high standard of flavor that make for a top-notch desi brunch in DC. read more

I've been here a few times for family birthdays and really enjoyed the food! We ordered palak chaat for appetizer and finished the plate in seconds. For main course, we got dal makhani and kofta which were both a hit. We also got kulfi for dessert and the waiters brought out gulab jamun with a side of vanilla ice cream since it was my sister's birthday. Really nice fine-dining in DC! read more

Rasika West End - Kulfi and gulab jamun - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I have heard only good things about Rasika since I moved to DC, and let me tell you, it did not disappoint. My favorite dish was the Palak Chaat (Crispy baby spinach / yogurt / tamarind / date). The flavor was fantastic! I also LOVED the black rice pudding dessert with the cardamom ice cream. The service was great and the ambiance is lovely. read more

Rasika West End - Rice Pudding - Indian Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Went for the first time last night. Ate outside, which was comfortable and spacious. The inside was beautiful too. Service: This is a well oiled machine. Timely but not in your face, friendly, never felt rushed. Food: Everything was amazing. We had a bunch of veggie sides, samosas, crab cake, truffle dosa, halibut curry, gulag jamun and the mango dessert. They really understand spice and flavor. Nice portions as well. Drinks:Cocktails were great and had fun twists. Overall: We have a new favorite Indian spot in DC. 10 Out of 10, run do not walk to this place. read more

We went for restaurant week and it was absolutely worth it! The palak chaat was like nothing I've ever tasted before! Food overall was delicious and the restaurant itself is beautiful! read more

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Really, really tasty food and excellent atmosphere. The bread pudding was especially good. Loved it.

Stopped into Rasika West End yesterday for lunch. Service was very good, but the food was simply awful. The Zucchini Corn Kadi was far too salty and sour, too. Couldn't taste the zucchini or the corn in the fritters. The Cucumber Raita also was salty dominating the taste of the yogurt and the cucumber. The mint parantha was unremarkable, except for the size: remarkably small. The Lamb Seekh Kebab tasted like pure garlic. I had to take half of the food home as I was short on time. Tasted exactly the same today as it did yesterday. I took a few bites and pitched the rest. The bill also came with a built in tip of 20%. Extremely disappointed. I would have sent every dish back, but had to run. Wish I had just grabbed a bagel and coffee from across the street, instead. Would have been fresher, cheaper, and more satisfying for sure. read more

I traveled into DC for a work trip. I met my two coworkers for dinner at this very gorgeous restaurant. It was a bit loud and so we had to talk with a bit more bass so that we can hear each other. The waiter was friendly enough. He wasn't that knowledgeable about the menu, he didn't know all the flavors of the dessert for example and brought an incorrect dish. We ordered three appetizers the samosa, scallops and fried spinach. Everything was good. The samosa has an interesting design, it looked like a tied bag. I ate that with the tamarind sauce. It was delicious. The scallops were in a tomato sauce but, tasted a bit salty so I didn't like it. The fried spinach was fine, not spectacular. I ordered the tandoor salmon which didn't have any tandoori flavoring or look, I guess they tried to modernize it but, it didn't taste like anything. That was disappointing, I made it better with mango chutney. The naan was fine. I had the Mango "mocktail" aka mango juice with club soda. They could've gotten more creative or used a Mango purée you can't find in the grocery store. The thing I appreciate about Indian food is it's bold spices and this tasted watered down. They have a robust menu so I might consider trying it again just for the atmosphere. read more

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One of the best dining experiences I had on a recent trip to DC. Service was top notch as was all of the food I got to try. The Palak Chaat is amazing and a staple appetizer item. Despite not being a fan of sweet potato, I was actually impressed with the Samosas which are served as a pouch that contains a spiced sweet potato mix. The entrees were just as flavorful and my person favorites were the Chicken Tikka Masala and Dal Dhungaree which were excellent. Rasika definitely knows how to spin traditional and new age Indian dishes in a creative and fun way. read more

Delicious food, great attentive service, very good coctail menu. Never been disappointed, always willing to come back Thanks Rasika read more