We came here from the advise of my sister and her family. The food was so good and we would definitely come back to try the other stuff on the menu. Amit was our server and he was very attentive. Thank you! read more

We had seen this place around while driving by but never thought we should try it until I saw some good reviews by a few friends. Decided to give it a try on a Sunday morning for lunch. We were pleasantly surprised once we entered, we had imagined it to be a tiny simple place but the interior was much bigger and nicer than what we expected, we decided to try authentic Punjabi food 1. Malai chicken kabab: nice appetizer, soft and juicy, not spicy, perfect for kids and adults 4/5 2. Chicken tikka masala with naan: my son had this, it was decent but nothing great either 3/5 3. Saag and makai di roti: The star of the day was this creamy and well balanced saag, very authentic Punjabi, Makki di roti was okay, have had better, was a little on the thicker side. 5/5 We will definitely go again to try Kulche chole next time Overall, great quality delicious food with good ambiance read more

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Time for updated review. I have visited them multiple times and tried several dishes across the menu. I stand by my earlier reviews-they serve the best Punjabi style food in the bayarea. But, their menu also covers some indo Chinese dishes and biryani. We got biryani this time around and other than the fact that it had rice, chicken and spices it was nowhere close to what a biryani should be. Over the years I have learnt to respect everyone's take on this iconic dish but what they served here is chicken gravy mixed with rice and topped with spring onions. It was neither biryani, nor a pulao nor a fried rice. It was pretty decent but cannot be called biryani. There are restaurants in almost every street now in bayarea serving some really good biryani so they are opening themselves up for criticism serving dishes like this. I think they should stick to what they do well which is Punjabi style food like chole bature, makki di roti sarson ka saag etc rather than have items on the menu they don't know how to cook. The same goes for their indo Chinese offerings as well. They are mostly sweet due to the preservative laden sweet sauce they get tossed in. read more

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Came here twice after the seeing the reviews and they are spot on! Everything we ordered both times were absolutely delicious. Fresh, clean, good portions and pricing is very reasonable! I've been to a handful of indian restaurants in the Sunnyvale/Santa Clara area and this is by far the best one. Staff is friendly and restaurant is clean and nicely decorated. Something about white paper tablecloths really gives it that elevated look. I had one of their January specials, the Baigan Mazedar Chaat and it was super flavorful and not to mention spicy. My boyfriend and I love spicy foods and they did not disappoint. The Lamb Seekh Kebab was one of the best things I've ever had. it's with minced lamb, onion, garlic, ginger with spices and herbs. Lamb was not dry and very flavorful and cooked perfectly. Garlic Naan and Roti were fresh and warm as if they were just freshly baked. The Naan had crispy garlic bits and were crispy. Fish Masala was also A+ well balanced and consistent with the sauce. i am definitely getting that again next time. read more

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Had the pleasure of dining here with a friend on a Monday evening around 6:30 pm! The restaurant has a large parking area in front of it, so it's easy and accessible to park. It has a classy, luxurious atmosphere that fits large families, groups, couples, or solo diners. Service was quick and efficient, and our server gave us candid opinions on his favorites and what to get. It took about 10-15 minutes for our food to arrive. What we ordered: - Dahi Batata Sev Puri (Crisp-fried hollow pooris filled with boiled potatoes, chick-peas, onions, sprouts, yogurt and chutneys, and topped with fine sev.) This appetizer was amazing and totally was not expecting the complex flavor profiles. The shell was crispy and had flavors of savory, sweet, acidic, and tangy inside. It felt like a desert since the yogurt was chilled, and it's very filling. - Chicken Biryani: A classic of chicken and rice combo but with saffron rice. The rice texture definitely is lighter than jasmine rice and the chicken was cooked and seasoned to perfection, no bones whatsoever just whole pieces. Enjoyed this place in Santa Clara! read more

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We were hungry coming back from the farmers market so we decided to give this place a try. While my wife placed the order of Rajma and rice and Bhurji Wrap, raita and a chai I did a little quick shopping at the Patel brothers grocery at the other end of the strip mall. When I got back, the food arrived shortly after My wife had ordered the Rajma spicy and it gave a nice chili heat cooled with the raita. My wife and I both really liked the flavors in the bhurji wrap. The spicy egg mixture is wrapped in a paratha. The chai this time was not so good. Service gave no problems read more

Shahi Darbar - Rice, Punjabi Rajmah, Mix Veg Raita, Egg Bhurji - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Came here on a Sunday evening and it did not disappoint. Definitely recommend ordering the Dahi Batata Sev Puri appetizer to kick things off because it's an app that bursts with flavor. We also got the chicken tikka masala curry, Makki Di Roti corn bread and the one of the March special dishes: the Murgh Methi Malai chicken curry and jalapeño naan (pretty flavorful and a nice contrast to the chicken tikka masala curry). Had to top the dinner off with gulag jamun dessert which came out warm and fresh. read more

Shahi Darbar - Makki Di Roti (2pc), Chicken Tikka Masala, Murgh Methi Malai with Jalapeño naan - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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Moved to Old Quad area a couple years ago and have been looking for a good Indian restaurant and we have found it yesterday with a Togo order. Food was great and will bring the family in soon since the restaurant is nice inside. read more

Service was great and food came out rather quickly. We loved the chicken tikka masala, but not the butter chicken. The sauce was boring and the cubed chicken wasn't tender (seemed old). The naan was too thin and crispy for us (slightly burnt). We like it a little fluffier. Over all, it was average compared to the other local Indian restaurants. read more

TLDR : Nice ambience, okish food, decent service Not the best Indian food place in the bay area. The food lacks spice and flavor. The chicken was hard and chewy - overcooked! The chaat was good. The 2 stars are for : 1. The service - Decent service and pleasant servers 2. Ambiance - Nice and lively place Overall not a good experience. read more

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Omg--I haven't found an Indian food place that lives up to my high standards in over 10 years, until now! The butter chicken is absolutely amazing, rich and full of flavor, and the naan is perfectly soft and fresh. I'm so happy to have finally found a place that gets it right! read more

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5 star for the service. The servers were knowledgeable and polite. Liked the ambiance and the white table cloths on the tables, very crisp and clean and gives a formal,polished vibe and good enough for a special Occasion dining. 5 star for the price and the food quality as well as quantity. It met my expectations! Now when it comes to food I think they did a good job. I only ordered vegetarian dishes ( chole bhature, veg Manchurian, butter naan and laccha paratha) and they all were fresh. The chole was delicious and non spicy ( as I asked) for the kids. The veg Manchurian balls were good, however the gravy could have been more flavorful with ginger garlic and seasoning. To me it was more soup Like than what I like. The bhature could be better with natural fermentation than the baking soda one but i think they probably do that to avoid food wastage. Would love to get yoghurt fermented bhature over the baking soda one. Overall I think they do a good job in serving high quality food with fresh ingredients and good taste. I will come back to try non-vegetarian dishes next time and update my review. read more

Shahi Darbar - Chole Bhature (Special) - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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First time we visited this place with kids and family, our experience was overall very good .. and also it's not that expensive.. definitely will try next time read more

Shahi Darbar - Tandoori Chicken FullTandoori - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Ok so their appetizers are amazing. Papri chaats are delightful. Full of tangy and spicy goodness. The quantities are acceptable and the price is ok for the valley. The quality is good. Now once you transition to the main course or other items it less good. We had the fried fish appetizer 1lb and it was fine. The chicken curry was mediocre. Now it could be our choices so we will order something else for mains next time but the chaats will keep us coming back. read more

I really thought I would never like butter chicken that's not sweet, but Shahi Darbar makes savory butter chicken just right! I haven't tried other curries but love their savory butter chicken and have had it in the restaurant and ordered it multiple times. They make amazing phulkas, and it's affordable and very homely. I've ordered their tandoori chicken twice and had it once in the restaurant. Ordered chicken tikka masala through Doordash, and it wasn't as good as the butter chicken. Also, the quantity of curries is a lot more when you dine in as opposed to when you order online. Don't know why because we pay the same price online. I usually can never taste the charr on the chicken when ordered online, but I like to have it just like any other chicken appetizer. It was definitely much better when I had it in person, but they get full marks for service and packaging the food. They don't do a very good tandoori roti, though. That was a letdown on our first visit. The nimbu drink was amazing. Their food is always packaged well, and I'm a happy customer when I get my buttered phulkas exactly as I like. read more

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Wow, this Indian restaurant is the best. I stumbled upon it a few months ago and it has the best, most traditional food. The chicken curry is soooo spicy and tender. I enjoyed every bite. I would say the service is slower so you'll have to be patient but it's worth the wait. Note that the rice portions are huge, so order one if you eat a little, maybe even share it with a friend. I'd also recommend the garlic naan. I hope I can keep coming back, as it is a little out of my way. The service is amazing. The servers are very nice. It's a little more quiet but the restaurant is pretty upscale. read more

Shahi Darbar - Chicken curry Lamb Curry - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

We stumbled upon Shahi Darbar on our search for new Punjabi food in the area and it didn't disappoint! We started off with the Dahi Bhalla Paapdi Chaat and it was good - nice amount of tanginess and spice in the chaat. The paneer tikka was also good, you can honestly never go wrong with any paneer dish. Amritsari Saag was great (nothing compares to mom's saag though!), however it was very sweet compared to traditional saag. Their Malai Kofta was very unique, and there were hints of coconut in the gravy. I liked the dish as a whole, but the uniqueness of their gravy really sold me. The kofta themselves were crispy and filled with aloo and paneer. This place was super busy on a Wednesday night, so plan accordingly if you're coming for dinner. Definitely recommend giving this place a try - we'll be back to try their other dishes! read more

Shahi Darbar - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Omgggggg Puris were so good! Had the Dal Makhni and Lamb Biryani as well. These all hit the spot and the spice level was perfect for me. If you're spice averse (NP!), order it mild/medium! This place took over Thaibodia. Thank goodness! Interior is super warm and welcoming. Definitely coming back. Servers and staff were all nice too. read more

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I came back! It was delicious. I think I'm addicted to these puri. I told my husband we have to get those. The other appetizer we selected was not available. The service was good, the wait staff read back the order and confirmed the different options with us, even options that were not on the menu, like how spicy we wanted our food, and if we wanted the full or half portion of the grill. The restaurant has great large windows, which means lots of daylight when we went for a late lunch. The music was a little too loud so it was hard to talk. read more

Aloo paratha was very tasty, ordered it as an appetizer. They made it spicy per request. The Okra masala was good. A lot of onions though. The tandoori roti was very good The food was a bit on the saltier side read more

Mooli methi makki ki roti and saag- Roti was a game changer. Crisp and flavorful- reminiscent of home. Chana and Amritsari kulcha was good. Today ,for me, both saag and chana were spicy. It's always a treat to come here. read more

We went on Sunday at lunch time and we had great experience about food We like the taste and service and also quantity of vegetables. Our server Jash was very helpful with best service. We would come again and we will recommend this Restaurant if you want to eat good vegetarian Punjabi food Thank you read more

This place had been popping up on my Yelp Search pretty often and I also heard good reviews from a couple of my friends in addition to the high rating on Yelp. I also love a a good Punjabi restaurant! And it's always good to try them early. They have a 20% discount going on right now. Initial impression is that there were 3-4 dishes that definitely stood out, and their food is carefully made with attention to detail and not typical restaurant food, and somewhat between home food and restaurant food because of the style. I think this is a common theme with Punjabi restaurants that care about the food they serve. To the dishes, - Palak Paneer: This was REALLY good. Thick, smooth texture of the Palak was incredible. Taste was as good as any Palak Paneer I've had. We gulped this down pretty quickly. The one complaint is that the number of Paneer pieces were still fairly limited. - Amritsari Kulcha with Chole: Extremely authentic chole. Flavor was perfect, perfect balance and mix of the spices. The portion size was pretty damn good. Again, as good as any chole I've had. The Amritsari Kulcha was stuffed with potato and cilantro. - Lemon Chicken: This was ordered by a couple of friends and they thought it was fine, but not as outstanding as the other two curries we ordered. I don't think Lemon Chicken is a typical Punjabi dish to order though and I wouldn't. I was surprised it was on the menu. The flavor of the Lemon made it a little tangy. Again, little low on the chicken. - Aloo Paratha: I always order a Paratha at a Punjabi restaurant by default. They typically put a lot of butter but we asked them to cut down on it. They specifically checked with us for all the breeds. Good Aloo Paratha, big in size, but wasn't too heavy. - Soya Seekh Kebab: I ordered this dish because I know soya based dishes are usually offered only in Punjabi/Delhi style restaurants. It is soya mixed together with other veggies, and has a flavor of garam masala and coriander powder, like other typical seekh kebabs. I was definitely fond of this dish but couple of my friends weren't. This is certainly different from soya chaap though. Soya chaap is heavy on soya and also has a sauce going with it. I didn't like it as much as I like a soya chaap. - Tandoori Mix Grill: Assortment of chicken kebabs to split. Good flavor but I thought the chicken could've been softer/more tender. So it was just okay. - Gobi Manchurian Dry: Extremely home style dish, wasn't too greasy or oily or saucy. Just the right amount of batter. But I wish it was spicier. It was towards the sweeter side. Chai and Chaas were pretty solid. So was the Gulab Jamun. Order the Tandoori Roti/Tawa Roti with ghee, it was too dry otherwise. I think food was definitely 4-4.5 stars. But I stuck to 4 because I think service was a tad slow. I can understand that the food can take time because they make it fresh and we definitely appreciate that. But we asked for ice/water refill and that took time, and that was a tad disappointing. We went at a weird time, around 3PM when it was still decently busy, so maybe that's why they weren't very active. Anyway, I think I'll definitely come back for the quality of food served. Was delish and authentic, so it's a no brainer for Punjabi food! read more

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Food was great and fresh! Service by Amit and his colleague was excellent. Ambience was good

The food was so average compared to all the other Indian food places here, all the curries were lacking in flavor. The table cloth was so stained and disgusting, and there was a COCKROACH running around on the walls. read more

Amazing spot featuring very flavorful Indian food in a relaxed setting. The Puri appetizer was very flavorful, we were very hungry and it was a splash of water haha. We also got the chicken Tikka masala and the march special Murgh Methi Mada along with the corn flat bread. Everything was very tasty and recommended! Will definitely be coming back here. Ended it with hot gular jamun! Food 5/5 Service 5/5 Ambiance 4/5 (More relaxed setting) read more

Shahi Darbar - Dahi Batata Sev Puri (Special) - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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We went for a snack and ended up having an early dinner. Not much crowded when we started, but it slowly filled up. Of course, it was a Sunday evening. Ambiance and decor were ok. Take a look at my interior pics. We ordered Dahi Bhalla Papdi Chaat (Crispy wafers layered with potato, cucumber, sprouts, yogurt, tomato, sev, onion, chutney, chickpeas, and spices.) We were a little concerned withthis as most of the places dahi aka curd aka yogurt is extreme cold, but they promised it won't be so and assured if we don't like they will take it back. So we took a chance. It was cold but tolerable when compared to other places. Makki di roti and sarso da Saag (Special)* (Punjabi signature dish - a silky green curry of mustard leaves, served with two yellow cornmeal flat breads) We asked for medium spice for Saag, and it was perfect and warm and tasty, and the roti was crispy but very filling as it was made out of corn. Garlic Naan (Leavened flour bread, topped with chopped garlic and cilantro, baked in a charcoal fired clay oven.) It smelled garlicky, but taste was not that garlic flavor. It was thinnest naan I have had. Iverall service was good but a little slow wnen when few people were there, so when crowded, how is the service going to be? We need to wait and see as this is a new establishment. They don't have a physical menu, but you can look up using the qr code, which they have displayed in each table or go to https://shahidarbarcuisine.com/menu/ The website was very nicely done, though. read more

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Jass was great help, he helping me to order foods since I so confused with their menu.

Excellent food and nice service Enjoyed my Lunch recently. Advised my friend's circle too in this regard. Planning to go with my close friends shortly. read more

Food is tasteless, ordered a ctm that was under seasoned and the chicken tasted funny. Service is terrible, they have no ice, waiter spilled a good amount of my coke as he slammed my drink down on the table then he looked at me like it was the tables fault. Waited 5+ minutes for a Togo box which never came because all the workers are too busy talking to themselves in the back. I don't understand how this place gets high ratings. read more

I hate to do this to a new business but we were disappointed with the quality of the takeout we got. - Garlic naan - All of them were charred/burnt(see photo) - Tandoori chicken - Charred/overcooked and the brown chutney had a weird bitter aftertaste. - Butter chicken - Average - Goat curry - This was the only dish we liked. Good flavors and tender meat As a new business, it's extremely important to keep a check on your food quality for takeout. It's such a pain and embarrassment to find out the food is not palatable especially when you have friends over. read more

Shahi Darbar - Burnt garlic naan - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Great food. Malai tangdi kabab was one of the best chicken kabab i have had. Chicken tikka masala was decent. Amit bhai is one of the most cheerful person and his service is really good. Decent ambiance. read more

It was our first time here, so we wanted to try some of the special dishes we weren't familiar with, along with the normal Indian staples. Thank you to our patient server, who took the time to explain each of them as they exited the kitchen. My favorite was the "balloon bread" (as I called it), with a side of chickpeas--it was delicious and chewy--similar to a roti. I will most definitely repeat. BB read more

Delicious food. Punjabi home style, not too much masalas. Will come back again. Dahi batata sev puri was the best. read more

Shahi Darbar - Chole Bhature (Special) - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

Restaurant is located in strip mall near Indian grocery stores. We came here on a Saturday evening . Most of the tables had sofa cushions and interior decor and cutlery and food presentation gives it more of a fine dining experience without the high $$$. We got paneer tikka in starter, tandoori roti and paneer curry . First observation big portions and excellent flavor . Tandoori Rotis were some of the best I had in Bay Area by far . read more

Shahi Darbar - Chilli Paneer - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

The food here is good, but nothing to write home about. The paneer tikka gravy is nice and thick and has all the right flavors. Additionally, the paneer kadhai is also just fine, with enough spice and a good portion. The garlic naan is fine, but could use a little more flavor and could be puffed higher. With so many options in the South Bay, this is fine if you're nearby but not to go out of your way for. read more

Came here on a Sunday afternoon hoping to have good Indian food, they were out of lamb curry, coke and shrimp fried rice. So we kept having to adapt, it happens but our real issue was with the service. Once our food was dropped (which was delicious) they ignored us for the rest of the time we were there. We got no refills, no checks or boxes. read more

Higly recommend this Indian cuisine restaurant Good quality slow cooking and one of the cleanest Indian restaurant I have visited. Will definitely return and try other dishes! read more

Shahi Darbar - Lamb Briyani - Indian Near Me - Santa Clara, California

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We have been to this restaurant multiple times and have never been disappointed. Have thoroughly enjoyed samosas, chole bhatura, saag, makki ki roti, kulcha, tandoori salmon, CTM, Chicken Tikka Kebabs and so much more. Food taste is excellent and so is service. We have catered food for 70+ and their service was excellent-- timing, set up, live stations and the food taste was incredible. All our guests loved everything. Thank you Shahi Darbar. read more

Great food, zero complaints. The spice level is nicely maintained so kids can also enjoy the food. We will come back!