My boyfriend works in the city of Mount Dora and highly recommended this place to me. After visiting the Scottish Highlands Festival I decided to accompany him to Shiva. The atmosphere is cozy with sparking wall decor and ceiling tiles and half booths mixed with some stand alone tables. We came on a relatively chilly night and were comfortable and warm inside the restaurant. Our waitress greeted us within moments and was extremely pleasant to talk to. We ordered the chili chicken as an appetizer to start, the butter chicken as my entree, chicken vindaloo as his and a side of garlic naan bread. When ordering our entrees we were offered different spice levels- mild, medium, hot and Indian hot. We both decided to order our entrees hot. The chili chicken came out in a timely manner and was delicious. The dish packed just enough heat (I love spicy food) and still had an amazing flavor. If you don't like a bit of spice I wouldn't recommend getting this though! Minutes after we finished our appetizer our entrees and garlic naan came out. My butter chicken was outstanding. It was accompanied by perfectly cooked rice garnished with cilantro that blended amazingly will with the spicy, creamy tomato sauce. The garlic naan was cooked a little crispier than my preference but was delicious nonetheless. Who doesn't love a bunch of garlic?? My boyfriend raved about his dish as well. We were too stuffed to try any dessert and took our leftovers home. They were just as good the next day. I will definitely be returning here next time I'm looking for some good Indian food! read more

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Ugh. We went during the Mt. Dora Art Festival, so I expected it to be slow. Not that slow. It took 20 minutes to order. I wish we didn't. We'd been here before and liked it. Not this time. I ordered my meal spicy. It came bland. The waiter acknowledged he'd made a mistake. But it just wasn't good at all. The quality of their meals has plummeted. Never again! read more

Shiva Indian Restaurant - Shiva - Indian Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

My latest obsession is Indian food. We are so fortunate to have discovered this restaurant on our prior visit to Mount Dora but we were finally able to visit over the new year weekend. The food is made fresh so it takes a little while to prepare, be patient, it is well worth it. The chef is originally from India, no surprise there, so you know you're getting authentic Indian fare. It is a husband-and-wife team that own the restaurant who ironically met in France. The wife is originally from the Mount Dora area and she's an absolute pleasure to have conversation with. My husband and I shared butter chicken along with the okra and tomato dish along with rice and cheese stuffed naan. Our appetizer was paneer and it start d us off right and had us looking forward to our entrees. They have some art available in the restaurant for sale if you are looking for some Indian crafts. We liked our experience so much that we stopped in the next day when they opened for some Masala tea. Run, don't walk to this place if you are in the area! read more

Shiva Indian Restaurant - Indian Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

Small and dark inside. Service was extremely awful including the store owner. He was offended that the Indian food wasn't to our liking. We are avid Indian cuisine lovers so to sum it up terrible experience and disappointing food. Don't come here! read more

Went 2 nights in a row. Lamb somosas, butter chicken, spicy cauliflower delicious. Turned out to be our favorites! If you like Indian GO!!!!! read more

I absolutely love Indian food. I live within walking distance of this restaurant and have eaten here on four separate occasions (each subsequent visit hoping for some sort of redemption) and each time was increasingly more disappointing- leaving me with disappointment in the food itself but also in the fact that there's an Indian restaurant so close yet I must drive all the way to Orlando to get what I'm looking for because the one I have here in Mount Dora is just not good. The food was obscenely greasy- everything I've tried INCLUDING THE NAAN is somehow so oily that I had to strain the grease out. The naan is what completely baffled me on my last attempt at this restaurant- it was sopping... sopping wet with grease, completely inedible, literally had to throw it out. I don't even know how that happened considering its baked in an oven. What makes this so much more frustrating is how expensive it is. Two entrees, one app, two drinks, plus tip- guaranteed 80$+. Which would be acceptable- if it was actually good! By stark contrast, the Indian joint I drive 45 minutes to in Orlando- I can get two entrees, an app, two drinks and even some Kulfi pops plus tip for like 50$. The food is so good it's worth it (and I'd pay more, no questions asked lol!) and makes me mad that I have to drive that far considering this place is RIGHT HERE. There are even two indian restaurants in Ocala that are both better in quality AND in price. Again- price would not even be an issue if the food were actually good. The service is great and the atmosphere is nice but unfortunately it doesn't make the food better :( I'm not unreasonable, I didn't judge on just one visit, I've tried this place multiple times over the past 3 years and each time was a bigger disappointment. It makes me sad, honestly. In reading the negative reviews it seems others feel the same way- overpriced and meh-flavor. It makes me so sad. It's possible that somehow every time I've eaten here or ordered takeout- it's been a fluke but I don't want to try again. read more

I was really craving some Indian food and was left pretty disappointed overall. The food was very bland. I typically always order chicken korma when we eat Indian and this was by far the most tasteless one I've had. Others' food was either oily or also very bland. If you want amazing Indian travel 20 minutes west to Lake Mary and go to Memories of India. read more

Everything about this place was great! As soon as you walk in you have this peace. The decor is gorgeous and the music is soothing. The food was amazing. Super fast service and friendly staff. Will be dropping by ever time we come down to visit family. Definitely recommend them! read more

Shiva Indian Restaurant - Decor - Indian Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

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Food was great very flavorful, came from out of town and the service was amazing the owner helped me take my food to the car and everything very nice individuals read more

We had a really great meal today. This was the first time we have dined our since March. There was an outside area for us to sit. The entire staff wore masks. The food was great. We had the butter chicken, veal vindaloo, and the mango lassi. All the dishes were so tasty and well made. The restaurant staff was so welcoming, kind, and attentive. We will definitely be back. read more

Not sure if they have changed owners or chefs but this is not the same food as when we dined here last summer Made a point of coming back as the last time was so good, but this time it was not. Prices up and food was not good, family dinner for my daughters 21st overshadowed by the poor quality food and was so looking forward to it Shame.... Staff are nice and friendly so 3 stars for that but would give 1max 2 for the food though. read more

Very good service and one of the best Indian Restaurants I have been to. My wife and I had Lamb Korma . Hers was mild and mine was Indian Spicy. So good. King Fisher beer was a great liquid to accompany this meal along with garlic naan. A definite will return for. read more

Normally I don't leave a bad review, but the service was very slow and most of the food was lukewarm. The overall atmosphere of the restaurant was nice, but some of the food did not taste freshly made and was cold. It also was not as flavorful as other places we go to. I would potentially try it again in the future, but for now I would only give 1/5 stars. read more

Food was delicious flavorful temperature of food excellent. Great family restaurant the ambience was perfect. Service was great and attention to detail was great. if your in Mount Dora you need to stop in. read more

I would give zero stars if I could. We spent $31 and it is barely enough food to feed two people. Very disappointing! read more

Shiva Indian Restaurant - Butter chicken and rice - Indian Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

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I wanted to really like this place - there is such a dearth of Indian restaurants in Florida. The food was tasty and service was friendly and prompt - but the prices (way too high) and portion sizes (too small) may explain why the place was nearly empty on a recent weekend evening :( read more

Place looked dirty and exterior was not maintained. Food was good but wouldn't go back.

We eat Indian food everywhere and in fact, we have been to many parts of India. So, we are experienced in I Dian food. Unfortunately, we felt the food was not flavorful. The dishes were fair as the flavors seemed to be rushed through. It makes sense this would be the case as the buffet was not ready until 12:30, not when they opened. Ok, so maybe they had an off day, we understand that. Maybe their food is wonderful, but today it was somewhat lacking. The variety was fine and the service was great. Also, I know they have been around for a while, so this must have been one of their worst days. As we are passing through town, we won't have another chance to try them again. By the way, this was also the first time I ever had cold Gullum Jamons. Rather different! read more

Very reasonably priced. The food was delicious. Service was great. I was hoping to find the buffet here although they didn't have it. Rather small restaurant but very clean when you want them. I would definitely go back. read more

We stopped at Shiva a few days ago. I love Indian and my husband tolerated my desire for Indian food. I had curry and he had lamb Korma. He is now a fan of Indian cuisine. The restaurant is charming and colorful. If we lived in Mt Dora we would be regular customers! Absolutely recommend this restaurant! read more

We went to this Restaurant a year ago when we first moved to mount dora. We LOVE Indian food, but this place was VERY unfriendly. I had my older parents with me and my daughter who's 5. Right when we walked in an older gentleman guided us to our table near the door/window of the restaurant. Before even officially greeting us, he rudely warned us "if your child touches any decoration we have the right to refuse your service". Of course we were confused and alarmed because my 5 year old wasn't even talking or doing anything! (She's very shy and quiet) He continued to explain "we had a customer last week with a young child who touched our decoration lights (the fairy lights near the window) and almost broke them.". It was a VERY rude remark to explain that to us, and threat us as if our child was going to touch their decoration! That was the first red flag. Second, it took them an hour and a half to make our food. We had no choice but to eat there because 1, we were all hungry and it was late, and the only other restaurants open in downtown did not have a vegetarian menu. We waited the two hours for our food, and the pallet was very basic for the unfriendliness and extreme wait time we endured. We travel around the states, and this was by far the worse Indian Restaurant experience we've experienced! Also, we thought it was just their hatred towards kids that made them treat us this disrespectful, but there was a younger African American couple who came in an hour after us, and that same older gentleman made them stand and wait **OUTSIDE** for over 20 minutes just to be seated INSIDE. There was MORE than enough room for them to stand and wait in the AC restaurant, it was not busy inside at ALL. I do not think the couple realized how unprofessional and inhumane that was of that older man to do, but it was highly distasteful. There's so many more small businesses to eat at instead of this place, save your money and time. read more

Had a very nice meal here. Perfect lunch portions and food had excellent flavor. We try to come up here once a month or so.

Weird vibes in this place. Felt like I was being watched as I went up to the buffet (the person I was eating with expressed this same feeling afterwards, it wasn't just me O.O ). Not comfortable at all lol. The teenage girl working was nice and somewhat attentive, the older lady seemed standoffish and uninterested to say the least. Arrived at 11:50 on a Sunday and was told they usually don't open until 12 on Sundays...even though Yelp says 11:30 and their buffet advertisements say 11:30-2:30....all well lol. Buffet was clean though, and the food was pretty good with great vegetarian options: 2 types of curry, soup, samosas, the rice, rice pudding, salad. We were the only two in there so we had the buffet to ourselves, besides the awkward vibes in the super-small space which made it difficult to enjoy. Would not go back simply for the off atmosphere. read more

Stopped past for a dinner with my husband, adult son, adult daughter, and 5 year old granddaughter. When seating us inside the waiter proceeded to sit us in the large booth by the window. While walking toward the table he stated I will let you know now the child can not touch anything plugged in near the window, as their insurance does not cover liability. Furthermore, he continued and stated they have a camera, and if anything is touched they reserve the right to refuse us being served. Other customers eating overheard and we all laughed it off agreeing it was totally inappropriate to say to customers before even sitting, however was quite awkward and uncomfortable. Us being new and local to Mount Dora community, I can say we were quite were quite disheartened overall with our experience and not what we have seen from other local business. I wish I had read other reviews before going! read more

We tried Shiva and despite the recent harsh reviews, we enjoyed our meals. It wasn't the best Indian food I've had but it was good. We ordered naan, plain and cheese, as an appetizer. The plain naan appeared to be buttered, which may explain the oily texture from another reviewer. We ordered raita with the naan. Absolutely delicious. I ordered butter chicken. Portion was modest but filling with all the naan I ate. The chicken was chewy but the flavor was good. Service was a little slow and generally friendly. They don't have a lot for kids (under 5), this place is not recommended for them. They had a highchair (that I had to get myself) but no kid friendly cups. Thankfully my daughter likes naan. The atmosphere was nice but there weren't a lot of patrons when we were there compared to other places next door that were full of people. Overall, we were satisfied with our meal and would eat there again. read more

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Ordered take out... food was ready and fresh when picked up .. the dishes were pretty tasty just in our opinion lil overpriced for what we got...if u want pretty good Indian and don't more paying more then what you get .....this is ur spot ....think about ur pricing.... read more

The rice was dry and had too many cumin seeds. really not good. Butterfly coconut shrimps were very dry, my husband could make better. Curry, chicken tikka masala, and dessert were good. mango lassi was very good too. Wish there was more vegetables in the curry and masala. I feel the dishes were good but somehow it was over spiced like the samosas. Those were excellent crunchy but also way over spiced. They say subtle is fine as a little can go a long way. read more

Small but mighty! So much flavor and colors. Great choices. Fresh Naan bread served with dinner. We picked the CK Masala and another vegi dish. Both served in a beautiful authentic dishes. Great service and not expensive. Love it love it love it. Must go if you are in the area read more

Wife and I went in, craving Indian food. Was greeted by a very polite woman and recommended several things on the menu. We ordered our food and the food came out great. The decor inside is very beautiful as well. Will recommend definitely! read more

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Love the atmosphere. The place is simply beautiful. The food was fantastic. The service was superb. This is a gem of a place. It will undoubtedly be one of our must visit places when we visit Mount Dora. read more

Definitely unique Indian food and very spicy. I found it way too expensive for what you get. I wanted to order the yogurt and chutneys but for a single person it is not affordable. read more

This place is grossly over priced! I got keem naan with hardly any "keem" it was basically all just dough and it was burnt. I also tried the lamb Samosa appetizer there was only two they were smaller than a deck of cards and they were more like beef empanadas than any samosa I've ever seen. For my meal I ordered the dinner portion of curry goat. $22?! Yes, The goat curry was delicious but the portion sizes are too small for my entire meal to be $39 before tip. I would say skip the appetizers and the bread and just get the goat curry. I will say the plus side is that service was not slow. read more

Shiva Indian Restaurant - Goat curry (dinner) - Indian Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

Good service. Excellent food... but alittle on the expensive side compared to other Indian places I've been to.

4 stars for Shiva becuase this is as good as it gets. Not just in the area but over all this is my favorite Indian restaurant. Most recently I split the butter chicken and some Naan with ground lamb inbetween the layers and was very pleased with our choice. The butter chicken was so flavorful and savory. I can deal with only a little spice so we went with the mild but they pack in so may rich flavors into this dish, any hotter may take away from that. Chunks of tender chicken breast come in an authentic silver bowl with a side of rice. While it doesn't look like a ton of food, my date and I were able to split it and still take home some leftovers. The Naan was soft and had some cheese over the top. Inbetween the layers was ground lamb. It its good, especially when you put some of the butter chicken on top! The entire Mt. Dora down town has some what limited parking so wherever you can find a spot, the short walk to Shiva is worth it. The restaurant its self is... intimate. There are not may tables but every time I have beem here there have not been more than 3 other parties there so it hasnt been an issue. The staff is helpful and nice and will answer questions or help make suggestions if you need a hand. Overall if you find yourself in the area, this spot will leave you satisfied. read more

Shiva Indian Restaurant - Savory butter chicken - Indian Near Me - Mount Dora, Florida

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Not good! Food was over seasoned and rice was under cooked. I ordered a lamb dish and was disappointed to find the lack of lamb. I told the waitress that I wasn't happy with the meal and just wanted to pay my bill and be on my way. Then she comes back with the owner and the cook and they have an issue with my comment about the dish. I said multiple times that I just wanted the bill and leave. The owner decided to explain to me that if I looked up the such online, it was made properly. Bottom line, I wanted a lamb dish, I got an over seasoned dirty rice dish with accents of small bits of lamb for $19. Never again!!!! read more

Food was good, but didn't feel like I got as much value for my dollar as at other Indian places in the greater Orlando area. Meals were slightly more expensive than other Indian restaurants in the area and unlike other places did not come with sides or naan/roti bread. And the food alone was about the same quality and didn't justify the extra cost. If you live in mount Dora or are visiting for a festival, it's a great spot for Indian. But if you're in Orlando and looking to scratch your Indian itch, I'd recommend skipping the drive and checking out closer places in the area like Kohinoor in Altamonte or tamarind in winter park. read more

Indian is not top of mind when choosing a restaurant. I am so glad we did. It is great and is deserving more of the current 4.2 stars. Samosas, butter chicken and naan were excellent. Try it and ignore any other reviews that don't tell you otherwise. Service was great too! read more

Located in downtown Mt Dora, we came to Shiva for the buffet since we love a variety of Indian food. The buffet included lentils, spinach, chili chicken, lamb, basmati rice, samosas, land butter chicken (among a couple of other things). The tables all received naan bread. The butter chicken was delicious and very savory. The chili chicken was also delicious, but a little too spicy for a few people in our party. The owner also brought us two bowls of okra that was prepared with some onions and peppers. It was my favorite. We all wanted a little more but the restaurant became really busy with tables that ordered from the menu, so the buffet was not replenished. The atmosphere was pleasant with about 8-10 tables. Great place and worth a stop. read more

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We just moved back to Mount Dora and saw there was an Indian restaurant in Downtown now. We really wanted to like it, but the food was very bland. I have never added salt to any Indian food, but I did tonight and it helped a bit but not enough to our Butter Chicken and Chicken Korma entrees. The Naan was just okay. At those prices, we will not be going back. read more

We found Shiva by driving around Mt Dora. What a great surprise. My MIL and I both had buttered chicken, hubby had Chicken Tikka masala and FIL had Korma. We also ordered Garlic Naan and Peshwari Naan. The range of heat isn't as individualised as most restaurants with just the general choices of mild, medium and hot. One had mild, two had medium and one, hot. The medium wasn't quite spicy enough for me but I do think the hot would have been a little too extreme. The flavours of the tikka masala and the buttered chicken were wonderful but the Korma was very bland. We have had kormas that have are mild but still have quite a bit of flavour, this one was a tad lacking. The naans were both delicious and I can highly recommend them. Overall we did enjoy the food at Shiva, the ambience was very good and the general eating area so well decorated that we will definitely be back. read more