Around since 1992, this fine-dining stalwart in Bethesda specializes in North Indian cuisine. Minced lamb kebabs barbecued in its clay oven are a good way to start, and a long list of mains cover all sorts of lamb, chicken, vegetarian, seafood, and tandoori entrees. Basmati rice with notes of saffron and black wild cardamom accompanies each dish.

This family business pushes a modern approach to classic Indian dishes. Get playful with a child pleaser for kids an adults alike: the chicken cheese kebab. Boneless chicken breasts are marinated in cream cheese and yogurt, cooked in a clay oven, and served with fenugreek leaves. Don’t miss the gobhi pecorino kulcha, a leavened bread stuffed with cauliflower, cheese, cashew, almonds, raisins, and jalapeno. Dine-in service starts at 5 p.m. or order pickup or delivery here.

Mumbai was still known as Bombay when restaurateur Asad Sheikh was growing up in India. At the Columbia Heights original, along with locations on Capitol Hill and National Harbor, he shares the thriving street food vendor scene from his childhood through favorites like Bombay palak chaat (a mixture of crispy fried spinach with spiced yogurt and chutney), bhel puri (puffed rice mixed with a medley of raw onion, tomato, and chutney), and vada pao (spiced potatoes with ginger, garlic, and cilantro chutney served with a roll). Follow up these snacks with the Bombay thali for two: an assorted platter that includes curries, vegetables, bread, and rice. Sheikh also runs fast-casual chain Butter Chicken Company, which has locations downtown and on Capitol Hill.

This AAPI-owned, women-owned business in Shaw serves Indian street food in a hip, laid-back setting. Head here for tofu curry, fluffy naan, and boozy mango lassis. Happy hour from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. includes $6 dishes and drinks. Order pickup here or delivery here.

Now in its fifth year, Logan Circle’s color-soaked standby draped with silk fabrics imported from New Delhi specializes in Northern Indian cuisine. Chef Sanjay Mandhaiya formerly cooked at India’s Moti Mahel, which is widely considered the birthplace of butter chicken. The menu also features lamb biryani, tandoori grilled meats, palak paneer, samosas, and more. A daily happy hour (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) centers around roti tacos ($7), $10 cocktails like a cardamom gin-infused Tiger’s Tail and $10 off bottles of wine.

Open since 2018, this sleek, Bib Gourmand-designated restaurant just north of Chinatown integrates nontraditional Indian ingredients into its upscale offerings. Highlights from executive chef and New Delhi native Ajay Kumar include chicken chettinad punched up with peppercorn and curry leaves, saffron duck, masala-style lobster, and herb and goat cheese naan. A big bar up front stirs creative cocktails like the Vimana with mezcal, fresh orange juice, chili water, lime, and a red wine float. Owners Sachin Mahajan and Ricky Singh added a more casual offshoot in Old Town called Kismet, which recently expanded to Richmond.

Dante Datta and Suresh Sundas, a respective drink expert and chef who met while working together at Rasika West End, reunited under one roof in 2021 with an anticipated Indian restaurant and cocktail bar at a corner just south of H Street NE. Sundas likes to combine Northern and Southern Indian cooking styles with some unorthodox touches: Think za’atar olive naan, chicken tikka tacos, pomegranate aloo, hearty lamb shank with saffron, chili, and coconut, or grilled chicken reshmi kebabs with a hint of blue cheese. Inventive riffs on classic cocktails loop in fragrant ingredients like tamarind, rose water, and masala chai.

The opulent Penn Quarter space that formerly housed Punjab Grill reopened last spring as a luxe new Indian restaurant called Rania, which means “Queen” in Hindi and Sanskrit. A multi-course dinner of inventive Indian cuisine goes way beyond the expected (as in dishes like fiery pork loin with spring onion or lamb shank accented with poppyseed curry). Prix-fixe menus of three ($75) or four courses ($90) join an a la carte menu. Theatrical cocktails and bites are a little less during happy hour (5 p.m. to 7 p.m.) at its Sundowner Bar. The ‘Sheesh Mahal’ — a palace-of-mirrors private dining room hidden to the side — is a prime place to splurge.

This Indian mainstay in Southwest and Tenleytown offers lengthy menus full of ground lamb kebabs with hints of jalapeno and mint, best-selling biryani bowls served in silver tins, creamy, cashew nut shrimp curry, and triangles of fluffy naan flecked with rock salt and cilantro. Romantic details are aplenty here, from flickering candles balanced on metal figurines to wood-carved elephants to street lights piercing through a beaded curtain wall. Both locales offer lunch, too.

Co-owners and Eater Young Guns (‘18) Sahil Rahman and Rahul Vinod started this local fast-casual brand to introduce Indian food to a broad audience. Choose from premade bowls highlighting chicken tikka, lamb kebab, shrimp, spiced beef, and more. Customers can also build their own, choosing from a base of vegetables or rice and adding mains, veggies, and toppings. End the meal on a sweet note with masala chai chocolate chip cookies and vegan soft serve. Pair the meal with icy bottles of Taj Mahal beer, cardamom mint juleps, and spiked lassis, which can be delivered in a coconut. Along with its newest Rockville outpost, the fast-growing brand maintains locations in Navy Yard, Arlington, Mt. Vernon Triangle, and Fairfax.

A mix of traditional and modern, Kohinoor Dhaba highlights the best of North Indian food in Arlington. Try the fragrant goat biryani or keep it simple with one of its tandoor options. There’s also an extensive vegan menu. Load up plates during its daily lunch buffet (11 a.m. to 3 p.m.).

For decades, a Chinese population has migrated to India for economic and spiritual reasons, and Indo-Chinese food has gained popularity worldwide. In Alexandria, Namaste serves gobhi Manchurian (fried cauliflower tossed in a spicy Manchurian sauce) and vegetarian chili momos (Nepali-style dumplings). Namaste also has all the Indian classics and an impressive naan list.