Offering diners a glimpse of just how innovative and imaginative Indian food can be, Amrina showcases Indian street food at its tapas-only bar, moving from course to course with a lively honk of a horn. All systems go in the dining room, which offers standout dishes like tender ostrich kebab, “holy moly bread” like butter chicken kulcha, a red wine braised lamb shank, and a smoky, gooey tandoori mac and cheese. Dessert is just as decadent, with a delicate masala chai marble cake, made with a pistachio biscotti crumble and milk ice cream.

Located within a grandiose ISKON temple, Govinda’s serves daily buffets of vegetarian food focusing on barbecue tofu and classic staples like dal makhani and bhindi masala — plus, serves an entirely vegan menu on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. Be sure to take your plate outside, so you can eat in the shade of the main worship hall.

Upstairs from Pondicheri restaurant is a coffee shop and bakery bringing Indian flavors to European dessert staples. A chai pai, chile chocolate chip cookie, and saffron bread pudding all pair wonderfully with a cardamom latte in this bright café.

Verandah mixes presentation from modern-American style fine dining with the flavors of South Asia. Chef’s creations like tandoori lobster tail or braised rabbit with korma sauce bring this vision to life alongside a cocktail menu based on updated versions of classic drinks like a tamarind martini or bourbon-infused chai.

This Upper Kirby Indian mainstay has a limited menu, but uses its grill to the utmost, letting the fresh charred flavor of fire cooking show off in all its meats such as prawns roasted with garlic and mustard seed or a succulent lamb in mint vinaigrette, while combo platters let diners experience the subtleties of each dish without needing to order multiple entrees.

A true treat for the eye and the stomach, Twisted Turban serves food impossible to imagine coming from anywhere but Houston. Aside from its funky mural of the city skyline, this restaurant fuses Indian and Pakistani cuisine with Tex-Mex influences, serving up delectable dishes like fried cauliflower and paneer tacos and chalupa chaats with fried papdi dough laced with elote and pomegranate seeds.

Indulge in some of the city’s boldest flavors at this charming Little India South Indian counter service. Expect perfectly fermented dosas that retain a notable crispness and tartness, plus one of the city’s richest chole bhatures — a wintery stew featuring warm, earthy flavors like fresh cumin, coriander, and slow-cooked onions over silky chickpeas.

Opened in the 80s, this historic dessert and samosa shop has bragging rights as Houston’s very first Indian restaurant. Now, for over 35 years, the jalebi remains as well fried as always, giving diners a perfect, funnel cake-like dessert to bring to any social event. Expertly balancing sweet and spicy, the hefty samosas, priced at $1.50, are one of Houston’s most affordable lunches. 

With an original location in Little India and an outpost in Sugar Land, this restaurant brings light vegetarian dishes from the Indian state of Karnataka. Dishes like the sambar, a tamarind and lentil stew, or avail, a coconut and curry leaf stew, delicately balance sweetness, tartness, and a light spice for a perfect lunch opportunity.

The city’s most famous Pakistani restaurant continues to delight years into its run. The signature fried chicken mixes masala spices and a Southern buttermilk frying technique for a distinctly Houston experience, while the hara masala sauce brings a refreshing yogurt tang alongside its chili heat. Unsure what to order? Just look at the walls. Pictures from over a decade of stellar reviews show you the favorite dishes of just about every food critic to come to Houston.

This Gujarati counter service joint delivers on large flavors through dishes like their excellent pav bhaji, a spiced potato puree with rolls that come dripping with ghee. A particularly large drink menu has options like a refreshing rose lassi and mango shake in case diners’ sweet tooths can’t make it until dessert.

This outpost from Mumbai specializes in thalis, allowing you to sample a variety of dishes from India’s west coast in buffet style, but with table-side service. With each thali containing around twenty items, and a menu that frequently changes, every experience at Maharaja Bhog is new, letting you feel like the royalty they are named after. 

The menu at Aga’s is vast — goat chops, beef kababs, and chicken lollipops are among the favorites — and all are made with 100 percent halal meat. Compliment or cool down the spice with its host of house-made cold drinks, like mango lassi and mint lemonade.