Asheville is often considered as one of the best places to live in the United States.
There are several reasons why this picturesque city in North Carolina is so highly acclaimed.
While the reasons are plenty, its cultural and culinary scene plays a significant role in making Asheville a great place to live.
Talking about the culinary experience in Asheville, you get a diverse range of cuisines catering to all tastes and preferences.
For today, I will dwell deeper into Indian cuisine in Asheville. I will explore the best Indian restaurants serving the most delicious meals.
More importantly, I will check which Indian restaurants have the highest ratings in Asheville with a great service record.
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Note on Indian Cuisine in Asheville
For the uninitiated, Indian cuisine is one of the most diverse cuisines you can ever find.
Indian culture is closely intertwined with its cuisine. In India, each state has its own distinct cuisine that is a world apart from each other.
Sadly, most Indian food that you get in US is actually North Indian food, that too from a specific state.
It is no different in Asheville. Most Indian restaurants serve North Indian. Luckily, you do get some restaurants serving South Indian cuisine as well. Unfortunately, these are again limited to a specific region.
Having said that, what is available is of the highest quality. The Indian restaurants in Asheville are second to none serving authentic Indian food.
The Best Indian Restaurants in and around Asheville, North Carolina
These are the absolute best Indian restaurants in or near Asheville.
They have the highest ratings on all platforms with guests singing praises of their taste and service.
Mela Indian Restaurant
Mela Indian Restaurant is one of the most popular restaurants in Asheville and a personal favorite.
They have a really popular lunch buffet and outstanding dinner service on all days of the week.
I particularly love two aspects of Mela.
First, all of their dishes use organic ingredients. You also get hormone-free natural chicken, lamb from New Zealand and wild Atlantic salmon.
This genuinely makes a world of difference to the taste and the succulent meaty dishes that come with wholesome sauces.
Second, they serve both authentic North Indian and South Indian dishes. The variety of regional dishes offered is fantastic.
As for popular dishes, there are quite a few. Chicken pakoras and all of their tandoori dishes seem extremely well-liked.
You can also try Madras Vegetables and any of the Chettinad dishes.
They are a welcome change from the standard chicken tikka masala and butter chicken served in most Indian restaurants.
I feel Mela Indian Restaurant is a great place for a nice family dinner with good Indian food.
Menu has a competitive price along with several non-veg, vegetarian and even vegan options. For those interested, they have a full bar in the premises as well.
It’s location in the heart of downtown Asheville is another added bonus of the place.
Address: 70 N Lexington Ave, Asheville, NC 28801
Timings:
11.30 am to 2.30 pm for lunch buffet – open all days.
5.30 pm to 9.30 pm for dinner – open all days.
Chai Pani Asheville
Many consider Chai Pani as Asheville’s best Indian restaurant.
Judging by the number of awards and accolades they have received with each passing year; it seems to be justified.
Chai Pani was honored with the James Beard Award in 2022 for being the most outstanding restaurant.
The New York Times named it one of America’s favorite restaurants. Locals have called it the restaurant serving the best Indian food.
The menu at Chai Pani is not your typical Indian cuisine that you find in most restaurants in the country. They serve incredible Indian street snacks along with thalis – traditional family meals.
Indian street snacks are characterized by the use of sweet, tangy and spicy chutneys which are basically a traditional sauce.
Multiple chutneys or sauces are mixed together with all kinds of delicious ingredients to create dishes that bring a burst of flavor with each bite.
If you are used to the standard Indian dishes, you will find Indian street food to be completely distinct on your taste buds.
I feel Chai Pani is a better place to eat if you want to try something new in Indian cuisine.
Coming to the thalis, they are basically a meal that comes with multiple items.
Do note the thalis at Chai Pani is nowhere near the extensive thalis found in India. Instead, they serve rice, a curry with chicken or veg, yogurt and a salad.
The restaurant refers to its own food as “mind-blasting Indian street food”. I certainly agree to this as each dish is so uniquely crafted with incredible flavors.
Chef Meherwan Irani was quoted as saying the reason to open Chai Pani was to change perceptions. Both of what it is to be a southerner and regarding Indian cuisine. I believe on both counts his restaurant Chai Pani has excelled way above expectations.
Chai Pani with its brilliant Indian street food, affordable price and unique experience consistently tops best restaurant lists in Asheville.
As for which dishes to try, matchstick okra fries, Indian sandwiches, kathi rolls and sev puri are amongst the favorites.
Address: 22 Battery Park Avenue, Asheville, NC 28801
Timings:
11.30 am to 3.30 pm for lunch on all days.
5.30 pm to 9.30 pm for dinner on all days.
Mehfil
Multi award-winning restaurant Mehfil is one of the most popular Indian restaurants in Asheville at the moment.
With an extensive menu covering some of the best North and South Indian dishes, you get great food at competitive prices.
The ambience is quite vibrant with interesting colors and Indian décor. I just find the place quite inviting and their lunch buffet is a definite hit with customers.
Mysore lamb chops, mango shrimp tandoori and gobi (cauliflower) Manchurian are all worth trying.
Besides the restaurant, you can try their catering service for your parties and events. They create a customized Indian menu with choice of live tandoor grills that are a real delight.
Address: 5 Biltmore Ave Suite B, Asheville, NC 28801
Timings:
11.30 am to 8.30 pm from Sunday to Thursday.
11.30 am to 9.30 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
11.30 am to 2.30 pm for lunch buffet on all days.
Andaaz Indian Cuisine
Andaaz Indian Cuisine is one of the rare fine dining Indian restaurants in Asheville.
Although on the pricier side, the quality of the food, wonderful décor and menu choices make it worth its cost.
There are plenty of options for everyone including vegan dishes and extensive meat and seafood selections.
I like that they have a lunch buffet plus offer thalis to their customers. The thali which are traditional meals come with some of the most popular dishes from Indian cuisine.
When in doubt, just opt for between the chicken or the veg thali. I do recommend trying their clay oven dishes and also the biryani.
Overall, Andaaz serves authentic high quality North Indian cuisine that is much loved by all.
Situated in Biltmore Village, Andaaz recently won the Diners’ Choice Award by OpenTable for the second time in a row.
Address: 28 Hendersonville Rd, Asheville, NC 28803
Timings:
11.30 am to 2.30 pm for lunch on all days.
5.30 pm to 9 pm for dinner from Sunday to Thursday.
5.30 pm to 9.30 pm for dinner on Fridays and Saturdays.
Blue Dream Curry House
To be honest, I am always skeptical about restaurants that have ‘curry’ in their name.
This is because they reinforce the misconception that Indian cuisine is all about curries. In reality, the cuisine is so much more with some really distinct types of dishes.
Nevertheless, in the case of Blue Dream Curry House, it was a little different as the eatery serves multiple cuisines.
Their menu consists of Indian, Thai and Asian dishes.
Due to the number of cuisines available, it is not exactly authentic Indian food but more of fusion dishes.
Judging by all the reviews and great ratings, patrons do love the food that is being served.
Important Note: Blue Dream Curry House has unfortunately shut shop this year. Instead of removing them from my list, I am still keeping a bit about them as above. This is as a tribute to one of the most loved Indian and Asian restaurants in Asheville over the years.
Dilbar
Dilbar is a delightful restaurant in Biltmore Avenue that serves authentic Indian street food, snacks and sweets.
I really recommend trying Dilbar if you want something different. It is definitely not your usual Indian cuisine from standard restaurants.
This is the place to try dosas, frankies (Indian wraps) and Indian Chinese. Yep, you read that right – Indian Chinese. It’s a cuisine that originated several decades ago in India’s only Chinatown in Kolkata. Since then, it has gone through a complete evolution and is insanely popular in India.
The menu is actually quite extensive so first-time visitors or those not well-informed about Indian street food may get overwhelmed.
Their chaat, a form of street food using tamarind chutney, spicy coriander chutney and other sauces is a must-try.
You will love Dilbar. It is a unique restaurant serving something different than what most people are used to as Indian food.
Address: 5 Biltmore Ave Suite A, Asheville, NC 28801
Timings:
11.30 am to 9 pm from Sunday to Thursday.
11.30 am to 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Cinnamon Kitchen Indian Cuisine
Cinnamon Kitchen is a small restaurant serving authentic Indian cuisine in a not so family friendly location.
However, locals have described the place as a hidden gem with some really tasty food.
The restaurant claims to use freshly ground spices that give its curries and tandoori dishes its great flavor.
You can try the tandoori chicken or lamb to get started. Better yet, try the tandoori platter which comes with both those dishes plus tandoori shrimp and chicken malai tikka.
Overall, the menu leans heavily towards North Indian cuisine with a number of options.
There are enough vegetarian choices in the menu but not too many vegan options considering heavy use of dairy products.
Address: 1838 Hendersonville Road, Suite 103, Asheville, NC 28803
Timings:
11 am to 2.30 pm for lunch on all days except Tuesdays.
4.30 pm to 9.30 pm for dinner on all days.
India Garden
India Garden has been around in Asheville for a really long time and is still going strong.
The restaurant’s website claims to have a “richly-varied menu” using all natural ingredients.
The menu mainly consists of North Indian dishes, out of which the tandoori dishes seem to be the most popular.
Apart from that, you should try the mango kulfi for dessert. It is a traditional Indian ice cream that is well-liked by all.
Although the restaurant seems to be getting mixed reviews lately, they have a high repeat loyal customer base.
Besides the restaurant, India Garden has a catering service that is equally popular.
Address: 80 South Tunnel Rd., Asheville, NC 28805
Timings:
11 am to 2.30 pm for lunch on all days.
4.30 pm to 9 pm for dinner on all days.
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Final thoughts
Indian cuisine is one of the fastest growing cuisines in all of the United States.
Luckily, Asheville has few of the best restaurants serving authentic Indian cuisine.
Whether you are already a lover or want to try Indian food, you can find several delectable restaurants.
What I particularly love about the Indian restaurants in Asheville is apart from the good food, you get a lovely atmosphere to spend quality time with your friends and family.
