Indian Lounge — Restaurant in Nice

1/5 stars

Disappointing Experience at Indian Lounge

I recently visited Indian Lounge in Nice, and unfortunately, it was a disaster. The experience was marred by cultural insensitivity, unprofessional staff, and subpar food.

Issues

Cultural Disrespect: The restaurant's use of Indian God statues alongside alcohol and non-vegetarian options was deeply offensive. It felt like a cheap attempt to appeal to Indian customers while disregarding the cultural significance.

Overcrowded Ambiance: The decor, meant to evoke Indian culture, felt tacky and overwhelming.

Unprofessional Staff: The staff made excuses for the bill and waiter charges, which were unclear and unjustified.

Poor Taste: The food was unacceptably bad, especially considering the restaurant's pretentious claims.

Disappointing Experience

Indian Lounge's attempt to showcase Indian culture fell flat. Instead, it came across as insensitive and exploitative. The food and service were subpar, making it a place to avoid.

Rating Breakdown

Cultural Sensitivity: 1/5 Ambiance: 1/5 Staff: 1/5 Food Quality: 1/5 Overall Experience: 1/5

Recommendation

Avoid Indian Lounge at all costs. The cultural disrespect, unprofessional staff, and poor food quality make it a...

This review is mixed because I had two very different experiences of the food when I visited. What was common experience was the friendliness and helpfulness of the waiters. Whether you enjoy the decor or think it gaudy is a personal decision! I can only say I have never seen a restaurant decked out this way in India.

Firstly the good. I had an excellent vegetarian thali on my first visit. Delicious and varied in taste. The naan is not what a British person (or an Indian) expects as naan, but when abroad you make allowances. I enjoyed the meal.

But the downside, on my return I chose to have a chicken dish, a rare thing for me. It was on the menu as in a creamy sauce with almonds and (?) clotted cream. It arrived within a minute of my ordering, and was awful. Watery - far from creamy - and tasteless. I can only think because of the speed arrival that it was microwaved which destroyed any creamy constituency in the original cooked dish. A disaster, I can only put down to the restaurant being busy so they cut corners. I can tell you for sure this meal was not cooked fresh.

As a side issue, this, like other Indian restaurants I tried in Nice, seems to believe French and other visitors have a taste for burned papadoms. For me, at...

For context, I eat Indian food about once a month in multiple locations in Los Angeles. I will try Indian food outside the USA (recently had it in Yerevan, which I will share that review). Back to this…. The restaurant is clean. The service is decent, we asked to move to a more convenient location and were immediately accommodated. However, once the food was brought out, no one asked how we enjoyed the food, if we needed any more drinks, etc. Food is mediocre, at best. We ordered our typical dishes: tandoori chicken, chicken korma, baigan bharta, vegetable biryani and garlic naan. Here’s the breakdown: Tandoori chicken: heavily seasoned but no real flavor profile. Looked good, quite tender but missing some magic. Chicken korma: missing the signature cashew cream profile, a bit too much garlic (which is rare for me to say), nonetheless the chicken was tender and nice to dip the naan into the creamy sauce. Vegetable biryani: the rice was really moist, very vegetable heavy. It’s hard to describe but the flavors were unbalanced. Left uneaten. Baigan bharta: left uneaten. Again, something was off with the flavor profile. I usually get so excited when out for Indian Cuisine and I’m sad this was the last...