Old Shalimar — Restaurant in Paris

//update - the restaurant called me few hours after I made the review and offered me full refund to remove my review. I was very intimidated to receive that call.//

One of the worst dining experiences I’ve had at an Indian restaurant.

Let’s start with the interiors — the decor lacked any charm or authenticity, definitely not classy or up to par for what you’d expect from an Indian restaurant.

We ordered a few starters: • The samosa was obviously commercial, pulled straight out of a freezer. The taste was passable, but nothing fresh or handmade about it. • The chicken tikka was frankly disgusting. If you’ve ever seen chicken tikka, you know the usual orange or red is fine. But here, it came out in a bizarre hot pink color — completely off-putting and unappetizing.

Moving on to the mains: • My friend’s butter chicken was beige. Yes — beige. Not only was the color completely wrong, but the taste was equally disappointing. • The sides — chutney and pickle — had a foul, stale smell, as if they’d been sitting in a fridge for weeks before being served to us. • We ordered paratha but were served something that looked more like an Iranian bread.

The only thing I can give them credit for is that the staff was polite and welcoming — but honestly, it felt more like a strategy to lure people in, because the food and experience were a huge letdown.

Would not recommend this...

My friend and I are food snobs, so our trip to Paris has been full of reservations based on careful planning & Michelin star rated restaurants. But last night, we decided to go rogue & rely on our instincts for a change, to find a good restaurant. So we put our phones away (always hard to do) and wandered down this colorful little street where we stumbled upon Old Shalimar. What luck to have found this delicious little Indian restaurant! The hostess was very considerate & welcoming, and the restaurant was bustling with lots of young locals…a good sign. We ordered butter chicken, naan, aloo palak, fragrant rice with dried fruit, and a mango lassi. Every dish was superb! The mango lassi was creamy yet light, the aloo palak was fresh & flavorful, the naan was hot & delicate, the butter chicken was mouthwatering, and the rice was delightful. It was one of the best Indian meals I’ve ever had. To top it all off the service was quick, professional, friendly, and warm. And a side-note, even the bathrooms were sparkling clean (another good sign). The entire meal was under 50 euros too! I highly recommend this restaurant, especially if you need a break from your typical French fancy restaurant, do yourself a favor & go to Old Shalimar. You...

Located in one of the covered indoor passageways, this restaurant is a real highlight of the neighborhood.

We ate here three times which is rare for us as we like to try different restaurants during our trips.

The vegetarian options are excellent. I highly recommend the Butter Chicken but substituting it for Paneer (this is listed as such on the menu). The Butter Paneer is a solid creamy, mild curry with paneer with good texture. Rice and bread must be purchased separately and we enjoyed both the regular rice and the fruit and nut variation.

Their vegetable dishes are also strong and we enjoyed the chickpea and lentil dishes.

We spent a week in London prior and the Indian in Paris is a clear rung lower. Old Shalimar is at the top of that rung and I highly recommend it.

Service was warm and attentive. The atmosphere is...