Diya Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Alexandria

Not 100% sure but the reviews might be fake/boosted. There’s a ton of reactions and likes for every good review, which is abnormal especially for this platform.

In summary, our experience was very poor at this restaurant. Other than the nice atmosphere, everything was subpar and left a lot to be desired. As a note, we didn’t see too many Indian customers in the restaurant, so that should give a clue about the place.

We had the chicken tikka masala, goat vindaloo, chicken biryani, and garlic naan. For starters, the garlic naan was not crispy or fluffy, and had light notes of garlic. Flavor wise it was fine, more on the lighter side, but it should be at least crispy and fluffy instead of chewy.

The chicken tikka masala had a ton of nice buttery, savory notes but it lacked any real spice and depth apart from the savoriness. It was also a bit on the sweeter side, which could appeal to some audiences. I was very disappointed however with the goat vindaloo, which looked appetizing but lacked any substantial flavor. All I really tasted was some spiciness; the rest tasted a bit watered down. The chicken biryani was standard. No real complaints or compliments for it.

At around $22-23 per dish, I would expect the portions to be a lot bigger, but the bowls they came in were no bigger than the size of my hand. At least if the quality isn’t as great then serve more food. We had four people at our table, and we all definitely had room in our stomachs by the end of the meal.

We also had a hard, undercooked potato in the vindaloo. I would assume potatoes are relatively easy to prepare, but I guess not in this case. We knew it was uncooked because you could stab a fork in it and it would give resistance and/or maintain its shape instead of splitting like a soft potato would.

Service was also extremely slow. It took about 30 minutes to receive our food. We did get complimentary dessert at the end, which was nice but only two “slightly-bigger” custard cups for the entire table. Again, with the theme of portion sizes, everything seems to be portioned so small here. It would be acceptable if the prices were low, which unfortunately is not the case.

I would definitely NOT recommend this restaurant to any friends or family. I do not think this establishment is an authentic representation of Indian cuisine, and you can definitely find better places for a MUCH better meal.

Edit after Business Reply “Your comments was really conflict of interest. There are no fake reviews.it was abnormal for you . All reviews were made from customers including your fake and blaming comments. You don't know how to write too. Copy and paste from ChatGPT.”

Moving to one star after the unprofessional business reply. The fact that the owner thinks my basic review was from ChatGPT says a lot about their competency as a business owner. Instead of taking criticism to improve the quality of their dishes, they decide to instead berate customers who give their honest opinions about their restaurant. There is video and picture proof for some of the comments that I have made about the restaurant, along with why I gave the ratings that I have given. This restaurant has a lot of potential to be vastly successful given the location and the atmosphere. Maybe a change of management could do the restaurant wonders, especially for how empty it was on Mother’s...

Reply to his comment

"I appreciate your response, but I must express my frustration. While I understand tandoori chicken traditionally comes with bones, many establishments offer boneless options, which was not communicated. The offer of a replacement dish wasn't clear during our interaction, adding to the dissatisfaction. Furthermore, professionalism should be upheld despite any disagreement. As for your comment about following US law, respect should extend to all customers, regardless of nationality. Thank you for your attention to this matter.

It's imperative that you cease being rude and refrain from dishonesty. Clear communication and professionalism are vital in customer service. Your attempt to misrepresent the situation is unacceptable. Respect and honesty should be non-negotiable principles in any business interaction."

Original comment

Food is good the service was really poor. The server didn’t take one my order correctly. Then I asked the server to please I didn’t order this. I was expecting she respond nicely however, she just gave me her back while I’m talking to her. Manger here show up with kind smile and said I will not charge for this order said thank you just gave me a check and boxes to go. After I paid for my order and he gave me the boxes clearly said you can take the incorrect order with you and gave me to go box for it. When I backed my order he started to talk rudely with me said you aren’t supposed to take the order you didn’t pay for it. And I returned his food and after that he yelling at me and told me to leave my restaurant which cause me very very unpleasant time. Sadly I was on date with my girlfriend which made me feel guilt because she really wants a night out. As said above the food taste so good but the people who works there aren’t...

So my husband and I went on a "bad day" yet had a great time and enjoyed great food. It was a Tuesday and apparently some staff had called out so it was the owner, his daughter, and maybe a cook in the back (though I think the owner also did some of the cooking too).

First, the atmosphere is amazing. Exposed brick wall in a large second floor loft of an old warehouse building converted to commercial space. There are half-moon shaped booths which are perfect for bringing a date and larger rectangle tables for bringing friends and family. Also, everything was very clean and neat...even the restroom.

I wasn't sure what to get because everything looked so good. I ended up getting the tandoori chicken at the server's recommendation. My husband got the lobster curry. My husband also has a food allergy and they took every precaution in that regard. My tandoori chicken was the best I've ever had. It was moist, well spiced, and there was a lot of it. My husband's lobster curry was also amazing and a generous portion. We should've had leftovers but it was so good we ate all of it! We also enjoyed a nice cocktail (made by the owner), some Indian lager, and a pinot noir from Willamette, OR . The owner also gave us a free taste of desert, though we were too full to order anything else.

The server (owner's daughter) kept apologizing for the slow service but to be honest I so no deficiency despite the two of them being the only ones helping 30+ guests.

If you're looking for upscale Indian food in a romantic atmosphere with friendly service, you...