Haveli Indian Kitchen — Restaurant in Florida

Haveli is a small but clean Indian restaurant with a good location at North Dale Mabry Highway and Fletcher Avenue aka South Village Drive. When you arrive for dinner they offer papadam and various chutneys. Papadam are deep fried wafers made from ground lentils. I think that was a very nice and welcoming touch.

Ordering at the restaurant is somewhat a la carte; although, they serve rice with the curry dishes. We ordered our food medium for hotness but it all came quite mild. The restaurant claims to serve Halal but they couldn't at the time say where they order their halal meat from as the owner wasn't present; this time we took their word for it. We ordered the Chicken Tandoori which had a generous six pieces, Vegetables Jalfrezi, and Madrasi Fish. The Tandoori was cooked in a traditional tandoor with a generous portion and well made but not at all spicy. Strangely though there was no Raita served with it. The Fish from Madras was tender and juicy but we expected more of a spicy kick to it. The vegetables Jalfrezi was too creamy and somewhat sweet which was unexpected and not particularly to our liking. We very much liked how the curries were served on a heated element and how the Tandoori Chicken cane out on a sizzling skillet though. We also made separate orders of two naan and two pooris (which are like deep fried tortillas). The naans were well made but expensive at 2.95 a piece. The pooris we're good but oily; they shouldn't be too oily.

Service at this establishment was polite, attentive, but slow. It took over 25 minutes for us to get our order and there was no one else that still needed to be served when we had ordered. The waiter tried to answer our questions the best he could but lacked in some product knowledge seeing as the establishment had just opened not more than two weeks prior. Nevertheless, he was weak in making recommendations.

Note to owner and Management, if you want your servers to do a good job then they need to have a good understanding of all that's being offered on the menu. The best way to do this is to describe the items in more detail to them and more importantly to have them try each dish at least once and even more that once is appropriate without being charged for it. A customer should never hear from a server when asked how a dish is, "I don't know, I've never had it before."

If I could give them a little higher than a 4 star rating, like a 4.2 then I would. That being said, we will return again and order medium hot a couple of dishes like palak paneer, try their daal, and order again the Tandoori chicken and Naan. They gave a sincere effort and I think this place is worth trying. Every new place can take some time to perfect their craft. Just don't be in a hurry when coming here and servers should give some idea of how long it will be to be served if it's gonna be much longer than 10...

Haveli Indian Kitchen offers delicious, authentic Indian food in a cozy, inviting atmosphere. From the moment you step inside, the ambiance makes you feel welcome, with a nice balance of traditional and modern décor.

Ambiance (5/5): The restaurant’s décor is vibrant and warm, perfect for both casual dinners and special occasions. The atmosphere is relaxing and friendly.

Service (5/5): The staff is friendly and attentive, always ready to help you choose dishes and make sure you're happy with your meal. The service is fast and efficient.

Food (5/5): The food at Haveli is rich in flavor and cooked to perfection. Here are some highlights:

Appetizers: The vegetable pakoras are crispy and delicious. The chicken malai kebab is tender and full of flavor. Main Course: The butter chicken is creamy and flavorful, a must-try. The lamb vindaloo is spicy and tangy, while the paneer tikka masala is rich and creamy. Vegetarian Options: The dal tadka is flavorful, and the aloo gobi (potatoes and cauliflower) is a comforting choice. Sides: The garlic naan is soft and flavorful, perfect for dipping into the rich curries. The jeera rice is fragrant and pairs well with the main dishes. Desserts: The gulab jamun is sweet and syrupy, a perfect way to end the meal. Overall Experience (5/5): Haveli Indian Kitchen offers an excellent dining experience with its delicious food, great service, and warm ambiance. Whether you're a fan of classic dishes or want to try something new, this restaurant is a great choice for anyone who loves...

Immediately I’ll say, I love the food -no doubt about it, the best Indian food around. However, the conflict-resolution from their management is not good. Our server accidentally gave half our table’s food away to another table -which is fine, mistakes happen. We had to wait 15 min until we finally got another server to our table and told them about our situation. They managed to get our order pushed through but did have to wait for them to make the food from scratch. Meanwhile we drank through our water and couldn’t find anyone to flag down for more. After we got the food and were ready for the check and boxes, we had to wait an additional 10 min to find any server to ask for them. When we finally got the check and boxes, the managing server apologized and told us that since they messed up the order, for us to not leave a tip. Our table was completely confused as to why they asked us to not leave a tip for their workers when what they should’ve done was to either discount or comp one of the two meals they gave away. Our party still left a tip regardless because workers deserve to be paid for their time, but it’s just a major miss on their end in more ways than one. Sadly if this were my first experience at the restaurant, I highly doubt I’d come back. I’ll still go to their establishment because of their food, but do be mindful of...