Cilantro Bangladeshi Bistro — Restaurant in Norfolk

Authentic Bengali family run restaurant serving up simple and homely Bangla food. We were here from Washington DC for a family vacation to Virginia Beach. It is a bit of a drive from the Boardwalk area but definitely worth the trip. Most Indian restaurants here in DC area tend to have a standardized menu of mass produced dishes that taste the same everywhere, Cilantro on the other hand is refreshingly original in its approach and flavor.

Their menu seems to change based on what they have fresh for the day and they run specials on a daily basis. Each meal is cooked by the owner herself and you can really feel the attention to the cooking. I caught a glimpse of the kitchen and was surprised to see how much it resembled a kitchen in a home rather than a restaurant.

The service was genuine, warm and friendly. Our waiter was one of the family members of the owner of the business and although young, was able to provide us great service and attention. He was very pleasant and made sure we were comfortable and well accommodated throughout out our time at the restaurant.

Coming to the most important aspect - the food is absolutely incredibly delicious and the best Bengali/Indian restaurant that we have been to. The servings are generous and the price is great for the quality and quantity of food you receive.

The most striking aspect for me was the honesty/simplicity of the preparations which I thought unlocked the flavors of the ingredients used - as opposed to an onslaught of spices that are the standard in most big city restaurants that we have gotten used to in DC.

We were served an appetizer of Chop, which was so delicious that we ended up getting everything they had for the day.

This place is also great for people with allergies. My nephews that have a myriad of allergies were able to eat everything in the menu with no problem. Great for people with peanut, nut or gluten allergies. If you have a lot of allergies or specific tastes, I would not hesitate to ask the cook for their suggestions and they will gladly give you their recommendation based on the day's menu.

We chose the Firni for dessert and it was amazing and was a fitting end to a delightful early dinner. Definitely going here again next time we are in town. I wish we discovered this gem earlier in our vacation so that we could have visited it...

I encourage everyone to check the most recent health inspection on the city’s website, which noted a long list of poor practices and the presence of cockroaches and rodents. Until someone new comes in and cleans this place up, I can no longer eat here. The average rating of this restaurant no longer reflects the service or food being offered.

Those who ate here when it was called Cilantro may remember how great it was when it used to be managed mainly by Mr. Enver and his parents. The overall experience has declined precipitously since management changed completely several years ago. Things only got worse since they opened a wings restaurant next door. I don’t think they’re very invested in this side of the restaurant anymore.

They don’t maintain their posted hours. When they do have food, many items on the menu aren’t available. Prices go up as quality and consistency declines. I believe they only cook once a week at most, so getting dry rice or suspect meat isn’t unusual. They no longer serve a small kachumber salad with entrees. There’s been no explanation or apology for this change; they don’t offer anything in lieu of the salad. The building itself is poorly maintained and in disrepair. As others have mentioned, the air conditioning hasn’t worked in years. I could only speculate on what the conditions in the kitchen are like, so I looked them up with the health department today, and it’s even worse than I’d imagined.

Don’t bother trying to give feedback to the staff in person—their English isn’t proficient enough to understand, and I don’t think they would really care anyway. If Enver and his family still have a financial stake in this business, maybe they’ll consider opening something similar at a different location someday. The family’s recipes are truly amazing and unique, and I’m sentimental about them, which is the only reason I’ve tried to give this place a chance...

I stumbled upon a hidden gem. Cilantro offers amazing home style Bangladeshi HALAL food. It’s a small no frill shop but the food here is absolutely delicious. If you have never tried Bangladeshi food, stop now and go check it out.

The couple running the restaurant are super friendly and made good recommendations. We tried the Tamarind eggplant, stuffed alu (potato) chop, paratha, Jhaal (spicy) chicken, and dal. Each of the dishes were so good, reminded me of home cooked food. Simple and tasty dishes. Portion sizes are good and spice level is manageable as well.

About the food, the tamarind eggplant was the best! I could just keep eating that with the Pulao. Also the alu chops with the chicken filling were so good that I ended up ordering some to go. The Pulao and Jhaal (spicy) chicken was also very tasty. Not too oily or spicy, everything was proportionate. They also provided salad with the food, which added to the delicious food experience. Dine in or take out, Cilantro is a must try place for authentic Bangladeshi food. I can’t wait to go back and try other things on their menu, specially the...