Himalaya Café — Restaurant in Old Saybrook

The trip was coming to an end, actually quiet done to be honest. While driving down from Devil's Hopyard falls, since we got pretty soaked in the falls, we decided to take a detour just to have some good hot masala chai (tea) as we were passing through Old Saybrook, we searched and just found 1 Indian Bistro open called Himalaya Café Indian Bistro & Lounge. This Bistro looked beautiful on the Instagram page and was serving curbside with limited options due to the COVID19 pandemic following CDC's regulations.

Not knowing the menu we continued to drive 10 mins to reach it. Upon arrival we see the menu with no Masala Chai or snacks, just Entree's and couple of traditional Himalayan drinks. Man, one of the executives who was working there, came out to greet and help us as we looked disheartened. He went in there and came back and told us that the chef can make us some Tea since we came from a far, we nodded and said thank you. He goes back and comes with the masala chai and though he was wearing a mask I knew he had a big smile on his face. Man said "We thank you to reach out to our bistro and in gratitude the tea is on the house and on top of that we would like to give you our special dessert of the day - Cheesecake Passion Fruit Tart". We looked at each other and told ourselves that connecticut is filled with such good souls. We gladly accepted and spoke to the Manager Seema. Who was just as welcoming as Man!

The Masala Chai was aromatic and amazing! We could have asked for anything better, but there was this delicious tart waiting to be devoured! Honestly speaking, I didn't know that people can be so cordial and sweet to one another. I wish there were more of these kind people around the world. Connecticut is truly a friend to a feller in need.

I will surely visit again and a big shout-out to Man (like Man out of Superman) and Seema! Also the Chef who I didn't get to meet! You have magic in your hands please don't let it fade! Everyone should visit Thehimalayacafe to experience the warmth, taste, and gratitude.

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The trip was coming to an end, actually quiet done to be honest. While driving down from Devil's Hopyard falls, since we got pretty soaked in the falls, we decided to take a detour just to have some good hot masala chai (tea) as we were passing through Old Saybrook, we searched and just found 1 Indian Bistro open called Himalaya Café Indian Bistro & Lounge. This Bistro looked beautiful on the Instagram page and was serving curbside with limited options due to the COVID19 pandemic following CDC's regulations.

Not knowing the menu we continued to drive 10 mins to reach it. Upon arrival we see the menu with no Masala Chai or snacks, just Entree's and couple of traditional Himalayan drinks. Man, one of the executives who was working there, came out to greet and help us as we looked disheartened. He went in there and came back and told us that the chef can make us some Tea since we came from a far, we nodded and said thank you. He goes back and comes with the masala chai and though he was wearing a mask I knew he had a big smile on his face. Man said "We thank you to reach out to our bistro and in gratitude the tea is on the house and on top of that we would like to give you our special dessert of the day - Cheesecake Passion Fruit Tart". We looked at each other and told ourselves that connecticut is filled with such good souls. We gladly accepted and spoke to the Manager Seema. Who was just as welcoming as Man!

The Masala Chai was aromatic and amazing! We could have asked for anything better, but there was this delicious tart waiting to be devoured! Honestly speaking, I didn't know that people can be so cordial and sweet to one another. I wish there were more of these kind people around the world. Connecticut is truly a friend to a feller in need.

It's sad to know that it is temporarily closed and I am optimistic in seeing them grow. A big shout-out to Man (like Man out of Superman) and Seema! Also the Chef who I didn't get to meet! You have magic in your hands please don't let it fade! Everyone should visit @the_himalaya_cafe to experience the warmth, taste,...

I’m not sure what kind of Indian cuisine the delicate stomachs of Old Saybrook are used to, but my jaw is on the floor at how this place gets these reviews. I travel and eat out literally half the year and almost always roll with the punches and am rarely judgemental. Himalaya however failed on so many levels, I just have to give my 2c. The appetizers arrived in reasonable time, and the Samosas were solid. The Paneer Tikka was way overcooked - really shouldn’t have been served if a knife has difficulty cutting through. Toward the end of appetizers, the naan came though we had nothing to eat it with.

We thought dinner must be coming shortly. Nope. Half an hour later and not even a word from our server about what was up. I finally asked her to please take the naan away and bring it back hot when our mains came. Our mains came another maybe 15 minutes later, about an hour and 15 minutes after our arrival. After asking twice for the naan, that finally came about 2/3s of the way thru finishing our mains.

On to the mains... Lamb Vindaloo: about 30 minutes after ordering, we were notified they were out of lamb? How long did that take to figure out?! So the Chicken Vindaloo...blandest Vindaloo I’ve ever had. Not even sure what it was, but the frozen one from Trader Joe’s had more flavor. The Korma Shrimp and Chicken Tikka Masala were fine, not notable. The Paneer Saag had the same overcooked paneer that the appetizer had. No creaminess at all to the spinach either.

Wow, what a massive disappointment. Do yourself a favor and go to New Haven for much more authentic cuisine, service,...