Darbar Indian Cuisine — Restaurant in Palo Alto

I couldn’t tell if this place just had very fast and efficient service or they were just trying to get us out as soon as possible. Either way I was happy with how quickly they took our order and got our food. I went here with my mother, which was ideal for me because I didn’t have to pay and we have decent conversations from time to time. While my mother and I were having our decent conversation, the waiter brought us out complimentary food. I wanted to give him a compliment for bringing us complimentary food, but I wasn’t fast enough. He quickly brought it to our table table and then left. I didn’t even know what he brought us, but it sure was delicious. The only problem I had with this place was their food was too good, it was so good that it was distracting me from the decent conversation I was having with my mother. If the food was bad I could have focused all my attention to the convo. The incredible food outweighed the decent convo at times. I either have to have the best or worst conversations when I go here or this place needs to starting making food that isn’t that good so I can focus on the conversation. I guess if they made food that wasn’t that good, I wouldn’t go here in the first place. The best solution is probably that I eat here by myself or I go with someone and we eat in complete silence. Next time I go here I’ll have a...

My recent takeout experience at Darbar in Palo Alto left a lot to be desired. While it was busy on a weekend evening, which is understandable, the overall quality of the food fell short.

There's only indoor seating available, so keep that in mind if you're looking for an outdoor dining option. My takeout order took a significant amount of time to be prepared - around 40 minutes.

Masala Chai: This was a major letdown. It was watery and lacked the typical sweetness and robust spice profile of a good masala chai.

Aloo Tikki: This was a complete waste of money. It was essentially just plain potato chunks, lacking any seasoning or traditional aloo tikki ingredients. The absence of chutney and the wrong texture made it a confusing dish. I'm not sure why it's even offered on the menu.

Masala Dosa: This was the only saving grace. The dosa itself was decent, and the sambar had a good savory flavor. However, it only came with a sweet and spicy chutney and was missing the classic coconut chutney that typically accompanies a masala dosa (no big deal because every place does it differently).

Overall, Darbar gets 2 stars from me. The long wait time for takeout and the disappointing quality of several dishes were major drawbacks. There are better Indian food options in Palo Alto that offer a more complete and...

We dropped in to Darbar for a Saturday evening dinner and were fully impressed. The Interior is pretty straightforward with a couple rows of tables down the middle and along each wall. We were greeted by two very nice women upon entering, and shown to our table. The place was completely full by the time we left. The menu is pretty extensive and caters to vegetarian and non-vegetarians alike. We decided to have the non-vegetarian dinner which is a selection of items (both veg and non-veg) that come out together on a tray. From the menu: Lamb Curry, Butter Chicken, Malai Kofta, Lamb Samosa, Pakora, Rice, Dal, Naan, Papad, Raita, Chutney, Kheer Needless to say, this was a whole lot of food! And a great deal....we could have split one meal... but of course did not...LOL Everything was exceptionally prepared and flavorful. Service was excellent and friendly throughout the night. This is a great place to enjoy some really good...