Siṃha Indian Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Providence

I went here with some friends about a month ago, when we were walking around downtown Providence looking for a place to eat. We thought it was an American pub, so imagine our delight when we found out it was a new Indian restaurant! It was so new (only opened two weeks prior) that their liquor license wasn't yet obtained. Regardless, the food itself more than made up for the lack of alcoholic accompaniment.

I ordered the corn soup to start, salmon tikka masala as a main, and garlic naan for a side. I'm telling you this food is to die for! The soup was so creamy and luscious; it was both sweet from the corn and savory from the broth. The salmon was smothered in the tikka masala and was melt-in-your-mouth delicious. Paired with the warm garlic naan, it was heaven on a plate.

This place is so good, my friends and I went again a week later. Again, the food did not disappoint. This time I started with the warm crispy papads with the spicy onion chutney. So good! And for my main, I chose the lamb vindaloo, and I wasn't let down. The lamb was tender and moist, and the vindaloo was rich and flavorful. It was so hearty and filling paired with some basmati rice. I finished with the mango cake, which completed my meal with a little bit of sweetness to cleanse my palate.

If you are looking for great authentic Indian cuisine, look no...

This is easily some of the most authentic Indian food I’ve had in Providence. However, the service and packaging could use improvement.

I’ve ordered from here multiple times, and the Dhaba-style paneer is consistently flavorful and well-prepared. Once, I noticed chickpeas in my paneer curry—which wasn’t listed in the description and felt like a prep error. Consistency in dishes is important, especially for regular customers.

I also ordered a lunch meal where the lentils, curry, and rice were all packed together in one container. This made it quite unpleasant to eat, as these components are traditionally served and eaten separately—with rice used to complement either the lentils or the curry individually. Mixing everything together takes away from that experience.

In a later order, I asked if they could pack the items separately (a reasonable and simple request), but the restaurant refused. Unfortunately, I had to cancel, which was disappointing for a place I actually like.

The food is great, but I hope they consider small, customer-friendly changes like accommodating basic packaging preferences. It would go a long way in making the overall experience as good...

Simha Indian Kitchen & Bar is a new restaurant in downtown Providence. It is where the Barnaby’s used to be located, so it retains some of the previous set-up. The restaurant is open and has an upscale Indian vibe. It was a nice spot for a date night

The menu has a lot of offerings, even some fusion dishes that sounded really interesting. They also had a specials menu. The drinks list was extensive; their cocktails are creative, including their mocktails too. I tried the lychee martini which was good and not sweet which I enjoyed—would have liked a little more lychee flavor though. My husband got one of the mocktails which was refreshing.

We tried a bunch of appetizers (wings, Indian fries, and kebab) as well as the baingan bharta which is a delicious eggplant dish. It came with rice. Spice level was good. Next time we want to try more entrees.

The staff was very friendly and attentive. They checked in on us often and made sure our water glasses were always filled. Prices are reasonable. We definitely plan to return to...