Natraj's Indian Bistro — Restaurant in Rancho Santa Margarita

For some odd reason, I have never been a big fan of Indian food, and thus have avoided the suggestion of eating Indian for as long as I can recall. That came to a delightful end tonight after our first visit to Natraj's Indian Bistro! I am elated to report that yet another outstanding restaurant has opened its doors in Rancho Santa Margarita.

The moment we stepped into the handsomely appointed dining room our senses were greeted by heavenly aromas - we instinctively knew we were in for a treat. We looked around and noticed everyone overtly enjoying their diner. One dinner, seeing that we were checking things out, volunteered that they "loved" their meal and that "everything was phenomenal."

What more could we ask?

We quickly asked to be seated and began the difficult process of trying to whittle our choices from the ample selections. We then realized that Natraj's is the sort of restaurant where it would require many visits to sample every appetizing dish they have to offer. While so many restaurants we visit usually have a few items that look tasty, Natraj's has easily over a couple dozen. Our mouth's began to water just eyeing the menu.

Fortunately, the service at Natraj's is just as extraordinary as their enticing cuisine. Mario was especially accommodating and friendly. Within moments, our drinks arrived, along with what is equivalent to chips and salsa (thin, crispy spiced bread with two dipping sauces: sweet & sour, and spicy mint). Oh so good.

No sooner was our appetizer exhausted when our food arrived - hot, ample, and ever so aromatic. To our surprise our meal also included a serving of saffron rice, which was the perfect complement to our exquisite chicken and lamb dishes. We also ordered a side of Indian garlic bread, which was worth the visit to Natraj's alone.

To summarize, Natraj's is beautifully appointed and comfortable, the flavors are ambrosia, the service is second to none, and the prices are reasonable. However, regardless of the portions appearing to be ample, we discovered that the majority of our dishes were comprised of sauce, making the actual meet/shrimp/chicken a bit on the skimpy side.

Natraj's location is right across the street from Orange County's most amazing restaurant, Hannah's. Natraj's will be a nice change...

DO NOT CATER WITH NATRAJ. They are dishonest and only care about getting your money. We were looking for a vendor to cater for our wedding. In the final stages of signing the contract we discovered that they had signed another client on our requested date without giving us any notice. We drove all the way from San Diego for the tasting, emailed back and forth to iron out final details, and were ready to sign when they removed the contract without letting us know. Food was OK, but not the best Indian food in the area. The owner acted nice on the surface but dismissed any inquiries we had, telling us to email his wife instead. Emails from the owner's wife, Lisa, were unprofessional. She did not directly answer our questions/concerns and repeatedly requested info that had been previously given. No attention to detail and definitely not polite or friendly. We understand that this is a business but with all the back and forth daily communication for over a month's duration concerning the details of our wedding, a simple notice that another party was competing for the date should have been communicated. Even at the point of canceling our contract, we had to ask Natraj what happened. They failed to notify us. Overall we had a terrible experience. We recommend taking your...

A well maintained restaurant with flavorful Indian food.

The restaurant has good decor. Clean and modern interior. You don’t feel like going inside a curry masala hit many other restaurants in this area. It has a great location as well. They also have a very nice patio seating as well.

They serve buffet as well as ala cart for lunch. I chose buffet. You have a choice of garlic naan or butter naan. I chose garlic naan. It was perfectly cooked.

The buffet has chicken, mutton, and vegetarian options. Chicken tikka masala, chili chicken, and tandoori chicken were my favorite. I tasted others and they are good as well. They maintain the buffet very well.

The staff was courteous and attentive.

They also fruits, salad, samosa and sweets on the buffet as well.

They serve Pepsi products here. I am a Coke brand person that was a little let down. But I managed with water with lemon.

I will definitely come back when I am in this area and highly recommend this place for all...