Bombay Velvet - Fine Dining Indian Cuisine & Cocktail Bar — Restaurant in Reston

This is one of the few greater Indian (i.e. India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Pakistan) restaurants in the area I have not tried out so messaged a friend to meet up for dinner on a Friday night. Made a reservation the same day which was quick through Google. The word 'Velvet' gives indications of fanciness so I did have some relatively high expectations. After being seated, I requested a paper menu as I just don't like zooming in and struggling to read a menu on a phone. My friend attempted to view the scannable menu but it wasn't working the first time round so they brought an Ipad menu. For appetizer I ordered Samosas and Salmon Tikka. They never brought the samosa and I didn't point it out either to make a point that a mistake like that at a fine dining Indian restaurant is not appreciated. They brought the salmon out at the same time as the main courses we ordered which also was quite unpleasantly surprising. The lamb korma was not all that- had a chicken tikka masala taste to it but with lamb instead of chicken. The garlic nan was superb- great texture mix of softness but not too soft, and good flavoring. The Rose lassi was unique as that's not easy to get at an Indian restaurant and that they served it with rose petals sprinkled on top really made my day. The shrimp mango curry was pleasant but had no taste whatsoever of mango- if they just called it shrimp curry it would have been more accurate. The lava cake with pistachio ice cream was excellent- the cake had a good fusion of Indian and Western flavoring. Unfortunately, they never brought the Mango lassi- I only pointed it out when they included it on the receipt, upon which the waiter said he would have it removed. That was very disappointing- the response should have been 'we apologize for not serving it and due to this mishap, the Rose lassi is on the house'- there was no attempt at them expressing dismay at their error and more of a 'whatever' attitude. At this point I didn't even remind them about the samosa FYI. The ambience of the restaurant was nice (seats were a bit too low though but comfortable cushioning)- had a nice dark gothic vibe and the ceiling decoration was reminiscent of what comes to mind when thinking of ancient Indian decor. Not the place to bring kids but a great place for a business meeting or couples outing. I did ask for a takeout container for the leftover Salmon- by that point they removed all the cutlery. A waiter brought the container but without any utensil to transfer into the box which shows a lack of attention to detail. The table itself looked elegant although the roundness of it did present some challenging dynamics if multiple dishes were ordered (which in this case they were given they decided to serve appetizers the same time as the main course). My restaurant connoisseur verdict? C. If it wasn't for the mistakes with the orders, I would have given a B- why not an A: while the ambience was really nice, the food taste was normal and nothing that led to 'I'm going to have a craving to come back for X.' Fyi, I've been to Bombay (or rather, Mumbai). Follow my blog for future reviews of other...

I saw a video of this place on Instagram and decided to check it out. Five stars solely based on the authenticity of the smells, decor, staff, and service provided! It’s so beautiful on the inside!!

As a person that always ordered an alcoholic beverage, the tulsi & orange peel lemonade was non-alcoholic and SO GOOD! I’m someone that despises sparkling water (one of the ingredients in the drink) but it worked! I wish this restaurant would put it in a bottle and sell it.

The cauliflower appetizer was just okay. We felt it could’ve been saucier. Maybe it had been sitting under the heat lamp too long. And we did get a few fried crumbles of nothing. Also, we felt it should come with some type of dipping sauce. Garlic naan however, was on point.

My friend ordered the lamb chops and enjoyed them. I shared some of a sauce I ordered on the side, korma, which we both enjoyed.

Originally, I wanted to try the lamb korma but the waiter suggested the lamb shank. It was cooked perfectly and had a nice spicy sauce that mixed well with the korma sauce and rice. I also got the butter chicken to go. It had really nice texture in the sauce and the chicken itself was tender and juicy.

Our server Bhakti was a pleasure to dine with! This place is absolutely gorgeous! Perfect for a date night for singles or couples. I wish I could’ve gotten pictures of the decor but the place was pretty much packed. I think that speaks to its essence. It’s a little far from where I live but I definitely would...

It was my first time visiting, and overall, it was a pleasant experience. The decor and lighting were cozy and comforting. I was grateful that the waiter advised that the red velvet seating area was lower to the ground before I sat down. I am 5'3", and it was a bit uncomfortable. My friend is 5'10", and she struggled to get her legs comfortable. However, it was still a nice seat, visually. (Sidebar: he did offer a regular table first. I was being picky and asked about the red velvet area. So he was very kind to inform me that the seating experience would be different).

The food was top-notch. The drink presentation was easy on the eyes. I got the rose and saffron lassie. DELISH!!!! Appetizers, we enjoyed samosas (a little spicy if you have a low spice tolerance). I enjoyed them! We also got the cauliflower, and that was tasty, too. My entre was Tikka Masala and my friend has Butter Chicken. Both were divine.

The best of all was the friendly staff. Every time our waiter came to the table, he was smiling. That is such a small detail, but it goes a long way with me. He really seemed to enjoy what he was doing and took lots of pride. The music was also evey entertaining. My friend and I bopped to several tunes, which enhanced our dining experience!!!

My photos really do not do this place justice. They have an IG page that does a much better job than I. @bombayvelvetusa . Please check this restaurant out if you are in the VA, MD, DC area or plan to visit. You will be...