New Delhi Restaurant & Bar — Restaurant in San Francisco

Unfortunately this has to be up there with one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had. Got recommended this place and doesn’t look too bad, decent reviews and by the looks decent food however on this occasion, this was not the case. We got there at 8pm and was greeted promptly by a gentleman who took us to the table, there were only 2 other tables in at this time so atmosphere was lacking.

We got our drinks order in promptly and browsed the menu which had a variety of dishes and classic ones you’d expect to get in an Indian restaurant anywhere in the word. We had some starters to begin with which were alright.

We then got our main courses which were disappointing to say the least, the butter chicken seemed to just be tandoori chicken thrown in sauce and it still had bones in it, now this maybe normal but in prior places I’ve been, it’s usually boneless. The main issue with this was the actual quality of the chicken which was awful, it was fatty and had lots of veins, overall just not good. The tandoori chicken quality was unfortunately the same. I had ordered a chicken tikka masala which was good and didn’t have any issues with. Our garlic Naan was ok! We were informed by a waitress that all dishes came with naan and rice, fantastic, however, only 1 plate of rice came out which wasn’t enough for 3 people. We were told we were wrong at the end by one of the waiters and that one plate had three portions in it, if this was the case that would have meant 3-4 spoons of rice per person.

Disappointing food and service and after seeing a $180 dollar bill for 1 chicken starter and 3 chicken main dishes, the price did not match what we had received. After bringing up these points with a gentleman who cleared our plates, he just went totally silent and didn’t even apologise, I knew full well it wasn’t his fault with the food and didn’t expect him to rectify the issue but it was the lack of acknowledgment which left a bad impression. He then went and discussed this with some colleagues in the middle of the floor and then nobody actually came over to discuss our issues, we waited about 15 minutes before the same gentleman came over with a card machine to take payment, keep in mind there was only 1 other table in at the time and no supervisor/duty manager came over.

We asked if something could be done about the bill as that high price did not reflect our experience here, let alone the $28 additional service charge! The bill got taken away again and then a woman from earlier came back and said nothing could be done because there was no manager or supervisor on? This doesn’t make any sense as there were at least 4 members of FOH staff working so I don’t believe there wasn’t someone senior who couldn’t have come over and spoken to us. This lady also didn’t apologise for any of the issues we brought up and tried to make it out as our fault. During the service nobody came to check back on us at all and make sure everything was ok or if we needed anything else. This is normal in any restaurant. The lady then said we could have gotten her at any point because, and in her own words “I was just standing over there”, if that was the case then how could she not have checked back on us? After being told again nothing can be done, we paid up and left. At the bottom of the check, they have added a line that said “No Refund”, this is a major red flag.

Overall the food and service was disappointing, there was a total lack of accountability from all staff and it was clear they did not care about their guests. The most disappointing part of it all was their response to the situation which left us feeling disappointed. They failed to hit the basic steps and standards of service in a restaurant setting.

I would advise avoiding here if you plan on having Indian cuisine while in San Francisco, other places might be more expensive but...

Absolutely the Worst Dining Experience – Avoid at All Costs

I don’t usually leave reviews, but I feel compelled to share our experience so that no one else makes the same mistake we did. Despite the overwhelming number of negative reviews, my husband and I decided to give New Delhi Restaurant in San Francisco a chance on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at around 7:45 PM. We were swayed by the owner’s defensive yet oddly confident replies to previous complaints and thought perhaps those were one-off experiences. We could not have been more wrong.

We were promptly seated and initially received courteous service from the floor manager and waitstaff, which, in hindsight, was the only remotely decent aspect of the night. We ordered the vegetarian chef’s tasting menu expecting a refined, thoughtfully curated experience. What we got instead was a disaster course after course.

Entrées: • Chilli Cheese Pakora: Completely dried out and flavorless. Could not even identify the filling. • Aloo Chaat Croustable: A cold, unpalatable mash of spiced potato in a tough pastry shell. It was served cold and stale. • Harra Kebab: Inedible. It was so dry and rubbery, I genuinely feared for my dental work. Absolutely no seasoning or freshness – clearly days old.

Plates were cleared promptly but – shockingly – we were asked to keep the same used cutlery for the next course. For a place that claims to be “fine dining,” this is completely unacceptable and unsanitary.

Adding further insult to the “fine dining” claim, water was served in glasses carried out by hand – no tray, no hygiene protocols, just bare hands touching every rim. This is not just unprofessional; it’s deeply unhygienic.

Mains: • Tamarind Eggplant: A gelatinous mess drowning in a sugary-sour tamarind paste. It tasted artificial, stale, and so overpowering we couldn’t take more than a bite. This is NOT how Indian eggplant curry is made. • Mustard Gobi: A total misrepresentation. No mustard flavor whatsoever, just limp cauliflower tossed with jalapeños and random lemon pieces. Not only inauthentic, but utterly unpleasant. • Coconut Cilantro Goan Kofta: Frankly, disgusting. The dish looked grotesque and the taste was even worse. The kofta was frozen in the middle – clearly microwaved and not even fully heated. How a restaurant dares to serve defrosting food is beyond comprehension.

We were served a so-called Lucknowi pulao that was nothing more than plain boiled rice and basic naan that had zero finesse or texture. We didn’t touch the rice. Couldn’t even try to finish the curries. The food was so offensive to the senses that we had to stop eating altogether.

Dessert: • Kheer: Cold, runny, bland. • Gulab Jamun: Slightly better taste-wise, but also served stone cold, which ruins what is meant to be a warm, syrupy indulgence.

To top off this abysmal experience, tea was served in a glass, again carried out by hand, without a tray or saucer – yet another reminder that this place’s idea of “fine dining” is nothing but a hollow label.

Final Thoughts:

The meal was a complete disgrace. I left feeling nauseated, disrespected, and honestly, insulted. What makes matters worse is the owner’s repeated defensiveness in responding to critical reviews instead of showing any intent to reflect or improve. This restaurant is not number one by any stretch – not in San Francisco, not in Indian cuisine, not even on the street it’s located on. Claiming otherwise is both misleading and delusional.

New Delhi Restaurant desperately needs to overhaul its menu, food preparation, hygiene practices, and – above all – its attitude toward feedback. Until then, I urge you: Do not waste your time, money, or palate here. Dining here was one of the worst decisions we made on our trip, and I sincerely hope others don’t repeat...

Avoid, avoid, avoid. We had two drinks, oh kalkata and taj , both were agreeable but mediocre for the price. Seems made with cheap alcohols and ingredients. Were we ready for the joke of a stale biriyani, definitely not. They call it fine dining, so the expectation is that they do not give cheap street food level items. Infact, I had 30cent biriyanis from the gutters of delhi which had more life ,flavor ,texture and emotion assosiated with it. This uber expensive biriyani had no flavor, no basics covered, the masals do not even remotely mimic any known variations of biriyani masalas. Ok, will give that it is their take on biriyani. I will come to the masala once I describe the most important part of a biriyani, that is the basmati rice, or kaima or any aromatic rice that is cooked to the perfection where grains are seperate. Here, at new delhi indian restaurant the basmati rice grain was so stale and not aromatic; the lenght and size of basmati do not matter, the best basmati rice regardless of the size will be firm and aromatic. It is the doneness and aromatic flavor of the rice that makes a biriyani. A fine dining experience means , the chef chose the best ingredients for the course. There are many reasons for the sad wet basmati rice in our biriyani, first of all its cheap nonaromatic vatiety, second over washing, third over cooking or keeping cooked basmati rice on the counter for long time. Whichever way you look at a street biriyani maker would know better than this so called fine dining misery. Then there is the layering which makes a biriyani distinct from kuska/ pulao/ ghee rice/ masala rice etc. I cant give any rating for the layering as there was no layering Ok, once again it is there take on Biriyani and so thats why they dont use layering properly. Still, if you change the basics of a dish , you should find a different name. Now, coming to the masala, a biriyani would do great with freshly ground masala amd very little is needed. It felt like they have grounded the masala in bulk in january and is still using it. Howmuch ever costly your spices are if you do not freshly ground the masala, it will be just sawdust. Not masala. So ,if the restaurant rename this dish as 'expired old nonflavorful masala dabbed chicken and some cheap basmati rice' and sell for 10 dollars with the double the quantity I would have recommended this travesty as a mediocre rice dish. But calling it a biriyani they are basically making fun of India and the diversity of indian biriyanis. I suggest avoid this restaurant...