Taste of the Himalayas

Berkeley, United States

3.9

Closed now

21 reviews

Accepts Credit Cards
Free Wi-Fi

Contacts

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Telephone:
+1 510-849-4983
Website:
www.tasteofthehimalayas.com
Address:
1700 Shattuck Ave Ste A, Berkeley, CA, 94709
b/t Francisco St & Virginia St
Gourmet Ghetto, North Berkeley
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
100 ftShattuck Av & Virginia St
690 ftShattuck Av & Delaware St
690 ftOxford St & Virginia Av
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Bussiness info

Takes Reservations
Yes
Delivery
Yes
Take-out
Yes
Accepts Credit Cards
Yes
Accepts Apple Pay
No
Good For
Dinner
Parking
Street
Bike Parking
Yes
Wheelchair Accessible
Yes
Good for Kids
Yes
Good for Groups
Yes
Attire
Casual
Ambience
Casual
Noise Level
Average
Alcohol
Beer & Wine Only
Outdoor Seating
No
Wi-Fi
Free
Has TV
No
Waiter Service
Yes
Caters
No

Today

Today 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Closed now
Local time (Berkeley) 04:51 Wednesday, 28 May 2025

Business hours

Monday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Tuesday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Wednesday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Thursday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Friday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Saturday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm
Sunday 11:30 am – 2:30 pm
5:00 pm – 9:30 pm

Description

Specialties

We specialize in authentic Nepalese and Indian food. Our spices are homemade and we try to provide the best Nepalese hospitality.

History

Established in 2004.

We had our first Grand Opening in January 2005.

Since then we have been known as the Finest Nepalese and Indian Cuisine of Berkeley.

We look forward to serving you!

Meet the Manager

Pratik T.

Manager

We are located at 1700 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley, CA

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21 reviews of Taste of the Himalayas

No registration required
Place rating: 5
Caldwell, NJ
Tasty food. Traditional hospitality. Lovely people. Recommend it to everyone. Choila isn’t what I expected but serves the purpose.
Place rating: 5
PACIFIC PALISADES, CA
Great Indian food! You can’t go wrong here… everything we’ve tried so far has been great. They have a large selection of vegetarian dishes, and their samosas are excellent. Prices are also pretty reasonable given the quality of the food. Definitely recommend trying it!
Place rating: 2
Oakland, CA
Not once have I stepped into this place during my time at Cal, but I’ve heard the raves of this place over the years. So, at long last, I went with one of my besties (who loves this place).
The first thing I noticed was the glasses of water placed before us. Our cups were dusty! My friend noted, «That must’ve been from the linen they used to wipe the cups,» but who the Hell would wipe cups with cloth that sheds???
Then, we made our decisions of what to order, set down our menus, and dived into girltalk…
*spoken in the Spongebob voice*…20 minutes later…
ME: Wait, why hasn’t anyone stopped by to take our order?
FRIEND: Oh yeah, you’re right…
It was a busy Saturday night, but that’s no reason to neglect a party of two.
When a waiter did come around, we ordered Chicken Tikka Masala with medium-​level spice and Garlic Naan. Everything tasted bland.
My friend loves the gulab juman for dessert, and we were waiting around for a waiter, since I wanted to try a good gulab juman (we went to another place where it was soggy and cold, with terrible service). But while we waited, I thought, «If the food is nothing special already, and the service is so slow here, why would the gulab juman stand out?»
Decided not to get gulab juman. Signed our checks and left.
Place rating: 4
Los Angeles, CA
Extremely good food and extremely overpriced. But a definition try. Here is what I had:
Chicken momos — 10⁄10 amazing taste and a MUST TRY
Shrimp Tikka Masala — 10⁄10
Chicken Biryani — 8⁄10
Mango Lassi — 10⁄10
This place should get 5 stars for the food but 3 for the price.
Place rating: 5
Saratoga, CA
Best service and good Nepali food. The servings in the dishes were really filling. The chicken chilli was seasoned really well. It tasted fresh. (Most chili chicken taste really old but this one was really good). The chicken momo was so tasty and the chicken juice was oozing out as I bite into it. So tasty! The vindaloo had real spices in it which just made all the spices taste better. The servers were so welcoming and took care of all needs. They filled up my drinks every now and then. They checked a couple of times to make sure everything was okay. Everything was great and I look forward to coming here again.
Place rating: 4
San Pablo, CA
Delicious… But super pricey.
Ordered the mixed momos. I really liked the meat momos, veggie was okay. The sauce it comes with is a great compliment to it.
Chicken Tikka Masala: one of the best I’ve had. It was so flavorful. Medium spice wasn’t very spicy however.
Shrimp Biryani: great flavor and nice texture. There’s peanuts and almonds. Could have done without the peanuts.
Place rating: 3
Mountain View, CA
I’ve eaten here before and it was good. Recently I had a to-​go order that took forever.
I randomly (probably starvingly) wanted samosas. I called and ordered.
They claimed it would be ready in 10mins. I arrived. Then I had to wait an additional 20 mins. Not fun at all. The samosas were ok. But I don’t like waiting so I think I would hesitate to go back in fear of waiting an eternity.
Place rating: 5
Sacramento, CA
Yes. Yes. YES!!! This is my second time here and I just had to write a review because, let me tell you, this place is DIVINE. The flavors are perfect, the service is impeccable, the décor/​ambiance are absolutely exquisite. Last time I came here, I ordered the butter chicken and garlic naan and was blasted off to culinary heaven. On the nights that followed, I dreamt of this butter chicken. I dreamt of dipping my warm garlic naan into the creamy depths of this delicious masterpiece. If I were a piece of meat, I would want nothing more than to be wrapped up in a blanket of this warm, buttery, autumn colored cream sauce. We also ordered the shrimp korma– get it! Yes! Yaaaaaas! You’re gonna be so grateful that you did.
This time, I was feeling extra adventurous so I ordered the golab jamun (fried cheese balls) for dessert. Warm donut-​esque bite size balls of ecstasy soaked in rose honey.
Basically, this place is a great establishment– perfect for friends, first dates, family dinners, even for the gal on the go or the lonely luncher. Look no further, taste of Himalayas is the PLACE to TASTE
Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
I’ve been here a few times and I can say this is one of my favorite places to grab a bite. To start, the owners are very nice and welcoming from the moment you step through the door. I’d come so often with my girlfriend that the owner even recognized us. It made the experience that much more friendly and inviting.
The food itself is great. I love getting a spicy lamb Tikka masala, which isn’t exactly on the menu but they’ll make it anyway. My girlfriend gets the chicken Tikka and they’re both fantastic. The meal is served with lentil soup and either white or brown rice with no extra cost (some places charge more for brown rice.) I must say though, hearing the sizzle from the tandoori plates that go to other tables is always enticing, but I love curry too much. I’d definitely suggest this place to anyone who’s looking for a nice quiet environment to have conversation and eat amazing food. And as a tip, I checked in on Unilocal while there and got a 10% off coupon. Not too shabby.
Place rating: 2
Southlake, TX
Right in «Gourmet Ghetto» of Berkeley, this place attracts all the newcomers to the area and their décor is quite inviting. Their food was OK, but their service has definitely gotten better over the years. I went here a total of three times. Each time the food quality seemed like they tossed in the few pieces of meat and heated it up on the stove. The meat pieces clearly didn’t simmer long enough in the gravy or soup base they came with to have that flavor permeate throughout the pieces of meat.
So. Yeah. Having eaten a hundreds of restaurants over the years, I know the difference between meat that is actually *cooked* in the gravy that it came with, or just a few pieces of meat were tossed in and heated up with the gravy. Maybe it is because this particular ethnic food group takes a lot of preparation.
Place rating: 5
Manhattan, NY
The food is great, but the people are incredibly nice and friendly here! Came in after a very bitter experience at Alborz, the Persian restaurant. The service here vs there was like day and night.
Our waiter was a smiling man, who patiently waited, answered our questions and took our orders. The food was amazing too. Definitely try the chicken tikka masala! Loved the sauce. Oh and the garlic naan!!! Yummmm!!! Going back there again when we’re in Berkeley.
Place rating: 3
Berkeley, CA
Started out with the Lamb Momo. Most of the buns were broken… so that wasn’t so good.
Everything else was great though. I love the garlic naan and the chicken tikka masala with complimentary lentil soup.
Atmosphere is really good but the prices are expensive.
Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA
The food was amazing here! Got the garlic naan and mixed tandoor! We also got complimentary lento soup. I really liked the naan! The mixed tandoor ($ 21) was good but it was a bit too oily. The portion was also a bit small for the price.
The service was also good! We had a huge group but the food came out pretty fast. The waiters were very friendly and fun to talk to!
Don’t forget to use the 10% off the bill deal on Unilocal there!
Place rating: 4
Alameda, CA
«Namaste!» greeted the waiter, as my friend and I walked in.
That was the beginning of the pampered treatment. The staff here is amazing. They are caring, attentive, and responsive. I usually care more for the food than the service, but the quality of the service could not be ignored.
Lamb Momo — A Nepalese-​style dumpling. This dish wasn’t bad. The Lamb was a bit gamey, but the game was partially covered up by the chutney.
Butter Chicken — I had Butter Chicken at some quality Indian restaurants, and this one is comparable. The spices stand out in every bite, and the sauce is thick and buttery. There’s actually quite a deceiving amount of chicken, in a good way.
Garlic Naan — This was probably one of the best, if not the best, Garlic Naan I ever had. The flavor was great, but the crisp was the deciding factor. It was like biting into a potato chip, except it was fresher and tastier. Hands down, the best part of the meal.
The good food and great service are worth the try. If you are looking to explore new cuisines, then Taste of Himalaya would be a good start.
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, CA
Excellent food and good service at this Shattuck Rd restaurant.
Upside
— no wait on a Sun eve
— started with a small complimentary potato soups
— goat curry was excellent
— garlic nan was scrumptious
— good service — kept the water glasses
Downside
— if you sit near the door be prepared to get. Cold blast of air anytime someone comes or goes. This is very annoying in winter.
— showing up with an expired (but still having value) Groupon and a 10% Unilocal discount can cause a lot of confusion.
Place rating: 4
Stanford, CA
Tasty! I came here the other night with a small group, and we shared what was in the end way too much food, but it was good:
–Appetizers–
Samosas: nice and crispy. And HUGE.
Mixed momo dumplings: I loved the tomato chutney that came with these. The chicken and the lamb dumplings were good, but the veggie ones were a little to onion-​y for my taste.
–Entrees–
Yam and quinoa curry special, medium: this was SO GOOD. Definitely the highlight of the night. The dried cherries really made it pop.
Tofu saag, mild: not bad, but couldn’t really stand up to the yam and quinoa curry.
Chicken nauni, medium: («Himalayan style butter chicken») my second favorite dish of the night, after the aforementioned yam curry. I’m a sucker for butter chicken sauce.
Himalayan balti, spicy: served in this neat little metal pail thing. Can’t decide if you want vegetables, lamb, chicken, tofu, or shrimp? Get this!
–Sides–
Each of our entrees came with a cup of lentil soup and a generous portion of rice, which was nice.
We also got 3 (!) naans to share: plain, garlic, and the mint/​cherry special — this last one was really special. Highly recommended!
Overall, we all enjoyed the food, but thought it was a lot milder than we expected, spice-​wise (and I’m usually pretty conservative about spice levels). I’d say opt for one spice level HIGHER than you usually get when you order.
Place rating: 4
Berkeley, CA
It’s kind of surprising that after so many trips to Himalayas for Karma Kitchen, I finally had the opportunity to check out the actual restaurant. So let’s break down the good and bad.
Pros:
1. Menu
Simple menu with a diversity of options to choose from.
2. Food
I got the butter chicken with garlic naan. Curry had an amazing flavor to it, and with the naan, you’re pretty much set. I just wish it was a bit spicier though.
3. Atmosphere
Unlike karma kitchen, atmosphere was very peaceful and quiet. It’s definitely a nice change.
Cons:
Price
As this is a higher end restaurant, taste of Himalayas was very very pricy. I’m not sure if I’ve ever seen a pricier Indian/​Himalayan restaurant.
Portion size
Very small sizes. I’m glad I got the naan otherwise I’d still be hungry
Overall
Not bad place. I wish it was a bit cheaper but flavor and food more than compensated.
Eat well and prosper,
Place rating: 3
Emeryville, CA
Generally good, but not mind-​blowing.
Himalayan butter curry nails it in the taste front, with a medium-​spicy not being very spicy at all, so heat lovers might just want to spike it to ‘very spicy’ for the full thrill.
Our okra dish was the most disappointing, with more than half of the dish being composed of the texture of old okra — we all know chewing old okra is no fun.
Naan is extra buttery and the lentil soup makes it a nice deal when picking up an entrée.
Vibes are pretty laid back and the service is prompt, with plenty of watering hole options nearby. We’ll certainly come back, we just hope next time food will be consistent all around and they’d be more attentive about tossing away old veggies.
Place rating: 4
El Cerrito, CA
Booked a reservation for a my guy to have a big family dinner with his relatives in town. We picked this place to try since we love Indian and Himalayan/​Nepalese food. We started the dinner off with orders of samosas and a bottle of Flying Horse beer to share.
Although there are many options on the menu, my boyfriend and I love getting the mixed grill tandoori and splitting it. It’s a lot of food and really good, the plate just sizzles in front of your face. The rice is always so perfectly done and fluffy, I really need to know their secret.
The service was great, table was ready for us when we arrived despite the fact they were busy. Everyone enjoyed their meal and thanked me for choosing the location. I was able to use a
gift certificate for the dinner, which helped a little off the bill too. Double yay.
Place rating: 3
Oakland, CA
I enjoyed Taste of the Himalayas, no doubt about that, I just didn’t loooove Taste of the Himalayas. Ultimately, the lack of flavor and spice that I expect from this genre of food would keep me from coming regularly. Everything else was wonderful: ambiance and service. Not the cheapest dinner portion wise, but a-​ok.
If they previously had issues with service, that is no longer the case. They were on top of their game this past Saturday night. My water glass never went empty and their smiles made us genuinely feel welcome. Boo ya.
The momos are good. I preferred the lamb and veggie over the chicken, but I do suggest if you do get down on meat, order up the combo. Momos = dumplings. The shell was a bit chewy vs steamy/​melty, but the filling was plentiful and rich with flavor. They are quite filling, so a great order to share.
We ordered up the September veggie special, spicy. It was pretty much flavorless. Lots of great fresh veggies, but not quite worth the price tag. It came with rice, but since there really wasn’t much to the dish and was served in a teeny bowl, there was no sauce! I eat the rice to sop out the delicious, spiced sauce; not the case here.
Similar sentiments regarding the Himalayan Balti. Give me more sauce! The lamb and paneer were so tender, but the chicken was garbage. Overcooked, stringy and not of high quality. Both dishes were fine, just not something I’d come back for.
10% off Unilocal check in offer — always a bonus!
Place rating: 4
San Francisco, États-Unis
L’ambiance né contentera pas certains de vous amis cherchant une décoration plus hipster. Pourtant, je lui trouve un certain charme à ce restaurant. La salle était très calme sans être vide lors de notre venue, ce que je trouvais fort appréciable. Pas un gueulard pour interrompre un moment privilégié entre vous et ce qui trôné dans votre assiette. Et c’est tant mieux.
L’agneau était tendre au possible et l’os fut rongé comme il se doit. Je vous conseille de compléter votre commande avec un side de Garlic Naan. À tremper ou non dans votre sauce, ils sont délicieux (n’hésitez pas à demander d’upgrader votre naan si votre plat est déjà servi avec, il né vous en coûtera qu’un dollar si je me rappelle bien).
La glacé à la mangue du dessert était assez intéressante si vous souhaitez terminer votre dîner sur une note fruité. Rien de bien éblouissant tout de même (ce que l’on né saurait reprocher à un restaurant dont les spécialité se situent en milieu de repas).
En résumé pour le reste: service efficace, portions optimales (c’est à dire légèrement en deçà des espérances des nos amis gloutons) et prix légèrement élevés mais loin d’être insultants au vu de la qualité des plats. C’est un oui.