Tamarind Of London

I had a dinner date with my husband and we decided to visit this fine place. I was quite impressed with the ambience. The interiors looked sophisticated and the music was just perfect. Everything seemed good untill we actually received our order that we got parcelled to go. The food was just so flavor less and full of oil. Seemed like they cooked everything in liters of oil. There was no proper taste to anything that we ordered. Chicken tikka was awefully sweet and khorma was oily like hell. Kebabs were so tasteless. In addition, the price I paid was so high. I don’t know if it was just a bad day or what. I then decided to not go back ever! Price wise — Expensive.
Overall rating — 1 star (for the music and interiors!) I had visited many Indian restaurants in OC and this review is totally based on comparison. I’d rather recommend Mayur that is located in Laguna beach. They’re amazing.

Absolutely amazing! Where has this place been all my life?!? This is hands down the best Indian cuisine in the LA/​OC area. Our food was delicious, and the service by Christian was great. Being able to glance int he window to see the cooks making the naan was great. We happened to stumble on this restaurant, after not wanting to wait a few hours for Javier’s. And boy am I glad we did!
I am bummed to learn that this restaurant has closed since I started my review. What a loss!

Thank you Carla for the wonderful & personal service, the food was amazing. The most delicate, refined and sublime Indian food! We loved everything. The fresh made Chai tea & homemade pistachio ice cream were a perfect finish to a lovely evening. Can’t wait to return.

Very luxurious ambiance too much for dinning … Food is not to the standards lack of some Indian cuisine authenticity … Very very expensive lack of quantity n taste of food.
Seriously I don’t recommend unless you guys are looking to spin some money for some richness in service n ambiance.

Best Indian food ever. It’s pricey but it’s the best and it’s in Newport. Tried the Chicken Tikka $ 25 and a Lamb Curry dish $ 28. Also got an order of Saffron rice $ 9 and Goat Cheese Naan $ 9 a piece. Every dish was amazing. The sauce the meat is in, is so tasty, that I wanted to lick my plate. I didn’t because it’s a real classy place, so licking plates would be inappropriate. There is a beautiful patio, if you want to sit outside. Wine selection is pretty top notch as well. Highly recommend this place

How do you say nirvana? TAMARIND!
No matter where I go in the world, when I eat Indian food I order– chicken tika masala, saag paneer, naan, etc and all pretty much made the same way– some are really good and some are not so good– but basically all made in the same style
Every once in awhile you stumble on to a restaurant that does things different, and that is where Tamarind steps it up
NAAN– i have had plenty of naan’s. regular, garlic, onion, etc but never goat cheese or dates. When we saw this on the menu, the water waiter, Israel said to have it mixed– a date and goat cheese naan! WOW WOW WOW! This tasted like a dessert calzone. The goat cheese was rich, creamy and somewhat savory and then with the sweetness of the dates and the tandoor flavor of the amazingly tasty naan– YUM! (we also had the garlic naan that was also insane– crispy crunchy garlic)
SALAD– We had the quinoa and avocado salad with pink grapefruit that was very good and refreshing
ENTREES– There were two stars on the table:
Tandoori Seabass and the Coconut curry shrimp
TANDOORI SEA BASS– the sea bass was perfectly seasoned and cooked with a nice tandoor sear texture and sat on delicious rice with amazing Indian spiced apricot sauce. The sea bass was moist but not too oily like sea bass can get. Really delicious
COCONUT CURRY SHRIMP– I wasn’t expecting this to be so good but the sauce was incredible! The shrimp were cooked perfectly in the tandoor! I want to drink this sauce!
SIDES– we had the Saag Paneer that was great. It had ZERO cream in it and it was just so good! We also had the Bengan Bharta which was made with a smoked curried eggplant. This was also very good
DESSERT– we had the tandoori pineapple upside down cake (that came right side up) with mango lassi sorbet and another sorbet that was very tasty
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed Tamarind and will be back to try many more dishes!

Yum! Came here for happy hour tonight and loved. Great wine and cocktail selection and DELICIOUS appetizers. Don’t miss the garlic naan! Great location, great food.

3.5 stars.
The ambiance and location are amazing. I loved the interior in this restaurant — very chic. I came here on a Thursday night with a friend and I was not very impressed. He hyped it up to be something amazing and it fell very short from that. The food was good, but not great. The service, however, was excellent.
FOOD: 2 stars.
I love Indian food, but you could probably get better food at a buffet down the street. My friend really hyped this place up so I was expecting a lot, however we both agreed it was not good (he said «that night»). Anyways, the Garlic Naan was pretty good as well as the Tandoori Chicken. However, the Jumbo Prawn Curry, Chicken Tikka Masala, and the lamb fell short of expectations. Their drinks were pretty good. I believe we ordered the Tower of London and then a glass of champagne, and they were both delicious.
AMBIANCE/​LOCATION: 5 stars.
Crystal Cove shopping center across from Javier’s, great interior, great/​quiet/​intimate vibe. Need I say more?
SERVICE: 5 stars.
I wish I remembered our server’s name but something tell me it starts with a K. She was great and truly helpful. She was very patient with us, since it took us a near hour just to order an appetizer.
Not sure if I’ll be back but I’m willing to give it another try.

When it comes to Indian food, the food has to be authentic, tasty and shouldn’t be a simple potful of chilli (sometimes incorrectly called «flavor») — Tamarind of London meets the muster and much more.
I went there with a friend on a Monday night. The place wasn’t busy at all and we ordered Chicken Tikka, naans (Garlic), Tandoori roti, Dal Tadka, and plain basmati rice. The chicken was *amazing*. Just outright delicious, finger licking good, and the quantity was sufficient for two. The dal fry was made with the split peas (chana dal) and it was tasty as well but could have probably been a shade better (being a little harsh here… nevertheless it was delicious). The naans and the rotis were terrific and the whole meal was really good. The service could have been just a slight better I guess but at this point we’re certainly splitting hair to find a flaw.
Great restaurant, good ambiance and most importantly — delicious, authentic food.

Came here over the July 4^th weekend and was surprised to see that the restaurant was empty! That in itself wasn’t a good sign to begin with.
We ordered the shrimp biryani, chicken tikka masala, bhaigan barta, malai or reshmi chicken kabab, and all their different kinds of naans. And we also got a few drinks.
The food was average. There was nothing that really impressed me. I think what was lacking were more flavors. Everything had a lot of cardamom and cinnamon but the food wasn’t spicy at all. The different kinds of naans they have were alright.
The only things impressive on their menu were the drinks.
I think there’s a lot of scope when it comes to their food. They just need to add more flavors and not just stick to cardamom and cinnamon for the flavoring.
Would I come back? Probably not.

This place is amazing, went for an event, a baby shower. I’m sure the drinks, food and service are similar. We had red champagne, Tower of London which is a cucumber mint martini, mojitos which are a little on the sweet side, maccallan 12 scotch the bartenders are super fast and attentive. The food was good, naan bread and chicken and lamb. I really remember the dessert, the chocolate samosas I only got a bite since my husband are 3 of them. Awesome location and great food and service.

I rarely venture down to Orange County, mostly because I’m allergic to the LA traffic. But I stopped being selfish for a few minutes yesterday — long enough to drive my parents 70 miles to have lunch at Tamarind of London. Here are my thoughts:
Ambiance: Mostly empty on a Saturday afternoon but the restaurant was beautifully decorated and serene.
Service: Top notch. Our waitress was courteous and attentive, and food came out relatively quickly.
Food: Overall I give the food 5 stars.
– Sea Bass Tandoori — Excellent, I highly recommend this dish. I didn’t love the accompanying risotto /​rice as it was a bit mushy but nothing really to complain about.
– Bindi — Very good and not too greasy as bindi often is.
– Quinoa Salad — This was definitely my favorite dish and I almost didn’t share it with my parents. (Again, I’m selfish!)
– Aloo Tikki and Masala Aloo /​Potato Platter (D/​G) — I didn’t try this but my parents loved it.
– Papadums — This was complimentary and delicious. Loved the accompanying chutneys.
– Daal — I didn’t try this but my dad commented it was the only thing he didn’t really like.
– Paratha — Again I didn’t try this but my parents loved it.
Overall — I definitely prefer this location to the actual London location in Mayfair. The food is better, the service is excellent, the ambiance is great. If only it weren’t SO FAR, I would eat here every time I venture back to California. But honestly? It’s one of the few things worth the drive. I’ll be back.

I had a very pleasant first experience at Tamarind of London. This place has received a lot of buzz for numerous different reasons, but I left with my taste buds feeling very satisfied indeed.
They take traditional Indian dishes and present many of them in a gourmet manner. The Sea Bass Tandoori was simply displayed and cooked to perfect. The fish meat was flaky and delicious. The goat cheese gnaan is one of their must haves, and the garlic gnaan is another way to go with a more simple flavor.
In terms of a strong Indian flavor, this is a let down. The flavors are there, but they are far more subtle. This restaurant may be trying to take Indian food to a gourmet level, bringing in people who don’t always eat these kinds of spices. Case in point: my parents don’t eat Indian food because they are wary of the spices; however, they adored this place.
The bill will put a significant dent in your pocket. But for a fancy dinner night out, I would say this place is worth it. Each dish I had or tried was cooked to perfection.

Tamarind India is one of the few restaurants between OC and San Diego that I wholeheartedly recommend.
Service: Amazing service and attention. Christian was incredibly attentive.
Food: Authentic and fresh tasting
Location: Well, it’s Newport Beach so naturally amazing.
Ambience: Upscale casual.
I wish they had more restaurants. Definitely will be back.

This one was tough to review. I will probably have to do two separate reviews. If you are from Orange County or surrounding areas and don’t know what «real» Indian food taste like, then please look for my other review.
If you are an Indian foodie or if you are from the Indian subcontinent, then read on:
I hate to give 2 stars.
I really hate it.
I wanted to like you Tamarind! I realty did! Unfortunately, I was left with no choice. I have to be fair with other Indian restaurants in the area.
Let me start with the location and ambiance. It’s excellent! One of those two stars is for that. It is in an upscale shopping complex; equipped with valet parking and the whole whiz bang. Stepping through the door was a pleasant experience as well. You can see the kitchen through a two sided glass wall. Things were looking up.
We were brought some free papad to start out with. It came with three chutneys. All were pretty average. Then we ordered Tandoori Chicken, Kofta, Chicken Tikka Masala and Naan.
Tandoori Chicken: It had a hint of tandoori chicken masala but not enough. In a blind taste, I would’ve guessed it was from an American BBQ restaurant and not an Indian restaurant.
Kofta: This was the most disappointing of all. Kofta balls were separate from the gravy — which was a nice change — but the taste was very bland. Unfortunately, not the «kofta» I was expecting from a all punjabi kitchen staff.
Naan: They were decent.
Chicken Tikka Masala: Another disappointment. Chicken Tikka Masala is supposed to have «Chicken Tikka» pieces. The pieces in the gravy was sautéed breast meat. Not the same. Again, I am surprised that the chefs are from punjab who made this.
All in all, not for Indian food lovers. But it is great for someone who is looking for a nice ambiance and decent «american» food.

My boyfriend and I have seen this place since I think it initially opened in 2011, but we’d always say that we’d come back. Well, we finally did and I wish we just stuck to our gut on Indian food and stayed with Masala Craft across the street. Trust me – I really wanted to like this place.
We made a reservation considering how packed CDM usually gets on a Friday night, but were surprised when we came in at 7 that there was hardly anyone in the restaurant. That should have been our first flag to walk out. We were immediately seated at one of the empty booths behind the valet guy, which would have been fine had that half of the restaurant not been completely unoccupied. Strike 1.
When the waitress came, she was very pleasant and asked if this was our first time dining here. We replied, but in retrospect she should have asked if we’d ever had Indian cuisine before, because our expectations were on different ends of the spectrum.
There were some recommendations that I had read and heard about previously: «try the lamb chops they’re amazing!» «the sword fish is the way to go.» Despite all of that, we thought we should stick to curry considering this was an «Indian» restaurant. And so we ordered the Tikka Masala and the lamb curry. We also opted for the garlic naan and thought we’d try the avocado «raita.»
Tikka Masala: what a strange consistency for something so simple. And though I’m sure the thought of using chicken breast was for the health conscious OC crowd, I’m definitely used to eating moist chicken thigh morsels with masala. 4 thumbs down on this one.
Lamb Curry: not bad, but definitely not the best. It had a lot of complexity and the heat level on this was spot on. It was by far the best thing we had — despite having fresh naan bread.
Now this isn’t to say that the naan was awful, it was just strange to be served something that is meant to be torn apart and shared among guests in such uniformly cut quarters. Instead of serving it as one giant sheet, they cut it. And the avocado «raita» — Look, if you want to serve guacamole at an Indian-​themed restaurant fine, but don’t call it raita because it definitely wasn’t that. Strike 2. They should have used quotation marks and said that it was «raita.»
Also, it took a lot of convincing from us to our server that we really only wanted rice and not the a la carte «rice pot-​pie» they have on the menu. She looked puzzled. Strike 3.
By the end of the night, we weren’t exactly satisfied with the food or service. Sure, our server was very nice and the food was … well food, but I was definitely disappointed.
What I do applaud Tamarind for is making ethnic food accessible to the «OC» crowd. I know without this kind of upscaled décor they wouldn’t set foot in an authentic Indian restaurant. As for me and I hope the other Unilocalers, try your luck somewhere else. At the cost of $ 106 for 2 curries, some naan, and guacamole we could have bought enough food to feed 6 and have left overs had we gone somewhere else.

Strawberry Mojito is fresh mint and limes muddled together, shaken with fresh strawberries, and topped with Sprite. It’s a little on the sour side. Lightening up on the lime or incorporating more strawberries may balance it out. The mint is a nice touch. Rating: ⁴⁄₅
Mango Sparkler is fresh lime, mango purée, simple syrup, and topped with soda. The drink is perfectly balanced with sweet and sour. The texture is thick like a smoothie (or Mango Lassi). Rating: ⁵⁄₅
From Diwali menu:
Condiment sauces may include Tamarind Ginger (sweet tropical and cranberry-​like flavors), Smoked Tomato (very subtle, Indian ketchup), and Cilantro (tropical yet a little spicy).
Kebab Platter consists of Malai Chicken, Lamb Kebab, and Swordfish Tikka. Malai Chicken is very tender and is perfectly marinated. The sweet chili sauce for the swordfish actually worked best with the chicken. Lamb Kebab is similar to kofta (ground lamb pressed onto a skewer in an elongated shape). The kebab is very juicy and is loaded with tons of flavor. The sauce paired is a little too sweet. Swordfish Tikka is succulent and tender. The sweet chili sauce paired excellently with the swordfish. Rating: ⁴⁄₅
The main course is served with Dal Amritsari (slow-​cooked black lentils), Naan (Indian flatbread cooked in the tandoor oven), Saffron Rice, and Raita (yogurt-​based condiment).
Butter Chicken is chicken in butter and creamy tomato sauce. The chicken is tender and the sauce has a creamy, buttery flavor that works well with the chicken. Rating: ⁵⁄₅
Classic Rogan Josh is lamb curry, onion, tomato, and Kashmiri chili stew. The portion of lamb is very generous but is a little dry. Searing the outside of the lamb before placing into the stew might help lock in the juices. Rating: ⁴⁄₅
For dessert, a Chef’s Platter with Diwali Sweets is a sweet and colorful ending to your meal. Gulab Jamun are Indian donuts glazed with a very sweet syrup. Kheer is a rice pudding of sorts. It has the texture of soupy rice pudding with tapioca like flavor. Rating: ³⁄₅

Stephanie from Tamarind sent me a lengthy personal hand written card and apologized for my experience and refunded my money. She appreciated the feedback that I provided and hopes to incorporate some of the suggestions. It was an exceptional gesture on her part and the organization. I truly appreciate it!

This restaurant serves authentic Indian dishes at an elevated level. I have traveled the golden triangle in India and can say Tamarind knows how to make the food presentable and delicious. I was very impressed with the roasted prawns, biriyani, date naan, rack of lamb, and the seabass.
If you are in the area, you must visit this spot.

Wow, this was such a delicious meal! I came here a few weeks ago on a mini vacation. This place was recommended to us by our hotel spa.
I am not usually a huge fan of Indian food, but this meal was amazing! Probably the best Indian food I have ever had. We were here on a weeknight, so it wasn’t too crowded and our server was excellent. He helped guide us through the menu and pinpoint the perfect food choices for my table.
We got the Tandoori Sea Bass, the Dumpukht Biryani, and a few of the side dishes. The Sea Bass was amazing, one of the best I’ve ever had. Everything else was delicious as well.
Don’t forget to try some delicious Naan and watch it being cooked!
This place isn’t cheap, but it is well worth the price. There is easy parking in the lot and there are many other fun shops in the same outdoor mall. I would definitely return here again!