Daru

This is my best Indian restaurant I've been to. Everything we ordered was delicious and presented very well, especially the mushroom biryani which was inside a bread dome. Very unique. My favorite dishes were the lamb chops and the sweet potato chaat. We got the roasted carrots and broccoli as a healthier option and it may have been the best carrot and broccoli dish I've had. The bread basket had a nice assortment of different naans as well. We felt that everything was worth the price.

The only downside was the parking combined with the restaurant being in a not so great part of town. We didn't know the area well so when we couldn't find parking right at the restaurant we found a spot in what looked like a relatively safe area. We will definitely come back but probably not when it's dark outside.

Such a wonderful dining experience from start to finish. The menu consisted of a few traditional Indian dishes but also a variety of unique options, which I found exciting.
Everything we ordered was bursting with flavor..truly an amazing meal.
The lamb chops are a MUST TRY. If the server tells you they’re the best you’ll ever have, believe them!! I could go on and on but there wasn’t a single miss across everything we ordered!

Daru was an excellent experience. We tried making plans over the last year, but each time something came up, and our inaugural experience was definitely worth it!

Here are brief reviews of the following that we ordered:
1. Pear & Cinnamon Lassi: Very unique take on Lassi, nice and fragrant! The portion size was perfect; if it was bigger I think it would been too heavy to enjoy any other other items we ordered! (Score: 4/5)
2. Mango shrimp bhel: the Shrimp was nice and big, and that combined with the bhel mix was a great combination. (Score: 3/5)
3. Scallops Moilee: the scallops was cooked to perfection, almost a creamy texture, but also seared and crusted with a great mix of spices. They were placed in a bowl with this light, I think tomato-based sauce which was also great for dipping the naan we ordered. (Score: 5/5)
4. Spicy Nawabi Duck Kebab: the most tender kebab I've had, and it really packed a nice spicy punch of flavor. The seasoning was perfect, so as not to over power the duck's natural flavor. One of my most favorite dishes. (Score: 5/5)
5. Squash Bhartha: I've only ever eaten eggplant (Bhaingan) bhartha. Essentially lightly mashed butternut squash, but carried other nutty flavors, as well. I think I may try to recreate this at home! (Score: 5/5)
6. Wild mushroom biryani: Very neat presentation cooked with in a bowl, and cooked "dum"-style with a dough cover. Packed great earthy flavors, with an interesting sweet flavor that played with the spicy. (Score: 4/5)
7. Striped Bass Paturi: Probably my favorite dish during my visit! Very well seasoned, which carried a mixture of "heat"-spice, but also packed in the really great citrus-sour flavor that I'd never tasted before. I looked up and one of the ingredients is "Makrut", who other name is "Kaffir lime", so I believe that's what I was tasting. I wished the portion size was bigger for the cost, however. Still give it a perfect score. (Score: 5/5)
8. Black Daal Burrata: Really appreciated this dish because it used the burrata as discrete flavor packets to give the traditionally heavy-cream/butter loaded daal (lentils) it's creamy and rich texture. Portion size was great, but wish there was more to take home, lol (Score: 5/5)
9. Pomegranate aloo: My mom makes really great sour aloo (potatoes) and this kind of reminded me of those. Again, using the pomegranate to add a nice discrete spurt of flavor. The potatoes were seasoned very evenly, that's what I like to see; I don't like seeing bare potatoes, lol! Tired of the salt, pepper and butter BS. Wished they were cooked just a smidge more though (Score: 4/5)
10. Kale Kichidhi: A healthy take on an already homey comfort food that is usually served when you're sick. I enjoyed the green flavors infused into the kichidhi which was perfectly creamy and rich already! (Score: 4/5)
11. Naan basket: Smaller versions of traditional naan. Not as fluffy as I'd hoped. The herb lachcha was interesting, but didn't stand out as much. Maybe just personal preference (Score: 2/5)
12. Beetroot halwa: This dessert was not as flavorful, as I'd hoped. I tried the gulab Jamun with ice cream from another person at the table and wished I'd gotten that instead. Maybe I have too much of a sweet tooth. (Score: 1/5)
13. Gulab Jamun with Ice cream: It was not just rose water and dough balls with screams there was something else which gave it it's fragrance; maybe cardamom? But I only had one bite, and it was heavenly. (Score: 5/5)
14. Masala Chai: Great drink to finish off the night. Very well seasoned with the traditional spices infused in a masala Chai, and not too heavy either! (Score: 5/5)

Daru takes up a neat little corner, and upon entering it was bustling! The atmosphere was very inviting. Upon being seated, we received our menus, which we were informed to try everything on by our accompanying family who have been to Daru before. And we did try A LOT of the menu!

Also want to shoot out to the wait staff. I don't know how they were trained (well, apparently), but it also speaks volumes that they genuinely wanted to provide a great exp

This place lived up to our expectations! We got the Dahi Puri, Murgh Makkani, Lasooni Lamp Chops, Wild Mushroom Biriyani, and Garlic Naan. Every dish was delicious and authentic in its flavors. The service went above and beyond - they were kind enough to bring us cardamom ice cream in celebration of a birthday. In addition, one person in our party had a shellfish allergy, and the staff prepared a menu just for them with the dishes containing shellfish crossed off. Daru is a must-try!

I recently went to Daru for the second time in 2 months. As an Indian, finding authentic Indian cuisine cooked with the same flavor is really hard. Daru hit the right spots both times with food and cocktails! Personal favorites are the dal makhani (just perfection) and the mushroom choila. Loads of vegetarian options too.

Wow. Daru blew it out of the water. Incredible food and incredible service. They even had a special menu made for my allergen! Everything I couldn’t have was crossed out for me. So grateful. The prices are great for the portions. If I’m ever in DC again I will be returning.

Small place. We were pleased to get reservations very last minute. The service was exemplary. We were asked about salads that was not on menu and are usually served at Indian houses. Pleasantly surprised. Panner was average. However everything else was delightful. Sweet potatoes chaat was delicious.

Expecting authentic Indian flavors & dishes? You will be disappointed.

Menu was unique and is a modern take on Indian cuisine. Dishes were very well curated. Flavors were very delicate yet delicious. Lots of vegetarian options.

Roasted sweet potato chat stands out. Perfect texture, not too crisp not too soft. Did not seem deep fried at all.

Dahi puri is a must try. Blast of flavor.

Spicy Nawabi duck Kebab was nothing like I expected. Again flavors nailed.

Loved the Panner in Pesto Tikka. Gravy was just alright.

Wok fried cabbage is not for everyone, I enjoyed it though.

Most of the drinks on their menu were good.
Ordered few drinks off the menu, they were even better.

Service was excellent.

Daru was great. We ordered quite a few items from their curated and thoughtful menu and were not disappointed. The naan came warm and fresh. We got the chutney platter and discovered some new faves. The lamb chops were very delicious, and so was the bass. Their drinks were also very nice. I recommend the lamb chops and the Artemesiac! Try it!

We knew we messed up because we ordered way too much to eat. I like all the starters. Hands down to this restaurant because they can make something so unique and special. Probably better than certain Michelin Starred restaurant that I went to. But who know, maybe other people don’t like this place.
I would definitely go back again.

One of the best meals I’ve had in DC. Everything was absolutely incredible and service was fantastic. We had a red wine and a chai-teani both fantastic. We had the scallops which comes with 3(!!) scallops and was basically the size of a meal, bison momo absolutely delicious in a yummy spicy but not too spicy sauce, then for the meal the roasted carrots and brócoli which were lovely crunchy smoky and fun with mint. We also had the lamb chops which were without question the best lamb chops I’ve ever had in my life. We also had to try the daal with buratta and omg what a luxurious bowl of comfort food. We have SO many leftovers lol. I’m excited to come back !!

One of our favorite Indian restaurants in DC! Everything we’ve tried at Daru (Chicken Tikka Masala, Daal, Paneer Tikka, Dahi Puri and of course the Garlic Naan) has been amazing. The staff is super friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. Highly recommended!

The best Indian food I’ve had in the DMV area. The service was impeccable. Everyone was so kind and welcoming.
Can’t wait to come back

Forget about it! This place is world class food. Not only the quality of the food, atmosphere and service is world class, but the quantity of the portions is so abundant as well! Really really one of a kind place...hard to find a place to be 10/10 in everything!

Lamb chops were so good that even the vegetarian was sucking the meat off the bone. The dal burrata is famous. The Toy Train cocktail is so smooth that it goes down faster than water on a sweltering day! All the drinks were excellent. The cocktail inventor is one of the three owners of the restaurant. Two of the owners worked at Rasika. The potatoes were dusted with a warm coat of spice hugging them like a coat. The breads were good. The sauces were good.

This restaurant is in a dangerous part of town so sit indoors. Do not sit outside. The indoors is a bit noisy. Also, the food and drink is all available for takeout and delivery.

Get the lamb chops!

We dined at DARU this week for our wedding anniversary. We were a party of 3, us 2 and our 8 year old daughter. Our experience was 10/10 made even better by Dawn who paid attention to every table individually, gave suggestions about food and drinks. She even came by our table multiple times, talked to our daughter and made sure she likes the food.
Sent us complimentary desserts in the end. The food is amazing, the drinks are sooo good. But Dawn made our experience even better. Owners, if you are reading, give the lady a big fat raise.
We will definitely be back.

Came here on a Thursday for dinner and had a FANTASTIC meal! Many dishes were a bit spicy for me but there were still delicious things, and my partner who loves spice thought everything was amazing. Definitely come hungry and prepared to share lots of dishes! I particularly enjoyed the burrata daal, tikka masala, and the gulab jamun dessert. My spice-loving mate said the kebabs and the momo were awesome as well. We tried 4 cocktails - 3 were not as amazing as I was hoping for, but the chai-teani was very nice.

The service was great, staff were very knowledgable and everything came and went timely. The restaurant has nice & simple decor and classically chill lighting with candles on the tables. It’s solid atmosphere wise but the food is definitely the star of the show! Highly recommended :) Reserve well ahead and enjoy!

We loved the experience of dining at Daru! Very attentive and helpful service. Attune to food allergies. Delicious and interesting cocktails. All of the dishes were satisfying as you would expect of Indian cuisine but they had a twist. We especially loved the black daal with burrata, wild mushroom biriyani and tandoor chicken with blue cheese. There are many more items on the menu that I would like to try. It was a very special date night.

The food here is AMAZING! We ordered a variety of different menu items and everything that we had was excellent. The lamb was tender, the scallops melted in your mouth, and the daal was so flavorful. If you get the chance to eat here, do it.

Recommended Menu Items: Scallops Moilee, Bison Momo, Lasooni Lamb Chops, Black Daal Burrata, and the Bread Basket (definitely substitute the plain naan for the za’atar olive naan

Daru is without any doubt the best Indian restaurant in the DMV area. They serve unique and elevated Indian dishes that cannot be found in other Indian restaurants. All what we tried was truly amazing. The Lamb was cooked to perfection, and the sauce was outstanding. The Briyani is perhaps the best Indian dish we have ever had, it is full of unique and delicate flavors, and the yougurt adds depth to the whole dish. The squash dish is also exceptional with the right amount of spices, and each bite was full of flavor. The sides (Aloo, Burrata)
desserts, and snacks were also impressive, especially the scallops and the duck kebab. This is a restaurant that keeps things both refined and simple. Cocktails are also on point. The service was impeccable. Overall, an amazing experience that we will likely repeat.