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Bindi was good.
Highlights: the kebab appetizer and the chicken tikka (chicken = so juicy and tender), the fact that you don't have to wait 2 hours for a table (like it's ethnic brethren, Lolita... wait, is that a good thing?), and large portions.
Why just the "good" ranking: need to turn on the lights, a little stuffy inside, the food was too spicy (thank goodness for the raita), and we got this fennel-ish bread substitute type of thing that was too salty.
In conclusion: What kind of Indian (albeit, themed) restaurant doesn't have Naan?
I don't consider myself an expert on any cuisine, but if there's one thing I know is Indian food, having spent many many sweaty hot months in the motherland, plus its the one thing my mom knows how to cook- go figure :) So needless to say I had way too many expectations for this place. In all fairness maybe I'm not the best judge- I'm biased off the bat. I'll say this though I was super excited to give this place a try...so starting with the ambiance- it was quaint and dark- like super dark. I think the outdoor street lights were providing most of the lighting...super romantic- awesome for a date, not so awesome when you're grabbing food with your friends...
We started with the samosa- always my favorite. Bindi bills itself as Indian fusion but ummm no not really. The samosa tasted like your typical samosa (read- yummy!!!!!) and the chutneys accompanying it tasted like traditional chutneys. The only thing fushion about it was the way it was plated (in a much more modern way)..Accompanying our samosa were some yummy mango lassis. Our bad for forgetting the booze, but the drinks were good nonetheless.
This is where the meal went downhill. For main courses we split the rogan josh and the vegetarian thali (basically vegetarian plate with channa masala (garbanzo beans), eggplant, raita, and parathas (bread). The raita was the only thing on the plate that tasted like Indian food and the rest was some random interpretation of Indian food (once again not fushion). The flavors were totally lacking, which is often not a complaint with Indian food.
The rogan josh (lamb curry) was beyond disappointing. They basically served us a ginormous bone with some meat on it. My dogs would have died had they seen this bone. It was totally weird and the meat on it was sparse at best. The flavors were also totally not what I would expect with rogan josh, but also not any sort of "fushion flavor". Now I was beyond confused and still hungry...I guess the only plus side was that since I ate so little of the meal I didn't walk away with ulcer inducing heartburn...
I was sooo excited to go to Bindi. I love Indian food, I love cooking Indian food, and the idea of nouvelle Indian cuisine that's also a BYOB sounded pretty amazing. I'm by no means an expert on Indian food, I just enjoy it very much and I'm not fixated on authenticity. In fact, I was hoping for something more original and I thought Bindi's concept and menu sounded great.
Something about the execution of the food just didn't come together. Everything was extremely greasy, and the portions were huge. It was clear that real effort had gone into the dishes, but the result was sort of reminiscent of Cheesecake Factory.
I love Indian food because it's a great way to prepare vegetables without just piling on fat and sugar. While Bindi did pile on the rich oily sauces, they still didn't manage to make vegetables taste good. The best things to get there are probably braised meat-stew things, and fried stuff...the stuff I get at an Indian stand at a food court in a train station, the things that can't be messed up.
That being said, I will probably give Bindi another try when I get the chance, because I want it to be good, and I just love the idea of bringing booze to a restaurant to make cocktails.
I went to Bindi with a couple (more specifically, 6) of my girlfriends. Now, as a restaurant industry employee, I fully understand the loathing that usually greets Penn students at the doors of a dining establishment -- I've seen many of these Ivy Leaguers act arrogantly and rudely to their servers and I strive to separate myself from that stereotype.
That being said, our service was so terrible at Bindi that it is difficult to even remember the food. Our server, Karen, was inattentive and cold, and seemed annoyed at simple questions we posed about the dishes. When she brought out a dish that I had not ordered, she tried to convince me that I did! When I insisted she sighed audibly and walked away in an evident huff. She didn't swing by the table for the next 15 minutes and I had to ask other employees about where my correct order was.
I couldn't believe she would treat customers this way and still expect a tip! And that is when I remembered that she was guaranteed 18% of our check because of the size of our party.
Food wise, I remember Bindi was good but not great. The turkey lettuce wraps stand out in my head as well as the several types of nan we ordered, but Karen really did sour the experience for us. I will not be back.
While I'm not an expert on Indian food, I'm an expert on what is delicious, and Bindi's food was very good. An interesting menu, slick, intimate interior & ambience, and fine service. A little overpriced, but what hep hot spot isn't?
My only gripe: they didn't take credit cards??? I had to hop out into the rain for cash.
Went to Bindi for restaurant week and all my expectations were met. Most interesting Indian food restaurant I've ever eaten. They offer great fruity mixers and tell people to bring there favorite Rum, Vodka, or Tequila. Enjoyed all 3 courses. Service, food, and ambiance were all enough to have me wanting to try Lolita which shares the same owner.
Brought some friends and a few bottles of vino. This Indian Nouveau place is tiny but we had no trouble getting a table for 4 (it was on the 9ish side). We shared a bunch of plates including the vegetarian thali--a fun mixed plate of vegetarian goodness. I can't remember exactly what the salad was we had--maybe it was the beet salad?--but it had exotic flavors, like jicama and a particularly lovely salad dressing--that when I asked the waitress about, she talked to the chef and got me the recipe for it (I'll post it if I find it, but I think it may have gotten lost...) I will definitely go again, and bring some vodka for the mango sharbat pitcher, which I envied on nearby tables. Service was great, and food was fun and innovative upscale-American-Indian. A bit pricey (I'm ranking it as $$$, but it was only just; if you eat a little less, it can be $$) but I was happy and full, and it's not your average Indian joint. PS--CASH ONLY!
Overall a great experience with Bindi's beautiful and elegant decor and ambiance, great service and delicious Indian-inspired food-- I would recommend this restaurant to locals and visitors alike.
My mom and I went to India a few summers ago, so we have a strong frame of reference for what constitutes real Indian food. Bindi definitely brought us back, pulling off a great fusion of authentic, fresh Indian spices and ingredients (lime and curry leaves, mmmm) with local foods and interesting menu options.
I would HIGHLY recommend the grilled Octopus appetizer (chickpea, curry leaf, warm spinach, madras curry vinaigrette) --this was our favorite! The bengali spice roasted duck pani puri (sweet potato, apple chutney, pomegranate molasses, "spicy tamarind water") was impeccable as well.
We brought our own Vodka and mixed it with a pitcher of their mango, lime and cardamom beverage--which was delicious.
Get your booty to Bindi! And don't forget your cash!
This is one of my favorite restaurants in Philly right now. They have a delicious vegetarian sampler which is a ton of food and I absolutely love the caedamom cake. I have been here several times and the service and food are consistent. I did not think I liked Indian food until I tried this place... absolutely amazing!
Bindi was a very good experience. Only downside is that you have to pay cash for everything. I was pretty surprised to see that in a not-so-cheap place.
However, the food was really good. Very vegetarian friendly.
Only had appetizers to eat.... we drank the Nimbu Pani (pomegrenate infused indian style lemonade).
veggie Samosas were pretty excellent.
red beet papdi chaat had a unique taste. Unlike any other papdi chaat I have had before. The cool thing was the beets had totally soaked up the flavour of the chaat....this was really good!
Then, tried veggie pani puri. There was no paani (the liquidy stuff) in the paani puri!! The mayo overshadowed any remaining flavors. So, this was our true disappointment.
Also tried a side of potato paratha. Was really good!!
Overall a very good experience.
Atmosphere:
The ambiance and setup of Bindi is nice, not great. A bit towards the cramped side and slightly too dark for my liking.
Food:
I went with a group for 7-8 people and ordered a lot of different kind of stuff. There were somethings which were quite good, but unfortunately most of what we ordered wasn't too great. Some of the items were just way to bland and/or the spices did not mix well with the food.
The food is definitely not authentic indian food (which is fine) but it just didn't taste as good. Having quasi Indian/American food is a terrificidea, but it's only a terrific idea if the food truly tastes good, which it didnt.
Service:
The waiter and staff were friendly and efficient.
The biggest downside to this place is that they do NOT take credit card. I found that to be quite odd, because the place is very expensive for indian food and carrying that much cash doesn't make sense. Our bill came out to at least $20-30 per head (we ordered a lot though), totaling to close to $200.
I took coworkers to Bindi for a business dinner and really it wasn't worth going to an atm prior to going here just to make sure I had $200 in cash.
The owners of Bindi need keep up with technology and accomodate credit card usage. Frankly speaking, I won't be going back to this place mainly because of the credit card issue and the food was just average...
My first experience with Bindi was shortly after its opening. A friend of mine has worked at Lolita for a few years now, so I am familiar with Marcy, Val and their united effort to literally own 13th street. I kind of love a monopoly so I'm pro their efforts.
First time I dined there the food was good, but way too spicy. It was almost as if the chef was trying to not come off as being "tame" in this new endeavor and mistakenly went a few steps too far.
My second time there was ok. It could have been our selections, but I was not thrilled with the somosas (bland I guess), and my entree was overly reminiscent of a favorite dish of mine at Lolita. I wanted something new, and it just didn't happen.
Now the third time was unexpectedly awesome. Our server was not super attentive, but it was Dining Out for Life so I'm not going to nitpick on that type of evening. My three friends and I each ordered different appetizers. To tell you the truth, I can't even recall what we had (bad reviewer alert!!!) but they were delicious. For dinner, I ordered the short-ribs and the flavors melded perfectly with that subtle Indian spice profile. Really very good. The bread that we were served with out dishes was ridiculous. It was savory and even a touch sweet. It seemed to be a type of naan, and I was stuffing my face with it. Kind of sad, but I could wear carbs if it were socially acceptable (fat kid syndrome). We were so full after our dessert course that it was almost silly.
Go there if... You're not going to be a jerk and call them out for not being traditional Indian food. They're not traditional so don't set yourself up.
Go there if... You're hungry
Go there if... You like the items on your plate to meld together. My step father, a man who likes nothing to touch on his plate, should stay away!!!
Don't go there if... You're a nazi about service. In fact don't go anywhere if that's what you're like. I'm a server so I beg you to do more take-out if you're like this.
-JK
I had a good time here. I am from out of town and the people I was with love to go here.
The service was great and the atmosphere was fun. I was on a budget so I ordered a side of saag paneer. My side serving seemed to be about the same size as as most of the entrees, but was half the price. It was really good and I liked the lime rice.
We had a fun night with good food, can ask for much more.
This is a restaurant with flavorful and exotic food that is highly palatable. But it is completely wrong to think of Bindi as an "Indian Restaurant." It is not. The only dish on the menu that will be familiar to those seeking an "Indian" meal is the vegetarian thali. Otherwise, everything will be completely different from from the expectations you would have. It's good -- very good -- but you will be disappointed if you expect traditional Indian cuisine. Yes, service can be slow. And I would skip the desserts. It's BYOB (liquor recommended) and cash only.
I need to undo my jeans. Just ate dinner at Bindi. Too full to type. Must retire. Overall, yes. Go there and order the cinnabon-type bread with the honey sweet goat cheese dip. Zzzzz.
Great place for BYOB AND Indian food. The atmosphere inside Bindi is nice, and the service was great. My bf and I split the chicken tikka and the rack of lamb, which were both really juicy and yummy. Also tried one of the breads, which was good but too salty. The creme brulee we had for dessert was meh.. i think we should've tried the kulfi instead. The meal was kinda pricey, but the portions were huge so that kinda makes up for it. The only downside is that they take cash only (what kinda restaurant does that nowadays??).
Oh Bindi. When we first met not so long ago, I fell in love and I wanted to traipse around Philly with a properly placed Bindi à-la-Gwen-Stefani-circa-mid-1990's and sing your praises.
So I returned with friends and enjoyed your family style- prix-fixe farmer's market menu. I still liked your homemade pitchers of mango-cardamom and the pomegranate limonade mixers (at $12 a pop). In both instances, there was enough food to feed a small army - and had enough to take home for a meal the next day.
But in my haze of love, I think I overlooked a few things that became a bit clearer at my last visit - last night. Had I reviewed you the first time around, you would have received 4 solid stars if not 5 - now you're getting 3 of out me and no more.
So they call this place a Modern Indian BYOB (it's right there on top of the menu). It's definitely not authentic indian - but the menu is entirely based on indian flavors with a twist - and with true Indian side dishes (saag paneer, etc) and flat breads.
Service is a bit spotty and a bit absent - I don't know if they were short on waitstaff, but there were several times that I looked in vain for our server to open up a bottle of wine, or to order from the menu. I don't remember the service being truly oustanding the last few times either - but I was always engrossed in the food.
Speaking of, I don't know if this is a permanent change... but they've changed the menu, people. They no longer refer the appetizers as street food. And they've replaced a lot of the older items (that are still shown on the website, like lamb three-ways - a dish that I really enjoyed once) -
I tasted a lot of the food that night. The Chicken Tikka, the Short Rib, the Vegetable Byryani, the Pork dish (which I don't think they refer to it as Vindaloo anymore) - and mine the Prawn and Pumpkin curry.
The food was a solid-3 - not as good as I had remembered my past visits - there is a good amount of spicey-ness - but not overwhelming - The portions were still super generous -
Lastly, we come to the cash-only - and the pricey menu.. yes apps run the gamut of $7 -$10 and entrée $18 - 24 - along with a pitcher and a dessert, dinner can be a bit costly -- and that can always snap you out of the love haze.
So if you're considering Bindi - skip the app, because you'll get a hefty main dish - or just split an app if you're hungry. Skip out on the pitcher if you must and bring a strong red vino to go with the dishes. And be ready to spend.
And as far as the Lolita vs. Bindi debate - I think they're dead even - it's just different cuisines (but it comes out of same brainchild, yes? Chef Marci Tunney?) and comes with the same price tags as other comparable BYOs in the city.
***3.5 Stars***
The food was definitely decent at Bindi - but there are far better BYO restaurants in the area, including their sister restaurant, Lolita. We brought our own tequila, and tried the mango-lime-cardamom mixer. It was sweet and very mixable, but the cardamom was undetectable.
Our party wasn't too hungry so we went straight for the entrees. That was a good idea because while the food is somewhat expensive, the portion sizes are quite huge! I don't think any of the five of us was able to finish our plate. I ordered the vegetarian sampler, which had an abundance of different delectables to try. Favorites were the saag paneer, the flavored rice and the naan which was stuffed with potatoes. The raita needed a little more kick, and the tamarind chutney needed a little less kick. It tasted like they put in way too much tamari paste, which isn't a good thing!
The other thing I didn't particularly like about this place was how dark it was in the restaurant. I realized the next day that I really couldn't see my food that well. I realize some restaurants are all about the ambiance, but who wants to spill on their nice clothes due to blindness!
We got the authentic Philadelphia opportunity of seeing a fist fight outside the window, which included cops and went on for far too long.
I agree with other reviewers that it is strange to be cash only when it is not a cheap hole-in-the-wall. I think that just makes your patrons order less than they would have.
There are too many good restaurants in Philadelphia for me to warrant going here again.
What a terrible experience! My husband and I went out for dinner on 13th street but it seemed as though every restaurant was full...finally we come across Bindi and it was empty. We should have taken the hint!
The owners of Bindi (Marcie Turney and Valerie Safran) must be insane. Dishes are wildly overpriced for the ingredients and cooking skills required. And for a BYOB restaurant to serve 12$ drinks is the height of greed. And as if I wasn't irritated enough with the prices, Bindi adds insult to injury by not accepting credit cards. 9$ appetizers, 26$ entrees and you expect cash? How cheap can you get? If Bindi is so desperate to make overhead than they might try firing one of the 3 condescending waitresses who hovered around us constantly.
Wonderful place with great food. The only problem is that you ahver to put in your complete order at one time. BYOB at its best.
Went here with my boyfriend one night when the wait at its sister restaurant, Lolita, was too long. We were extremely pleased with the food, the ambiance, and the service - the menu was clearly very carefully thought out. Granted, it's fusion food, so you can't come here expecting all the usual Indian dishes, but they still have samosas (my favorite) and they also took some popular Indian street foods and made them gourmet - and damn were they good. My boyfriend is actually Indian so he's always pretty critical of "Indian" food in the U.S., but he loved it, as well. He was so excited to try their take on the street food he knew and loved from back home. Plus we were able to get a table even while Lolita's across the street had a 45 minute wait...
dear bindi,
i'm so sorry. sorry because i believed the folks on the yelpster and did not visit you sooner. but i'm glad my friend and i went for restaurant week, because i'll probably be returning.
i like the fact that you are indian with a twist. kind of like, being a halfie indian child, taking the better parts of each parent. you served big hefty portions. and tasty too. and yes, i am a bit scared of overly spiced things, and so your spiciness factor was perfect for me.
and yes, you are quite the much more pricey than your average indian fare. but your ambiance and byo make up for it.
and perhaps there are stars in my eyes because i was so pleasantly surprised. i hope you stick around. we could be friends.
lovies, amc
it was 7:30pm Saturday night and we were at Raw. We didn't have reservation and the next available table for 4 was at 9:30pm. Dejected and disappointed, we put our name down and walked out. plenty of options in the area. And we walked right into Bindi - yeah we're in the mood for Indian! And its spanking new (its their first month) bet they'd try hard to impress.
Nothing interesting about the setting. The design and decorations are kept minimal, somewhat boring for me. They have several booths,but all taken, a long community-style table smacked in the middle and regular tables with little space between them.
We started off with these super spicy papadom. the sweet clear dip that came with it toned the spiciness down a notch. the papadom was by far the nearest we got to tastebud explosion that night. everything else that came subsequently were very mild (for Indian food),much to my disappointment. the Mussels Bindi Ghozzo came in a stone bowl and a decent portion,good for sharing. Again, it could've been spicier.
And for the entrees. i was deciding between fish or shrimp and settled for the Shrimp and Vegetable Sambar. how I regretted. the shrimps were mushy! EEEeeewwww! Fresh shrimps when cooked should be firm and even a little chewy, while mushy shrimps is just a sign of unfreshness. taste-wise, it was OK, too mild albeit interesting just because it was unlike other Indian dishes i've had. however, I was appalled with the quality of my shrimps. maybe if they were a little less stingy with their shrimps (only about 5 in the dish), they'd use up their old shrimp supply faster so they could go get some fresh ones.
The Salmon Curry was a lot better. They gave quite a bit of salmon and the curry was creamy and much tastier. The Cod with toasted coconut on raisin rice pilaf was good and pretty interesting too. Most of the dishes come with Lime Rice although we couldn't taste any traces of lime.
They have 3 types of rotis - pratha, chapati and lentil bread. We had the potato dill stuffed paratha and were disappointed. Very bland and completely unremarkable.
We agreed that the food here is interesting and quite far from the exciting, spicy, bold tasting Indian food that we're used to.
After finishing our drinks and were ready to go, we asked for the check and were told: "Sorry, cash only."
CASH ONLY????
what, are we in Chinatown? Well....the prices sure don't say so. when i've to pay $50 for my dinner, i sure expect them to offer some Visa/Mastercard payment option. Who carries that much cash anymore?
So here you go Bindi, 2 stars for the BAD shrimps, the inability to pay by credit card, and the mild food.
I can't wait for this place to open! 'Cause, well, center city is still lacking good indian food. seriously. And I will not pay $20 for chick peas at Palace at the Ben.
Bindi, which should be opening any day now, is owned by the same people as Grocery 13 Inc, which is next door. As a tester, they served food at the Midtown Village fall festival back in September, and their daal and chana masala was pretty awesome. Keep your eyes on this place... it could be a great addition to the neighborhood.
UPDATE:
It's now open, and its menu looks interesting. A lil' pricey though.
Meh. I rather eat at New Delhi for less than half the price. The worst part is the disappointment! I was so excited to try this place since I love BYOBs and some of my friends had raved. But at the end of the day the food was disappointing. I understand that these were dishes that were "inspired" by Indian cuisine but they just felt like poor renditions that were neither inspired nor authentic. All of this would have been ok if it wasn't so incredibly overpriced.
Save yourself the money and try someplace else.
I hear the name Bindi and I think to myself that this definitely going to be a cute place (fyi a bindi is that commonly seen forehead decoration in India and southeast Asia).
And it doesn't disappoint. Aesthetically this is a great date spot , dimly light with modern appeal. Overall it has an inviting feel.
Tip: The tables along the walls are your best bets for twos or fours as they are spaced out a little better so plan/request accordingly.
i'm surprised that this place has an average of three stars. The food is very good, especially the homemade pickled relishes. It's not authentic indian but it doesn't try to be. The seating is a little cosy but it isn't a problem. As for the bad, it is overpriced (indian is supposed to be cheap), and the desserts are well thought out but miss the mark in execution--they aren't bold, or maybe your taste buds are just worn out after the meal (which is a huge amount usually). oh and they're vegetarian friendly!
Indian being a favorite of mine, I was very excited when this place opened up and it did not disappoint. Although I love traditional preparations, Bindi is much welcomed modern twist that has quickly become a favorite amongst my friends and I. Service is quick and welcoming and the food is absolutely incredible. The short rib melts in your mouth and the pork vindaloo alone is worth the visit. I would also like the recipe for the warm cardamom cake please! I dont know why people on here complain about the prices, good food is not cheap, and the prices here really arent that much. Bring cash, a bottle of rum and a empty stomach and enjoy.
Bindi is not an Indian restaurant in the conventional sense of the words-- it's more like a contemporary fusion restaurant inspired by Indian cuisine. The prices seem very reasonable to me given the quality of the food, which is fresh, creative, and very distinctive. I ate there with three other people and we traded bites all evening because we were absolutely delighted with everything we tried. True, they don't take credit cards. There's a cash machine across the street. And the service is great-- friendly and attentive without being annoying.
It was a tie between Bindi and Lolita this past Saturday night. After a coin toss with my boyfriend, I won and I picked Bindi. The menu has a good selection, different dishes with a lot of veggies and spices and caters to both meat eaters and vegitarians alike. The place is also BYO-rum as they have 2 selections of mixers that have fruit and quite a bit of sugar in them ( you can also bring anything else, but why not try what they have?) I had ordered the lamb flatbread as my appetizer and it was delicious, big enough for two, it wakes up your palate really fast with its spice. My boyfriend had the octopus appetizer and it was out of this world delicious, it simply melted in your mouth and the flavor just enhanced it so much. For our entrees I had the pork loin vindaloo and it was also quite spicy with mashed potatos and spinach, it had all the makings of a great meal and I really enjoyed it. My boyfriend had the seafood curry and he once again beat me because it was so delicious, the scallops were huge, big shrimps and fish marinating in the curry sauce. We were so full but I continued on and had the rice pudding for desert, a classic and tasted like all the rest.
I would go to this place again, and continue to venture trying new dishes.... bindi is a great place if you love indian food!
Great food, terrible prices. I wish I had known to save up before coming here because then I could have really experienced the menu. My major problem is that Appetizers can range up over $10 and that Entries are high, $18 and up. Having had some of the 'simpler' fare I believe this place would have made a better Indian Tapas sort of place. The clincher for the evening was, when the bill came, they do not take credit cards. You CANNOT have a menu with $25 entries and be cash only, nobody I knows carries a hundred bucks around in their wallet in the city. Hello, mugging? All in all I probably won't be back unless I hear about some serious changes to the menu.
Tasty food was not very Indian, but tasty nonetheless. Very tasty. Enjoy the cooking and forget about authenticity. Same as with Lolita.
Service. Was. Slow. Extremely slow. It took almost 15 minutes for server to show up after we were seated. The starters arrived very quickly, which was nice, but the main took so long we were growing uncomfortable sitting there. You start to notice things like how noisy the place is. How thirsty you are. How you could go to Capogiro and eat and then come back to get your main course.
When they arrived, the mains were good. Lots of food. The mahi with pumpkin curry was delicious, although it needed a little more heat (spice heat). We didn't have much room left to eat dessert but we crammed some down anyway. It was good, too, although the size was kind of overwhelming. Smaller would be better.
I would give Bindi 4 stars, but for the slowness. And, to be honest, the cash only policy is a pain in the butt. It says: we want you to do things our way. Why not just charge us all 1.8% more for each plate served?
I really liked this place. It is EXPENSIVE. But my friend and I ordered a couple appetizers, a couple sides, and some bread to share, and it was more than the two of us could eat. The sweet parahka bread is absolutely amazing. They're a byob, and they sell some interesting mixes for whatever liquor you might bring. It's a smallish place, but comfortable enough with a neat interior, and they're pretty accomodating to kids (there were two tables with kids out of 10 occupied tables total the night we went). Service is great. I recommend if you go you split several appetizers and sides like we did - otherwise the price can really get out of control.
Bindi is a welcomed addition to Center City's restaurant scene. It mirrors sister restaurant Lolita in many ways -- cool decor, a twist on the BYO concept and great inventive food. The food is not authentic Indian food -- and if you go expecting traditional Indian street food, you'll be disappointed. If you go anticipating a fun take on typical Indian food, you will not be let down.
if i could give 1/2 a star, i would. for a cold night, a spicy indian food was something i was hankering. bindi is a fairly new place and my friends and i were up to trying it. you know the cliche, don't judge a book by its cover? well, here don't judge the food and service based on trendy west elm-esque furniture and lights!
my friends and i were seated. we knew dinner was gonna start off badly, when the waitress asked us if we wanted a "mango lasso" instead of mango lassi. shouldn't the staff know the menu and more importantly how to pronounce the cuisine? my best friend is from india and she was disappointed on how the staff continued to mispronounce the foods and the appetizers were labeled on the menu as "street snacks." a bit negative.
when we almost done eating, our waitress informed us that at dinner there is a minimum of $18 per person, we were like $20 short and that she would bring us dessert menus and we would need to order about $20 worth of desserts, huh?! wha?! we had already spent over $70 for appetizers, an entree, and drinks. we were told this policy was on the menu. also, it is cash only here. we asked to see the manager because we believe that this policy should be verbalized by the staff upon seating. the manager told us it is a saturday night and we should know better not to order dinner! hello, did she not see our bill already over $70?!
the samosas were overpriced and average and you only get 2, yup 2 lonely samosas. my lychee drink was ok, but i know this was prolly from a can or bottle. i didn't even finish my drink when the waitress swooped in and took it. the spinach roti was only enough for one person. our entree of gosht was good, but not worth the experience.
this place ruined my appetite for dessert. which is hard to do. i left for a cold walk home, thinking of a new country song on my fiddle to sum up my eating experience, "a lone tear in my warm mimosa as i cried over my overpriced samosa."
4 stars PLUS
Judging from some of the other reviews,some people don't understand that beautiful locally grown produce, and other high quality ingredients cost more and are really worth the few extra bucks. The artful sophisticated combination of flavors, and the thoughtfully balanced menu are nothing like what you find at more casual Indian restaurants. I like those places a lot too, but Bindi's food is much more complex, fresh, and interesting.
That being said, when we went some dishes were better than others. I could eat the beet salad every day, the short ribs are awesome, and the amazing pork vindaloo is the best entree we had. Get the saag paneer side, and the lentil bread which is much better than the other kinds.
I will definitely look forward to dining here again and will recommend it to others.The food was delicious, service was great, and there are ATM machines all over the place so just go get a little cash and have a lovely meal.
I've been to Bindi three times. The first time I went was almost immediately after a six week trip to India, so I was looking forward to some Indian (albeit fusion) food. I was pleasantly surprised by Bindi- instead of the Americanized food I expected, the restaurant offered their own take on the cuisine, and although it cannot be considered "authentic" Indian food, it was very good! The decor is nice- modern, and the restaurant is pretty small but the service has been very good for each of my visits.
Definitely start the meal off with one of their mixers- the pomegranate nimbu pani-ish drink (a sort of lemonade) and the mango-cardamom are delicious on their own (it's BYO).
The lamb keema flatbread is a really great starter, as are the grilled octupus and pani puri. Also the paratha is very good. But the mains alone will suffice for a lunch or dinner- the servings are larger than they look and come with dal/rice.
The beef shortribs (although not traditionally Indian) come with roasted and spiced potatoes. Great.
The vegetarian thali is a good choice because it allows you to sample a variety of their dishes.
**My favorite mains, though, are definitely the lamb gosht and the chicken tikka - they both come with delicious pulao rice, and the gosht and tikka are accompanied, respectively, by very tasty chana masala (chickpea side), and dal makhani (lentils). And the tikka comes with delicious fresh vegetables on top.
Haven't tried the desserts here yet, although they sound good- I've always been too full or decided to go to Capogiro (right down the street).
Bindi is a great choice for a nice Indian-fusion meal- expect to pay between 19-25 for mains, 8-10 for apps, 12 for the drink mixers. And don't forget... CASH ONLY!
this place is really good but not authentic. i'm just gonna throw that out there right now. if you are looking for your proper curries and naans, this is NOT the place to go. that being said, the food i had was quite delicious. it's more like "modern" indian or "indian fusion." something along those lines. my shrimp dish was excellent and the halibut dish i tasted from my friends was also quite good. it's very pricey and the decor is not that exciting which is why i'm knocking it down a star. it's worth checking out if you want to get a twist on indian cuisine and don't mind fronting some cash for it.
I read the reviews on yelp, and did not have high expectations for this place. After my experience, I just do not think I will return.
Atmosphere- small restaurant, decor is nice
Service- average; long wait
Food-Went with a group of friends, and everyone got different dishes:
-for starters they gave papadum and chutney-decent
-I had the Pork Loin Vindaloo- ok so if all the dishes at this restaurant tasted like this i would give it more stars. this dish was very very good. the meat was tender and juicy. the combination of flavors w/ the mushroom pickle, mango-date chutney, and cauliflower puree all went well together w/ the pork. if you are going to come here this is the one dish i would get...
-Ok so while I liked the above, the other dishes I tried just were not good, and these are the chicken tikka masala (the flavors just were not good, and i feel chicken tikka masala should not taste like this, i know this is a fusion restaurant but chickpeas??) ; rack of lamb and short ribs- did not care for it at all.
-The vegetable side I tried was Okra--- terrible! it was not the right consistency, and lacked any sort of seasoning
-Dessert: Cardamom Cake- delicious! (honestly this was good!!)
While I enjoyed the pork vindaloo and the cardamom cake, I just don't think I will return for those two dishes. The other dishes I tasted were not good, and so I feel the restaurant is not consistent overall w/ the quality of the food. I feel it is overpriced for the quality of food you get, in combination w/ the atmosphere and service. While i understand they are a fusion/modern indian restaurant, I feel that they just didn't get it right. I have tried much better indian restaurants of this type elsewhere.
First off- it's a byob & cash only! Don't be like us & have to run out to get a bottle of wine & $100 out of the closest ATM between courses. Also keep in mind there is a blatant "warning" on the menu- $18 minimum food order per person. One of our party of 4 was concerned but another was like, look at the prices, how can you NOT spend that much per person? GOOD POINT! The food was generally good- it was incredibly hard not to dig through my dish & pick out all the homemade paneer. The rip-off samosa appetizer ($9 or so for only 2) was really just okay and the complimentary papadom was deadly spicy as in hardly touched. i was surprised at the lack of vegetarian options (1 veg, 1 vegan). definitely byo vodka, which mixes well with the pomegranate drink. you'll need it to get through the slow service. and don't bother with the other orange colored drink mixer, it tasted like a mix of pine-sol & christmas tree water. don't come without reservations with a big party, or a big coat either- i feel bad for those sitting behind me who probably had to keep pushing my jacket sleeves out of their face all night bc dang the place is PACKED. other interesting but bad notes: 1 single bathroom but you have to wait in the middle of the dining area for it, and the inability to carry on much of a conversation due to general loudness & the table of 3 next to us with 5 yes 5 empty bottles of wine who sat there THE ENTIRE 1.5 hours we were there. all in all, there are too many restaurants in philly to go twice to something so blah. bindi was a one time shot for me, but they did have decent entrees.
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Grocery
Neighborhood: Fishtown
Category: Indian
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