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Davis (Red)
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I've been here several times - at various times of day.
For Sunday brunch - the buffet is amazing. Tons of choices, all you can eat (which my dad loved) and lots of fresh ingredients - nothing old or stale.
For dinner - it depends on the time....later in the evening seems busier, it's a small-sih place- and has a bar attached, which makes it hard for groups.
For drinks- the bar is fun, with bubble-like walls that change color (hey, I'm easily amused!) and cushy seats - but it fills up fast.
The food itself is great - samosas, chicken tikka masala and naan are my favorite items. During brunch they have this potato pancake things that are to die for. The drinks are great (martinis and smoothies like the mango lassi).
The only complaints I have are the wait staff - you never know WHO your server is, they change during the course of your meal - and it's your job to just flag down whomever and ask for what you need. Also, parking is tough - especially on Fri/Sat nights. However, there is a public lot behind this plaza, and it is T-accessible.
Dear Diva,
I went to Diva on a rainy evening for what was set to be a second date (no comment), and was MEGA excited for some Native American foods. I set a reservation with you almost a week before so we were sure to get in. This becomes, unfortunately, another less than favorable review...sigh. We were seated next to a party of 12, which is not the best start to a dining experience with 4 servers in the house and another room who had a number of people there. We looked at your menu deciding on a couple's dinner (so cute) that gave us a number of options to play with. We started with the Garden Salad, and there was not much to say for that, which was..a Garden Salad; our main was your Chicken Tikka Masala and Lamb Vindaloo with rice and nan. Honestly, nothing to write home about (but I will write Yelpers about it), and the 35 minutes it took to get the main (after the 20 minute wait to order) did not help our impression of you with such a trivial tasting dish. I asked for the Masala to be very spicy (it was not), we asked for the Vindaloo to be mild (it was not). At that time I became jealous because I wanted to get in with the party next to us (they were having a blast!) and get the service they were receiving. I asked to speak with your manager because I was a tad bit heated about the service/food provided and the manager gave us a $25 gift card (I let the date keep it) to return for another try.
Now although this happened some time ago I had to offer my review for what one could expect through your doors. I have not gone back to you (Diva) and feel I should give it a second try, but after the event spoke of I cannot.
Sincerely,
Daymeyn G
When I want Indian food, I generally don't want it to come with terrible service and loud techno music.
The food was meh. I had a crepe which was quite spicy and my buddy had his usual Saag Paneer; he said the saag tasted 'off' in some way. The naan was really dense, too dense for the fluffy mouth feel I've come to expect.
But the service. Wow, it was bad -- our waiter changed five times, yet no one paid attention to us. They were irritated when I asked a question about what items could be included in the combo platter. I had to flag a busboy down from across the dining room so he would refill my water glass which had been empty for fifteen minutes. They took forever to clear the dishes and bring us the check, whereupon we left a 5% tip.
It is really 3.5 and only because I found this place to be a bit more pricey than it needs to be. Other than that it was great! We went with a group of friends and order a wide variety of entrees to share. The service was quick and friendly, the food was very tasty and the ambiance was nice. It is more of a mellow place so if you are looking for a hot spot it is not your place. However, it is nice for a romantic dinner.
The vegetable Korma (and I'm sure the Chicken Korma) are the best Korma i've had. Everything else is really good too, I've never had something I didn't love here.
My boyfriend and I met in Davis Square for dinner, and we decided to try this place. We love our Indian food, and we have 2 great choices in JP. Would Diva match up?
Yes, it was great. I think what made it so great was the liberal application of butter (ghee?). Everything was dripping with it - in a good way. Plus, they were able to make our food as spicy as we asked for. Most places give us skeptical looks and make it mild because the BF is as white as white can be.
Prices were a little bit higher than Bukhara, our usual go-to Indian place, but there was plenty of good food. We could have had leftovers to take home but opted out due to the long commute.
With http://Restaurant.com coupon in hand, my partner in crime and I tackled Diva. He loves this place, and I'd never been. In fact, at that time I'd only had Indian food a couple of times.
Om nom nom. So good. The interior didn't really play up the "diva" image that I had in my head, but after I got my hands on the food, I really could care less what the place was called so long as their kitchen was working and I was getting fed. So yummy... I am now a fan. Too bad Diva is on the other side of the river and a good distance away... or I'd be here more often... I'm sure my bank account appreciates that though.
I went here for a lunch buffet recently. I don't really know why, considering I was underwhelmed with their meals during previous visits.
But here's the skinny on what I had:
- Their chicken tikka masala was TERRIBLE. The sauce was OK, but the chicken itself was awful. Really chewy and dry. I could barely stomach it.
- The saag paneer was average.
- The vegetable pakoras were really awful. They were cold and also chewy. I love veggie pakoras but these were nearly inedible.
- I had another veggie dish which was OK but forgettable.
However, for dessert, the gulab jamun was REALLY good.
I should have just eaten the naan and the gulab jamun.
One of my least favorite Indian restaurants in Greater Boston. It's got a nice atmosphere but the… Read more »
pros:
I - decent indian food.
II - they were great at accommodating us. we sat quickly with a table for eight and a highchair. when we needed to seat four more people they were quick on their feet moving our tables over to a booth so the newcomers could fit too.
cons:
I - they lost our reservation.
II - we had to ask for our naan at least twice after it was ordered.
choose either pro or con:
trendy attitude (for me it's a con, not that i don't like trendy things, i just don't like it when places try too hard)
I went back to Diva because I had a coupon. My previous meals there were lunch so I thought the food would be better since it would be cooked to order at Dinner.
It was ok. We had 3 entrees at our table and shared but all the sauces tasted very similar so that was a bit disappointing. We've had authentic Indian cooked for us at home and know the dishes we ordered should not have tasted the same. But it was fine and we had a 50% coupon so we were fine with it.
Service is ok but could be better. I'd return if I had another coupon.
Diva... Your food was decent, but your waiters had an air of douchiness about them.
I always go out of my way to say thank you everytime a server pops in, even if only to fill the water. last weekend at Diva we had about 4 different people waiting on us and maybe, MAYBE, one of them made eye contact with us (for about 2 seconds) as opposed to talking/joking with other employees.
I'm not trying to be an ass or anything, but really... forget about your new diesel jeans, shirt, shoes and haricut and just give me a wink or something. I'm not hard to please - you can even totally bullsh*t me, i'm fine with that. Say, "you're welcome" and then go in the back and complain about what a dick i am, i don't care. Just give me something, and next time try not to confuse "something" with "lets give them their entire order all at once and find out just how many plates we can fit on this motherf*ckin table".
In regards to the food: we ordered the dinner for two special. it was a solid 4-5 courses and each of them were pretty tasty.
For $40 its def worth it, especially if you have a good imagination, because you get pretend to be invisible for 45 minutes at no extra cost.
the complete vegetarian meal for one was perfect!
Baingan bartha was off the hook!
Food is pretty standard indian fare, definitely what you would expect. Service is generally pretty poor, however, and rude! Still not sure what that is about! I'd love to come here more often, especially to enjoy a hookah outside, but I'll bring my money elsewhere.
I ate here last week when Redbones was insanely crowded on a Thursday night for a Dogfish head tasting party. I did get to enjoy a pint of specialty dogfish before we left but the place was a zoo.
We passed Diva and someone suggested we have dinner here. We ordered some vegetable samosas, which were great. Is there any such thing as a *bad* samosa? We ordered a wide selection of different entrees (chicken, lamb, veggie, swordfish) which we lovingly spooned onto chunks of fresh nan bread and mixed with the large bowl of rice. I'm not much of a seafood person.. my favorite food is made with the parts of whatever animal they cram into a hot dog casing.. but I did try the swordfish and I didn't throw it up.
Overall a very tasty meal, nice atmosphere and right in the heart of Davis square.
As a frequent diner at Namaskar, I had never given Diva any thought. If my favorite Indian spot was just a few storefronts down, what was the point? Well - I got a http://restaurant.com coupon and decided to take a friend to check it out.
The service was nice -- all the servers were very pleasant, though there did seem to be quite a few of them and at times they seemed to be walking around without purpose. The atmosphere was fine. Dark, colorful and comfortable.
The food was tasty. I had the chicken tikki masala and my friend had the chicken saagwala. Both were very good. The tikki masala definitely had more of a spice than the saagwala (though we both asked for medium spiciness) - but they were both equally satisfying. The naan was great (as one would expect) and we also had the vegetable samosas and weren't disappointed.
Other than being a bit pricey (I might not go back without that coupon) - it was a satisfying experience.
OH Diva. How well you embody your namesake. Too cool for school waiters.
Make sure to check out the Indian Fabio waiter. He is a character.
I love the chicken vindaloo here (medium spicy is fabulous). Meat samosas are great. While my boyfriend is a big fan of the tamarind chutney, I prefer the less sweet cilantro version.
The garlic naan is amazing. They cook it with ghee, sprinkle fresh herbs on top, and you get to watch through the glass window. I also like their mango lassi (but it can taste off sometimes- fresh fruit much, Diva?)
HOWEVER: That rice you ordered is re-used. How do I know? Whenever we get a doggy bag and have barely touched the rice, the container size is the same half pint. Be warned!
AND: There was a potentially racist incident here a few years ago that involved a student from my alma mater and a relative of the owner. Not cool, Diva.
TIP: Delivery to East Somerville.
So a friend and I are looking for a tasty bite in Davis Square and we decided on Diva. This was my second visit to Diva and it was just as good as the first one and this was my friend 1st time eating Indian food. I however love Indian food and I really enjoyed Diva.
The service was actually very good. We sat down around 5:45 on Sat. evening so the place was pretty empty. We started off with the Diva Vegetarian Platter which was very tasty and served with an amazing tamarind sauce. I've had better samosas but vegetable Pakoras, tikka and Cheese Pakoras were very well seasoned and fried just right.
I had the Tandoori Swordfish Masala which I really enjoyed. It had the perfect balance of spice with cream and seasoning. The swordfish was perfectly cooked and well seasoned.
She had the Chicken Tikka Masala which she ordered spicy and it was definitely a bit spicy but very tasty. The sauce was creamy yet flavorful and not to sweet. The garlic nan and mango lassi were also very tasty.
I enjoyed the dishes here much better than India Palace but not quite as good as Shanti.
Overall Diva was a great experience with very delicious food and we will be back more often!
A place with a name like "Diva" should pretty much make you feel like a "Diva" when you are dining in here, but the fact that this pretty nice restaurant with attached swanky and trying to be trendy lounge which I have yet to try next door, you would think that the waiters here would wear something a little better than those awkward orange tshirts that say "Pure" on the front of them....That definitely is not Diva status...
But the amount of food that you get when you order one of their chef's specials meals is diva style!! My mom, brother and I could not finish the amount of food we got by any means. In fact the leftovers led to three more meals for me later!! We got the Diva Royal Dinner for Two and a Diva Special Dinner for One, which ended up pretty pricey for Indian food in my book, so they definitely could lower their prices a little and make this not just a place I would go to with my parents (grad student stipend here!! hello!! ha) But here is what those meals came with...
Ready?
**Soup for all three of us (but i would pass on this...definitely not worth the room it takes us, and none of us was a fan...)
**Vegetable and Meat Samosas and these are REAL GOOD HERE
**Tandoori Chicken (not the best tandori chicken I've had...)
**Chicken Tikka Appetizer, one of my brother's favs here
**Seekh Kabab only okay
**Boti Kabab only okay
**Rice Pullau for some reason, their rice is AWESOME here, who would think that rice could be so much better at some places? ha
**Naan they are pretty big here!!!
**We chose three entrees: Lamb Korma, Tandori Shrimp Masala, and Beef Curry--the best one?? The lamb korma hands down. The beef curry was only so so....sad because I love love curry!
**dessert, where we got rice pudding which I would tell everyone to pass on....not good at all, punjabi kulfi which I liked but no one else really did, and the mango ice cream, which we should have just ordered three of, because it was soooooo tasty and refreshing after all of those indian spices!!
Wow, my fingers are tired now from typing all of that....
and p.s great Tupperware if you take leftovers home :-)
Ah, Diva. You're like the cute guy at the bar who charms at first but turns out to be kind of a jerk. This place looks good, especially in the summer with the windows open to the street, and it feels much more like a real, sit-down restaurant than many Indian places do. Aside from its looks, though, Diva ends up disappointing on almost every count.
The specialty drinks sound good but are hit-or-miss, and over-priced to boot.
The food is wildly uneven, really good stuff coexisting with slop -- sometimes in the same dish (the other night I had the lamb tikka masala. The sauce was delicious but couldn't disguise the stringy, tough meat.)
The service is every bit as bad as everyone says. I don't mind not being fawned over, but I do mind all the food (apps, naan, entrees) being dropped at the table at once, and I really mind not being able to order a drink when I want one.
So don't be seduced by Diva's good looks. Go to Namaskar instead. It's just down the street, it's not as flashy, but the food and service are better, and you'll respect yourself in the morning.
My friend took me here for Indian food and it was ok. Not great, not bad, pretty much just ok. I'm never good at ordering Indian food, since it's not something I eat all the time and I don't generally like it very much, so my friend, who's Tibetan (and knows Indian food like the back of her hand), ordered for me...Food was ok, but not sure I'd go back.
My husband and me love to eat out, often. Indian food is our comfort food. We visited Diva Indian Bistro just 10 days ago and were very disappointed. Right from the ambiance, the service and food, everything was bad.
We went there around 9pm and instead of paying attention to their current customers, everyone there was busy preparing for what looked like next days buffet. The waiters did not know much about things on their menu and could not have been more disinterested.
We decided to order dinner for 2 as we could taste many things. The appetizers had samosas which were re-fried (comes from one who has had samosas all her life as a snack) and had a bad oily taste.All the veggie gravies had the almost the same tasting sauce (tasted like made from ready tomato paste, instead of fresh ingredients). We were served pooris (fried bread) instead of Naan (which is a staple with Punjabi food) and they refused to change it.Desserts were strictly okay, we ordered gulab jamun and kheer. I guess I gave one star for desserts.
Will never visit this place again.
I have been to a lot of indian buffets and I'm in love with Diva...the food is always fresh and there is a wide variety of dishes...my favorite is chicken tikki masala! absolutely delicious :)
It is very resonably priced and the service is great! The waitors are very friendly, always bringing more water and naan (SO GOOD)..try the garlic! They have a great salad bar too...and the buffet does vary a bit depending on what day of the week it is.
I've been away for a few months and I cant wait to go back!!!
I've been here lots of times and I'm always pleased with the food. The service, however, is spotty. The specialty drinks are wonderful, especially the Kama Sutra! I like the atmosphere and colors of the dining area and its nice that they have the windows wide open in the summer.
I also get takeout here from time to time and it's always hot and fresh.
If I don't feel like traveling for Indian food, Diva is a good local standby. As others have mentioned, the service is so-so. It's not the best Indian food I've ever had, but it certainly satisfies the craving. Their lunch buffet is pretty great- a good variety of dishes to choose from. Samosas and tikka masala are certainly safe bets. Their chocolate cake, however, is not. I've since learned that if you don't associate chocolate cake with Indian cuisine, you probably shouldn't order it anyway.
It's a little overpriced for what they offer, particularly with regard to service, but if you've got a hankering for some Indian food and you're in Davis, Diva will certainly satisfy your craving for curry.
I had heard AMAZING things about Diva, so I was really looking forward to going.
When I showed up, I was impressed with the decor - clean, sleek, modern - and I liked the window into the mini-kitchen, where you could watch a chef making Naan and rice.
My fiance & I weren't ultra hungry, so we opted for the Diva Special Dinner for One:
1. Mulligatawny soup: Spicy hot soup made with lentils, vegetables & spice
2. Vegetable Samosa: Light spicy turnover stuffed with potatoes and green peas (we got an extra because it only came with one and we LOVE our samosas!)
3. Sizzling Tandoori Chicken: Tender chicken, marinated in yogurt and spices and baked on skewers in our Tandoor oven
4. Chicken Tikka Masala (our favorite!!): Cubes of white meat chicken Tandoori style, cooked in rich creamy tomato sauce
5. Seekh Kabob: basically a lamb skewer
6. Choice of an entree (not including Tandoori): we went for Chicken Saagwala (Boneless chicken cooked with spinach and flavored with freshly ground ginger, garlic and spices)
7. Rice
8. Naan
9. Tea or Coffee
10. Dessert: we got coconut ice cream
So for $20, that's an amazing deal! Especially since we would have gotten samosas, chicken tikka & naan = definitely more than $20!
The only problem was that we didn't quite understand how it all worked. Our friend who had been there before said it was a good portion of each dish, so I wanted to get the Saag (I've recently started to love it) even though I know he doesn't like it. So we agreed that I would eat most of that and he could have most of the Tikka, but I would get a little.
Unfortunately, it was a full portion of Saag, served AFTER small appetizer portions of the 3 other dishes. Literally 3-4 pieces of chicken tikka, 1 chicken tandoori and 3-4 pieces of lamb. Oops!
And the food wasn't as amazing as I expected! We much prefer a place in Brighton. The chicken tikka definitely wasn't as good, and the saag was ok - I prefer the Ethnic Gourmet Palak Paneer! And while the service was decent, the guy kept messing up things about our order. He brought 3 samosas for us, then took it away. Then brought it back, then took it away. What a tease! He finally brought 1, which I had, and then brought another for us by the time I was done. The naan came way before the rest of the meal and everything else came out fast, but piece-by-piece. I can't imagine we're the only ones to ever share the dinner for 1, or the only party of 10 they've ever had.
It's odd because everyone who has been here raves about it, but we were both very disappointed.
Maybe we ordered badly? Whatever the case, we won't be going back.
This is my favorite Indian buffet after Kebab. The decor seems very modern along with the music, but food is still authentic. Parking is available in the lot behind Gargoyles on the Square if you can't find anything on the street.
I love that there's garlic naan available. The salad bar is always fresh with mixed greens and fruit options, which I love. I also like that they have soups. Many vegetarian dishes are available, along with the typical dishes like chicken tikka masala, which is all white meat, which I prefer. The sauces are great for dipping, and their saag paneer is more flavorful than most others.
Water is refilled quickly, and it's a nice place for a weekend brunch.
I'm going to echo some other folks' reviews in stating that the food is great, but the service leaves something to be desired. My brother and I went here for dinner last week and noticed this phenomenon. They were efficient (I don't think my water glass ever got below the halfway mark) and everything was as it should be, but nary a smile was to be found. Do they hate their jobs that much? I mean, I've spent time in the food service industry before, and I can understand not wanting to walk around with a smile plastered on my face 24/7. I also remember douchey patrons telling me to "smile". (Side note: why does this only happen to girls? I've never heard of a guy being told by strangers to smile.) However, the waitstaff acted as if they were living out a sentence of indentured servitude instead of working a paying job at what seems to be a decent restaurant. Debbie Downers all around. I believe my brother even mentioned it on the comment card.
Now the food, on the other hand. The food is quite yummy. We ordered vegetable samosas and pakoras, and in my experience I haven't enjoyed either very much. These, however, were pretty tasty, especially the samosas. I also enjoyed the variety of accompanying dipping sauces. I ordered the chicken tikka tandoori meal. Holy moly, I love tandoori. I just love that char-grilled flavor, and the pieces were big and meaty. Nom nom. Basmati and naan completed the dish. My brother got the tandoori mixed grill and was generous enough to give me a skrimp. Also very tasty.
The decor was pretty cool. The lighting was significantly dimmed during our meal, and I dug the large light fixtures covered in gauzy white fabric.
Overall it was a nice experience that I'd repeat again, but someone's gotta tell those waiters that the world isn't ending.
Diva Restaurant/Lounge (Davis Square--Somerville, MA): 3/5 stars
This restaurant was open late (after 10pm on Tuesday) and most of the diners were in their twenties or thirties. The bar mostly served as a pick-up/waiting area for take-out orders.
Tables, napkins, and silverware were clean and the wait-staff seemed friendly, though a bit slow (there were many empty tables and there seemed to be a lot of waiters hanging around).
I ordered the pav bhaji with lamb, which came with naan, yogurt and a cabbage salad ($15 including tip). The food was spicy and the portion size was large (I had leftovers for the following day). The vegetables in the salad seemed fresh and the salad was a welcome addition to the meal (I am not usually a big fan of salads). Given the heat of the pav bhaji, I enjoyed the yogurt (which seemed to have onions and other ingredients mixed in) as well. I regretted getting this dish with lamb, because it involved a lot of chewing. But I think the chicken/vegetable options would be exceptional.
Overall, the meal was a good value and I would visit Diva/order out if I happened to be in Somerville again. I wouldn't make a special trip to eat there though.
Pros: decent food, good prices, late hours
Cons: not within walking distance, probably best to skip the lamb
Read more: My Experiences in '09 on PNN - http://jms.pnn.com/110...
I really enjoyed eating here. The food was good, the service was good, and the place is charming. Sure they try to be trendy, but I appreciate their efforts to create a pleasant environment for their guests.
Our servers were very polite and attentive, but seemed pretty insistent on selling us an entree when we had only gone for an appetizer and dessert. They must have asked at least three times, all with an undertone of surprise when we declined.
It seems a bit on the pricey side for more Indian food, but the food itself was delicious so I can't complain too much.
Diva is a small, comfortable place that delivers standard Indian fare in a way that is very similar to other establishments in this area - without much flair or authenticity.
Yes, dishes are recognizable; Yes, they are very consumable; The pricing is reasonable (although I have caught errors on my bill twice).......it's just dull. Reminds me of the place on Brattle Street near the theatre.
I feel like I ought to give Diva a lower score. I'd love to go on an enraged tirade about Americanization and compromised authenticity and all that shit. But you know what, I liked Diva. That's right, I admit it.
I came with a few friends, one of whom is Indian so she actually knew what stuff was. This was during my non-vegetarian phase (which lasted about a month because I was all weepy about not being able to get enough protein as a vegetarian) and boy did I get protein. We ordered a meaty appetizer plate with a couple different dipping sauces, then one girl and I split the chicken tikka masala. Overall a filling, satisfying meal, and I had no problem with the taste, but I'm no Indian food expert.
Addendum: Came here again recently and ordered the Vegetarian Thali. Got a SHITLOAD of food for just $17 - it included a samosa with a couple dipping sauces, soup, your choice of two vegetarian entrees (small but satisfying portions), a wacky puffed up bread thing, coffee or tea, and your choice of any dessert. Holy crap I thought my stomach was going to explode. As far as value goes, this was fantastic. But I don't know a damn thing about Indian food, as I admitted earlier.
I wrote the last review awhile ago... I went back to the restaurant last night with my date and we were extremely disappointed with their service. Lets just say we were ignored the entire time. Dinner ended up being two hours long. The servers kept passing by without checking up on us. We had to constantly remind them of what we were waiting for. Then when the check came, they were rushing us to close the bill. We had a horrible time there. I was embarrassed for choosing this place.. They definitely lost my patronage.
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I took my mom out to Diva Indian Bistro on Davis Sq last night and it was her first time having Indian food. As a very picky eater, I visited their site before we left the house to check out their menu. Their website was very chic and helpful. When we arrived, we already knew what we were ordering.
We got the CHEF'S SPECIAL DINNERS: Diva Royal Dinner for Two for $40 bucks. It came with Soup, Samosas, Seekh Kabab, Chicken Tandoori, Chicken Tikka, Boti Kabab, choice of two entrees, Rice Pullau, Naan, dessert and tea/coffee for two people. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala and Shahi Navratan Korma as our entrees. It was excellent. Perfect portion! We also got two martinis to complete the meal. Again, they were awesome!
If I have to make a negative comment about this restaurant it would be that some of the older staff didn't really understand English. Ordering foreign food is already nerve racking, imagine if they didn't understand you and might have written down the wrong thing?
This whole review makes me want to rush home and reheat the leftovers... =P
First of all I loved the place, fantastic drinks, great food and helpful staff. I attended an event put on by the Somerville Chamber of Commerce and was impressed not only by the event but the venue.
The food was overall very good, deserving of three to four stars. I felt that about the presentation and the food itself. They use fancy copper pots and everything just looks really nice. It doesn't make the food better... or maybe it does. One nice thing was that they refilled the main dishes fairly often. There was enough of a crowd to support this, but without any real lines waiting for my turn at the buffet.
The chicken tikka masala was very good. I've had better saag (so far I've liked Shalimar's the best). The quality was good; I just happened to not love the flavor. Perhaps because it came with mushrooms instead of the usual paneer. The egg curry was really good, and something that I hadn't seen before in a buffet. And the eggplant dish was also quite good.
I will return and bring friends.
I think Diva has some of the better Indian food I've eaten in Boston/Cambridge. Not because I have a particularly discerning Indian food palate; I can even choke down a cold pakora and the nuked Saag Paneer from Shalimar Cafe from time to time. Diva just gives something extra in presentation that nothing in the area has matched for me. I don't know if it is the fact that I can watch my naan being pulled and cooked over a hot metal dome behind a pane of glass like an Indian culture exhibit at a museum, or the nice swoopy white serving dishes, or the diversity of the menu, but Diva feels authentic and pleasant.
If I want a real treat, I split the Diva Royal Dinner for two. It's a TON of food and my brother and I get to fight over who's going to keep the leftovers for the next day.
There are so many kinds of naan and most of the one's I've tried have been good. The Bhindi Masala Kadahi has a nice flavor and all my standard dishes are good here too. The service is super fast, even when you come with a big group of Yelpers or friends. Remember to finish up your meal with some "cooling" kheer!
I think this place tries too hard to be trendy. Instead, more effort should be given to the food quality and service elements.
On a recent visit, we were seated at a very small table for two in the rear of the restaurant. However, our entrees came on these huge dishes which made it really difficult to eat especially with a basket of bread on the table as well as our drinks. It definitely meant a lot of maneuvering of our plates, cups, etc. throughout the meal!
Chicken Tikka Masala is usually the dish I get when I first try an Indian restaurant -- it's like my benchmark. The CTM at Diva was just okay. I've definitely had better, maybe even at food courts!
The thing that peeved me the most is that the servers kept bringing the wrong dishes to us and bringing our dishes to other tables. I understand that happens sometimes since I was a waitress once. But three times to us in one night??? Also, the waiter seemed hurried and very unfriendly, not even giving us time to look at a drink menu . . . a drink menu which when we asked to see one, he rudely whisked off a neighboring table which may not have even been done looking at it. And my cocktail was so watered down that I don't think there was even alcohol in it. My bf didn't even get the correct beer so there is definitely something about the service here that needs to be fixed!
Another star was subtracted because our piping hot naan came out almost a full ten minutes before our entrees so the bread got cold by the time our food came. I have definitely had better garlic naan at other Indian restaurants. Naan is usually the favorite part of my Indian food experiences and this naan was not fluffy and delish like it is elsewhere. :( I don't think I would ever go back to Diva especially with places like Guru and Punjab Palace to keep me satisfied!
Let me start by saying I know next to NOTHING about Indian cuisine regional, generic, Westernized or otherwise. I got the chicken vindaloo and thought it good in a chicken chili kind of way. I tried some of my dates chicken tikka masala and it was a decent rendering. OK, the service stunk. It was quiet for a Friday night and it felt like pulling teeth trying to get someone's attention and getting my first beer was an eternity from order to delivery. My experience at Punjab in Arlington was better. BUT at the end of the day I was happy with my meal as far as taste, spice, etc went so no issues there
I'd like to love Diva...and I'd also like to hate Diva. I wish I could put my finger on why I'd like such polarized emotions towards the place, and after searching deep into my heart, I think I just think it's a glitzy and over-wrought, pretty mediocre Indian restaurant that markets itself as being better than it is, and pretends that because they're always full and poor little Namaskar is always a ghost town, that they're worthy of their high prices and truly odd music choices. HOWEVER! I can't deny that the lunch buffet, when you're really jonesing for it, is pretty much the most satisfying thing on the planet.
To summarize:
4 stars for the glory glory of the lunch buffet. 2 stars for everything else.
I am not an Indian food connoisseur by any means. But, good food is good food.
Diva is good. Though the last mango lassi I got there was baaaad and it made me saaaad. I love mango and nothing is good about unripe mango. ;(
I have been here twice and I will keep on coming until I find something better. I'm saddened I missed the hookahs though!
I mean it was.. okay. I was attracted to the decor not because there was a come-hither smell. The garlic naan was great, but other than that I found the food to be alright. At this point I don't even remember what I had but they had all of your basics. I remember the spinach being good but overall... meh.
I'm never in Somerville and I kind of kicked myself for going to a place that pales in comparison to the more authentic (albeit a little nasty looking) joints.
Both the food and the service were very much hit and miss. The waiter started off being friendly and attentive enough, but after we finished our meal we waited 10+ minutes for the check. After we got the check, we had to wait another 10+ minutes for him to come by and pick it up. I'm not really too crazy about waiters in most cases; usually as long as I get good food and place it in my belly, I don't really mind if they are lame.
Which brings me to the food. It was aight. We got spinach and cheese naan as an appetizer, which was delicious. I ordered something with shrimp and spinach, which obviously had a cooler name that I can't remember. The shrimp were huge and awesome, but the spinachness was a bit of a disappointment. I'm not trying to claim that I know anything about Indian food, but I am sure there are better places out there, and I'd recommend venturing there before this place.
Neighborhood: Davis Square
Category: Indian
Somerville, MA
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Arlington Center
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Teele Square
Category: Indian
Somerville, MA
Category: Indian
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