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Nirvana Restaurant & Bar - CLOSED
Category: Restaurants Asian Fusion Asian Fusion [Edit]
544 Castro St(between 19th St & 18th St)
San Francisco, CA 94114
Neighborhood: Castro
(415) 861-2226
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
About This Business:
Butterfly offers exciting pan-Asian dishes, an award winning wine list, and a lively dining scene on the waterfront. Chef Robert Lam is committed to… read more »
482 reviews for Nirvana Restaurant & Bar
Review Highlights
"The onion bread, in particular, is most addictive."
(in 39 reviews)
"I loved the texture of the spinach noodles."
(in 35 reviews)
"The back patio is so cozy and inviting."
(in 38 reviews)
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482 reviews in English
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Review from Annalise F.
San Francisco, CA
1/28/2012
I can't believe I've never written a review of this place! I was so sure that I had! A friend of mine wants to go here this evening for her birthday celebration- and has been calling all week to make a reservation- but no one answers...
Dun. Dun. Dun. After some super sleuthing- it appears that Nirvana may be shutting down. Although I hate to begin the rumor mill- check this article out. http://sanfrancisco.gr...
If this is true- then my heart is broken. Nirvana was the first place in San Francisco that absolutely won me over. This restaurant is one of my favorites in our foggy city- so I hope it's just relocating and not gone for good.
For those of you who haven't been (and may still have a chance in the event it's open a little while longer) I highly recommend you go. The ambiance is wonderful- I especially like the back patio. Zen like. Calming. Delightful.
Wendell (the bartender) is my favorite. I've gone here a few times just for drinks and he's a ton of fun to talk to! (My boyfriend is naturally very talkative, those two could talk about drink concoctions for hours.)
I always order:
Watermelon Martini (So good!)
Grilled Baked Onion Bread (Addicting! Sweet, savory, and oh so melt in your mouth!)
Marinated Grilled Chicken (My go-to order)
I really hope Nirvana sticks around! Please don't go!!!! -
Review from Michael S.
Santa Rosa, CA
12/27/2011
This is by far one of my favorite restaurants in the city (and not only because it's on the Castro).
Nirvana is unique for a San Francisco restaurant in that it has "outdoor" seating. They've created an interesting oasis on the back patio that makes you almost forget you're even in the city. Inside seating is pretty limited, but I think it adds to the character of the restaurant: intimate but relaxed.
This is one of the few restaurants where I'll always try something new on the menu without going directly for a single favorite. The food is very enjoyable, I wouldn't consider it outstanding, but it certainly fills you up as the portions are pretty generous.
The price is reasonable, the ambiance is cozy, and the wait staff are super friendly.
If you're looking for a fun date spot I'd definitely recommend Nirvana. -
Review from jenny w.
San Francisco, CA
12/8/2011
For drinks, great! Especially on the patio.
Service was very friendly and eager to please.
But the food? Blech. Too sweet. We ordered 3 Asian-inspired dishes and I couldn't eat more than a few bites of any of them because they were smothered in sugary sauces. Not to my taste at all. Americanized, I bet.
I might come back with a friend who knows the menu better, or ask the owner to recommend things which are not so sweet. But it was bad enough that I have not been there again to eat, even though I live on the same block. Drinks have always been fine. -
Review from Beth M.
Wilmington, NC
2/5/2012
Heartbroken! Nirvana was one of my favorite places to eat in the City. Soooooooooooooooo bummed it's gone for good :( Here's a five-star rating for old time's sake.
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Review from Laura S.
San Francisco, CA
1/8/2012
Farewell, old friend. I am very sad to hear of your passing. Your onion bread and kama curry chicken noodle bowl were most delicious. Some of the best times of my mid twenties were spent here.
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Review from Nick B.
San Francisco, CA
11/1/2011
Have been going here for years being a Castro resident.
Best Thai in the city. Hands down
Best dishes: marinated chicken egg noodles, onion bread and Korean BBQ ribs (EFFING DELICIOUS) -
Review from Maranda S.
Walnut Creek, CA
1/2/2012
Excellent patio! Great place to hang out and relax. Tea leaf salad hit the spot! Was slightly bitter but was a treat!
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Review from Marie L.
Los Angeles, CA
1/26/2012
hands down my favorite restaurant in san francisco. i went there a lot with my boyfriend and my friends when i lived there and especially when i worked in the castro! everything is good from what i remember cannot wait to go eat there next time i am back in town visiting my family.
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Review from Christa K.
San Francisco, CA
12/18/2011
Delicious food, mediocre service
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Review from Pete S.
Mill Valley, CA
10/4/2011
Some things about Nirvana are really appealing.. overall decor, cozy patio, friendly service, happy hour bargains. OK a 2-dollar Corona with lime is a good start.
The calamari appetizer I had was just OK.. after a few bites, the batter was heavy as opposed to a light crunch. I had noodles with Thai chicken... noodle sauce was a little too sweet and had no depth.. a little smokiness could go a long way here.
It's not the kind of place I would jump on if a friend suggested it.. that's why I am amazed at the 5-star ratings here. Really? -
Review from Garett T.
7/24/2011
Eating in the outdoor patio, under the palm fronds with an old friend, was quite the delight today. Very delicious food -- I had their Kama Curry Chicken dish, served on Udon noodles with snow peas. It was quite a large dish, too, so there was plenty of it to have. I don't know if their lunch portions are smaller than their dinner plates, but I was well-fed just after noon!
Also had a good drink (aside from water), their Mojo Mojito. A tad pricey (cost slightly more than my food), but it lasted my entire stay. If I was to keep my order at just the food and water, my total trip could easily have been under $10.
Peaceful atmosphere, kind staff, and even some friendly patrons -- a few of them asked what my friend and I were having, very interested upon its arrival at our table. Awesome experience all around. -
Review from Edward W.
San Francisco, CA
9/20/2011
+ 20 mins late to reservation they still sat us outside
+outdoors was very pleasant and waiter arrived promptly to give us water and took our orders.
+When the food arrived it was of very good quality, mine was amazing and my gf's was good.
+Reasonable pricing, not something I could pay for every night though..
-All in all we had a pretty good experience, we probably will be back -
Review from Caryn S.
Alameda, CA
6/27/2011
Although I enjoy the food and the service is ok, the bathrooms were de-plorable. Disgusting. They opened at noon and we got there about 2-2:30p. It was clearly not cleaned from day before or not monitored. Really gross and a complete turn off.
Health issues???? -
Review from Mike R.
San Francisco, CA
Updated - 8/21/2011
Ok if I can update an update??? I will say to be more than fair, I think this place is trying to turn around. I like to go in from time to time, and it seems as though my review made a difference, and they are now staying open to honor their hours. The food took longer than it ever had before, (there was only 3 other tables seated) but in fairness a cook could have called in sick, theres a number of things that could have been out of their hands. If they continue to honor their hours I will keep going, There are not many sit down places open till 10 during the week. I beg you to PLEASE stay open untill your hours posted, (I get off work late) and I will be more than honored to eat here, and bring my friends. I don't drink, therefor I LOVE food and eat out every single night and loving it S.F. 8 years strong now!!
Truly delicious food, I get the thai style grilled chicken with Spinach noodles (yummy texture and flavor) and a mango lemon aid.
ALSO our waiter wrote down our order!!! I am not sure the trend that was going around "its impersonal for the server to write the order its much better for them to remember, as it makes the customers feel more special" B.S. if you "memorize" my order and I ask for something to be different, and it comes out wrong, it is IMPERSONAL that you would have gotten it correct had you not tried to impress me with your memory.
Thank you server for writing it down, I even thanked you at the table as you looked at me odd for emphatically praising you for doing so. Hey I am nuts, but at least I keep it real boo yaa!!!
Thanks Nirvana!!!!2 Previous Reviews: Show all »
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5/12/2011
So needed to update to keep it real:
Whata difference a year can make! This place is heading down… Read more »
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Review from angel s.
San Jose, CA
6/22/2011
Love this restaurant! Went here with family and friends for a birthday celebration and we were seated in the private room. The room made the evening very intimate; the lights were dim and the couches and pillows made everything so comfortable.
Food was delicious! We had samosas and pot stickers for starters. For the main course, I ordered the kamikaze steak noodles, which was marinaded in garlic and soy, cooked medium rare, placed over linguini, topped with basil. So good! Also, the portion was huge; enough for two people! For dessert, we shared the chocolate cake given to the birthday boy. Very rich and super yummy!
Mike was our server and he is so great; very attentive, nice, and friendly. Other staff were very nice and welcoming as well.
It was a great and lovely dinner! Would love to come back here and eat more kamikaze steak noodles :D -
Review from Rachel S.
Updated - 6/3/2011
This used to be my absolute favorite restaurant in San Francisco, so when I received some excellent news, I came here with my friends to celebrate.
We had a reservation and were seated right away and then...nothing. Definitely more than 10 minutes of just sitting there, waiting for someone to notice us, maybe come up and take our drink order...even greet us. The hostess kept walking by our table, but it was as if she was avoiding make eye contact with us, instead preferring to hover by as a useless, non-drink-providing, one-woman parade.
My boyfriend had to mean-mug one of the bartenders until they looked our way, and only THEN did the man who had been nonchalantly chatting up someone at the bar bother to come over and introduce himself as our waiter.
He was perfectly pleasant, and we were perfectly pleasant back (because let's face it, we've all seen Waiting and nobody wants a nasty surprise in their food). The chef must have noticed how long we had to sit there because when we ordered the Firecracker Soup, he hooked us up with an an extra bowl.
While I must say that the drinks are still superb and the Firecracker soup is outrageously good, I felt that all the entrees we ordered were just alright. Not nearly as amazing as I remember them being.
I'd probably come back here for drinks and just sit at the bar, since it seems like they're no longer investing in good table service.Listed in: Swirly Green Sugarbombs
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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11/30/2010
I honestly can't believe I haven't reviewed this place yet.
It's become my tradition to come here… Read more »
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Review from Ben T.
South San Francisco, CA
6/26/2011 1 Check-in Here
I came here for my friend's grad party brunch. Because he was hosting a party, he ordered bottomless mimosas for everyone (yes!) and that probably skews my review of this place favorably.
The Bodhi Lettuce cups were good and tasted very fresh, and a nice hint of Thai basil accents the flavors. I also sampled their sampler, and that was a good blend of spring rolls, samosas, and grilled onion bread. The sauces really complement the flavors well!
There's a nice outdoor patio in the back, and on that particular day it was really nice to just lounge outdoors. -
Review from Tony K.
San Francisco, CA
7/26/2011
I used to be a big fan of this place, but admittedly that's been years ago. I took an out of two (out of country) guest here last Friday night. This place did not represent me or the Castro well, and I won't be back any time soon.
The drink list hasn't changed since I moved here in 1997, I think. The service was ok, and I love the heated patio. But the food was not worth it. My friend had the 5-spice chicken, and I had the pagan prawns. Her dish looked over-cooked & over-seasoned. My shrimp were dry and over cooked. And both of our vegetables were limp and tasteless.
When I stepped to the bathroom, I was aghast and embarrassed when I saw how filthy it was. Paper towels and other trash was on the floor. And there was a noticeable film of dust on almost everything.
It's really ashamed. And I won't be back.
Save your money and find somewhere else to go... unless you want a drink and the chicken tortilla appetizers on the heated patio. -
Review from Thomas D.
San Francisco, CA
3/27/2011
There were six of us here for dinner tonight and everyone had the same reaction--we were not happy with the service.
It was clumsy and felt really diner-like. I'm sure though that she thought she was being very accomodating. It just didn't seem to work.
Me:
"We ordered a plate of tiger prawns and noodles to share as an appetizer. We asked you to bring it out before we had our entrees" (as she brought everything out at the same time.)
Waitress:
"Well, you got it all at the same time"
And then,
"Here. Pass this down to him" (as she stood at the head of the table handing out plates of food like a cafeteria lunch lady)
She finished service with:
"You wanna hand me your plate?" ( when she came back after we had finished eating)
The table filled up with empty cocktail glasses and beer bottles.
She didn't seem to see them even after I had collected all of them and put them at the head of the table. I had to ask her to remove the empty glasses so we had room for our dinner plates.
She made sure though that she added in her automatic tip due to servicing a table of six people.
The food wasn't bad--mediocre at best.
Not sure if I would try this restaurant again. -
Review from William C.
Oakland, CA
8/15/2011
Very tasty food and a very nice patio. The staff was friendly and kept my water glass filled at an expert rate (no small deal for a fellow like me, who imbibes liquid at an alarming rate).
That said, the food, while delicious, was not excellent or perfect, and I found myself desiring a little more for the price. -
Review from David F.
Pacifica, CA
11/13/2011
Great food, good attentive service.
Good ambiance.
Samosas were amazing!
Did not like and could not drink the Colada.
Good coffee with Baileys though.
Spinach noodle dish was excellent.
Ramen noodles with chicken I loved.
Would highly recommend this place. -
Review from Ka Lok L.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2011 1 photo
Came here last night for my girls birthday dinner. We had the private room in the back which was super cute and very secluded so it was nice. It fit us 6 very well. I'm not sure how it will fit a huge party. The service was amazing. Our waiter was a sweetheart. I wish I got his name, but whatever. ( HAHA! Got his name.. Julius, you were absolutely amazing! )
I got the kamikaze steak and it tasted... Not like what I expected. Actually, I'm not sure what I was expecting... It tastes like chow mein... It wasn't bad... Just wasn't to my liking.. :/
The drinks on the other hand was amazing! :) -
Review from Kevin M.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2011
Food 2 Stars; Service/location 4 Stars
Went here last night for a fund-raiser benefiting Pinoy Educational Partnership Program. The prices are cheap and service is nice, despite being chaotically busy, but the food really isn't very good. I woke up in the middle of the night with a stomach ache. -
Review from Robert M.
San Francisco, CA
6/13/2011
I've been a big fan for a long time. It's my favorite restaurant to visit when I'm in the neighborhood.
The food is always flavorful and delicious. I've tried all manner of appetizer and entree. My favorites are the short ribs and the kama curry chicken with spinach noodles. Mmm mmm.
Cocktails are tasty and potent.
There are some definite opportunities to improve on the service aspect, but generally I've been taken care of quite nicely. -
Review from David G.
San Francisco, CA
5/24/2011
The patio out back is a really great, relaxing place to enjoy some happy hour drinks (which prices run until 7 every day I believe). They have a pretty good on-tap selection, though the waitress didn't really seem to know much about what kind of beer was what.
The menu had some identity issues. I'm all for Asian Fusion, but samosas with salsa? "Japanese" noodles in an Indian curry sauce? Sure, it was filling, but in this city you can do far better than some noodles in sauce with vegetables on top when it comes to this sort of food. -
Review from Butch Q.
Santa Cruz, CA
10/8/2011 1 Check-in Here
Friendly service and tasty food. I haven't been disappointed yet.
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Review from Mike N.
San Francisco, CA
5/9/2011 28 Check-ins Here
Nirvana has a special place in my heart. A favorite in our circle of friends!
It has a wonderful, beautiful outdoor patio that always tickles our fancy. The food here is decent. The chefs are friendly and speak to you even when hustling and bustling in the kitchen. The staff here are cheery and nice, always willing to help. The bartender is really friendly and sweet, always sharing stories and making jokes. And the drinks... AMAZING. AND STRONG.
Pricing is decent, especially during Happy Hour.
If you want to go somewhere pleasant and have a great conversation over some good food and amazing drinks, Nirvana is it. -
Review from John J.
El Granada, CA
10/16/2011
Nirvana is not what it once was. It has become a lesser incarnation of its former self, understaffed yet limping along and hoping the tables of (apparently) unsuspecting guests will continue to drift in. The drinks we had were like watered-down kiddie versions of the once-potent concoctions served here. The food is still doable but tired. We started with an appetizer sampler (spring rolls, samosas, onion bread, dumplings) which was passable. For mains we ordered tiger prawns with noodles, and the spicy tofu/udon combo from the house special list. Both could have been served warmer, the seasonings a little more vibrant. The prawns were small and overcooked. The limited albeit friendly service was very slow, but we felt bad for the 2 servers as they obviously were doing the best they could. Won't be back anytime soon.
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Review from Art A.
San Francisco, CA
2/17/2011 1 Check-in Here
Food is ok. I enjoyed their bread and my partners pasta was pretty good. But, mine was bland and the other appetizers weren't great.
Service was good and I always appreciate a philanthropic restaurant! Although donating 10%? You know PEP brought in 50% more business than your typical Wed.. and over 10% more biz than a smashing weekend. I mean, you ran out of beer. FYI. I'm in no way related to PEP. I'm jussss sayin'. -
Review from Jon T.
Chico, CA
9/28/2011
Have been here many times before for cocktails which were delicious (mojitos and martinis!), and the staff is always super friendly always. For me that's a big plus and they are friendly enough to just sit and talk to. Recently went there for dinner and have to say I am very happy with their food. The flavors are on key and good for the price. If you like Asian food and Curry this is the place for you! I want to go back again so I can try some other things on the menu. I tried the Yellow Curry Chicken Udon and the Spring Rolls with a sweet chili dipping sauce. The atmosphere is awesome and if the weather is nice you need to sit on the back patio!
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Review from Alex C.
Manhattan, NY
12/25/2010
The food is just not good. The flavors are off, and the chicken dish I got tasted like rubber. Granted, the prices are pretty low but still not worth it. My friend Bill likes to take his date here because it's a merging of the West and East, clever but I wouldn't take my dates here. The service is generally pretty friendly though. One factor I can't criticize Nirvana on though is their drinks. The cocktails are very strong and pretty tasty. I guess you could go there just for drinks and ditch eating a meal.
There are better food places in the Castro; go to Brandy Ho's on 18th if you are in the mood for Asian.
~A -
Review from Nick C.
2/12/2011
3.5 STARS
Came here on a friend's recommendation for a date. When you first walk in the place has a warm atmosphere. It's not loud, and has nice decorations on the wall.
Overall the food was okay. Somethings are better than others. For instance, the Thai noodle dish with the grilled chicken...that was GOOD. But their Chicken with black beans and teriyaki glaze was a weird combination of flavors...and the chicken was more on the dry side. The somosas are pretty good...seeing as how I never had them before. -
Review from Joy B.
San Francisco, CA
5/21/2011
My 2nd time at this place today.
I remember enjoying my plate the first time and when I had to bring a friend from out-of-town for lunch, I thought of this place.
Great food and the server was nice and friendly. -
Review from Susan L.
San Francisco, CA
9/15/2011
Granted, we walked in without a reservation at about 6 pm on a summertime, Saturday evening - not their busiest time, to be sure. But the appetizer sampler was really tasty, our noodles were tasty and the waiter was attentive without being overly so. I'd love it if the bathroom wasn't so nasty -- did I mention 6 pm on a Saturday, not their busiest time? -- but the food & service were super.
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Review from Scott S.
9/10/2010
I've eaten many dinners at Nirvana. Indeed, in the earlier days when they first opened, I'd given them a 4 or even 5 stars. Now, this 1 star rating is for a restaurant that's a ghost of it's earlier glory.
We arrived at 8 pm and there were only a few diners eating. We were seated promptly and asked if we wanted any drinks. I immediately noticed that the menu which used to be fairly large and bound, is now one page. The restaurant itself has a careworn look about it. Tables are scratched, even dingy. The mirrors on the one wall are covered in a haze of grime, made more noticeable by the lights reflection on them. The cook's jacket was filthy and I'm guessing it wasn't because he'd been doing that much cooking one evening to make it look that bad.
We ordered samosa's as an appetizer, a favorite before. They came out over fried and very greasy. We hadn't finished one and our entrees came out as well. You used to have a choice of udon noodles, not any more.
My grilled chicken over udon noodles was just "meh" and the garnishes were missing too boot.
While we were dining, the waitress started to collect the salt and pepper shakers which looked grimy and were only half filled. When I see wait staff doing side work like that, it's sign to me that they want the diners to leave. Leaving them on a tray on the table next to us wasn't appealing.
So, farewell, Nirvana. You used to a place to bring guests and enjoy for good food. -
Review from Holly H.
San Francisco, CA
12/27/2010
The service was great, but the food was sub-par. Our server was really sweet, and very attentive, the drinks for happy hour were fine, but it doesn't make up for the mediocre food. A nice and cozy lounge area, a little on the cold side, and a heated patio. Just eat elsewhere if you are looking for good food. Loved our waiter though, big ol' sweetheart.
The dumplings will take a day or two to digest. -
Review from John R.
San Francisco, CA
12/13/2010
Dirty menus. Call me picky (it's my tagline), but I really dislike menus covered in the last few (or days of) customers' noodles. Then it's placed on top of your clean setting. Lovely. My stomach is a little delicate the day after, and I wouldn't be surprised if that's why.
The 'sexy sangria' cocktail was good - just the right amount of spirits so it was still a refreshing drink.
The spring roll starters were ok but mouth-burningly hot for pretty much the time it took for the entrees to arrive. I'm sure they made it in-house, but the filling had a 'pre-packed' taste and consistency.
I ordered 'irrawala' noodles, which wasn't so good. The chicken was bland and slightly unpleasant, like what you get if you pan fry cheap off-cuts of breast meat which were water fattened. It probably saw the seasonings in my dish at most 30 seconds before it arrived on the table. The sauce was over-seasoned - very salty, to the extent that I picked out the remaining ingredients trying to avoid it. I couldn't finish the dish, and that's rare for me. I tried some of my girlfriend's tofu based noodles dish - tasted nice, but also way over seasoned, much too sweet. Probably good for a few bites but I don't blame her for not finishing a full plate of it.
It's reasonably priced stuff, at least. The cocktails, or at least the one sample I had, were good. If you're coming here for food, I'm afraid I can't recommend it. -
Review from Gene T.
Rio Nido, CA
10/23/2011
We've dined here many times over the years but on a recent visit we experience the worst service ever. I only give it as many as 1 star because the food was passable and the atmosphere pleasant. My colleague took 45 minutes to get his drink, NO that's not a typo - we timed it! The Pinot we ordered was $9.50 a glass so we ordered a bottle after the waiter said it would cost $20 - we laughed and ordered it anyway - it was $30. The hostess came over to help the waiter, and gave us these excuses: "the owners are taking on partners to keep the restuarant going" later "we're going to re-do the restaurant in different theme and menu" and finally "two staff people had to take emergency vacations" LOL Nice atmsphere but a 1 hour wait for mediocre food and poor service is a bit much - we won't be back.
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Review from M S.
San Francisco, CA
4/7/2011
I love Nirvana! I have been coming here for 6 years and it is great. Yes, once in a while, the service is slow, but the food more than makes up for that. It's flavorful and cheap. You can get udon noodles topped with quality grilled chicken for $10. They also have some specialty cocktails and nice appetizers. I recommend the samosas.
But, my favorite part of this restaurant is the atmosphere. Inside is very cozy and is decorated with rich colors and modern Indian décor. On the outside covered patio is lots of foliage, water fountains and statues. Very peaceful. -
Review from Jon L.
It seemed so promising the moment we walked into Nirvana to check it out. The place was bustling with good chatter and the kitchen was busy with big displays of fire and wok acrobatics. Alas, the overall experience, while decent, failed to deliver upon the first impression.
The food isn't bad per se but over-sauced in my opinion. I had the Seafood noodles (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) which included scallops, prawns, calamari, and mussels with a curry coconut sauce over noodles. The seafood was relatively fresh and the noodles were cooked just right but that sauce was just too thick. My friend had the apricot-glazed pork and spinach noodles (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) which was good, except for the sauce again. This time round it was a case of too much sweetness. A real pity because the pork was nice and tender.
Service here was spotty. She started out almost surly but got nicer and friendlier as our meal progressed and we got closer to settling the check. Average all our interactions with her and she was decent.
I can see why Nirvana is popular with some folks and I might be back. It's an inexpensive place to grab some food with a lot of flavor (perhaps too much) before you head down the street for a night of drinking. I think some subtlety in the sauces will do it good though.
