Best Indian Food in Denver: How to Pick a Great Indian Restaurant

Denver has more Indian restaurants than ever, and most of their menus look identical: butter chicken, tikka masala, saag, biryani, naan. So how do you figure out which ones are actually good before you've eaten there? A few details give it away.

1. There's a real tandoor

A tandoor is a clay oven that runs extremely hot. It's what gives naan its blistered char and tandoori chicken its smoky edge. If the naan is pale and perfectly shaped, it probably came frozen. Our naan guide explains how to tell.

2. The vegetarian section is more than an afterthought

Indian food has an enormous vegetarian tradition. A restaurant with just one vegetable curry and one dal isn't cooking from that tradition. A good sign is a separate vegan section, since vegetarian and vegan aren't the same thing when ghee and cream are involved.

3. The biryani is layered, not mixed

Real biryani is cooked in a sealed pot with the meat layered inside the rice. If the rice is clumpy and the curry is just stirred through, that's a shortcut. More in our biryani guide.

4. The menu has some personality

The classics should be there, but the best places cook something of their own too. For us, that's Nepali food like momo and choila, a Jamaican goat curry, and Colorado lamb and trout.

5. Spice levels are honest

Vindaloo should be hot. Butter chicken should be mild. If everything tastes the same, the kitchen is using one base sauce for everything.

6. People come back

Reviews help, but repeat visits tell you more. One guest wrote that they came three times in a week. That's the kind of review we like best.

Where to start with us

If you're new to Denver Curry House, try butter chicken with garlic naan, a plate of momo, and one thing you've never heard of. If you're not sure what to order, our first-timer's guide helps. For the bigger picture, see why Denver diners pick us.