Columbus runs Indian food across the whole map, from Short North rooms with tandoor lists to strip-mall counters where the lunch buffet is the entire pitch. This lineup covers North and South Indian kitchens, halal storefronts and a wine-paired tasting room, organized by what actually lands on the plate rather than the label on the door.
№ 01
Layla's Kitchen Indian Restaurant
$$
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Butter chicken and saag paneer anchor a menu built for a quiet dinner, with low light and booth seating that suit a slower pace. The biryani draws repeat orders, and service leans warm on walk-ins. Delivery through third-party apps has drawn more mixed notes than dine-in, so a table here reads as the stronger bet.
What to orderbutter chicken, saag paneer, biryani
№ 02
Indian Oven
$$
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Garlic naan comes out consistently strong here, praised alongside a chilli chicken that plays as a starter and an entree both. The tikka platter covers the tandoor range in one order, and the lunch special has built a following among regulars who treat this as their standing Indian order in the city.
What to ordergarlic naan, chilli chicken, tikka platter
№ 03
Haveli Bistro
$$
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Tandoori shrimp headlines a tandoor-forward menu with gluten-free items clearly labeled, useful for mixed-diet tables. Tuesday nights run loud with group bookings, a sign the room turns over well for parties of six or more. The buffet has drawn sharper criticism than the a la carte tandoor plates, so order off the menu.
What to ordertandoori shrimp, tandoori chicken, saag paneer
№ 04
New India Restaurant
$$
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Onion bhaji and chicken curry lead a menu built around dietary labeling done right, gluten-free and vegetarian marked clearly on the to-go menu. Service runs attentive and orders come out on time. The one flag: occasional unannounced closures, so a call ahead beats a wasted trip on the wrong day.
What to orderOnion Bhaji, Chicken Curry, Samosa
№ 05
Awadh | India Restaurant
$$
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Dal tadka and navratan korma travel well, arriving warm and properly packed for delivery, a rarer trait than it should be. The doi mahi mahi stands out as the dish worth ordering in person. A newer opening on the list, it has already built a following among diners who order Indian food regularly.
What to orderdal tadka, navratan korma, doi mahi mahi
№ 06
Aab India Restaurant
Grandview Heights $$
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Tikka masala and a rotating lunch buffet make the case here, with a room clean enough to notice and staff who check in without hovering. The buffet draws some pushback on price relative to portion, but the a la carte curry and dal orders get steadier praise. Good for a family dinner or a solo lunch.
What to orderTikka Marsala, Chicken Curry, Dal
№ 07
Clove Indian Bistro - Restaurant & Catering
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Tandoori chicken and saag paneer built enough of a following that regulars order this ahead of dine-in elsewhere, mostly through takeout. The biryani holds up in transit, and the lunch buffet gets flagged as worth returning for even by dinner-only visitors. Staff draw consistent notice for friendliness on quick orders.
What to ordertandoori chicken, saag paneer, biryani
№ 08
Cumin & Curry
$$
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The lunch buffet is the reason to know this address, set in a strip plaza near the Easton shopping district with easy parking and a paneer selection that draws repeat visits. Paneer tikka masala and dal makhani anchor the steam table, and service moves fast enough for a workday lunch without feeling rushed.
What to orderpaneer tikka masala, chicken tikka masala, dal makhani
№ 09
Dosa Corner
$
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Masala dosa arrives crisp with flavorful accompanying sauces, the reason this counter gets singled out among South Indian options in the city. Idli and a cold mango lassi round out a menu that runs lighter and more specific than the North Indian curry houses nearby. Prices stay reasonable for the portion size.
What to ordermasala dosa, mango lassi, idli
№ 10
Dakshin Indian Bistro
$$
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Dosa and curry come with a lunch special generous enough that diners plan meals around it, and portions run large across the board. The room reads casual rather than formal, and service gets flagged as a standout even by regulars who already rate the food highly. A dependable weeknight option.
What to orderlunch special, dosa, curry
№ 11
Rooh Columbus | Indian
$$$
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Dosa, biryani and tandoori chicken anchor a menu built for a slower, special-occasion dinner, with a wine dinner series that has paired Duckhorn Vineyards bottles against a four-course tasting format. A weekend brunch service adds another reason to book ahead. This is the room for an anniversary rather than a weeknight stop.
What to orderdosa, biryani, tandoori chicken
№ 12
TIKKA ๐ KABAB- Halal Restaurant
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Butter chicken and tandoori chicken come made to order, with the owner working the kitchen and the storefront carrying the smell of fresh spice into the dining area. Seating is limited to a couple of tables, so this reads as a takeout-first stop. Delivery orders have drawn more inconsistent feedback than eating on site.
What to orderButter Chicken, tandoori chicken, naan
Frequently asked
What is the best Indian restaurant near me in Columbus?
It depends on which side of the metro is closer. Indian Oven and Cumin & Curry cover the east side and Easton area with strong lunch buffets, while Dosa Corner and Rooh sit closer to the Short North and downtown corridor. Check the Insider Score on each listing, since no restaurant pays for placement here.
Which Columbus Indian restaurant has the best lunch buffet?
Cumin & Curry, Aab India Restaurant and Clove Indian Bistro all run buffets that draw repeat customers, with Cumin & Curry's paneer selection and easy Easton-area parking getting the most consistent praise. New India Restaurant's regular dine-in menu is worth trying too, though its buffet hours have been less predictable.
Where can I find South Indian dishes like dosa in Columbus?
Dosa Corner specializes in it, with masala dosa, idli and mango lassi as the core order. Dakshin Indian Bistro and Rooh Columbus also serve dosa alongside broader North Indian menus, so they are worth considering if a table wants both styles in one visit.
Is there a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Columbus?
No. Ohio has no Michelin coverage, so no Columbus restaurant of any cuisine carries a Michelin rating. Local authority here comes from the Insider Score shown on each listing, built from the review record rather than any paid placement.
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The data first, then the verdict
We start with the review record, not a press release. Every room here is a real kitchen with a strong rating across a meaningful number of reviews, ranked on our 10-point Insider Score. We weight consistency over time and the rooms locals return to, not the ones tourists pass through once. The list updates as the data does. How we work →
Tommy Vu
Staff Writer ยท Top of Columbus
Tommy Vu is the Corridors and Heritage Editor at Top of Columbus. He grew up rolling silverware in his parents' pho shop in a Bethel Road plaza and has been eating his way through the city's strip-mall corridors ever since. If the best kitchen in the plaza has handwritten specials taped to the register, he has already ordered them.
