All India Cafe - Best Indian Restaurant in Pasadena

I would give it four stars if it was not for some issues. I was at the restaurant yesterday for lunch with my family, we ordered three thalis and a lamb naan. 1. The kebabs were not at all soft and melt in the mouth type, in fact they were hard and had to be cut into pieces. 2. The rice served was cold, Indian food is always piping hot. 3. The layered paratha was just a tough naan. A paratha is normally loaded with ghee as that is what makes it flaky/layered. 4. A 'tea chai' was priced at over $5!!!! ( It's chai, which means tea). 5. We showed them the menu pamphlet and asked for what THEIR offer said....a 10% discount on the entire order, this was not given at the time of paying the bill. It was given only when pointed out to them. Why is that so?? It's disappointing to know that the restaurant owners take advantage of ignorant people. We were the only Indians there for lunch.

Busy night in Pasadena due to a huge concert at the Rose bowl. Restaurants were very busy. Arrived here on time and found a great table, clean, inviting and warm ambiance. I have a severe gluten allergy, thankfully this place saved my night. We had a delightful dinner with drinks after visiting the Norton Simon museum. See you soon. ✨

We ordered the Baigan bharta (eggplant puree) , raita (yogurt side, kachumber (cumber side), rice and garlic Naan. Every dish was full of flavor just like I enjoy my food. Absolutely a must go if you are in the mood to waken your taste buds and savor spices.

We came to try their dine LA menu. It is worth the price. The food was good but not the best Indian restaurant I have tried.

Great food, the owners are great too, plus the staff is very helpful! When I was in LA, I never felt like I left home back in India when I was at this café. You gotta let 'em know though “make it Indian style” to get the real taste however - it’s not hot but it’s really flavorful!

Worst service I’ve ever experienced. Walked in on a busy day and, as expected, the restaurant was completely full. We asked the host for a table for five, fully expecting a wait-time estimate or to be added to a waitlist. Instead, he looked visibly annoyed, scanned the room (as if we couldn’t already see it was full), shrugged, and said there were no empty tables. That was it. No courtesy, no explanation, no attempt at basic hospitality. When we had to ask how long the wait would be, he reluctantly said “30 minutes to an hour” in the most unenthusiastic tone, followed by yet another shrug. He never once offered to put our name on a waitlist. This level of dismissiveness is unacceptable, especially in a service-driven industry. The staff clearly needs proper training in basic customer service and communication. We left frustrated and took our business elsewhere.

We eat Indian food a lot and this place is the best! We loved the ambiance with the option to sit on cushions at a floor table. Our server was so sweet and accommodating. And most importantly, the food was AMAZING. Like I said, we eat Indian food all the time. We don’t live in this neighborhood but will be coming back and bringing our kids.

From the delicious, fresh food to the fantastic customer service - my boyfriend and I had the best time here! Really nice environment inside too, such a nice place to pop in for lunch. Happy to have found it and can’t wait to come back! (The dahi potato puri is my new favorite!)

August 8, 2025 | Pasadena | I love Indian food!While in the area and craving a bite, the DineLA menu for All India Cafe caught my eye! Colorful decor, tasty bites and a full-on feast was greatly appreciated! The menu offered options galore! Score! Palak Paneer & Nirvana Tofu | Rich in color & tasty! One dish definitely had flavor that stood out over the other, though also good! Plenty of rice arrived with the dishes on a silver round platter! Garlic Naan | Delicious & plentiful! I would easily order again! Chai Tea | I enjoyed each sip! Perfectly hot & delicious! The tea paired perfectly alongside the meal! Samosas | Uniquely shaped & tasty, filled with veggies, alongside both dipping sauces! Gulab Jamun | Dessert | Syrup-y deliciousness, got it to go! Salad | I absolutely love salad, but the salad was not memorable and was a bit warm. Decor | Lively & I nearly sighed once I stepped inside, very pretty! There was so much to see, from the floor to the ceiling! There was an image of the Taj Mahal plastered on the wall, sequin umbrellas hanging from up above, elegant lamps radiating mood lighting, and beautiful flowers on each table, alongside a gold lamp, which made the menu even easier to see! Customer Service | Super friendly from the moment we stepped in, throughout & up until the moment we left! Service was attentive with a smile! Thanks again to our server, Sheila! She was so sweet! Overall: My friend & I enjoyed our meal! There was so much food!! Thanks to DineLA for introducing me to a new Indian restaurant! I'm glad I tried it this place!

Don't bother dining in this location. I waited 30 mins to receive my check whilst NO ONE ELSE WAS IN THE RESTAURANT. The guys were just on social media on their phones LOUDLY. The Arcadia one is better in terms of service and food.

Came here on a Monday for the DineLA dinner special. There was no wait at 6pm so got seated immediately. I'm close by so walked here but you can usually find paid parking structures or street parking. We went with the dinner special which included a choice of appetizer of samosa or aloo tiki so we got one of each. For entree we got the tikka masala and tandoori chicken. For veggie we got the aloo gobi and palak paneer. It comes with naan and rice as well. For dessert we both went with the gulab jamun. The tikka masala was pretty diluted so it wasn't really that great and the tandoori chicken was super dry. Overall the entrees were really mediocre. The only ok things were the naan and gulab jamun which is not worth it enough to make a trip back. Service was also just ok and ambiance was not the best. We were seated right next to a bug zapper so not ideal. Overall wouldn't come back based on that experience and quality of the food was really subpar.

The food is really really good here!!! One of the best Indian foods I've had by far! We ordered the chicken biryani, naan, and chicken tikka which were all very delicious!!!!! They offer a big selection of food on their menu. We were helped out right away and food came out pretty quickly 10-15mins but there was only one other couple. This place is very nice for a date night, clean, lots of decorations, and lots of seating inside and couple tables outside on the sidewalk. This is a must try if you like Indian food or wanting to try it for a first time. I'll definitely be going back!

Four of us shared the Fun for 2 "Veggie Lovers" which included a choice of three selections, and includes 2 samosas, rice and order of Nan, and dessert. Our selections were the Aloo Mattar, Navaratan Korma, Shahi Paneer We ordered extra orders of samosas, Garlic Nan and an entree of Bartha (eggplant) and Tofu tiki masala. I had a chai, everything was well prepared and service was attentive. I got the homemade ginger ice cream to go, as it's included in the fun for 2. No one else wanted dessert. The ice cream was so flavorful I'm still thinking about it! If you can avoid the closest parking structures, I'd advise parking further away and walking. The structure getting in and leaving was a nightmare, but not a reflection on the dining experience. I think out the door with tip the bill was under $120, we didn't have any alcohol. So a good value for dining out.

Negatives - Did delivery. I didn't realize it was powered through GrubHub - $20 in fees! Strangely the actual item prices were cheaper than on Uber eats. And they sent me a $5.75 Perrier instead of still water. The chicken mango was more like chicken curry with a few bits of mango that didn't look super great. Chicken was white meat but fatty. I wasn't expecting it to be so liquidy. I normally get chicken tikka masala so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Positives - Delicious samosas! Strange shape but truly lovely. Naan was tasty. They had chai on the menu.

I am not usually a big fan of Indian food but when we visited All India on the Melting Pot Old Pasadena food walking tour all of the foods we tried were delicious! The garlic naan was yummy, chicken dish and fries were great! We met the owner/manager of this location and he was was so nice and suggested coming back for their ice cream which is house made with fresh ingredients. The restaurant is cute there is seating both inside and outside.

I had always walked past this place a few times, and glad I finally gave it a chance! The food there is actually good! I was most amazed by their pani puri shots and saag paneer. Pani puri shots were flavorful yet refreshing. Another one that I liked was their mango lassi. It was not too sweet for me unlike other places. I also tried a few of their dishes such as Butter Chicken and Coco de Pasta which I thought were not bad. Also, shoutout to their service! Everyone was very nice and kind! The atmosphere of the place is a bit dark, but it gives off intimate vibes for those who enjoy such vibes! The one thing I did not quite like was their samosas. The outside was too thick and it was more of hard than crispy. Another thing is the parking. Since it is located in Old Town Pasadena, parking can be quite a hassle.

Thank you, Karan! Such great service and food- we loved the butter chicken, tikka masala, and nirvana curries

Satisfying weekend lunch at All India Cafe. We came to dine during lunch time on a Sunday afternoon, the restaruant was not very busy at this time so no worries on getting a table or not. We put a reservation ahead just in case, but no need. The interior of the restaurant feels very homey and created a unique atmosphere. Mixed chutney was good, but some were a little on the sweet side, and the pani puri was served on a cute cart. Loved the garlic naan, and the chicken Keebabs were delicious.

Very cute, cozy and lovely restaurant. I liked all the color, art and decor. Servers were nice. I had the panipuri, which were delicious. I had the chicken tikka masala and that was not as flavorful as I thought it would be. Okay, I'll just say it was bland. I was surprised chutney was extra cost. I thought those are just meant to just be on the table. Everything was a cost. Even the papadam. It's kinda like going to a Mexican place and being charged for chips and salsa.

What a delicious dinner! My hubby and I came here for dinner and I would highly recommend you come and checkout this family owned business. It was obvious, they value great service and creating delicious food for their customers. We had the butter chicken and the samosas... seriously some of the best Indian food I've eaten in a long time. I can't wait to come back!

This was our second time. The family that runs this magical place is lovely and very welcoming! Incredible Indian food, especially their naan. Spicy and scrumptious! Good bar too. You can't miss here.

The food is amazing, my favorite was Nirvana dish, which is a vegan based dish that tasted so delicious. The garlic pita bread is to die for. So delicious, I am thankful to have found this restaurant.

Came here for Dine LA, with my friend and so glad I did. I've been wanting to try this place for a while now. There's indoor and outdoor seating. I love the charm of the restaurant indoors with all the decor. Service was a bit slow, but they were really nice and the restaurant was clean. The menu included a sampler of many items - The stand out items was the Fish Masala - basically a chicken tikka masala but with fish and wow I was surprised how much i liked it! I'm not sure what kind of fish it was though but it was delicious. The Nirvana Tofu was so good too, I'm usually a palak paneer girl but I really loved how flavorful the Nirvana tofu was. I chose Garlic Naan and Kheer as my dessert - It's like a cinnamon rice pudding. Overall, I loved everything we tried - and will definitely be back when I have my cravings. Enjoy!

Great spot! We were there for dinner last night and had a chai, garlic naan, saag paneer, chicken biriyani, and their ice cream sampler that came with ginger and pistachio ice cream plus mango sorbet. The food was good, fun ambiance, servers were attentive, the owner is nice and friendly. He explained that they made their ice creams in house. They were delicious! Very special. I will also say that the food is not heavily salted and my spouse and I both appreciated that. We'll be back to try other dishes :)

Terrible. Ordered the Paneer Pakora and it was cold and tasted like cardboard, so bad. The samosas were decent, that was their saving grace. But other than that, everything else was thrown straight in the garbage. Waste of money, I would recommend going anywhere else but here.

I have nothing to say but great things about this restaurant. I am so glad to find an indian restaurant close to home. Bonus points that I could bring my dog and sit outside. I ordered pani puri, tandoori wings, Kachumber, chicken tikka masala, samosas, garlic naan and basmati rice. I have to mention that I spilled the "water" for the pani puri. A gentleman came up to our table and addressed the situation. He came back with a whole new carafe for the pani puri. During our meal, I witnessed the owner provide food and a drink to transients on two separate occasions! She was so nice and friendly to these people. Later on our meal, she came to our table and struck up a conversation. She explained that feeding the less unfortunate is natural for her. I was so touched by this and was teary eyed. The only advice I have is to cook the tandoori wings longer. Our order was not fully cooked and a bit bloody. Also, I am excited to try their version of spicy because the tikka masala (med spicy) was not spicy at all.

Lunch special is the perfect amount of food! Their salad was delicious as the rice and I ordered an upcharge of roti. Delicious curries and a really good price! Quite impressed with this restaurant. Good service, very friendly and nice. I loved sitting by the window to watch people go by. Nice place I am looking forward to coming back!

Amazing restaurant, amazing food, and amazing service (especially our wonderful server KARAN)! This is one of the best Indian restaurants I've been to in Pasadena. The menu offered a good variety of foods. The service was quick and friendly, and the outdoor seating was nicely lit and had plenty of room for me, my gf, and our dog!

The food and atmosphere are great, my wife and I both got lunch specials which were a good value. Our server Karan was accommodating and very nice!

This was hands down the best Indian food i've ever had !!! :D the inside is so aesthetically pleasing, the tables were decorated in a romantic way and everything was delicious. We had some mango yogurt drink with our meals which paired really well. Parking around here is tricky ! make sure to read the signs! The people here were kind a although there wasn't a lot of interactions (we didn't mind).

I was staying at a hotel in the area, had a dosa craving and was excited to see it on their menu. I honestly can't believe they're serving what I received as masala dosa. It was SO disappointing that it made me mad. The dosa itself was much too thick, not thin and crisp as it should be, the batter had no flavor--as though they didn't ferment it-- and the whole thing was unevenly cooked. Making dosa is a real skill so that on its own would have been okay. But the potato filling was vastly under-seasoned and not spiced. Did they even put spices? Or salt? It had some turmeric but was so so bland. What was just plain irritating was the sambar. It didn't even taste like it had any tamarind or sambar powder. No tartness at all. Also under-salted. The coconut chutney was a watery mess that must have come out of a jar. Honestly--they should take this off the menu if they care so little. It's not as though one can't google a proper recipe and at least get the filling and sambar to taste like they come from the same continent as India. I'd be less harsh but there's no way they aren't aware. What's sad is that someone unfamiliar will think that's what a dosa is, never order it again and miss out on what is one of the world's most satisfying and flavorful meals when prepared properly. Perhaps their other food is good, but this was so bad I can't see returning.

This lovely restaurant offers just the most amazing, unique, perfectly delicious and delectable dishes!! Not to mention, the service is outstanding! My gfs and I stayed for four hours and they continued to check on us without giving us any pressure to order more! The music, the decor, everything made us feel like we were no longer in Pasadena and although the traffic from OC with over an hour drive still made every bite and minute spent there worthwhile!! I will definitely return

The curry was delicious and the garlic naan was amazing--fresh, flavorful, and perfectly cooked. I'll definitely be coming back here again!

Every dish we ordered was bursting with flavor and expertly created. My favorite entred were the Aloo Mattar and the Tandoori platter. But, what I can't stop thinking about is the desserts! (I have a major sweet tooth). We had Kheer, Gaajar Halwa and the ginger Kulfi.... I honestly can't tell you which one I loved more. What made our experience even more special was the owner, who took the time to come to our table and check on us. His genuine enthusiasm for the menu was infectious, and he offered us great recommendations, sharing his personal favorites. It felt like we were dining with a friend rather than just another customer. Overall, All india cafe exceeded our expectations in every way. We can't wait to return for another round of amazing food and to catch up with the wonderful owner who made our visit so memorable! Highly recommended!

Beautiful ambiance and the service was warm welcoming. The food is very authentic and fresh. Each dish is made to order and comes out beautifully plated. I'll definitely be back.

We got take-out from here. We got a chicken tikka masala thali which came with regular naan, daal, rice, raita, and aloo gobi. The tali came with a lot of food. The chicken was flavored well and the naan was large. The raita was on the sweet side which was a bit disappointing but we liked everything else. We also got paneer makhni and garlic naan. The paneer had mushroom in it which was different but tasty. They also gave a good bit of paneer which was creamy. They didn't ask what spice level we wanted so the flavors were all on the mild side but generally tasty. We've had trouble finding a good take out spot for Indian food but would go here again.

I saw an Instagram post about Indian Cafe food. Here I'm lol.. The food was so good especially the Butternut Chicken... Look at the pictures. The service was wonderful very attentive and I got free rice pudding for checking in at yelp. The server explained the food to us, very informative. The Ambiance is nice, Indian music and cute decorations.. The restrooms are very clean. The bad part is that you need to pay for parking, but it's worth it. Recommended it.

We walked in on a Tuesday for dinner; I'd say around 5ish and there was no wait we were seated right away. We were greeted within seconds. We ordered the Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori Chicken, Basmatti Rice, Mixed Vegetables and Garlic Nann- this was just enough for a couple- the perfect amount, since it was a family serving type menu. The flavors and spices combined were AMAZING. I can appreciate when the cooks recreate the chefs exact recipes. The price was reasonable. The ambiance is casual and family friendly (kids too) customer service was flawless, attentive and friendly. We will definitely be back for more!

When my boyfriend and I got there there was no one else in the restaurant and after being seated they took 10 minutes to even come over and bring us water. Food tasted frozen and wasn't that great. A table of two that came in 20 minutes after us even got their food before us. Just a very unfriendly staff and not worth the money.

We got Chicken curry lunch and Lamb curry lunch! Both were so delicious and service was great! Our server Simram was very attentive and friendly:)! Ambiance was very festive and friendly.

The food is really good, and desserts too!! (ginger ice cream is a must) Chicken Tikka Masala is delicious, it is served with good proportions. Nice place and great customer service. Is one of my favorite places with excellent location to take a walk afterwards.

I've been here twice and both times I've had delicious food and excellent service. All India Cafe is not fine dining. Very nice and accommodating staff welcome you into a homey family restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating.They have two relatively clean restrooms. I enjoyed the chicken Frankie, chicken biriyani and chicken Marsala lunch specials. Marsala fries are a yummy appetizer to share with the table. Delicious fresh naan and fluffy rice comes with some meals. If you like experimenting with Indian flavors, the street food menu offerings are fun trips down the spice road!

Delicious Indian food and excellent service! We've been visiting this place (and other locations, too) for years, so tried everything on the menu! All tastes delicious, flavorful and fresh. Highly recommend visiting!

We eat Indian food a lot and THIS is the spot! Incredible food, great service, amazing ambiance, loved the floor tables with cushions. We can't wait to come back and bring our kids.

their specialty drinks are definitely worth trying! everything about our meal was so good, and the service was so great. i was so amused by all the decorations to where it made me want to book a trip to india

Good food, nice ambiance ! We ordered chicken curry , paneer makhani , garlic naan , roti and Sev Poori. Everything tasted good and fresh.

Very difficult to find good Indian food in LA. They have maintained very good test and flavors for last 10+ years. Samosa, paneer dishes, and tandoori shrimp are really good. Their palak paneer is one of the best ones. Dessert menu also good.

I brought my friend here to celebrate her birthday- I don't eat meat & Indian food usually has many veg options. We ordered; Mango lassi 10/10 Saag paneer 8/10 Alo mattar 8/10 Naan 8/10 Lemon drop martini 7/10 The ambiance is cute, the staff was okay- only offering meat options when we asked for their suggestions. The food could stand to be more flavorful

Yesterday I was in Pasadena for work when I was craving some Indian food. I went on yelp and I found all India café so I thought to myself I need to try this place. This restaurant was very busy during lunch so come early or call ahead. The food was absolutely amazing. It's so much art and decoration inside this place felt like you were in India. The food is really good. The server recommended me a few items so I took pictures of all of them. I really love the garlic nan. Next time I'm in Pasadena I will definitely come back. You should go check it out if you're reading this review.

Almost one month ago, I was in the Pasadena area and took the opportunity to get some Indian foods at All India Cafe. My daughters love their Chicken Masala and so do I. I also ended up getting their Chicken Biryani (low spice) and Garlic Naan Bread, too, just to try them out. Everything was delicious! Portions could have been bigger though especially for the Chicken Masala. Prices are on the higher end, but hey, we're in Pasadena so it's a given. Staff was very friendly. Love the interior decor... so cozy and romantic! Great place to bring a date. Will definitely be back to try their other foods. Happy Eating!

Super delicious food (the tandoori chicken was like crack!) and cute decor with super friendly staff. Malai kofta + garlic naan = Homemade mango ice cream is also amazing!!

Came here on a busy Friday night and was floored by how incredible the food was! Our server was extremely friendly, and helped us decide on which dishes to try out. We had an amazing Indian street food slider, and some lamb masala, chicken Jalfrezi, saffron rice, and garlic naan. Everything tasted 10/10! It was a little busy, and it was clear they were understaffed as it was also Diwali, so we felt it was more than understandable given the holiday & the fact it was Friday night. We will definitely be back again! Also, this place gets an A+ for atmosphere! Beautiful lighting, Bollywood Movies playing on the tvs - it's a fun, unique vibe worth checking out.

The only Indian place in the San Gabriel that I consistently come back to and know that the service and food will be great every time Simerian up front gave the best recommendation for dessert and relay's information on what matches best together. Come here for home made food

All India Cafe was friendly and very yummy ! I recommend for lunchtime or dinner . Can't wait to come back.

I ordered pick-up from the Pasadena location this evening. Ordered Tandoori Platter, Tandoori Wings, Samosas, and Lentil Cracker. An easy pick-up and payment. The food tasted very good, I wish they would have given more than 2 pieces of the Lentil cracker. I had a Yelp check-in promo for a free dessert. I chose the Kheer. Street parking for pick-up. Garage parking around the corner. Rating: 4 Stars

All India Cafe may just have the best Indian food in SGV! Don't be fooled by the name. I have found myself coming back often in the past couple of weeks for dinner. The interior features dim lighting and a candle on each table, so there is a really cozy vibe to the restaurant. What we ordered: 1. Lamb Tikka Masala - The lamb is so tender, and the tikka masala is incredibly flavorful. It is creamy and tomato-ey (if that makes sense) 2. Chicken Korma - The chicken is very juicy and tender. As for the curry, it tastes like the milder version of the tikka masala. It is less heavy but still very flavorful 3. Cheese Naan - The inside is filled with cheese (mozzarella taste and texture). The naan is pillowy soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. This order comes with chutney. I got the mango one which is my favorite. It really helps cut the heaviness of everything and adds a nice sweet flavor to contrast the saltiness of the curry, making for the perfect bite :) I have tried the mint one before too since it is apparently their most popular one. It also adds a bit of freshness, but the flavor is not as present when eating it with the curries. 4. Garlic Naan - This one is a classic. The naan is again soft on the inside and crispy on the outside. Tastes really good when you dip it in the curry. A must-order when you come! 5. Butter Chicken (not pictured) - This dish is absolutely delicious! The chicken is so tender and the sauce is spiced perfectly. Used to only eat the one from Trader Joe's but this is of course 100x better The servers are pretty attentive usually. Overall, definitely my favorite place to go when I crave Indian food. Would highly recommend!!

I always have delicious from this place. And the mango lassi is wonderful when I'm not stuffed with all the other dishes.