Clove & Cardamom Restaurant

This is my first time trying Indian food and the experience did not disappoint. I came in right before 2 PM and I was the only person in the restaurant. I got a mango drink, which was purely mango and ice and it was very refreshing and delicious. I got a chicken dish that had gravy with onions and bell peppers and I got the garlic bread, which was very delicious! The chicken had a slight kick with a warm flavor, which was very hearty. The restaurant let me know their first customer of the day and they offered me a delicious dessert that I can only describe as the best cornbread I’ve ever had the waiter described it as “honey balls”. Two small little balls with a cornbread light texture and taste soaked and a honey syrup!! DELISH! Would definitely recommend the ambience of the restaurant is very nice and comfortable feeling and the service was great as well

I stopped by alone and had one of the most glorious meals of my life. Everyone was polite and gracious. I will return again with my lady. The food was the most delicious thing in town. I had the mango chicken curry with basmati rice and garlic naan. It melted in my mouth and I could still taste it an hour later. This restaurant knows flavor. 🖤

Five Stars A Flavor-Packed Experience from Start to Finish! I had the absolute pleasure of dining at this trendy Indian cuisine spot, and let me just sayit did not disappoint. From the moment I walked in, the service was warm, attentive, and seamless. The staff made me feel welcome and guided me through the menu with thoughtful recommendations. Now, let’s talk about the food… WOW! Every dish was bursting with rich, bold flavors that danced on my taste buds. From the perfectly spiced curries to the fresh naan and vibrant chutneys, each bite was a celebration of taste and tradition with a modern twist. You can tell the kitchen puts love and creativity into every plate. This place isn’t just a restaurant; it’s an experience. Whether you’re a fan of Indian cuisine or just starting to explore it, this gem absolutely delivers. I’ll definitely be back, and I’ll be bringing friends.

We came in on a Saturday around noon. The atmosphere was amazing, great music. Only one other table was occupied but as we dined other people started trickling in. Sabe took great care of us from the time we walking in the door to the time we walked out. The staff was patient and attentive to our questions and requests. The food was GREAT! Very flavorful but not spicy (I’m not a fan of spicy food). All around great experience and I will be back!!

Took my uncle here to celebrate his 80th birthday. He got the non-veg thali lunch special platter - which was a large amount of food. He really enjoyed it and took home leftovers. I got the tikka masala lunch special platter, and when there was a mixup with the kitchen between the lunch platter and the regular tikka masala entree, the staff corrected it right away. They also gave my uncle a slice of cheesecake with a candle for his birthday. Overall an excellent experience!

Clove & Cardamom serves up an unforgettable experience from the moment the sizzling platter hits the table. The mixed grill was a total showstopper—tender, juicy meats packed with layers of bold spices and a perfect char. Every bite had that rich, smoky flavor you want from a proper tandoor. The presentation was stunning, and you could tell each piece was marinated with care. From creamy malai chicken to the spicy seekh kebabs, everything was cooked to perfection. It’s the kind of meal that fills your belly and satisfies your soul. Highly recommend for anyone craving high-quality Indian cuisine with serious flavor.

Clove and Cardamom is a hidden gem worth visiting. Its diverse menu include wide variety appetizers, mocktails, flavored lassi, and sizzling platter. The restaurant has a cozy, neighborhood-gem feel, making it perfect for special occasions or casual dinners. The interior dining space is comfy, and the staff is friendly. The staff is attentive and accommodating. Service is relatively quick. Recommend samosa chat, palak chat, biryani. Battered shrimp were so so.

My Hubby and I decided to celebrate our anniversary lunch at a restaurant we've never been too. It was great! The service was really nice, and omg, try the Bollywood Fries, that legitimately is my new favorite fries ever!! We're vegetarian and did the Tiki Masala, it was a total treat. This place is a bit pricy (I'm frugal) but it's definitely worth it.

Service was exceptional; all the staff made us feel so welcome, they were really great. I recommend getting a reservation if you plan on eating there during the dinner rush. The food was excellent! A wonderful fusion of several cuisines. A special shout-out for vegetarians. They have a variety of dishes to accommodate vegetarians, vegan, and those that require gluten-free dishes. (Keep in mind, a lot of it is curries and complex spice blends. If you are sensitive to certain spices, or ingredients like coconut milk, definitely ask your server about that before ordering.) If you're iffy on spicy foods, they also offer lassi and several smoothies to take the edge off the heat. 100/10, will be returning soon. Overall an excellent time!

We came for lunch and the food was really good. I got the vegetarian pasta which was enough food by itself, but it also came with a small pizza I think to try and justify the price. My husband got the lamb tikka masala which was enough for two people. The dishes were very shareable portions. The masala tea tastes like homemade Indian style, which is exactly what I was looking for. It has less spice then I'm used to but was still very enjoyable. It was a little difficult to hear the servers because they all whispered. Overall, the servers were very attentive, but I would say not super friendly. They also weren't unfriendly, but there was a weird vibe when they came over. We were dressed pretty casual because we had the day off so maybe that's why. I don't come to this center that often, but I'd definitely go back again if I'm in the area.

This was a pretty good experience! The restaurant is beautiful. I went during lunch so it wasn't very busy at all, like at all. I was very surprised and excited about the lamb pizza, I was all in when they said the crust was naan. The shrimp dish, which I cannot remember the name of, but it was an appetizer. It was very salty in the shrimp were overcooked. I thought their glassware was really nice which is why I showed my little midday Gingerale. And the Bendy straw was a cute touch. lol I was truly overwhelmed by the amount of unique options they had on their menu and would definitely go back to try more.

Food was excellent. I got the chicken tikka tandoori which came with a side of curried lentils and rice. The chicken was wonderfully tender and was very flavorful without being too spicy. I would order it again. Service was attentive and the restaurant was very clean and tidy. The menu was very robust and interesting. I look forward to coming back and trying more food options!

Wow, this restaurant is so nice and has a family vibe! We were a party of six, and we all agreed to share dishes so we could try everything on the menu. Everything was super fresh and yummy. Plus, they have a fantastic selection of vegetarian dishes that really make this place special. The service was amazing. The dining area is bright and clean. We all had a blast and would totally recommend it, especially if you're open to trying vegetarian food even for just one day!

I had a delicious dinner with a friend here, wow the food is well seasoned and plated! I love the generous portions, plenty to enjoy! The appetizers and entrees were fantastic, the staff were so friendly and kind and welcoming. Overall, the vibes are classy and inviting for a divine dining experience. I hope to be back again soon!

Introduction to why here: I was here on Sunday, June 19, 2022. I wouldn't classify as a date in this case. We had gone on 2 dates in April 2022, didn't go anywhere at that time. I bought 2 Tears for Fears tickets at Merriweather a few days earlier thinking someone would want to go, but I struggled to find someone to go. I reached out to a lot of friends. My initial question was how they liked Tears for Fears. If they said, they liked them, then my next question was if they wanted to go to the show. Ultimately, I ended up going with this chick who I already kind of wrote off as being kind of flaky and not interested in me for dating but I was cool for friends, and she was willing to pay me back for the 2nd ticket, which was what I was looking for as well. Clove & Cardamom experience: This is one of the restaurants in the new (or at least it was pretty new in 2022) Merriweather District. The restaurant was kind of open air to the outside. Seating was limited and had to wait, and ended up at a high top near the back side of the place near the bar. That prior Tuesday I saw the doctor & figured out my bad blood test, and the doctor said I need to lose weight, and many of those blood #'s will improve. So, I lost a lot of weight from June to November 2022, and my 4 month follow up on blood #'s were much improved in October. I told this woman about my weight loss goals, which she thought was noble, & she agreed I was a fat-ass...haha. I ended up some chicken salad bowl, which was solid. Also, got a white wine, which was good too...probably not the best for the weight loss goal, but gotta live a little and did great that week otherwise including going on long walks on Saturday & that day on Sunday. Server did a good job answering questions. Conclusions: This is a good Indian option, but there are some better options in Columbia. As for this chick, we went on a date again at another Indian restaurant in Rockville in November 2022, and she was very complimentary saying I looked a lot better than I did in June. We went on several more dates in late 2022 & early 2023, but never went anywhere because she was flaky and had her eyes toward other guys. In early 2023, she started dating another guy, and they are married now.

This happened over a year ago, but after reading recent reviews, I felt it was necessary to share my experience as a Black patron here, especially since I still see recent reviews mentioning similar things. I wanted to like Clove and Cardamom because the food itself was actually good, but the overall experience was so uncomfortable that it completely ruined the visit. The entire time my boyfriend and I were there, it felt like we were being stared at, not in a casual way, but in a way that made us both uneasy. Even when I got up to ask where the bathroom was, the staff were cold and unfriendly, almost like they didn't want us there. What really stood out was how their attitude shifted after we paid. Suddenly, they were [finally] polite and smiling in our faces, which honestly just confirmed how off the energy felt before. Something made me think of this restaurant today, so I checked the recent poor reviews and saw multiple other Black and POC customers describing the same experience, being stared at, treated differently, and even asked to pay before finishing their meal, while white patrons were not. Seeing that pattern made me realize it wasn't just in my head. It's disappointing because the food had potential, but no one should feel uncomfortable or singled out when dining somewhere. To top it all off, we both ended up with horrible stomach aches afterward for like 2 days Definitely not a place I'd ever go back to or recommend.

I really enjoyed my lunch there! it was truly a wonderful experience! I got the lamb Mediterranean salad. It had cold salad greens and warm roasted vegetables and tender pieces of lamb on top. The salad was large, colorful and presented beautifully!! Only suggestion is that I might have liked my lamb grilled at medium temperature instead of braised well done. I also got a blueberry mojito mocktail, which was refreshing and amazing!! The service is top notch! I loved that the server made excellent lunch suggestion and kept checking on me. The place is modern and very nice! I would like to come back soon for their Indian dishes, and naan.

First time trying Clove & Cardamom and it was a wonderful first impression! -Service was friendly and fast; -Nice bright space with a variety of seating options; -Easy free surface parking; -Creative menu with more traditional renditions along side fun fusions too! ex: we shared a Chaat Samosa Naan Pizza as a table, and I had Panner butter masala and mango Lassi as for my meal. Everything was delicious! Will definitely be back and would certainly recommend, especially if you are by Columbia Mall/Merriweather.

Love this place! It's a great stop before a concert at merriweather. I loooove the naan pizzas. My entire party got different variations of the naan pizzas and traded around. Service is efficient. There's a few tables outdoors to enjoy the weather, and the interior is quite nice.

I came here for a celebration with my family. We were able to get a big booth that sat all of us. We started off with the Bollywood fries, which we loved. It reminded us of chaat. We got their chilli paneer which was super tasty, especially when we mixed the sauce in this with the Bollywood fries. For entrees, we got the egg curry, methi malai mutter paneer, and malai kofta with a side of butter and garlic naan. All entrees were really tasty! Our server was checking up on us throughout the evening and treated us to gulab jamun and gulab jamun cheesecake at the end. Great restaurant and will be coming back!

We almost always enjoy Indian cuisine and our first visit to C&C was more than satisfying. For lunch we each had the tikka lunch specials, one chicken and one paneer. While our similar lunches limited the insights from plate sharing, we found the offerings just ample enough for the $22/each price tag. Service was prompt, and the dishes were warm and flavorful in an understated way. We were among the only patrons on a drizzly Thursday in late winter. Hopefully warmer weather the busier times get C&C the foot traffic it deserves. We'd be curious to explore the menu further, perhaps for dinner. As it was, was $22 just a tad off-puttingly expensive for lunch? A little bit yes, though we left full and happy enough. Were we wowed - no. Happy enough - yes. Happier had it been a better value - decidedly.

Been a go-to spot in the mall area! Super fun Indian fusion menu, with a great variety if you want to try something unusual. If anything, their more traditional Indian food is their weak spot! I wasn't blown away by my orders from that side, but was a huge fan of all the fusion food. The pizza, cauliflower wings, loaded fries, Brussels sprouts, etc were all tasty and interesting takes!

Clove and cardamom is a nice Indian restaurant with both Mediterranean and Italian flare. my favorite was the spicy crab cake for $16. It was a Indian take on the traditional Maryland crab cake with Indian spices. My least favorite was the garlic pepper scallops. The scallops were incredibly chewy and underseasoned. The Szechuan fried rice was OK. It was missing Szechuan flavor. The chili chicken was good and had a slight smoky flavor to it, but not the typical chili chicken you get at a Indo-Chinese restaurant. To drink we had the love at first sip and the lychee mint cocktail both which were very light and refreshing. The service was good. Our server came to check up on us and was very attentive.

The atmosphere is great for a date. It has large windows to let in sunshine and lower, intimate lightning during the evening. The staff are very accommodating and checks in to ensure that your taken care of. Depending on what you order, the food is either fantastic or meh. The butter chicken was a 6 for me, I wouldn't order it again, but the lamb sizzler platter, Bombay fries. and the garlic pepper scallops were all 9/10s. The menu has a lot of interesting fusion dishes including a large vegan selection. The only thing that gives me pause about returning is the price of everything. It's a bit pricey compared to other Indian or Asian fusion restaurants in the area.

I visited AGAIN for winter restaurant week and literally ordered the same dishes because they were so good last year and for the price! There were some differences, though, from what I could remember: the chicken 65000 was just as good, but not spicy at all and I felt the chicken tikka masala was a little bland and the chicken dry this time. We also got the goat curry which was soooo good- the star of the show for me! They also ran a cocktail deal so I also got a $10 lychee martini- tasty, but a little sweet for me. And just like last time, we had food leftover to take home! What a deal!

Great service, chill environment. Music is topical and the restaurant isn't too loud. I got the blue mocktail and it could have been sweeter, but it was good nonetheless. Love gingerbeer mocktails The wings came with 2 dips which were good. The wings were cooked well and the meat was tender and seasoned. The garlic naan was grounded, but I liked the garlic bread better The pasta at a 6/10 level of spice was perfect. 10/10 taste

Easy, free parking, quite close! DD took me to lunch today and it was wonderful. It is a beautifully decorated restaurant, very spacious and sparkling clean. We were seated immediately with menus, and water provided moments later. DD ordered a masala tea (hot) which came quickly, as we were perusing the menu. She ordered the lunch combo special called "nonveg thali" and I chose lamb roti kabob. We started with the small plate (appetizer) of eggplant and potato chaat. Service was excellent, although the timing of food was off a bit; my main dish arrived several minutes before DD's. It *might* be deliberate, as mine came in a mini skillet and was sizzling! But if so, they waited just a bit too long because by the time hers arrived, mine was cool. The flavors though, oh the flavors! I commented to her that I'm going to have a tough time describing some of them. In my kabob, there were six large chunks of lamb, nicely charred on the ends. Meat was mostly very tender and had been marinated long enough for it to soak up all the flavors. Plus, it was very moist. I'm not entirely sure of the thin sort of relish sauce but it was mostly poured over the romaine leaves. They are surprisingly good when wilted by a hot sauce! The combo DD ordered contained a large bowl of basmati rice, which neither of us tried as there was so much other food. There was a red dal, goat curry, and a tepid veg or salad dish. Roasted cubes of root veg, nice dressing, but odd when mixed with lettuce. We both prefer salads cold and roasted veg hot, but it did have a nice flavor. And a dish we weren't sure of - it was fried chicken chunks with a mildly spicy sauce. It looked like sweet and sour but didn't taste like it at all. She was also given naan, which was good. It also came with dessert, which was gulab jamun. Very delicate and not too sweet, although I couldn't eat two of them. Almost forgot the appy and that would never do because it was so good. I have mixed feelings about eggplant, tbh, but this was amazing. Their description: "Flash-fried crispy thin slices of eggplant & potato fritters in Mint, Tamarind sauce and relish". The sauce was amazing and it seems like there was a generous dusting of pistachio powder over top, but as it's not in the description I'm not sure. All in all, the food was out of this world and we both brought home a little. The place was starting to really fill up by the time we finished around 1 pm. I won't say they rushed us out, but it didn't feel like we could linger and chat. I do have to mention these two tiny gripes: several of the staff members who came by our table had on WAY too much cologne. It was truly overpowering and lingered for a long time. And there was not a lot of room between table and bench in our booth. I felt a little squeezed. But taking everything into account, it was definitely a five-star experience.

Despite the crazy fusion menu, the food is actually good. Nothing remarkable, though. Portion sizes are good. Service is pretty attentive as well.

Considering the plethora of Indian food in Columbia, clove and cardamom had great service and ambience, but the food was lackluster. I will likely not return again because there are just simply better options. I wish this restaurant all the best a. I had the butter chicken and it lacked flavor in spice, even after asking for the spiciest level.

The food is bland. It doesn't taste like most Indian restaurants I've been to. The service was okay. The table was clean but the booths had food crumbs.

A friend brought me here and I just cant get enough of it and keep bringing more friends back. It is located in the merriweather district with plenty of parking around. The place is smallish but I have never seen it too busy to seat (I typically go after work during the week). They have a delicious menu to choose from and I recommend starting with the samosas. My favorite main is the chicken Tikka masala. Service is always quick and attentive. Can't wait to go back!

If you're looking for some delicious Indian street food, this is the place to be. The menu has a variety of street food and indo-western combinations but also includes traditional Indian fare as well. The waiters were attentive and answered any questions we had. For dinner we ordered the Bollywood fries, cauliflower 65 and samosa pizza. The Bollywood fries were my favorite dish. With perfectly crispy fries and the chaat masalas and chutneys giving a perfect kick of spice, it was a standout dish. The cauliflower 65 was crispy and had good spice to it, however I would say the portion size was on the smaller end for the price charged. The samosas pizza was tasty and had a strong kick of the tamarind chutney. For drinks we had the blue sunset cocktail drink which I wasn't a huge fan of. It was a pretty drink but didn't have too strong of flavor once mixed. Would rather stick with regular sprite.

We came in at lunch time on a Friday, and it was pretty empty (only one other table of two who were already eating). The menu had mostly Indian food, but a significant number of confusing "fusion" dishes using ingredients from Caribbean, Latin American, and European cooking, in strange ways. They also were playing reggaeton the entire time we were eating. I don't believe the management, chef, or staff is anything other than Indian, so this was just very weird and awkward. A server came over right away to take our order, and we ordered teas, shareable plates, and salad. One beverage and one of the appetizer dishes came out quickly, but after that there was no server within sight for a long time. Even after I got up and looked around, no one was there to wave over, so I had to wait until they brought the rest of our food (and our first shareable dish was done) to finally tell them they forgot my iced tea. Also, the entire time we were eating, there was a group of people assembling patio furniture in the bar area of the restaurant near where they sat us, which was a bit noisy. This probably could have. been done between lunch and dinner, or maybe before or after hours. The most surprising thing was the lack of flavor in the food. Usually Indian food is known for spices, but this food definitely caters to a bland palate. We even ordered the 65000 chicken which is labeled as spicy and says it uses habanero, however we couldn't taste any habanero flavor, and it was no hotter than a traditional medium buffalo wing sauce (i.e. Frank's hot sauce). They'll get customers due to the location, those fusion dishes to attract people who don't like Indian food, and because they water down the flavors for mass appeal.

A very tasty surprise. This spot is neatly tucked into a shopping center and is easy to miss if you don't pay attention. It is however hard to forget once you've had a taste. The food was so flavorful. If you are ever in the area I highly recommend you stop by and give them a try. The vibes are modern and casual. They are very reasonably priced and they offer some pretty good cocktails as well. The service was so awesome. I somehow missed the spice in my item and they were more than happy to fix it. Date night, lunch date, I highly recommend this spot.

Although the restaurant was open, we wanted to eat out but couldn't because the restaurant was short staffed "bummer". Also, when attempting to access the restaurant's guest WiFi, we were not given the password. Instead, this host took my phone and typed in the password. Not okay for me. We ordered spicy crab cakes, vegetable samosas, lobster Malabar and lobster tandoori and the food was delicious. Extremely tasty, presented well and we enjoyed every bite. The restaurant is clean and looks like a good place to have a large group of people. We enjoyed the restaurant and the service. If you really like Indian food and spices, please come here.

The service was great and the food was so delicious. It was enough to take home after lunch and for an additional meal. My date and I got the Mediterranean platter, fries, chicken Tikka masala, mango strawberry lassi, and mango lassi. The server gave us a good tip to save the lassi for dessert since it is filling and we would not be able to finish our meal if we had the lassi first. The restaurant was clean and had simple decor. I would go back for the delicious food, service, and atmosphere. Everything was great!

For the price I'll head elsewhere in Columbia. Too much good Indian to pay top dollar for what was just ok. The Chicken Tikka Masala didn't have much chicken in it... heavy on the sauce and veggies. The korma was the opposite. Nothing was bad, but we all agreed that for the price it was not a place we'd return. The service was very good. We went on a Saturday early evening. A few other restaurants were packed, but this one had no wait. Maybe that should have been our clue.

The place seemed new & in need of clientele. However, food was excellent. Server was informative & good.

All of the items we ordered were flavorful and delicious! Particularly loved the cauliflower appetizer and the sauces in both the paneer saag and tikka masala. The dishes had good portions. The service is quick and there is always a steady stream of customers coming in and out of the restaurant. The place is somewhere between casual and fancy.

My friend and I decided to try all the places in this area We were excited to try this and enjoy Indian cuisine We were unfortunately disappointed. We went Sunday, 7/23 so maybe it was an off day Service was not good. We were trying to help since we had a large party but they were not receptive. We placed our orders and it took awhile for the food to arrive. Our fries came out quickly but the rest took too long. I am glad the fries came out hot but we were all confused if we liked it or not cus it was different. We got reg fries and Bollywood fries. There was so much more batter which was different. 3 of us got the chicken tikka masala lunch special. Love that it came with so much variety but didn't really seem like a lunch special deal cus there was like 4 pieces of meat. The sauce was so sweet and none of us expected it to be that sweet. Comes with naan and rice pudding as dessert which is the special part but I think portions should be the same for meat if it's a lunch special. (My bf was so hungry he finished it and also he's not as picky as me when it comes to Indian food) One friend ordered the butter chicken cus apparently that's the only dish you can make mild. It was prob most of our fav. It was also sweet but less sweeter than the tikka masala and much better portion wise. (It doesn't come with naan which is why we all wanted the lunch special) Tandoori chicken and chicken mala was not that great. Had a sour taste to it and wasn't anything special. The tandoori chicken was on the bone and the meat was extra dark and red which I don't see often We just had bad service throughout the meal and when we were paying our server read the bill but didn't read everything. Anyway, he printed it and when we were looking at it. We were checking to see if tip was added since we had 6 adults and 3 kids. We didn't see it so we wanted to make sure and after we asked the guy said he's not sure and went to the back to ask and he came and gave us a new bill adding 20% gratuity. This was frustrating because they didn't add the 18 and we would've just tipped but not they decide to add 20%? Most places at 18. This is my first time seeing 20% added and service was not good. We decided it's not worth talking over so we were like fine let's just get a to go box so we can take the naan and leftover butter chicken. They gave us containers but did not give us a bag but every table around us got bags so that was also disappointing. Overall food and service was not good and not a place I'd recommend. I had high hopes cus when I went in to get a table for us the host was so kind. Also, none of us remember ordering garlic naan but we just took it and let them charge us so make sure you know what you ordered. Also when my friends chicken came out we asked if it was the tandoori chicken and he confirmed but in the middle of our meal my chicken came out and they said that was the tandoori chicken. So I ate part of my friends meal due to their lack of communication. We had to ask for our water to be refilled and just so sad it wasn't that good. Overpriced food that isn't even worth it I hope service was not bad for others Parking right in front.

Clove and Cardamom has a comfortable modern feel. I stopped by after a yoga class and they were closed until 5pm. I waited an hour because it looked nice from the outside. The host let me in a little early. They were still sweeping and setting up. I sat at a booth as requested. I started with a mango lassi while reviewing the menu. It was delicious. I ordered the following below. - Mango Strawberry Lassi: I prefer the regular mango lassi. - Samosas: It was okay. - Shrimp Biriyani: It was a deep bowl of rice with one egg and five medium sized shrimps. I took home a container of rice because the protein to carbs ratio was unbalanced. It needed more shrimp or jumbo shrimp instead. The food wasn't bad, but nothing was exceptionally flavorful, although aromatic. The waiter was attentive. There was also a bothersome fly that I kept swatting away. I like the ambiance and am willing to give them another try if I'm in the area. Maybe try their drinks menu next. But I wouldn't go out of my way to dine here.

Some good vegan options. However the menu is someone confusing in the difference between their vegetarian and vegan options. Some vegan labeled dishes contains dairy or butter. I wish it could be more clear, thank you. The service was wonderful and their mocktails are to die for!!!

Location is very convenient. Our sides and aloo gobi came to the table not hot. Everything was fine but a bit bland. Shrimp was not firm and a bit weird idk what that was about. I might have given 4 stars if also not a bit expensive for the quality of food and the temperature issues.

Indian food is one of my favorite cuisines, so I came here for my birthday dinner. It was a wonderful experience! My first impression was the music they had playing; it was a nice collection of famous Bollywood songs. The decor was beautiful and I could tell it's a relatively new restaurant. The food was amazing, of course. I loved that they had several menu items and many non-Indian dishes on the menu, and even some fusion dishes also. The naan and rice tasted very fresh, the Tofu Tikka Masala was creamy, had a nice kick to it, and a ton of flavor, and the Bollywood Fries had a surprisingly sweet flavor. I will say I wish the fries had a more savory flavor to combat the sweetness, but they were good nonetheless. The Gulab Jamun Cheesecake was a very unique twist on two desserts; I liked that it wasn't too sweet. I highly recommend visiting this restaurant and I would definitely come back to try more items!

The food was exceptional. We got a mango lassi which was so smooth and so delicious. It was flavorful but was not overly sweet. The Bollywood fries, omg, chef's kiss. The paneer sizzler is exactly what it sounds like and was sooo good. We also got malai kofta which was actually better than our usually Indian place and the chat samosa naan pizza was awesome. The service was great. They took really good care of us and were super friendly. On thing that I really appreciated was the food runners wore gloves when serving the food. So often a server will have a thumb in your bowl of rice or something. The atmosphere is nice and chill. We loved all the dishes and flatware. Hard to describe but not the dime a dozen stuff you normally see. And the music felt authentic and was a nice backdrop to our conversation. To top it all off the server asked if we wanted dessert and we said no maybe next time. He came back with a small dessert for us, on the house. So kind. Will definitely be coming back.

Where do I begin... this place is a 10/10!! From walking through the door and getting excellent customer service to the flavorful food! It was very crowded, so I sat at the bar and it was still a great experience. I had the chicken 6500 as an appetizer, and it was bursting with flavor. It was just the right amount of spice! For my main entree, I chose the lamb tikka masala w/garlic naan and it was the right choice. It came out fast and was perfection! The inside is small and quaint, so there may be a short wait, but trust me it is worth it! If you like Indian cuisine, this is a no-brainer... stop what you're doing and go right now haha!

I think I may have just found my new go to Indian spot. I've been wanting to try this place for years, and just now went and boy have I been missing out. I actually came with intentions of trying them out for restaurant week, but to my surprise they had a buffet! Apparently they run it Fri, sat and sun for lunch and it's only $25! They have everything you could possibly want and there's not a bad item on the buffet. I can't wait to come back

12.9.22 I have a sensitivity to spices and spicy food, consequently generally stay away from certain cuisines. My husband wanted to give this restaurant a try so I tagged along hoping to be adventurous. I made reservations through OpenTable. After being seated, we were given the menus and it was awhile before anyone came to check on us. It is funny because my husband said there were like six busboys and only one server taking orders. They all just stood around by the hostess desk. It was kind of awkward as we were sitting right in front of them. I felt like my every move was being watched as I was taking photos. I didn't feel comfortable. Perhaps it's also because the restaurant is small so it just felt that way. Two notable things I'd like to point out is that -they have hand sanitizer at every table. I have become a germaphobe since Covid so this was greatly appreciated. -the music is really loud, which can make it hard to have a conversation if you have a larger group. Prior to going, I perused the menu and photos on their website and on Yelp. My husband ordered the Tandoori wings as an app. For our entrees, he ordered the Butter Chicken and I ordered the Fajita Platter. Sadly, I didn't love anything I tried. The wings were good with the dipping sauce, but not on its own. The chicken in my platter was good, but I didn't care for the rice or corn tortilla. I only like flour tortilla. The highlight for me at dinner was the delicious pistachio cake. I would likely return just for their desserts.

Absolutely love everything about Clove & Cardamom. I've been on three different occasions and each time did not disappoint. The food, service, and ambiance are all impressive. The menu has a unique variety of items including...naan pizza, pastas, and tacos. Interesting right? I know! I haven't had any of the non-traditional items, but I will definitely start giving those a try. My favorite dish is the chicken saag. It was DELICIOUS !! Creamy spinach with tender large chunks of chicken. Yummo! Little tip...if you like your food spicy like I do you'll want to ask them for their spicy sauce on the side. It's a red pasty sauce that definitely takes the spice level up a few notches. If you're a fan of Indian this is your spot! Even if it's not, give it a try anyway. There's something for everyone on this menu.

Nice and authentic Indian restaurant. Food is really good and the staff is polite and friendly. Drinks are good as well.

So far I haven't found any Indian food better in the Columbia area. We even tried Royal Taj which is supposed to be an upscale sit down but the food here is much better. I ordered the chicken tikka masala with garlic naan and was blown away by how good it was. I normally don't do Indian style pizzas but the chicken tikka pizza was really good too. The tacos here are also amazing. Each item on the menu has been crafted to perfection and has ingredients that complement each other. If it's on the menu, it deserves to be. It's not the fanciest on the inside (gives you Panera/Chipotle) vibes but the surrounding neighborhood is nice to walk around in. Side note: Okay so this is REALLY random but when we were eating here with my 4 year old son they played Eminem - Kill You twice over the in l-ceiling speakers. For anyone that knows this is an extremely vulgar and violent song and not sure who was DJing the restaurant but holy smokes just stick to Top 20s. Luckily he didn't pick up on anything but my wife and I made it our mission to distract him for as long as possible when the song was playing. Awkwardly the song came on again a few minutes later.

Great food - recommend getting a reservation as they can get busy. Really enjoyed the pizza but everything was top notch. Great date night location in Columbia close to all things Merriweather.

I came here on a Sunday around noon. There was no wait and I was quickly seated. Service was good and so was the food. Bollywood fries: these fries were crispy and were sweet with a hint of tang/spice. Chicken kebab: I thought the chicken would come on a skewer but it didn't. No complaints though. With it being on the bone, it had a lot of flavor and was very juicy. Butter chicken: this was creamy and the chicken was juicy. There was a good amount of chicken in the sauce. Portion sizes are good and very filling. I took most of it home for left overs! This place is on the pricier side compared of other Indian restaurants but I'd still come back to try other menu items.

Food was fresh, hot and excellent. Full of spice! We got the paneer appetizer, cardamom hot tea, tandoori chicken and cheese cake. There was plenty to share of all, definitely didn't need 2 orders of the tandoori chicken there was soo much!

Came back for dinner and was satisfied completely. Why four stars? Four stars because there was nothing that really stood out about the food. The food was really good but still seemed like the typical tikka masala and garlic naan I can order at any Indian restaurant. Service was great! Our server bring us the bill and went over everything that was on it to me sure there was no discrepancies. I love that! They weren't too busy and we were able to be seated immediately even though I had put in a reservation just to be on the safe side. We ordered the tiki masala with chicken and tiki natala with lamb. I'm guessing all the vegetables were blended for their version so that was different. The portion sizes were huge. It ended up being about three meals for me. I did like they charred the garlic naan. Also appreciate it the water was not ice cold but room temperature. I really appreciate that since I typically asked for my drinks without ice. The one thing I didn't like, was all the reaching over my food to refill my water. So I did move my glass to the edge of the table. The first time I came here was for a Yelp event and I ordered one of the flatbread pizzas. I do want to come back and bring a group just to see all of the dishes and try some of their specialty cocktails.

In the new merriweather area filled with new restaurants, this place is really classy inside and gives off a great. It's more on the expensive side but they have some cool Indian fusion food. Me and the gf had the following: Guava Smoothie: 10/10 So refreshing and definitely would get again. Tikka paneer naan pizza: 6/10 a little too cheesy but I appreciated the Indian twist they tried to create. Was a very light pizza and perfect for a app. Chicken 65: 10/10 less crispier chciekn but the flavor and spices that they tossed with the chicken was amazing. Highly recommend this as an app or a small entree with some naan added.

Clove & Cardamom is one of the newer restaurants in the Merriweather town center of Columbia. We live so close, and we finally got around to trying this place. There's a parking lot right across the restaurant and a few parallel parking spots right in front of the entrance, so parking was easy and convenient. We waited quite a while for a table, despite checking in on time for our 7:30pm dinner reservation, and there were several other groups waiting behind us as well. When we were finally seated, it also took a while for our server to come back to take our order. Not sure if they were just super busy this night, but I did notice other tables waiting as well. The main dining area of the restaurant is quite small and felt crowded. We were seated at a two person table on the right side of the restaurant, and the tables to our left and right were very close to us (probably only 2 feet away, as well as booths right behind us). There's a bar in the corner of the restaurant. Overall, the food was delicious! We ordered the eggplant and potato chat & spicy crab cakes as our appetizers. Loved the chat as it was very flavorful! The crab cakes were good (not too spicy) and the portion was enough for two people. For our entrees, we had the paneer masala (comes with a generous portion of basmati rice) and the tandoori street tacos (comes with three). After the meal, we paid our bill right at our table which was convenient was well. Will definitely come back for the food, but we hope there's a shorter wait next time with a reservation and that the service could be slightly improved.