Cumin Restaurant - Lakeview

I definitely recommend, though the service was a little off. The space is large and can host events (including a nice entry area that feels a bit like a hotel) and all our food was delicious. Chicken momo, samosa, chicken jalfrezi, naan, peshawari naan, paratha, and gulab jamun. Many of the items were packed with flavor (though I didn’t really care for the whole wheat paratha or the kashmiri pulau). Don’t sleep on the peshawari naan, it has a nice little savory sweetness thing going on: go for that instead of the kashmiri pulau here. Looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu!

I went with my family for a birthday dinner, and it was an amazing experience. The food was delicious, beautifully presented, and looked fancy than other indian and nepali resturant here in Chicago i have visited. The service was fast, and the modern interior was impressive. I loved the restaurant’s decor, especially the Nepali handmade arts and crafts. The momo and naan bread were my favorites. Highly recommend this place for great Nepali and Indian cuisine and to host a event and parties they have a separate space that you can book.

Very clean and spacious restaurant. Brand new in the neighborhood. The food and service are amazing. We tried the lam madras and korma, it was really delicious. We will come back to try more specialties!

the paneer tikka masala and garlic naan were delicious. one of the most flavorful curries i’ve had in chicago. samosa chaat was not that great.

First review! I came here with my friend, we are the first dine-in customers and the service, ambiance, and food was amazing. I grew up in India and the food here tastes like home. I’ve also tried lots of Indian places in the Chicago area, this genuinely is at the top. Will be coming here again :)

Wonderful food! Had a small issue with my drink but was fixed by the staff immediately. Will visit again!

My wife and I ate here last night and we can’t wait to go back. The atmosphere was warm and everything we tried was fresh and full of flavor. I highly recommend the momo, but we tried something from almost every category on the menu and it seems like you really can’t go wrong. Thank you for the incredible meal. We’ve never been more excited for leftovers!

AMAZING service, friendly staff, the cocktails looked amazing (another table ordered and they all looked pleased), Appetizers: the chicken momo dumplings were amazing. We also got the paneer pankora which were so tasty! Entrees: chicken tikki masala, garlic naan and the basmati rice — ALL incredible

DELICIOUS chicken tandoori. Probably one of the best I've had. This place just opened in the neighborhood and I was hesitant to go because there was no one in there BUT I am so glad that I went! The service was great and attentive. We also got momos and butter chicken which was equally as delicious. We will definitely return!!!

I was in the mood for a solo date today so I stopped into Cumin for a table for one. The bib gourmand feature made its name in Wicker Park, and I'm so happy they opened this Lakeview location! I came in early (well before the dinner rush) so the dining room was mostly open and I was seated right away. The dining room is well lit but still has a romantic feel to it, with vases & tea light candles on each table & a beautiful fire place near the center of the room. They have a full bar, including a few Indian beers & wines. At the recommendation of my server, I opted to try the namesake cocktail. The cumin is a vodka & tamarind based drink, spiced with cardamom & black pepper. It was truly unique but very tamarind forward. I enjoyed it but if you're not prepared for that, proceed with caution! When I go somewhere new for the first time, I usually like to try as much as possible off the menu! However, flying solo, had to narrow it down to one entre. The menu is expansive and covers all your staple dishes (tikka masala, auloo gobhi, etc.) and plenty of options specific to Nepalese cuisine. I decided to go this route and tried the gorkhali khasi -- bone-in goat meat cooked in a tandoor with a rich, spice forward sauce. It had just the right amount of heat! The entrees don't come with rice, so the basmati must be ordered separately. This might seem bothersome but the portion is generous, so if you come with a companion (as most do) you can easily get away with one order per two entrees! And of course it would be silly not to try the naan, which was served warm and toasted to perfection. All in all - I can't wait to come back for the next date night and try a few more dishes!

I'm having goat tonight otherwise known here as gorkhali khasi. My wife is having butter chicken of course. The goat is tender with zero gamey aftertaste . The mild sauce which still packs a bite is very similar to like lamb sauce. It is boney however and western tongues might struggle to deal with that. I'm fine with- I like those cuts of meat. The butter chicken is excellent. The sauce is not too strong. I would have preferred dark meat but that's just my preference. The sauce is good to dip your nan into. For dessert we had the gulaab jaamon - soft donut holes bath in sugar syrup-intensely satisfying! The place was nicely decorated for Valentine's Day.

My goal is to try 50 new Chicago restaurants in 2025! Restaurant: 1/50 Month tried: January Favorite dish: chicken chili masala I went to the OG Cumin location YEARS ago and really enjoyed it, but wicker park is just too far from me to make it a regular spot. So, I was thrilled to see them open a Lakeview location! Came on a Friday night shortly after opening and the restaurant was pretty empty. Maybe 6 tables. Service was prompt and friendly and didn't mind that some of our group was delayed and we waited to order. The restaurant is upscale looking but still casual enough that you don't have to dress up. It's really a beautifully designed spot! Bathrooms were spotlessly clean. I was surprised they have a full bar so soon after opening! I did not get a drink but the menu looked good. We ordered chicken Momo, lamb samosas, and veggie samosas. Momo and Lamb came out very quickly. Veggie took longer but it was my favorite appetizer. Between 5 of us, we got 4 curries, two rices, and two orders of garlic naan. Had just enough left over for 1 more meal. Chicken tikka masala - excellent flavor and tons of sauce! Palak Paneer - hearty portion and not very spicy, but flavorful. Chicken chili masala - spicy!! Really great sauce. Lamb Jalfrieze - I don't eat lamb, but the sauce looked good and had lots of veggies. All in all I think this location will do well! Food is up to par with the original location, service was great, and the space itself was inviting.

I had a very pleasant time at Cumin. It was quiet on a Wednesday so my roommate and I took our time ordering some aalu tikka Chaat to start, which was delicious. For entrees we got the Butter Chicken and the Lamb Chili Masala. I don't think I can imagine myself going without getting the butter chicken. I haven't been to too many Indian restaurants but it's my favorite from the handful I've been. The lamb was good but I think I'd try a different option. To tie it off, the garlic naan is also a must. We got rice but if I went again I'd trade that in for another naan. I apologize for not photographing the naan or Chaat, I was too excited to get started and forgot. Would absolutely recommend to anyone looking to dine in or order to go!

The food was great; chicken momo, chicken tikka masala, and chicken madras. The service, on the other hand, I could not say the same.

Excellent food, service and overall experience. Glad to finally have a great Indian & Nepalese restaurant in our neighborhood.

I have nothing, but good things to say about this restaurant! The food was all amazing...a large group of us went and ordered multiple dishes to try and share. All of them were superb in both taste and presentation. We ordered everything "spicy" and it may have still needed a little extra hit sauce for my tastes, but "spicy" is a very subjective word, so I was not disappointed, just an FYI. The decor was very modern, yet relaxed. It felt a bit upscale while still being comfortable enough to wear sneakers and jeans. We had great service throughout the meal. It was a bit quiet, so we had two servers helping us and my water never went empty. The food arrived in phases, as ordered, and it was all timely and fresh. We will be returning.

Food was delicious. Service was friendly and courteous. Highly recommend this new Lakeview restaurant.

Really good! Food was absolutely delicious and service was attentive and efficient. Plating and decor was really nice and thoughtful too. We got the Chicken 65, Chicken Tikka Masala, Aloo Gobi, and Lamb Tikka Masala (+ rice and garlic naan). Dishes were enjoyed all around! I really favored the Chicken 65, and with the Aloo Gobi as my entree I found it really fresh and flavorful but a bit salty. We found everything very high quality. Would definitely recommend dining in because the experience feels nice and elevated, but the prices are steep for the portion sizes in my opinion.

I ordered delivery from here after hearing such wonderful reviews. I usually love Indian and Nepali food, but this is some of the best I've ever tasted! I had the Aalu Ra Simi with the basmati pea and cumin rice. The dish was a mix of potatoes and green beans mixed with Nepali spices in a tomato sauce and was amazing. I also love the cumin rice, which has just the right amount of zing with the pieces of cumin in it. I also love the onion kulcha. The portion sizes are very generous compared to most Indian restaurants and the spice level, when you order it the way it comes, is perfect. A little spicy so you can taste the food but also get a spicy kick. I truly recommend this restaurant and can't wait to go in person.

So happy about this new addition to Lakeview. Stopped in for a weekend lunch and got soup chicken momo, paneer pakora, lamb boti kabab masala, fish vindaalu and garlic naan. Everything was delicious, but I have been craving the soup chicken momo ever since. The service was great and the space is lovely. They were kind enough to let us take a peek at their upstairs private event space - it's very large and well designed. Looking forward to coming back again soon.

We tried Cumin for takeout tonight and we weren't disappointed! The food was incredible - we over ordered so we could have a sampling of Momo's, samosas, and entrees. Everything was perfect. We were treated incredibly well by everyone in the restaurant. We will be returning very soon!