FITOOR Santa Monica

"A noteworthy modern Indian restaurant on the Westside serving contemporary dishes like crunchy dahi kachori and alleppey prawn curry. Its flavors are solid and the atmosphere is vibrant." - Eater Staff

"We once saw someone stroll into Fitoor wearing a sequined wedding dress, and somehow, they didn’t look out of place. This glitzy Indian restaurant from San Jose features gold accents, glowing globe lights, floor-to-ceiling drapes, and on weekends, the occasional fire dancer. That said, a meal here of creative chaat, solid curries, and dessert-like cocktails garnished with flowers can still be fairly casual, and if you’re looking for a Westside spot that does something different with Indian cuisine, Fitoor is a fun option. The menu is made up mostly of traditional dishes zhuzhed up with fusion-y flourishes, like avocado burrata chaat or gunpowder-dusted fried soft shell crab. The more straightforward curries, however, are the highlights. You’ll want to tear off hunks of naan, dunk them into the rich sauces, and mop up every last drop. We’re also fans of the snacks that draw from Bombay street food, but some have a bit too much going on, including the dahi kachori topped with pink foam. Your best bet is to come with a group and order a bunch of things to share—and since half the menu is vegetarian, get some broccoli on the table, too. Food Rundown photo credit: Ryan Tanaka Bombay Papdi Bhel Fitoor’s take on a street food classic maintains all the crunchy textures of the original. Crackers are buried under mounds of puffed rice, fried noodles, and pomegranate seeds. It’s impossible to eat this one bite, which is a good thing because you’ll want to keep coming back for more. photo credit: Cathy Park Dahi Kachori This flaky deep-fried, pastry arrives topped with a cloud of pink chutney foam that looks cool, but slowly deflates as the meal goes on. It’s fun to crack the shell open, but the mix of sauces inside is too chaotic, and the crispy okra and pomegranate seeds on the bottom add even more to a dish with too much going on. photo credit: Cathy Park Mushroom Minced Kebob Some visual trickery at work. These might look like whole mushroom caps, but they’re molded from minced mushrooms. The result is a dense, bitter patty. Skip. Sweet Chili Broccoli This is how you make broccoli stand out. The roasted florets are soft with a slight bite and are coated in a yogurt sauce that lends a burst of sweetness. There’s also a whipped herb butter glaze on the side for some reason—definitely swipe each bite through it. photo credit: Cathy Park Truffle Mushroom Kulcha A hot-from-the-oven kulcha topped with mushroom butter and shaved truffle. The warm bread is nice and chewy, but the cheesy filling is underwhelming. Get the naan instead. photo credit: Ryan Tanaka Lamb Shank Rogan Josh The star of the meal. A bone-in lamb shank is braised until it nearly falls apart in a deep-red curry that’s rich and well-spiced. photo credit: Cathy Park Alleppey Prawn & Fish Curry Another fantastic curry. A server will pour the coconutty sauce around a pile of fish and prawns tableside. The fish is soft, but there’s not quite enough curry to enjoy with every piece." - Cathy Park

"Fitoor has the look of a place fit for an over-the-top banquet, but works well for walk-in dinner and drinks, too. Originally from San Jose, this upscale Indian restaurant in Santa Monica is decorated with gold accents, glowing globe lights, and floor-to-ceiling drapes—and, apparently, the occasional fire dancer on weekends. The menu is a broad mix of traditional curries like tender lamb shank rogan josh scooped up with naan, snacky street foods, and creative small plates like sweet chili broccoli (these tend to be our favorites). The bar is the sparkly centerpiece of the restaurant though, so it’s worth a stop for just a nightcap—we love the Pluto, a dessert-like gin cocktail with white chocolate and lemon." - brant cox, arden shore, sylvio martins, cathy park

"A seasoned restaurant group from the Bay Area opens a branch of its modern Indian restaurant, Fitoor, inside the tony Viceroy Santa Monica serving wood-fired branzino, dal butter makhani, and lamb shank rogan josh curry. The restaurant joins the likes of Badmaash, Pijja Palace, Arth, Kahani, and Baar Baar, who have introduced fresh takes on traditional Indian dishes to Angelenos over the years. Fitoor sees it fit to bring a nice polish to dishes like curry leaf tandoori prawns with tempered buttermilk or chicken seekh masala. A wood-fired oven churns out Indian-style pizza, like pulled butter chicken pulcha or chicken tikka and jalapeño, in case one wants a little dose of familiar comfort. — Matthew Kang, lead editor, Eater Southern California/Southwest" - Rebecca Roland, Matthew Kang, Mona Holmes

"Fitoor is the best new restaurant in Santana Row, if not the entire city, and it’s not hard to see why. While most restaurants at the shopping hellscape play it safe to please the masses, this dynamic Indian restaurant pushes boundaries. There’s so much creativity with each dish, like the soft-shell crab fried and drizzled with poriyal and tomato chutney, scallops bathed in peanut butter salan, and grilled branzino topped with coriander-mint pesto. It’s impossible to go wrong between these standouts and a huge selection of artful chaats and small plates. Don’t skip the daring cocktails, some of which use unexpected ingredients like black garlic and manchego cheese—they're a swanky compliment to this spot's sophisticated, jewel-toned space." - Shoshi Parks