Himalayan Restaurant

Restaurant is right the corner of the street. Considering that we are vegetarians we had limited options in Big bear lake. We went for lunch and had some very delicious food served. Staff were friendly as well. Momo’s were hot and tasty. One of the best. We ordered naan and paneer curry. The curry was so creamy and fresh, just loved it. Paneer was soft and yummy. Probably among the best. Would highly recommend to try this place. The restaurant also had a souvenir store which was wonderful. Had great collection of Indian artifacts.

Loved this place. We had a large party and they were so helpful. We weren't very familiar with the food and they were also helpful with this aspect. The staff and service were excellent. The food was outstanding.

The food was delicious, good ambiance but not friendly staff. The waitress who served us food was not paying attention to our order at all. We got less naan than we have ordered.The vegetable curry and paneer curry was really good. The naan however was dry without any garlic in garlic naan. The momos were just fine but the chilli chutney they served was in small amounts, so when asked for more she said it would charged extra. Great option to try out Indian/Nepalese food in big bear lake, but don’t expect great service and do expect long waiting periods.

It’s a good place but my expectations on Indian food are very high since I had best of the best. The location is good and the service is fast. The soup is awesome though.

First time eating Nepali Food. It was actually good. I love the samosa food. I even stopped by here the next day to get more of samosa for to go. It was very packed when we ate during that one day. I love to taste different food and I am liking the Nepali food. I'll definitely come here again to eat while going at Big Bear. This place is located at Big Bear Village. Very convenient.

The place is good with lots of space to sit and dine in. We ordered veg momo, paneer Tikka masala, chili chicken and garlic Naan. The paneer curry was really really good and for an indian with mild spice level this can be a go to dish to order. The Chilli chicken could have been better. The servings are small and no rice is served with the curries. Coming to vegetable momo : for a Nepali restaurant I think this was worst of all.. I could really feel any taste.. It was too blah... The Naan was really big and filling..overall nice restaurant but as soon as you enter u smell so many spice..funny ones as well..hahahahaha

Really good food!! I really like the appetizer it tasted so good! Tho the curry might not be for everyone, it’s on the sweet side and are have a more minty fresh taste for it, if you like spicy curry this is not for you.

Delicious food with Nepali antique stuffs, must visit if you come to big bear lake . Once I felt like I m in Thamel, Kathmandu. The service is quick with nice hospitality.

It has been 3+ years since my original review, as well as having returned to Big Bear. I prefaced my original with "I am NOT a fan of Asian Indian food" but went on to give it the 5 star review, as well as mention we returned a second time before leaving the mountain. Well, the wife and I did it again! We went to dinner and returned for lunch - that's how good we believe the food here to be! Both visits we were greeted promptly and served very well. The interior is decorated quite nice and seems authentic to the region (not that I have been there). These two visits included me having the 'Lamb Roll' (Boneless lamb cooked with fresh herbs and spices, stuffed in homemade egg-washed bread. Served with chutney) for dinner and the 'Chicken Chili' (Boneless chicken pieces sauteed with green pepper, bell pepper, onions, tomatoes, and a homemade sauce) for lunch. Both were DELICIOUS and the portions larger than expected! Whatever these seasonings are that they use they do it right! I asked for the spice heat in my chili to be a 6 to 7 and they were spot on. My wife had 'Butter Chicken' (Tandoori-baked chicken dark meat cooked with tomatoes in a lean cream sauce) for dinner and Palak Paneer (Fresh spinach leaves and paneer cubes (homemade Himalayan cheese) sauteed with onions, ginger, garlic, and homemade spices) for lunch. For appetizers of course the chicken mo-mos (Steamed dumplings stuffed with ground chicken, served with chutney) and a variety of naan (onion, garlic and plain) were on the must have list and obtained each day. We also tried their Samosas (Vegetarian turnovers stuffed with potatoes, peas, spices, herbs, and served with tamarind chutney) and Cheese Pakauda (Deep fried cheese battered with chickpea flour, seasoned with spices, and served with chutney). Everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, tasted great! Even the iced tea they serve tasted great. Whatever mild spices they use in the iced tea put Lipton's to shame. I sure hope we get one more shot at eating here before our time comes to an end! I am going to toss some photos on this review (there are also photos from our original visit here). Yes, we had food left over both days and took it all home to enjoy yet a third time!

Our large party was able to get seated at 3 different tables in this restaurant. It's a mix of Indian/Himalayan/Nepalese food. My family got the Himalayan Mixed Grill which had some tandoori chicken, shrimp, lamb, and chicken Sekuwa, chicken mo-mo (aka chicken dumplings), chicken curry, chicken naan, and some garlic naan and basmati rice. It took about 45 min after we ordered for our dishes to come out, so be prepared to wait. Food was decent, although I wasn't impressed with the meats on the Himalayan Mixed Grill as they were all quite dry and lacked flavor. Chicken was dry, lamb was tough, and shrimp didn't taste fresh. The chicken mo-mo tastes like Chinese dumplings, the thing that makes it unique is that it's served with a chutney. Chicken curry, chicken naan, and garlic naan were good. There are definitely better restaurants for this type of food, but as it's the only one in Big Bear, it's a decent spot if you're craving something Asian.

We stopped in here for dinner and there was a 30 minute wait so we waited at the bar. The restaurant was super busy and the staff was running around working very hard. It didn't look very organized. As they took us to our table and someone else sat other people there. Once we got seated, I noticed it happened a couple of times. The restaurant was decent size. There were 3 sections and a small store attached. We ordered an appetizer (Mo-Mo Veg), green salad, lentil soup, naan, chicken tikka masala, and chicken chili. We got our salad first but the soup and Mo-Mo never showed up. Once our dinner showed up we thought maybe it would still come out. It didn't and they never really checked on us. We really didn't need the extra food, we just wanted to try it. It was on our bill and when we let her know, she took it off but never apologized or anything. Now for the good part, the food.... It was so yummy! My husband's chicken chili had a great taste and the chicken was tender. My chicken tikka masala was amazing! The creamy sauce was so delicious and the chicken melted in my mouth. We will definitely come back here next time we visit Big Bear. If you have a lot of time to spare, I highly recommend this restaurant.

Came here on a holiday Monday, excellent service, excellent food. We're all vegan and as others have noted they have lots of vegan options. We will be back, easy 5 stars.

This place was excellent! If I was to be nit picky I would say that the samosas were sub par as an appetizer and to go for the momos instead. Service was quick, and they filled out water cups multiple times without asking. The food also came out pretty quick for a sit down and was nice and fresh. Everything was flavorful and the spices were just perfect. I was surprised as most mountain spots are not that great but this place is authentic and good! 4.5 stars

I don't get what the hype is about this place. - Butter Chicken 4.2/5 Asked for it to be extra spicy but it wasn't even spicy. The curry taste was good and the chicken pieces were big and tender. It was better than the tikka masala. - Chicken Mo-mo 3.3/5 These were good. The outside wrapper was a bit dry. Came in 8 pieces with some side of curry sauce. - Chicken Tikka Masala 3.8/5 Chicken pieces were dry and the flavor was not amazing. - Lamb Biryani 1.8/5 It wasn't my favorite and the lamb had a strong smell.. Free parking on the streets.

We were expecting a lot from this restaurant due to all the good reviews. We have been to other Himalayan restaurants and this is not it. The lamb masala was terribly dry. The naans were certainly not fresh from the oven. And, to add insult to injury, my husband got food poisoning ! I'd say Stay away from this place.

It's the busy season in Big Bear, so we were expecting a bit of a wait, but we came before the dinner rush and were able to have our party of six seated right away. The place is cozy, but not heated. So if you sit near the doors, it is freezing! Also, their bathrooms could use more monitoring and tending to, it was very messy. The service was great, everyone was friendly, but they were rushed. You can smell the food from the outside. It was all very flavorful. My kids can be somewhat picky, but they were starving after sledding and loved the food. The food was really tasty. It took a while to come out and the portions were smaller than I expected, but I was stuffed afterwards. This is in the village, so expecting some parking hassle. Get familiar with the parking lots around the street and you won't be too far from the restaurant.

Himalayan Restaurant was the first place we headed to upon arriving in Big Bear, and I was surprised that there was Nepali/Tibetan food here...and decently so! We ordered chicken and vegetable momos to start; to be honest, I've had better momos before, as I found these to be small, easily breakable, and overall not as flavorful as they could've been. The palak paneer and lamb curry came as the main dishes: the palak paneer was wonderfully flavored, with smooth spinach and delicious, curd-like paneer. The lamb curry was just-okay, as I found the meat to be tough and the curry a bit on the bland side. The basmati rice was way too dry, but it worked as the perfect vessel for the palak paneer and lamb curry. Highlight of the meal, however, was the garlic naan: warm, fluffy AND toasty, and aromatic, it was so good that we ordered seconds! Definitely get the garlic naan at Himalayan Restaurant (or any of the naan, for that matter). Overall, decent-ish Nepali/Tibetan food for being in the Big Bear mountains. Hits were definitely the palak panner and naan. Service was a bit slower given we went at peak lunch hour, but nice enough service anyway. Himalayan Restaurant is one of the handful of restaurants which stand out in Big Bear, and it's worth a pop in to try Nepali/Tibetan cuisine!

Great Himalayan gem in The Village of Big Bear. Eating Himalayan food on our first night in the mountain town of Big Bear was a magnificent way to start our trip. My favorite dish was the mushroom matar, which had such a rich, savory mushroom flavor that paired wonderfully with both the rice and naan. Overall, the dishes were well prepared, simple, and not overly salty. Their mango lassi was also a refreshing beverage to pair with the dinner. Our experience with the service was standard-- not upsetting as in many of the other reviews but nothing spectacular. As many of the other restaurants in the city resemble each other with classic American/Italian food, Himalayan Restaurant stands out as a wonderful addition to the cuisine of Big Bear.

The staff were really wonderful- so understanding and kind. Sat twelve people with no call ahead and were very quick to do so. They checked in regularly and were overall just wonderful. The food was terribly disappointing and genuinely some of the worst Indian food I've experienced. The paneer tikka masala was supremely creamy and lacking in spice- eerily similar to an Alfredo sauce. The naan was good. Maybe we came on an off night, but I would not go back. Again, staff was really wonderful, and I did have a good time.

This restaurant and bar is located in the heart of the Big Bear village. The bar and lounge area is surprisingly spacious and cozy. My mimosa was so refreshing and tasty, hubby liked his champagne too. I am not familiar with Indian food so I didn't want to try any. But we will give it a try next time we are in town. Our bartender was very friendly even though we only stayed for a short while!

It has been several years since we have eaten here. We always liked the food but the service was always slow. This visit we came on a Tuesday evening around 5:30. We were seated right away. Our waiter was nice and he was very helpful with our dinner guest who was very hungry but not familiar with the cuisine. We started with the chicken pakauda. Very crisp and tasty, sort of upscale chicken nuggets. Kids would love this. Our guest ordered the chicken soup. He said it was very good. It looked good. We all ordered the mixed grill which is an assortment of chicken, shrimp, and lamb with grilled vegetables. Our guest didn't want lamb and your waiter happily granted his substitution. We ordered vegetable fried rice for the table. Our order arrived at our table sizzling hot. It was a beautiful presentation and it was a lot of food! My husband and I could have easily shared one order. We had enough for dinner the next night. Our meal came with Naan bread. I really liked that it had a little crispiness to it. Our food was excellent and best of all we didn't have to wait long for it. I'm glad we came early because the restaurant began to fill up after we arrived. I do not like the decor. The place needs an update but the food makes up for it. I would have given 5 stars but we did have to wait quite a while for our check. In fact I had to ask another waiter if we could get some containers and our check or we would have sat there even longer. I believe people are used to this type of service there. We've eaten here several times and have had to wait like this but this time we didn't have to wait for our food. This place does good business and the food is good. I recommend you give it a try.

Food is very very good. Service was good Flavors were exotic. We ordered chicken momo, chicken tikka masala, tandoori chicken& aloo govi. Everything was delicious & fresh. I was concerned that govi & tikka masala would be spicy like typical indian food spicy. However that was not the case. We ate everything & my children enjoyed their meal. The restaurant got so busy, our bill took awhile. We weren't in a hurry since we were on vacation. Other than that, thus is a must try place to eat!!

We have always wanted to try this place and today was the day It's actually bigger inside than I thought the food selection was good but because we ordered the carby appetizer we where full by the time the main dish was served bummed hahahahah service was a bit slow maybe because they take time cooking overall it's good Will comeback :) service was ok ambiance is ok overall it's ok

I just left the restaurant due to finding a shinny penny in the center top of my Tandoori chicken! I was shocked! I had to wait a while for the dish but didn't mind since they just opened at 11am. Actually it's 11:54am now and I arrived at 11:10am so that was long wait to finally receive my sizzling hot plate and find a penny in my food. Thank God I didn't choke on it. They didn't even apologize. Lastly, I went to the bathroom at the far back of the store and on my way back I noticed they had a huge tray of samosas approx 50 half a foot from the floor on a rolling shelf. That seemed very unsanitary.

Delicious food and lovely dining room. The curry chicken is so delicious, I love their naan bread it's so warm and yummy! Chicken tandoori was great, the shrimp were perfect and the lamb pieces were a little dry but the seasoning was perfect. The cabbage and onions that are sautéed with the chicken lamb and shrimp are amazing. We ate every last piece off of the cast iron dish.

My husband and I and his cousin went to have dinner in our first night in Big Bear. We love Himalayan food, special the mo-mos. The food was delicious. The fish was really tasty. The price is reasonable for the tourist place. The service was nice, and the ambiance is elegant and upscale.

Love coming here really great butter chicken they're garlic. Chicken is really good really great non-bread and the price is also very good. The atmosphere is awesome. They also have a little gift shop in the back. Their service is very good. They always really pay attention to their customers.

This is one of my favorite places in bear! You can actually smell the wonderful aromas from outside the restaurant. The food is fast and superb. They offer a variety of veggie and meat options. I only wish they had a location at mammoth! I can't wait to come back.

This place probably has the best mango lassi in the world. They had reasonable prices for each dish, and the waiters were very nice. It's a nice, cheerful Indian place where you will have a good time. Michelin, where's their 3 stars?

Good choice in this area for Himalayan food. Something different. Great deal for lunch. Their lunch specials has many choices. The menu includes meat and vegetables dishes. We got the lamb sekuwa. This grill lamb is tasty. It come with lentil soup, salad, rice, vegetables curry. We also got the chicken curry. It come with same side. Lunch is the best to go in this area. Good value that serve the lunch need. Food is good. If you're really hungry, I recommend the lamb sekuwa. Service is good. Very responsive. Food delivery to table also fast. May be because is lunch special.

Heard many great things about this place over the years so had to check it out this trip. They have a lot of seating and we didn't have to wait when we went at 4:30pm. It felt cozy when we walked in, with nice decor. Their lamb curry was decent. It doesn't come with the rice I have in the picture. The shrimp salad was ok. Service was hit or miss depending on the person helping. I would come back when I visit Big Bear again, as the food is good for the area.

What a gem to find in Big Bear. The chicken tikka masala and goat curry were both awesome. Garlic naan was solid. Samosas were HUGE and good. Service was terrific. We were in a rush and they went above and beyond to make sure we got everything we needed. The restaurant itself was clean and well organized. Would highly recommend and will certainly go back in the future.

The food here is as authentic as Indian/Himalayan food can get for the standard American palette to enjoy! Also one of the few places that make a good mango lassi that doesn't taste or look fake (no additional yellow coloring added) The thukpa (tastes like a mix between pho and tomato bisque and Indian curry base ), saag chicken, and goat biryani were my favs from this place. And the blood orange marg was refreshing as well!! Would come.here again for sure

Service was decent. Restaurant has a strong smell. I ended up with food poisoning:( after ordering fish masala. It was fishy. The sauce was good but very heavy and greasy. I wouldn't go back.

Great music, good atmosphere, ok service, but the Himalayan grill was extremely dry and didn't look and taste fresh.

We came in for lunch. We did not expect such an exceptional dining experience. Since we do not really understand Indian cuisine very well, we chose the "lunch specials". I chose the Chicken Masala, husband chose the Chicken Curry. Both of these come with a delicious lentil soup, stewed vegetables, salad and the naan bread. At $12 for a price point, we got a very healthy and scrumptious lunch sampler! I was astonished at the flavors. Everything seemed very well thought out and pleasantly presented. Our service seemed to be shared with the entire staff, this may change at night once it's busier. Service was prompt and courteous. The dining room seemed quite tidy and clean. Decor was reminiscent of all things Nepal and India. Very interesting. Bathroom was like walking into a FREEZER, I don't know why. Wash water was sub-zero. I will hurry back. It was healthy and a delightful treat, which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Before coming to Himalayan, I read the reviews and should have taken it as a big red flag. I thought the service couldn't be "that bad". In total 1 hour 45 mins to even get our food - including wait for table, ANOTHER wait for table when they originally told us the table was ready, and HUGE wait for food. This place is a cluster of a mess. It took us 1 hour to get our food after ordering. Food was 2/5 stars. We ordered the chicken curry and chicken tikka masala. Chicken curry was flavorless and masala was just as good at the Trader Joe's ones. Only tasty thing was the garlic naan.

Another yummy adventure for us. This time we were in Big Bear and wanted something with lots of savory flavor. Someone recommended the Himalayan Restaurant for Indian and Nepalese cuisine. What a TREAT! First, the ambiance is lovely, with art and decor from India. They have the Bombay bar and Lou GE one one side and the Himalayan gift shop on the other. The music is Indian and is the kind of sweet sounds I fell in love with on my trips to Southern India. The service was great. Prompt, efficient, and not overbearing. I do not like when the food service staff come to the table every 5 minutes...or never. Lol They were attentive and let us take our time. They staff did ask if we "were parents" though, which I thought was so weird. We are a Butch/femme (queer) couple and I think he was trying to ask if we were related (not a couple). The food...well...YUM. The chicken tikka masala was to die for. Creamy, savory, tender, and delicious. The apricot naan was something I have never tried, and it was the best thing ever. OMG! Flaky, softly crispy naan stuffed with layers of apricot fruit (not like jam or preserves). It was like something I would be served in heaven. And finally, I had a raspberry lemon, drop martini, which was perfectly sweet, ice, cold and delicious. We will definitely eat here again.

Fantastic food great service Very clean restaurant. We will absolutely be back. If you are ever in Big Bear find this great place.

Butter Chicken is a must try! Great food and good service. When in Big Bear Lake area, make sure you stop in.

The atmosphere was very peaceful and the service was great:) The food was even better! Good sized portions as well!

Great Indian food in the mountains! The Tandoori chicken and all of the curry dishes were great. Garlic naan was perfect. Friday service.

You guys... I told you I would be back... One of my favorite restaurants in Big Bear, it's always a must stop when in town. Staff is always so friendly and willing to answer any question you have regarding the menu. Food is always on point, comes out quick and is just delicious. If you haven't been in, you're missing out you gotta stop in now... and yes I mean right now. GO GO GOOOOO!!!!

Charged us extra for Rice & Nann when menu said it was included. 1 Star for being shady

Affordable, delicious and authentic. I came here twice during my time at big bear. The food we ordered was for carry out and it held up well. To go order: - Tandoori Chicken - Chicken Tikka Masala - Basmati Rice (2) - Garlic Naan Bread The green and spicy paste are so good too! This came out to ~ $42 Service is okay but they do get busy so be prepared to wait on the phone or just show up in person to make your order. Ambiance is great and their decor seems authentic and original.

The momos came out 30 seconds after ordering. I could tell they were sitting in some kind of warmer. They were chewy and not very good. The chicken chowmein used some weird thin noodles (not the Napalese that I am used to) and wasn't very good. The Aaloo govi was very watery. Overall, I was disappointed in the food. It was subpar on quality and taste. I would pass on this place.

I was very surprised with this place and the food. Obviously a place like Big Bear isn't going to be known for their Indian/Nepalese food but wow my family and I loved everything. We ordered the Himalayan Mixed Grill for 4 people and it was great for sharing. I think it could be a shareable for 2 people alone. We also ordered some Chicken Tiki Masala, also bomb and worth ordering. We had some Aaloo Govi and Paneer Palak. It was perfect for a party of 4. The server suggested to order 2 orders of rice but 1 would have been enough. The service was fast and nice. If I'm ever back in Big Bear, I would 100% come here again.

I really wanted to love this place but I honestly wish I would have kept it as a bookmark instead of making the effort to come. The food was good, it took forever to place my order let alone receive it. I'm not one who minds waiting, especially with the dying customer service industry. I let it be known that I am appreciative of the staff. Anyway, ordered the vegetable korma, was delicious. Very nutty in flavor. It was also creamier than anticipated which was a pleasant surprise Chicken tikka has the same sauce and vegetable korma, didn't have a creamy tomato flavor that you're probably use to seeing or tasting. The curry was more yellow than red/orange. Garlic naan was OK. Mine came out cold and slightly underdone. I'm more into a brown/char to it. Basmati rice was good. Nothing special, it's just steamed. Chicken momos were OK. They kind of give me Trader Joe's vibes lol. Like the concept is there but the execution wasn't. They're not bad, they're just OK. The place is relatively large. I imagine during holidays it gets packed. Came here on a Saturday evening (today) around 7 and left at 9ish because of how long it took to get any type of service. Overall the food is mid. I'm sure it's excellent for the area, I guess..... Place is loud, the tables are wobbly. The chairs are comfy. It's overall decent in terms of ambience. Terrible service experience story: The service was absolutely terrible. I am a Latina and came in and was completely ignored. A group of men who were Indian (per their conversation with the host) came in and were greeted and sat down immediately. The host continued to talk about the regions of India they were from and so on. The food came flying out for them. Meanwhile I had arrived prior to them... I also wasn't even able to place my order because I was being ignored left and right by every staff member here. I have never felt so poorly treated at a business. I noticed that the staff would treat customers differently based on their ethnicity. Maybe it was an off day but this was a major YIKES in my opinion. Never will come here again... Not because of the food but because of the service....

This place is sooo delicious!! Fresh naan, amazing butter chicken & vegetable korma. Their drinks are cheap and great too! I'd recommend getting just one side of rice for everyone to share because they give a big portion of it! A must try in Big Bear.

My husband and I come here a couple of times a month, we love their Tikka Masalla and Vindaloo. Those are our favorites, but we love everything we've tried. We get chicken. We love the patio and the bar. The bartender is super sweet and makes great drinks, I always get a Manhatten. He's also a very good and attentive server. We always have a great time. The only improvements I'd recommend have to do with the bar. It's a super cool space, but it lacks ambiance. Last few times we've been there, the news channel was on. Most people would prefer some good music and videos or sports instead. Great place though, we love it and will always be back!

1st & last visit of this so called "Himalayan Restaurant" I really don't like to leave negative reviews but locals and visitors need to know the truth. We ordered the Fried Shrimp appetizer w/green sauce, Lamb Curry, and tandoori chicken. Asked the waiter with blue baseball cap if one rice was good for 2 he said, no and suggested another order. There was a fair amount of food for 2 but it was terrible with a capitol T. Read reviews before coming here

This little place did not disappoint! The food was so delicious. Samosas, garlic nan, aloo gobi, and tikka masala were perfect. The service was very nice. It was very hot in the restaurant though. Regardless the food is delicious enough for me to sit in the hot room again.

Presidents weekend for dinner. Terrible wait, over 1hr for a table. Plus another 90 mins for the food. Nice naan and polite staff, but not worth the wait. Maybe they can apply some Kaizens and lean principles to improve speed and flow.

A great burst of flavor- the staff is super sweet and accommodating (with our last-minute eight top) the food was incredibly flavorful. Service was sweet and fun. Don't sleep on this spot it's amazing !

Sad to leave this place two stars- I've been making a point to visit every time I come to big bear and have usually had great food and great service over the years. Maybe we just had an "off night"...?? Arrived around 4:30 pm on a Thursday evening. Place was busy, but still lots of open tables and lots of staff. We were seated and received drinks quickly. Then, we waited an hour for our food while at least three new tables entered, ordered, ate and left. When our food arrived, it was pretty good- but the long wait and lack of service left a bad taste in my mouth. Don't get me wrong- the food was decent, but none of it blew me away. Garlic naan had zero garlic. Rice was kinda cold. They ran out of hot tea, so I couldn't take a cup to go. (little things that I'd usually let slide, had we not waited so long and watched so many other people come and go...) Asked for the check and the waiter hovered and watched how much we entered for tip.... :/ I'll give this place another shot, but maybe just for lunch.

This restaurant was fantastic. we had a big group with different dietary restrictions / orders / etc and they really accommodated us. The food was tasty and I got to try many different spicy and mild dishes, would recommend for everyone.

Chicken masala is out of this world, so creamy and smooth with milky smell. Must try.