Rita's Gate Of India

Best Indian on the westside. We love all The vegan options and my son loves the chicken options. The lamb is good too. They can adjust spice. Family run place.

Wonderful family-owned restaurant. If you're trying to venture outside the usual butter chicken, I'd strongly recommend the Beef Nihari and Roganjosh. Food has some Bengali influences (don't let the thick layer of oil scare you!), and a really good balance of spices and heat. Very happy with the warm, homely service. The food tasted like it was made with care 💕

BEST INDIAN FOOD ON THE WEST SIDE! Authentic, charming, and cozy. I stopped in while running errands and was greeted by Rita herself. She is the chef at Rita’s Gate of India and takes exceptional pride in her food. This time around I had the chicken tikka masala. Cooked to perfection. Creamy and delicious with the garlic naan. I love their portion sizes— enough to split with another person or to take home leftovers for lunch the next day! The samosa was also really yummy and paired with two savory, flavorful sauces. Super super good! Rita also added some saffron to the rice which added a special touch. I’ve also had their Korma Curry with chicken and it’s very flavorful. Every time I’ve gone to Rita’s it hits the spot! It’s so important to support local businesses like Rita’s. Family run businesses like these add so much love to their food, I’m convinced that’s her secret ingredient. 💜

BEST Indian food in LA by far! From being greeted at the door to the amazing food and service this place was 5 stars all the way. I’m half Indian myself and think my mum makes the best Indian food ever, but this place gives her a run for her money! Talking about prices, it was super reasonable coming in at under $50 for a couple of mains and an appetizer. Star of the menu was the tandoori chicken and the garlic naan. I’ve never had better garlic naan in my life, it was soft and fluffy but also crunchy and not too chewy - I was seriously amazed and had to force myself to stop eating (but ordered some more to take home 😅). Anyway, love this place, love Rita the owner and cannot wait to come back!!

Avoid!!! Worst restaurant in SM. Since there are only handful of Indian restaurants around this place, this place is taking advantage and robbing its customers. We ordered plain naan, got them straight from Costco but with tripled the price Ordered butter chicken and Sag Paneer.got Halidirams ready to cook straight into our plates(of course heated well) Best part is they don’t know how to serve naan, we ordered 6naan, they gave 12 naans assuming we will complain the size as there are from Costco. They don’t have restrooms. They don’t have parking. They don’t have workers(pretend as if family run business, infact it’s a Costco/Indian grocery store with a stove) I wish I could rate zero!

I had an absolutely amazing experience at this restaurant in Santa Monica! From the moment I walked in, the staff welcomed me with such warmth and hospitality that made me feel right at home. The food was simply incredible – every dish was flavorful, authentic, and prepared to perfection. This is, without a doubt, the best Indian restaurant I’ve tried in Los Angeles. Highly recommend to anyone looking for a delicious and memorable dining experience. I’ll definitely be coming back!

They are ruining the name of India by claiming to be an Indian restaurant. Restrooms are locked like gold treasure, even for paying customers! No complimentary rice. No pickle. Yellow Lentils (daals) are the most basic Indian dish but they went wrong with lentils as well. They served daal in a cracked bowl :-( I do not recommend going to this restaurant.

Great food! Rita's is a legendary family owned Indian Restaurant close by everything in downtown Santa Monica. The owner served me amazing chicken curry with rice and garlic naan. 35 years and going strong in the same location has made Rita's the best kept secret in Santa Monica!

What a great surprise!!! The food was amazing and we got to meet the owner and Chef Rita. She is extremely nice and friendly. The restaurant is very nice and cozy and we will for sure be back. Thank you Rita!

Great FRESH food! I didn't know my other Indian places were lacking till I came here. The hummus is homemade fresh and so different and WONDERFUL! Customer service was excellent! I forgot to take get a pic of my food, next time! The owner walks around making sure every is okay which is appreciated. Few years later and many times back, Always consist good quality food!

BEST INDIAN FOOD ON THE WEST SIDE! Authentic, charming, and cozy. I stopped in while running errands and was greeted by Rita herself. She is the chef at Rita's Gate of India and takes exceptional pride in her food. This time around I had the chicken tikka masala. Cooked to perfection. Creamy and delicious with the garlic naan. I love their portion sizes-- enough to split with another person or to take home leftovers for lunch the next day! The samosa was also really yummy and paired with two savory, flavorful sauces. Super super good! Rita also added some saffron to the rice which added a special touch. I've also had their Korma Curry with chicken and it's very flavorful. Every time I've gone to Rita's it hits the spot! It's so important to support local businesses like Rita's. Family run businesses like these add so much love to their food, I'm convinced that's her secret ingredient.

I had such a joyous experience at Rita's Gate of India! One of the first things I noticed was the large selection of vegan options on the menu, all clearly marked. It's refreshing to see that kind of effort put into accommodating different dietary preferences. When I arrived, I was greeted by Z, who is Rita's son. I love that this is a small, family-owned business--it gives the place a welcoming, personal feel. After asking about my preferences, Z recommended the vegetable curry, and it was fantastic. Full of vibrant spices and a hint of Bangladeshi sweetness that Z recommended for Rita to add because she thought I would like it--it really hit the spot. The environment here is just as memorable as the food. The space is adorned with twinkling lights that give it a warm, nostalgic charm. It feels super cozy. I even overheard a moment that stuck with me. A customer thought they hadn't paid yet, and Z kindly reminded them they already had. Honesty like that is so it was lovely to witness. Such a selfless choice not only did this place of feed my stomach, but they fed my soul. I even got the chance to speak with Rita herself, which was such a blast! She has so much passion for her food, and it really shows. We had a great conversation about the meal I enjoyed, and she suggested I take home a vegetable masala to try next. She even mentioned it's a dish that's great for re-cooking later, which is such a nice touch for leftovers. I loved how thoughtful and engaged she was--it's clear she genuinely cares about her guests' experiences. This place truly has it all--delicious food, an inviting atmosphere, and warm, genuine people. I'll definitely be back the next time I'm hungry and would recommend it to anyone looking for an authentic, cozy Indian dining experience!

The most authentic and delicious Indian food in Santa Monica . It is a must try ! You have to meet Rita the owner ... loved her

This place has a lot of potential! The seating area was cute with cultural decorations and lots of adorable twinkly lights. The staff member who served us was friendly as well. We got the mango lassi, masala chai, chicken biryani, chicken tikka masala, side of rice, and side of garlic naan. The food was plated pretty, but it tasted okay. I usually love leftovers, but I'm not eager to eat these leftovers. It just wasn't as flavorful as I was hoping. The pricing of some of their items was a bit too much as well for what you are getting. For example, the chicken tikka masala doesn't come with rice or naan and is over $20 alone. We also noticed afterwards that the restaurant has Grade B rating for now, which is a bit concerning. I hope this changes in the future because I think this place has potential to be such a hit, especially given its great location!

Popped in on a Wednesday evening and there was plenty of seating. The restaurant is clean and our waiter was quick and took good care of my party of three. The food was really solid and was yummy, we got a couple of curries, rice, and garlic naan. My group came in without looking at reviews and without any expectations, and we were so happy with our food and time here! Would love to drop back in if I'm on this side of town again :)

Tandoori chicken was super moist; not dry and overcooked like most places in LA. Best in class. Service is ok, it's not fine dining but the food makes up for any lack of ambiance. I recommend!

Slowest service ever. We only got 2 courses but we were stuck there for 2+ hours because the food took forever and the waiter kept disappearing. Even when he did appear, he served tables that were there after us first. The food wasn't bad actually, but did NOT justify such a horribly long wait time. The restaurant was practically empty too! I can't imagine how they'd handle a crowded night. Also the wine was also overpriced. I could get the same bottle for under $10 at my local liquor store and they charged more than triple the price. Would never come back.

I used to be a regular at Gate of India and was so excited that Rita has her own restaurant in Santa Monica that on a recent trip over to the west side I decided to stop in for dinner with a friend. Not much to say other than that it was literally the worst Indian meal I've ever had with bad service and poor ambience. It was pretty embarrassing that I had raved about how great she was back in the day. I won't be back. I wonder how Gate of India is doing these days.

Had my first return visit through Rita's Gate since Covid. Astounding that she has managed to maintain the wonderful (and exceptional) quality of personalized cooking over the years. In my long life, I really can't say I've had Indian food this delicate and surprising outside of India or some friends' home cooked meals. Yes the ambiance does not reflect the elegance of the cooking and the waiter did not offer clear guidance...but obviously I'm thrilled Rita held in there and hope she thrives for a very long time.

This Indian restaurant is really good! Very authentic Indian food that is really flavorful. I got the tikka masala and it wasn't creamy, but it was still really good. The samosas are massive and also delicious! I highly recommend coming here. There are a lot of great options in the staff is really nice.

We tried the samosa, sag paneer, lamb achar, and coconut curry. Really loved them all.

Two of the four curries tasted fine but the other two were below average. Chicken was chewy in butter chicken and yellow dal was under seasoned. The naan felt stale and looked and tasted very similar to Trader Joe's naan which made sense given it did not digest well for most of us. Good place but could be better if they don't take shortcuts,

What a charming restaurant to enjoy classic Indian cuisine. Packed with flavor, desired heat, and made with much love and attention from the chef! Service was friendly and helpful choosing our last dish to accompany our order! Very clean, and friendly. Just the aroma from the street will make you come inside to eat! I'll be back. Some reviews rant about the non use of bathrooms. I understand it's probably a deterrent for outside public use, the owner is friendly and nice enough to unlock them if you're polite and ask him! No problems with our party of five!

We tried this place a few years ago because of the good reviews, but never again. All the food was way too sweet, with sugar overwhelming the other flavors . We wondered how it could get so many good reviews. Not much decor to speak of, and it was really creepy the way the proprietor kept applying thick lipstick on her lips and it got all over her teeth. The food at Taj Palace in Pacific Palisades is so much better (and mostly gluten-free) and it has a much nicer ambiance too.

Lovely restaurant serving delicious food. The interior is quite cute and colorful and our server was very attentive but not pushy. The place was empty aside from another family dining together. I don't get to eat Indian food often so I was really looking forward to dining here. There were several signs posted advertising the lack of a bathroom, but I inquired about one anyways and our server directed me to it and unlocked it himself. I guess they get people off the streets bum-rushing their toilets? Anyhow, it was clean and I was grateful. Cabernet - 5/5 Great pour and yummy. Chicken Biryani - 5/5 Huge portion. So yummy. Wonderfully flavored and tender chicken. Eggplant Dish - 5/5 Huge portion. Perfectly seasoned and so delicious. Husband and I were stuffed to the gills afterwards. Many other dishes, like their curries, look appealing so I can't wait to return.

The food wasn't great. It was just okay. Too rich gravies upset our stomachs later on. Service was really fast after they took our order but they took forever to come and take the order in the first place. No restrooms allowed! Like really?! We ordered two appetizers chana puri and bhel puri, they were good. Vegetable koftas were good but again the rich gravy. :( Chana masala was good. The other two non-vegetarian dishes were just okay. Will I visit them again? No. They are very pricey when compared to the quality of food.

Meh. A tad underwhelming. Indian Cambells Spup-ish. Ambience good, service good, papadum and sauces good. And btw... no outdoor patio as advertised. Yup.

I'm sick and tired of businesses offering free meals that aren't true. On the app, it says I will get two for one samosas and I only received the one offer. This has happened MORE than once!!!! Say what you mean and mean what you say. VERY DISAPPOINTING. I order from here often trying to offer support , but the level of dissatisfaction and disrespect is overwhelming. STOP normalizing this. We are keeping them in business and it's time we start putting our foot down!!!and ALL of my sauces were all over my bag!!! VERY messy and I'm PISSED!!!!! Do BETTER. I don't care how late it is. If You want to go home, give me what I'm paying for. I'm paying YOUR salary!!!I was supposed to get 2-4 pieces of chicken, this is what I got!!!! I spend WAY too much money, times are HARD to get less than what you pay for. I'm a LOYAL customer and this is what I get. I will NOT be back!!!

I really expected more from Rita's Gate! The Veggie Malai Kafta was the WORST Malai Kafta I have ever had in my life. Dry, Old, and tasted like Cardboard. Part of me wonders if it was the SLOP from other customers' plates because it sure tasted that way... It had weird flavors in it and was just horrible. Their Chutneys, on the other hand, were pretty good. I ordered Samosas and received ONE Samosa... The Raita was ROOM TEMPERATURE... Not fresh and good like Indian Food should be. Other restaurants put this place to shame... Never again.

Oh how I just love this place! I had the Vindaloo Curry over rice, garlic naan bread, and mango lassi to drink. Everything is outstanding!!! Ms. Rita is vivacious and gorgeous and she can really cook! I just love her! Cannot wait to return!

Not sure what I was expecting before coming here, but Rita's has exceeded anything I could imagine. We got the chicken tikka, chicken tandoori, mango lassi, naan, samosas (veggie), and gulab jamun for dessert. In no exaggeration, everything was incredible. Juicy, perfectly spicy, flavorful and not overpowering. The atmosphere is welcoming and chill, not too fancy but also still perfect for a great date night. I will definitely be speaking highly of this place to anyone who listens!

Honestly don't understand the high ratings of this place. Had these dishes: Lamb Rogan Josh Chana Masala Okra curry Garlic naan The dishes were incredibly oily and greasy. The cooks clearly use too much ghee everytime. The flavor was subpar. The naan was definitely not done in a tandoor, was flat, firm, and dry and looks to be not made in house. Nothing like real naan from other restaurants that's puffy and light. Can't believe the prices they are charging for this mediocre Indian food. Won't be back.

I visited this restaurant along with my mom on her visit to LA. My mom was born in India and can recognize good Indian food! The food here is delicious; It is seasoned, complex, and flavorful. It Is the kind of food that makes you never want to put your fork down. The owner, Rita, is running the restaurant with her husband. So it might take some time to get your food to the table but trust me, it is worth the wait! We ordered the samosa, which was vast and crispy. We also got the PaniPuri which was delicious! You must try it! We also ordered the chicken Biryani. Rita came and chatted with us, she is very friendly and welcoming. Definitely worth your visit, time and money.

Pathetic !!!! They are people who have no courtesy and lie on their yelp responses because they aren't professional enough to have feedbacks on how the customer felt about their experience. Food sucked and so does their customer service !! And ambiance - let's not start! It would shock me if the owner or whoever is assigned to respond on yelp wont come back reclaiming their position as the most amazing restaurant ever .

Food is quite great!! We ordered takeout here several times, and liked all the dishes - bhel puri, curries etc. The one thing I didn't enjoy was their vegetable biryani, as it was way too greasy. The interior of the restaurant is quite interesting, but we've never stayed to dine in. Service has been always friendly. I definitely recommend this place (minus the biryani). Food is quite overpriced though.

Very good food. I am not a huge fan of Indian food but really enjoyed this place. Great service, nice people.had the vegetable samosa which was excellent and the tikka masala which was also good.

I was not intending on eating but the smell of the delicious food brought me inside. My friend and I were quickly seated at a table and ordered. However, it took awhile for the people to take our order and notice that we were ready. Usually I'm not picky about this but it was not busy at all. After we ordered it took about 25 minutes for our food to prepare. I found it strange just because we only ordered two items and there were only 2 other parties in the restaurant. The food came out and it was DELICIOUS! Seriously, I inhaled the food. I got a Mango Lassi, garlic naan, and tikka masala paneer. The portions were pretty small but the quality was amazing. Besides the service and their weird nature towards the use of the bathroom, I would recommend this place.

I came in on a Friday evening with the family and got cheese, and garlic naan, mixed veggie coconut curry, and pumpkin curry (vegan no cream) and a side of rice. Everything was delicious. There was plenty more interesting things on the menu I would come back for sure.

Delicious food and service was welcoming.. We came on a Saturday night and ordered 3 dishes, nans and rice. Yes, the restrooms have top notch security but at least they were clean! The decor was simple but cheerful! Would recommend if you are in Santa Monica area.

Rita's Gate of India serves very tasty Indian food. Rita's is also dimly lit, little flies roam the restaurant, the linens are black so you can't tell if they've been washed. Not sure what's wrong with the ventilation in this establishment, but the spices and pepper travels from the kitchen into the dinning area and causes your eyes to burn! My father had to step outside and wash his eyes at a nearby business since the restroom here was unavailable. It was locked, was never unlocked, and no one was in there. Under the California Retail Food Code, "any building that is constructed that provides space for the consumption of food on the premises shall provide clean toilet facilities, in good repair, for patrons, guests, or invitees." Rita's has an A posted on their window from 2019 - boasting that their restaurant is up to code. I believe that if health inspectors paid them a surprise visit that A would be removed immediately. That's not all though! When we ordered our food, I expressed to the gentleman (who I believe is co owner or related to Rita somehow) taking our order that I have celiac disease. His blank stare implied he has no knowledge of gluten allergy or food allergy requests. He responded with: "your allergy is your problem, you should take care of those things yourself, it's not our responsibility". I was shocked!!!!!! I do understand that if a restaurant cannot accommodate my dietary restrictions I can't force them to. Having a conversation with someone taking your order to ensure you can consume their food is typical. They should welcome the conversation. They can say: I'm so sorry we can't guarantee that you will not get sick. Give options? He was just rude. Even when we ordered, I believe I asked for rice and he mocked me, in a condescending way - he described the rice to me "those little white things". He later returned to our table and apologized saying he was being "funny". I found this strange as well, they have a lot of cameras inside. Everywhere. That's great because crime is on the rise, but I wonder if he was observing my conversation with my family from the back. How else would he know to apologize ? If you take a look at Rita's response to some of the yelpers on here, you will laugh as she is being herself. Being a business owner means you can be rude, you can do what you want! Fantastic. I just hope that her personal character and that of her business is evident from her choice of words you see on here. Again the food here is really good. Cleanliness, customer service, proper ventilation, and a working restroom are not available though. I would never return. The only reason I tried it was because we were on vacation with my parents and my dad wanted to try the food. As the aroma from the street was very inviting. 3 stars for the food

Our first time here and it was the most amazing food I have ever had! The Bhelpuri is magical! I could live off it! The samosa was so flavorful the mango chutney and all the other sauces are the best addition of even more flavor! Tikka Masala was fantastic! Also the Vindaloo with Lamb is next level! Run don't walk to this place that feeds your soul!

Our server was kind and funny. However, our food was terribly bland. We ordered the tikka masala (butter chicken), chicken samosa, rice, naan and papadum. The masala had no flavor which was unexpected. The samosa wasn't warmed all the way through, leaving the chicken inside cold. We received the wrong naan so ended up not having any. Disappointing experience overall.

Hands down the best Indian food in Los Angeles. Rita is an amazing woman that can whip up the best Indian dishes you'll ever experience. The Khorma is to die for. This is authentic cooking from the heart. You'll never eat at another Indian restaurant again. Simply put her food is perfection

One of the great things about Indian food, is there are restaurants all over the world. And we've had Indian food just about EVERYWHERE. Vancouver, France, Greece back to France. Put it simply, my family and I love Indian food. So I say all this to preface what I'm about to say. This was THE BEST Indian dishes I've ever had. The food was fresh, amazingly delicious, and incredibly unique. The samosas were fabulous, the Chicken Tikka Masala (HIGHLY recommend) was to die for, and the garlic naan was amazing. I wasn't a fan of the lentils, but everything else was delicious. I can't wait to go back and try the saag paneer which is apparently delicious as well.

The service was absolutely terrible. It looked fun online, we booked a table for 5 people on a Friday evening and we were the only people there for over 2 hours. It took forever for them to take our order (again we were the only table) then one dish came out after about 15-20 minutes and we waited another 45 minutes for the rest of the food. While we were waiting, we watched takeout and deliver orders going out the door. Terrible service! The portions are very small and incredibly over priced for what you get. It's a cute place, but after sitting there for hours, I understand why it was empty on a Friday night. DISAPPOINTING!

The food here is excellent. The key is in the combination of spices used. Rita is an71-years young, energetic chef who runs the place, with an equally "spicy" personality. I have eaten food in many different kinds of places all over the world. This is really one of the best Indian restaurants I have been to in a long time.

First off - W O W! This place deserves a Michelin star for serving such exquisite Indian cuisine with the most delicious complex flavors - and they bring the heat! (The chicken Tikka with medium heat was absolutely divine!) The meat Samosa was perfectly seasoned, with a crispy multi-layered crust! - not greasy at all I'm surprised given my love of Indian Cuisine, that this was my first time dinning at this restaurant! We will definitely be retuning. Thank you Rita for such a pleasant experience!

I just know better places that are cheaper and give you more food. Tomato sauce in curry was too runny like watered down

Gave a call to restaurant to check about buffet, the reception was very arrogant to answer and shooting using in appropriate words. If they are not pleasant answering to customers questions I don't think they deserve to have customers in their restaurant. I highly don't recommend this place

Our lunch at Rita's was delicious. We had the privilege to meet Rita and hear about India, her journey and her fabulous recipes. Her Samosa is the best we had in Los Angeles, We enjoyed each bite of our meals. One of the best authentic Indian restaurant in Los Angeles.

Food tasted like airplane food, naan tasted like it was frozen. So much oil we poured some out onto a plate and it was still way too oily. Dishes were ridiculously expensive. Service staff was nice, though. No restrooms either so beware of what you eat.

The husband was very disrespectful, but the wife was nice. the high prices and menu would make you think it comes with rice, but it does not. you can see the husbands response bellow and it proves my point. the wife offered me the free rice because i pointed out the flaw in the menu i did not demand. and the price suggestion was because it is overpriced for not serving a full meal. as you can see this husband is a huge liability and knows nothing about customer service. please take this husbands response into consideration before choosing to eat here.

Best Indian food in USA. Samosas are huge and fresh fried. The achari lamb is so delicious, it is only available at Rita's. The lamb is infused with mango achar. We also had the lemon lamb which is also a Rita's only specialty. So good!

Authentic. Aromatic. Heartwarming service and ambiance. This restaurant is a local gem. If you happen to be by the beach in Santa Monica and are craving Indian, this is the spot.

We had been mentioned about the place so we had company from out of town(Mexico)so we wanted to have them try something new to their pallet. As we were seated the owner approached our table and we had a pleasant exchange of how we made it there and what she had done to her other locations. We ordered our food as it arrived it looked fantastic great presentation with the exotic hummus and the taste was incredible. The Samosas were large so more to enjoy our guests enjoyed all the mango lassie was refreshing to them. The owner came back out to see if we were satisfied with her food. We shall be back again.

I was on my way to the Cheesecake Factory...as I walked, the smell of Indian food completely overwhelmed me. I couldn't resist the urge of Rita's - with her as the chef & the family working together to run the restaurant - you can tell the food is made with passion and love. The atmosphere is incredible. Authentic Indian music playing in the corner, lights flickering overhead & neon lights lighting the windows. This is 110% a hit & you cannot miss!! We split the chicken lemon curry & tiki masala, as well as the garlic & cheese naan. As Arnold Schwarzenegger says - I'll be back

Very expensive for what you get; mistake on the bill; no restroom; water tastes like plastic. Worst of all, the food was mediocre at best.