Akbar Cuisine of India

Indian food is really good if it is made well. I have been to some pretty bad Indian restaurants. Akbar has not only amazing food but the service is really great, which makes the experience just so much better. Really great place! more

I just love everything about this place!! It is definately the best Indian food I'ver had in Los Angeles and the service is always friendly and helpful!!\r I go at least once a week!! Pros: the food was spetacular, ambiance was great,friendly service more

Wow! I've just found my new favorite Indian Restaurant in Los Angeles. The ambiance is very modern and detailed, yet warm and inviting. And the food, one bite and you know this is quality. Fresh, tasty and generous portions. Even the Iced Tea which looks perfectly normal suprises you when you taste its exotic spices. They can make pretty much any Indian dish you request, whether it's on the menu or not. My favorite is the Lamb Korma, but the Chicken Tikki Masala is also awesome. This might have been the most attentive service I've received in a long time. I like to drink a lot of ice tea, and the glass never went empty; they must have come around to refil it 5 times. It's great to be at a restaurant where the servers pay attention to you and make sure you're taken care of. Including the owner Avinash and Manager Gustavo. Both extra friendly and personable and came by our table and talked with us for a good 5 minutes or so, I hope they do well with this business, it's obvious they've poured thier heart into it. This is my favorite Indian restaurant. I will be bringing friends and any future dates here. None of this is an exageration, I just had to write a review. Check it out for yourself. And tell your friends. I know how hard it is to make a restaurant successfull. I want make sure my new favorite restaurant flourishes. more

I walked into the newly remodeled Akbar in Santa Monica, saying ""wow, it's clean, fresh & crisp."" I sat down and was greeted with a spoonful of this amazingly delicious squash soup, seasoned with a bite of garlic, reminding me of a visit to Spagos. Speaking to the chef, Avinash Kapoor, I learned that Akbar is now preparing daily specials with fresh, seasonal soups & fish, using Farmers' Market vegies. Along with a yummy dish of Chicken Tika Marsala and hot Nan Bread, I was given a twirly thing with Indian condiments: fresh mint cilantro, chutney, coconut chutney, fresh tomato chutney and mixed vegetable; my favorite was the coconut chutney. While I was a fan of the old Akbar, the new, improved version transforms Akbar into a hidden gem of gourmet food at neighborhood prices. It's perfect for all occasions from a date to business.\r more

We were intrigued by the new trendy decor at our local indian joint. It's been upgraded really nicely! And the food matches the impressive surrounds. We were worried that on a Saturday night this restaurant was empty but not long after we sat down 4 more parties were seated. We had delicious chat something, plus some amazing lamb tandoori and chicken akbari with cashews mmmmmm. Not completely authentic but fresh and tasty. We will back for more! Love it! more

I've tried a lot of Indian places in Los Angeles, and while Curry Palace in Hollywood is still one of my faves, Akbar tops it in a number of areas. First - the food is amazing. Generous portions, perfectly balanced spices, fluffy/chewy naan bread - and very reasonably priced. I recommend the Chicken Akbari which is a cashew/saffron curry - heavenly. Also the service is great - attentive without being annoying. The ambiance is pleasant and comfortable and it's in a great location - easy parking in back, in meters out front or on side streets. I've also gotten food delivered and was happy with the experience. Check this place out - you won't be disappointed! Pros: Everything - honestly - this place is great. Cons: The only thing I didn't like was the chana masala - it was a bit too heavy and salty. more

I have been going to Akbar for years in both Marina del Rey and Santa Monica. The Marina branch had always been my favorite due to superior quality of food and decor, though Santa Monica was always a fine option as well. I dined in the newly renovated Santa Monica restaurant last night and had a truly great meal. The new atmosphere is a vast improvement and feels much lighter and more modern than the old stuffy place though a few tables are a little too close together. The food was awesome. Some of my favorite menu items from the Marina were missing, but they are happy to accomodate and make dishes not on the menu. The food may not be the most authentic by some people's definitions, but from my experience with Indian food the lightness and fresh ingredients (olive oil, chicken breast, fresh herbs and not GHEE, butter and heavy cream sauces) make Akbar way better than most Indian food I've had around the world. The Chicken Saag last night was unbelieveable, we wanted to eat every bit of the delicious spinach sauce and the Chicken breast pieces inside were moist and buttery on their own accord! The Tanddori Sea Bas and other seafood items are always incredible too. Service is friendly and professional if a little overintrusive (I felt like we had about 3 waiters last night). Pros: Great Indian flavor, lighter ingredients than most Indian places, friendly servers Cons: cramped tables in places, nice but boring modern decor post renovation more

I've been to Akbar before in Venice and I love it there, and in general Indian food - but the Santa Monica location - there is just something missing... the dishes we selected should have been really good, but instead of giving us the flavorful concoctions that we came for - it was bland and oily. The lamb special was tender but seemed somehow flavorless... The chutneys however are very good, and so is the nan... I love the paintings on their wall and the ambiance is romantic and stylish... Pros: Ambience, Nan Cons: Parking, Food, more

I've been to this Akbar many times and the food was always good. the price is a bit high but i've had many different dishes here and i like all of them. more

We have adventured many cities in the US and abroad tasting Indian cuisine and this has to be one of the worst restaurants we've visited. My wife is Indian and from where she comes from they don't call this Indian food they call it dog food. \r \r The chicken tika masala is bland and has a hint of wax. The lamb akbari begins with a promising taste but gets worse with every bite; the true nature of margin of declining returns. The cheese Naan is nothing more than a grilled cheese sandwhich. And don't forget to wash down your meal with a retarded beer called Karma from some unknown region of India, because this restaurant is too good for Taj or King Fisher beer. However, if your apetite has not ended by now do take a chance on the Mango Lassee. It's not too bad, however when did mango lassee including lime lemon or orange juice?\r \r FYI, when dining in the evenings you may want to ask for a mosqueto net. Pros: Fast service Cons: Expensive! even if the food was good more

Been eating in a bunch of differents places , specially Indian cuisines , I found Akbar in Santa Monica the best of the best food I ever eat in my life, everything was excelent since the appetizer untill the desert, the food was amazing, their selection of wines were unbelivible and the service was great too , so friendly and helpfull. Like I said before just GREAT!!!!! Pros: Realy good wines , friendly service and amazing food. more

Best LA Indian food, great dishes, friendly service and amazing wines, you got try theis Chilean sea bass, chicken tikka masala and the magnific Tandori Lamb chops, you must go..... more

Best Indian restaurant in town, the food (all dishes) are great, they have the best Chilean Sea Bass in the world and the Chicken tika masala is excelent too. Service is friendly fast and good. You got go there!!!!!!! more

I used to go to the Pasadena location and have always loved the food. I tried this Santa Monica location and found the food to be just as GREAT! Chicken Tikka Masala is my favorite here. Pros: Food! Cons: Parking more

Disaster from start to finish. The food was late. The food was cold. The order was missing a main course (with an option to wait up to another hour for the missing dish)! We ordered number 3's all around on the spice level and the food that arrived ranged from baby food mild to inedible lava (and my wife's a Bengali and no wuss when it comes to eating spicy foods way beyond my tolerance). The food that did arrive varied from acceptable to offensive. You know when you just have a craving for curry? Well that's me now. Many dollars the poorer, deprived of my curry fix, and a little wiser when it comes to ever ordering from this place again. Be warned. I'm off to ask my wife nicely if she wouldn't mind if we cooked on our date night after all. more

I went there on a weekend night...the appetizer was great and so were the sea bass entree and the eggplant and potatoes dish. And you can choose how spicy you want your food..Service is kinda slow but much better than those restaurants where they rush you because they want to get your table!! Pros: food, good parking, candle light dining more

We decided to try this place out, despite the other less than stellar reviews. And, no surprise, we were quite disappointed. Although the food (other than the samosas) was good, the service was awful. Once they figured out that we weren't big spenders (we didn't order wine, only water), they paid no attention to us. Skip this place. There are so many other great Indian restaurants that have good food AND good service. Pros: shrimp bhuna Cons: service, slow, not friendly more

We have been to Akbar a few times as we live in the neighborhood, and decided to pick up food for take out. The food was cold, the portions were tiny and the nan was chewy. Just left something to be desired. Pros: good spices Cons: cold, small portion more

Worst Indian food ever and expensive too. I don't know why or how they are in business. Cons: Expensive, Bad Service more

We patroned there a couple of times since we're in the area, the food was pretty much the same in terms of taste, but the service was different. I never saw the owner there, but have met him while dining in the Pasadena location and that was best experience. But I do realized that the service was based on the judgement of how the customers spent their money and it's a shame. The servers and hostess are accomodating, but if I'm not mistaken, the victims fell short of what they thought was the owner that tried to push them on the wine was indeed the restaurant manager, not the owner. \r I must say that the Pasadena location is much better (service & layout). Pros: Parking, Food Cons: Service more