Reviews
Dear Bill,
Thank you so much for your hospitality today at the tasting. Both Elijah and I thought the food was outstanding. We are both very much looking forward to working with you for the success of the Payoyo-Randawa wedding on July 9th. Please let us know if you have any questions. Thank you.
Warm regards,
Erik Franklin, CMP
Director of Catering
The Golf Club at Newcastle
15500 Six Penny lane
Newcastle, WA 98059
Tel: (425) 793-4648
Email: Erikf@newcastlegolf.com
Review from V S.
Kirkland, WA
Mercer Island, WA
6/8/2011
My husband and I have been going to Chutney’s for years, and we have never been disappointed. We have eaten in many Indian restaurants in the Seattle area, but this one remains our favorite. The food is terrific. We like all of their dishes, but the lamb (or chicken) saag and vegetable korma are special favorites. The mussels (appetizer) are out of this world. The atmosphere is warm and welcoming. Bill, the owner, and all of the staff, are helpful and really friendly. I am completely mystified by the negative reviews!
love their naans. And I like the taste of their curry. My Indian friends said the taste isn’t authentic enough. However, any of my friends who are not from Indian (including myself) love it!
Great service
by sallyjon at Citysearch
Wonderful service and food ,had a wonderful time here .The manager took great care of us and made us feel special.We were a big group on a weekend yet we were given all the attantion and treatment you would get in a five star restaurant.The food was lovely too.Just right as far as the spice was concerned.
MY CHOICE FOR RESTAURANT OF THE YEAR
by jennysal at Citysearch
Had a satisfying meal in a classy restaurant after a long time .The attentive service ,the food and ambiance were a class act.,despite being short staffed,everything was so lovely.
The owner does get a bit touchy feeley,and just parties with friends while the waiters strive to deliver.The chef has a magic touch.
truly ,a fantastic evening.
by shanedubier at Citysearch
Excellent food,just right as far as the spices went.Good recomendations by the Owner,who went out of his way to prepare a special menu for us despite being very busy, found the time to ensure everything was spot on. My director was very impressed, even offered him a job in our company with better wagesand terms, but he politely declined saying he was very happy where he was.
This is now our new favourite restaurant.
SIMPLY SUPERB
by ramprasad22 at Citysearch
06/18/09
SIMPLY SUPERB
Delightful place ,good food,with an out of the world service experience.No request seemed too much for the Owner, and chef Raju. Generous portions too.Would rate this the best indian restaurant in Washington.
Good Indian food, slow service
by cotchsundae at Citysearch
I’ve been to Chutney’s many times, both to dine-in and for take-out at dinner time. The decor is simple but nice. The food is usually very good, my favorites are Chickpea Veggie Fritters (they are like pakoras but more flavored, mmm!) and Chicken Tikka Masala. The Tandoori Chicken and the roast lamb are usually good too. The Saag Paneer (spinach and paneer cheese) is somewhat bland.
The service was very good at first, but over the years it has become fairly slow. Some of the waiters are attentive and friendly, others seem not to care. It’s more slow at lunchtime. This is not a huge drawback if you’re ordering take-out, but is pretty annoying when seated.
The best part about Chutney’s is that they actually make non-spicy Indian food that still tastes flavorful. A friend of mine is very sensitive to spice and this is the only place that can consistently make mild Indian food (everywhere else is variable).
If you want mild Indian food that still has flavor and seasonings, this is a good option.
- Pros: Good food that can be ordered mild
by urbantwentysomething at Citysearch
The eclectic mix of flavors and assortment of Vegetarian food makes this restaurant one of my favorite lunch spots! Quick and attentive service.
- Pros: Vegetarian Food and Great Service
- Cons: None
Great service
by sallyjon at Citysearch
Wonderful service and food ,had a wonderful time here .The Owner/Manager took great care of us and made us feel special.We were a big group on a weekend yet we were given all the attantion and treatment you would get in a five star restaurant. The food was lovely too. Just right as far as the spice was concerned.
5/5/2011
Kirkland, WA
My My wife and I wanted a good Indian meal to help us forget about my her upcoming surgery. I almost passed on this great restaurant due to the negative reviews. That would have been a big mistake.
We were seated by the owner Bill, a gracious and gregareous hoast. Though we had never been there he made us feel like regulars. He recommended the rack of lamb which he said “was to die for” (it is). Also on his recommendation we ordered the Chicken Coco Cury and Eggplant Bharta, both delightful. The combination of flavors was exquisit.
The pleasant ambiance and great service, combined with the great food, made it the dining experience we were looking for. As it was much needed, consequently it was much appreciated.
Bill has two more regulars, and we told him so.
4/16/2011
I eat food.
Bellevue, WA
I’ve been going to Chutneys for several years, and I have never been disappointed. The food and service is great!
4/7/2011
San Jose, CA
I checked and re-checked and re-re-checked if the Chutney’s I was reading about was the same place I had eaten at! I don’t understand the negative reviews here. This place is fabulous!
I visit Seattle on work fairly often; and eat here everytime. As an Indian living in the US, lemme tell you, genuine tasty Indian fare is not as common as you’d think. And Chutney’s does it with panache.
My first two times here, I had the chicken tikka masala with garlic naan (That’s the safest option when it comes to Indian food). If an Indian restaurant messes up even this really simple entree, I write it off immediately. I was pleasantly surprised. The food’s rich no doubt, but its lip smackingly good. Specify your spice level, and go with a 4/5 even if you feel you have a high spice tolerance.
After the owner observed I was ordering the same thing the third time over, he came up to me and said ‘Try the lamb cashew’. And boy, am I glad I listened to him. It was the best friggin curry I’ve had in a looong time. He recommended the bread that’d bring out the flavor best too. 4.5 stars, I thought.
Yesterday, I went with half a lamb cashew, and half an okra curry (because I needed me some veggies). The okra curry was ok, tasty, but not as good as the lamb and chicken. However, just as I was leaving, the owner asked me what I missed most from home, the dishes that my mom created magic with. Once I told him, he said he’d order it specially for me if I gave him enough notice (My mom’s mutton curry, goat curry, not lamb, and that’s why he needed enough notice). Just the fact that he was willing to make me a smashing goat curry, umm.. 5 freakin stars!
Back from a marvelous anniversary dinner at Chutney’s. Bill, the owner, is so very friendly as are the other staff. Many wonderful menu choices, flavors, and at a great price for all you get with the meal. Our daughter said that the meal “was fit for a king!” The ice creams are amazing and not to be found elsewhere. The tandoori is our favorite! You could tell by the laughter in the room that all the other patrons had a wonderful evening like we did. This is our favorite Indian restaurant and will be back (SOON!) for more.
Bellevue, WA
5/2/2011
My wife and I just celebrated my daugther’s first birthday here. We had the whole place to ourselves and all of our 70+ guests were well taken care of. The staff organized the place such that the main quadrangle area had the tables set up for lunch and the rest of the area was available for kids to run around as well as play games. The manager personally served appitizers and drinks at the various tables and kept inquiring with our guests to ensure that they were being well served. The food was great and got compliments from many of our guests. Overall, it was a great experience.
Bellevue, WA
5/2/2011
Kent, WA
Fantastic food, great quality, and excellent service! I’m very surprised with the negative reviews.The owner (Bill) is very accommodating and always ensures that we are enjoying ourselves and the food! Everything was absolutely delicious! My favorites: the paneer tikka masala, murg bahar, the rack of lamb, the onion/cilantro naan and the desserts are also very good. I’ve been coming here for the past 4 years and I’m never disappointed 
Bellevue, WA
5/20/2011
My husband and I live in downtown Bellevue and had never tried Chutneys before tonight. We didn’t feel like cooking after work so decided to go to Chutneys because it was close and because I bought some http://restaurant.com coupons awhile back in order to try new places. Am I glad we tried Chutneys!!! They’re now my FAVORITE restaurant in downtown Bellevue. They have a wide variety to choose from and most entrees are between $10 – $20 (unlike tons of other restaurants in downtown Bellevue which are more in the $15 – $25 range). We ordered chicken tikka masala, garlic & basil naan, tandori chicken plus gulab jamun for dessert. For drinks we had a mango colada and madras cooler. The drinks were great (not watered down) and the food was delicious. We thoroughly enjoyed it all, ate too much and still had enough leftovers for a decent sized meal which we took home. My husband likes spicy foods but I don’t – we ordered the chicken tikka masala at “3″ out of 5 for spicy-ness. It was plenty spicy for me (next time I’ll order it at “2″) and my hubby liked it but might try the “4″ next time. Loved the flavor. The tandori chicken was moist and flavorful and the gulab jamun was delightful. The owner seems like a very friendly, jovial person. I liked the size of the restaurant along with the decor – very nice yet not stiff and pretentious. The service was great too…our waiter plus another guy stopped by often to see if we needed anything. We had a wonderful experience eating at Chutneys and plan to go back often.
- Review from Howard C.
My first experience was definitely a 4 star (because we ordered individual dishes for dinner). The lamb was pretty impressive.
The lunch buffet is about a 2.5 (which is what I had today). I guess that makes this place a solid 3! I’m definitely not one for mediocrity when it comes to food, but when I go with friends or colleagues, the experience is better! I would never dine alone here however. If I did that, the mediocrity would definitely be clear and I’d be upset that I paid the $11!
Review from Sanjay F.
Review from E F.
10/04/2010
My favorites:
-Veggie Samosas
-Chicken Tikka Masala
-Tandoor Chicken Tikka
-South Indian Potato & Cauliflower
-Daal
-Raita
-Any of their Naan
I am a VERY picky chicken eater. This passes for me with flying colors.
If I do go for lunch, I order off the menu. And when you ask for spice, they will give it to you. I’ve been eating here for at least 5 years even though it’s further than some others close by.
Love it!
Quantity is a quality in itself
Renton, WA
06/08/2010
Overall, it’s not a great restaurant. However, it’s a good value. I would go eat there again.
Review from Tim H
Whenever I travel to Seattle/Redmond/Bellevue I make my best effort to have one meal at Chutney’s. It’s my favorite Indian place in the area (I don’t live there so don’t shoot me if there are better — tell me where they are!).
The service isn’t always the best and I sometimes feel that is is a little snotty, but the food has never let me down for dinner (never been for lunch buffet). The Tikka Massala and Vindaloo with Naan always leave me wanting more.
Review from Naurry K.
10/23/2009
The buffet’s on the tad expensive side at $10 a person but the food is delicious – the offerings are fresh and varied. However, the service sucks. I can’t count how many times the staff has been inattentive or otherwise oblivious to our presence.
P.S. $3.50 for a single serving of soda is a rip! (I’m sure they’re free refills but I wouldn’t know.)
Review from Kaitlin F.
03/09/2010
My one note would be the customer service. You always make sure the customer has enough water, and if you’re using paper napkins, enough napkins. Not so much here. And the seemingly nice old man was kind of creepy. He never spoke, and every time our eyes met, i felt like i had done something to dissapoint him.
Despite the service, the place is nice enough and the food is good enough that i will definitely be back.
Review from Nestor P.
02/20/2010
I’m not Indian but I think this restaurant offers a good selection of indian dishes that meet expectations
The atmosphere is really good and the food is delicious and tasty. the service is outstanding and the restaurant includes a nice selection of dishes for vegetarians.
Because is not that big, the restaurant is ideal for events because you can close it for your event at a very reasonable price. The staff is prepared to hosts events and your guests will have a nice experience.
I saw some reviews that the place is not good for kids, I do not agree with that however i went there for a private event.
Redmond, WA
I like my women like my Indian food. Hot, creative, and authentic. The slow services, got the hot part… Chutney’s hotness was actually too spicy for me . They did a good job with plating, but nothing really unique. On the upside, everything was cooked perfectly and they used good quality ingredients. They also have the best Mango Lassi… sweet, but not too sweet… just like my dream woman.
Review from ben j.
For dinner today, a friend and I decided to eat Indian food in Bellevue. We solicited a recommendation from one of our best friends, who is Indian, and he referred us to Chutneys.
I’m afraid I was slightly disappointed. I ordered the Tandoori Chicken, which was fine, but having received my friend’s recommendation, I had expected it to be impeccable. Unfortunately, it was not. I hardly consider myself a connoisseur of fine Indian cuisine, but I have had the opportunity to experience excellent Indian food. In my opinion, the food here was good, but not great.
The restaurant was fairly well-presented for the most part, with very friendly wait staff. However, the primary reason it leans toward an overall 3 stars instead of 4 is because of the dirty plates I received, plural. My friend’s plate was very clean, but mine was not. My plate was almost clean. I asked the waiter for a new plate, and he promptly complied, but the second plate still had bits stuck to it. I just wiped down my second plate with my napkin and ended up using it, but it was enough to drop the rating one star level.
In terms of value, not really worth it.
- Review from Bob G.
9/13/2007
Bothell, WA
I am taking a Sun computer training class. What to do for lunch? I found Chutneys and saw they had an Indian buffet and since I was HUNGRY, what better place to go.
The food was pretty average. They did serve a small complementary naan, but the second time I went there it came when I was almost done eating. They had interesting “Indian meatballs” – well at least cocktail meatballs and nothing like have ever seen at an Indian restaurant.
My only other Indian buffet of recent history has been Royal India in Kirkland / Juanita and is far superior. Several years ago, I had the pleasure of dining at the Brilliant in Southall, UK which is a highly acclaimed northern (Punjab) Indian restaurant – that is my 5 star basis. I know this is the buffet, but the selection and quality only rates 1 1/2 stars compared to my base line.
I did eat lunch here twice during the training week, but the other selections were bleak; a $7 sandwich in the Deli in the building, Subway, Adiamo at $12+ and a Bistro where I had an expensive hamburger.
Was this review …?
- Review from Katie C.
07-04-2007
Chutney’s offers a standard selection of popular Indian dishes, such as samosas, pakoras, a few kinds of naan, and more curries than you can shake a stick at. They also have some tandoor-cooked meats. Unlike many other Indian restaurants in the area Chutney’s takes some liberties with their menu, and it’s in those dishes Chutney’s really shines. My favorites are the mango chicken curry, which features huge chunks of mango, and the pomegranite chicken curry. Both incorporate tandoori chicken in manageable high-quality white-meat chicken chunks. This is a huge improvement over other restaurants which serve greasy dark meat chicken bits.
In that sense, Chutney’s is not terribly authentic as far as Indian cuisine goes. You probably wouldn’t find a Chutney’s-quality restaurant outside of a hotel or office building in India. Their spiciness rating system is inconsistent (sometimes a 4 star is like a 1 star, sometimes it’s like a 4). Also adding to the American feel of the place is the price–Chutney’s ain’t cheap. You’re probably not going to get out of there without spending at least $25 per person on dinner. The portions are large, though, so you can split an entree with a friend and get some garlic naan and an appetizer to save money.
As for the buffet, it’s the best feature of the restaurant as far as I’m concerned. It’s about $10 a person and you get a wide selection of tasty, if not authentic, food. Another reviewer mentioned the lack of spiciness; you can counter this by asking the manager for some hot sauce. I did this the other day and he was more than happy to oblige. The curries in the buffet change daily, so theoretically you could eat here every day and get something different each time. I’m not sure when they started doing it, but instead of the very salty crisp bread they used to give each table at lunch they now provide actual warm and soft delicious naan. Chutney’s owner, if you are reading this that was just about the best move you could have made. OM NOM NAAN.
Decent Indian food – not awful, but not super authentic. (For all the SFers, it’s definitely not as good as Pakwan in the Mission, or Shalimar in the Tenderloin or Nob Hill.)
I came here with my new manager tonight (who I just love! we will have such fun on this new project!), and she and I had fun with the dipping sauces (though I still don’t like tamarind – my ex adored that stuff, and ate it in this paste straight from the bag, weird).
Anyhow, I ordered the mango chicken curry, and it was fine, just nothing spectacular. Also, I requested it to be medium on the spicy, and it wasn’t in the least. That said, my colleague asked for her coconut chicken curry to be mild/slightly spicy, and hers tasted spicy to her…. hmmmm. We also ordered a cheesy naan, but didn’t really taste the cheese – it really didn’t have much taste at all, actually.
Overall, however, the food was fine. But the service was another story. We had a friendly waitor, who was gregarious at first, but then it was like he vanished. We had to flag him down for refills on water and beverages; I had to ask (nearly beg) him to take away my dishes (since I’m a slow eater, and finished last), as he just didn’t get the clues that I was done (i.e. my silverware was diagonally across my plate, facing left – hello?!?) ; and I also had to ask for the check at the end… it just dragged on far too long. And as much as I love my new manager, since I’m on voice rest right now, I can only talk for so long. I wanted to get home (i.e. the hotel), rest my voice, and go to bed early.
So, a solid 3 stars – decent food, but lacking on the service.
4/29/2009 Chutney’s is downstairs from my apartment and it does have a decent lunch buffet at about $10 (after tax). The rice pudding is great! Ordering things off the menu though is a lot more expensive. A good dinner generally will run about $25 without drinks.
Chutneys Indian Restaurant
Review from Arvind K.
It all started well, me and a few colleagues working in DT decided to try this place for lunch. We found a table real quick, the lunch buffet menu was adequate – with limited amount of choices, which personally I prefer. The food tasted good too. We had to try out the $4 Mango lassi which although not the best was still ok.
Food’s good, but please make sure you don’t caught in the moment and end up paying whatever he asks for. ASK for the itemized receipt and do not leave until you get one. Finally, if you care to pay the tip – do so directly to the server/waiter.
This review is based on take-out only…
Along with being new parents, my husband and I are new to the area which means we don’t have access to free babysitters or someone we would trust with our precious child yet so we can check out all of the local restaurants sans child…so that means TAKE-OUT rules more often than not when we don’t feel like cooking or want something more exotic than Baja Fresh. Chutney’s never fails to amaze us. Their food is consistently good and flavorful. I always get the lamb with cashew nuts – something I order at every Indian restaurant as my gauge of how good the food is – and Chutney’s is one of THE best I’ve had so far. Not to mention they are about a block from our place so the food arrives piping hot and fresh. Yum. Yum. Now I’m hungry…
Update: I’ve been to Chutney’s several times for their lunch buffet and it is just as good as the dinner menu. The service is a bit spotty (or snotty depending on who you get) but you can’t beat authentic Indian food buffet for about $10 and you are in and out within an hour. It’s good for groups of co-workers because it’s faster than ordering off the menu too.
Listed in: My Neighborhood – Redmond that…
08/12/09
decent food bad service
by citysearchsux at Citysearch
The food was ok, no real complaints there. The waiter was aloof and inattentive. I ordered vindaloo which is a curry. In most restaurants you go to a curry comes with rice with no extra charge since the curry itself is just a sauce. At Chutneys I was brought a side of rice (a small side of rice at that), no problem there until my bill arrived. $2 for the rice. It was not mentioned anywhere on the menu that rice was extra nor was I asked if I wanted rice along with the meal.
Bottom line, the service is terrible, see the other reviews, I’m not the only one that feels this way. Go to other restaurants in the Eastside, their food is just as good and they actually appreciate your business.
- Pros: decent vindaloo
- Cons: service
08/21/09
Great food but the service could be better
by TravelBug3 at Citysearch
I am a regular at Chutneys and I absolutely love the food. The service is a little slow at times but the food is definitely worth it. The Burg Mahar is fantastic and I love how you can order it customized to the level of hotness you want.
- Pros: Customize the level of spice in your dishes
- Cons: Service is slow
“Great Upscale Indian Restaurant”
The good here was great. The ambiance was nice, it has a simple but classy look to it. There are other Indian restaurant with cheaper food but at chutneys you get your value for your money. It is beyond a family restaurant even if the size suggests otherwise. I nice place with perfect service
User Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
by AshokJain
Quality Indian Food and excellent location: Buffee quality of food is good specially fresh hot naan served, though not enough variety. Service is not very professional. Undercover Parking is free in downtown Bellevue. Kids friendly. Ambience pretty good. Buffee under $10 is an excellent value. I’m a regular customer.
I started talking with Bill, the owner, and asked him to bring me his favorites. I am not sure what I ate, but it was awesome. I was a little worried when the bill came, but it was very reasonable. You can not go wrong with the Naan.
