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Upscale dishes from across India served in a space outfitted with British Colonial decor.
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Best Indian food in Bethesda, MD | Passage to India | Indian food …
At Passage to India, we serve bold, authentic Indian dishes made with fresh, high-quality ingredients and time-honored recipes from across the subcontinent.
Passage to India | Bethesda MD – Facebook
Craving real Indian flavours? Freshly cooked dishes, authentic recipes, and spices just the way you like them—mild to extra spicy. Dine in, take out, …
Passage to India – Bethesda Restaurant – OpenTable
Book now at Passage to India – Bethesda in Bethesda, MD. Explore menu, see photos and read 844 reviews: “We’ve been going to Passage to …
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Reviews
Sherrine M. Thompson
I recently had lunch at Passage to India in Bethesda with a few friends, including one who grew up in India. The restaurant itself has a warm, elegant atmosphere from the chandeliers, framed art, and rich tones give it a classic and slightly formal feel, but it’s still inviting. The space wasn’t crowded during lunch, which made it perfect for conversation. We never felt rushed, and the staff was friendly, attentive, and accommodating throughout our meal.
As for the food, it was a mix of traditional Indian dishes and some creative fusion touches. For my meal, I tried their butter chicken “taco”, which uses soft naan in place of a traditional taco shell. It’s a fun fusion twist, creamy, flavorful butter chicken with fresh greens and shredded cheese layered over warm naan. It was hearty, messy in the best way, and full of flavor.
My friends ordered more traditional dishes, including a beautifully presented thali with dal makhani, paneer curry, rice, and naan, as well as crispy chaat drizzled with yogurt and chutneys. I also shared a delicious samosa with one of them. It was perfectly crisp on the outside and filled with spiced potatoes and peas.
My Indian friend mentioned that while the food was good, the flavors were not quite as bold or complex as what she’s used to at home. From my perspective, the dishes were satisfying, with just enough spice to make them interesting without being overwhelming.
Overall, Passage to India offered a pleasant dining experience: flavorful food, comfortable surroundings, and great service. If you’re looking for a relaxed place to enjoy Indian cuisine in Bethesda, especially with friends or family, it’s a nice spot to linger over lunch.
… moreAs for the food, it was a mix of traditional Indian dishes and some creative fusion touches. For my meal, I tried their butter chicken “taco”, which uses soft naan in place of a traditional taco shell. It’s a fun fusion twist, creamy, flavorful butter chicken with fresh greens and shredded cheese layered over warm naan. It was hearty, messy in the best way, and full of flavor.
My friends ordered more traditional dishes, including a beautifully presented thali with dal makhani, paneer curry, rice, and naan, as well as crispy chaat drizzled with yogurt and chutneys. I also shared a delicious samosa with one of them. It was perfectly crisp on the outside and filled with spiced potatoes and peas.
My Indian friend mentioned that while the food was good, the flavors were not quite as bold or complex as what she’s used to at home. From my perspective, the dishes were satisfying, with just enough spice to make them interesting without being overwhelming.
Overall, Passage to India offered a pleasant dining experience: flavorful food, comfortable surroundings, and great service. If you’re looking for a relaxed place to enjoy Indian cuisine in Bethesda, especially with friends or family, it’s a nice spot to linger over lunch.
Carolyn Frank
Group of friends enjoyed lunch here. We all ordered off the lunch special menu where each dish was served with a veggie-studded white rice portion and a salad that mostly pieces of green and sweet red pepper. I liked my lamb stewed in a flavorful tomato-based broth. Others liked their Tandoori chicken, chicken Tikka and lamb in a pureed spinach stew. The restaurant was quiet and cool, and one could easily
hear the folks at the other end of a 6-person table. The service was a bit slow but the waiter attentively kept our water glasses full of gratefully accepted ice water on a 90+ degree day.
… morehear the folks at the other end of a 6-person table. The service was a bit slow but the waiter attentively kept our water glasses full of gratefully accepted ice water on a 90+ degree day.
Conrad Williamd
We came as a party of 8 and had a fantastic experience. The ambience was warm and authentic, and the food was full of rich, bold flavors—easily some of the best Indian cuisine I’ve had.
The staff were super friendly and accommodating. As an American who’s tried Indian food at many places, I can confidently say this is one of the most authentic and flavorful Indian restaurants in the Bethesda area.
Would definitely come again.
… moreThe staff were super friendly and accommodating. As an American who’s tried Indian food at many places, I can confidently say this is one of the most authentic and flavorful Indian restaurants in the Bethesda area.
Would definitely come again.
Manaswini katkuri
We had a family lunch here, the food was Very delicious veg and non veg with rich ambience. especially Mushroom and panneer appetizers was perfectly cooked with a crispy exterior and tender inside. Kids love chocolate lava cake and mango lassi ,Must recommended place !!
… moreKelly R
I wish I could give this place zero stars. We usually order from Biryani City but wanted to try a new place. We checked out this place because it had a decent amount of good reviews, but gosh do I regret this choice. We spent nearly $70 for two bland entrees. We got the chicken biryani, naan, samosas, and chicken tikka masala. The most flavorful item was the samosas. The chicken masala tasted like tomato soup with a tiny bit of pepper. The biryani was all around bland. Not even the chicken had spice. I wish I could get a full refund because it definitely wasn’t worth the $70.
Update in response to the comment left by Passage to India:
I understand that Passage to India has been serving customers since 2001 and has built a reputation for quality food. However, my recent experience with takeout did not match the quality I’ve come to expect from any restaurant. I recognize that recipes can vary slightly across businesses, but the taste and consistency seemed off for my dishes. I just hope that the quality can be maintained for both dine-in and takeout orders, as it’s important for customers to enjoy the same experience no matter how they choose to order. I appreciate your willingness to discuss the matter further and look forward to seeing how the restaurant can improve in the future.
… moreUpdate in response to the comment left by Passage to India:
I understand that Passage to India has been serving customers since 2001 and has built a reputation for quality food. However, my recent experience with takeout did not match the quality I’ve come to expect from any restaurant. I recognize that recipes can vary slightly across businesses, but the taste and consistency seemed off for my dishes. I just hope that the quality can be maintained for both dine-in and takeout orders, as it’s important for customers to enjoy the same experience no matter how they choose to order. I appreciate your willingness to discuss the matter further and look forward to seeing how the restaurant can improve in the future.
Eileen Levitt
We actually went for lunch today, their first day open under new owners. The food was wonderful and a really good value. Might be the only value in downtown Bethesda. I highly recommend.
We both ate the chicken and it was a lot of stuff. We don’t know what we ate, but it was all good.
The only negative is that they didn’t update the dated interior.
… moreWe both ate the chicken and it was a lot of stuff. We don’t know what we ate, but it was all good.
The only negative is that they didn’t update the dated interior.
Daniel McKinnon
Best restaurant in Bethesda. Been eating here since I was a child in Bethesda and the meal is the same delicious, flavorful delight I’ve been having for years. Peaceful dining room and excellent service.
… moreJohn Bargeron
Food is great. We love and just discovered three new dishes that we love. but puzzled by delivery. I get messages saying delivery, in , say 30 minutes, and it arrives 5 minutes later. Early delivery is never a problem, of course. But I wonder why the disconnect.
… moreManisha Sabat
We wanted to try out this restaurant for several months but finally went there in one of the weekends. The decor and the ambiance was good. The food taste like home made food with less oil. The lemon soda was really good. We liked it, however the portion is very small. In addition to that, we ordered 4 entries which comes with free rice. They only served us three rice and didn’t give us the fourth rice but charged us for the extra rice. I thought it was supposed to be free as we didn’t get any rice with the fourth item but we were charged. It wasn’t much but that’s not how other restaurants do business. We might give another shot someday.
… moreCatherine Schirmeier
This is the best Indian restaurant in Bethesda by far! Food is delicious and the staff are lovely and have great recommendations if you ask. Even the desserts are terrific. Highly recommend.
… more