Roti Indian Bistro Reviews

We stopped for lunch at Roti Indian Bistro. Food was excellent and the prices for lunch was very reasonable. I had the Naanini which were lamb kebab with naan bread and a cucumber, tomato and red onion salad. Not a fan of mint chutney so I asked for anothre type of chutney and they brought a soup bowls worth of spicy mango chutney for which they did charge us an additional $6, good think that is was delicious. The lunch platters were a good size and everyone was full by the end. We also ordered a plate of appetizers for the 5 of us and I felt that it was a little on the small side, but like I stated, the lunch platters made up for that. Next time I think we should skip the appetizers as it was not a good value for the money at $9 and just stick to the combo lunchs which include chai tea with refills. Every lunch platter also came with naan, so don't order extra.

This lives up to any Indian restaurants I've eaten at and that includes London and Leicester. Great service , fabulous menu , all freshly cooked in a kitchen you can see .

Decent food, nothing spectacular, all the dishes that you are expecting to find at an Indian restaurant (in California of course). Service is Ok, prices reasonable. So...if you are around West Portal and crave some Indian food, go for it.

I have been eating at roti since about 2007, and it never disappoints. Great food, great service, and a very helpful staff.

We are recently arrivals in the neighborhood and are systematically trying all the West Portal restaurants. The "other" Indian restaurant, Clay Oven, was a disappointment. Roti offers the standard fare, but tasty, fresh and served with a smile.

delicious food. loud atmosphere. good attentive wait staff. you gotta have reservations after 6pm. busy place. Best Chicken Tikka Massala ever and try the goat cheese naan. Out of this world.

We dined here with family and friends on Christmas Eve. All of us were impressed. While the acoustics were not great when the restaurant was full, we had little problem hearing each other once the crowd left. And, in all events, what is most important is the food. And the food was really, really good--as good as we have had at some of London's best Indian restaurants--and that's saying something. You will not be disappointed.

Our absolute favorite Indian food, anywhere, ever! Been going often for many years. Korma to die for. We’ve always loved everything there. My vegetarian wife LOVES it! We love introducing our friends to this amazing food. The owner is humble and kind. He often gifts little tasty things. A sample of this or that. He makes fresh garam masala every few days. Northern Indian mostly.

Attentive service, great choice of entrees, comes with salad and Chai, always made to order. Consistently excellent, flavors distinct, ingredients very fresh. No where in SF comes close to offering the Lunch value that Roti provides. Enjoy!

I had never heard of this restaurant, but it had good reviews so I took a friend for his birthday dinner. A nice little find! In one of the lesser known but interesting neighborhoods of San Francisco. Very fresh food. Great service. Reasonable prices. It's rare in Northern Cal to find an Indian restaurant that serves regional Indian dishes. This place seems to have a few specials that they serve for a month, and then change out. We had one of their June specials, a Bengali chicken curry in a spicy tomato sauce. The descriptions of their specials are a paragraph long, telling you how they put each dish together. I like that they don't tamp down the chili heat too much or too little. Their benghan bhartha was beautifully ground, like a thick sauce, instead of lumps of eggplant. Their naan was light and delicious! Desserts are fairly standard Indian sweets - kulfi, kheer, gulab jamun, chai, and dessert wines. If you come when they open at 5, it's nice and quiet for at least an hour, then it gets a little loud.

Great Indian restaurant, by far the best I have ever been in San Francisco. All dishes were excellent and very tasty. I had the Chicken Korma, which had great seasoning and spices. Everyone at the table enjoyed very much their dishes as well. I highly recommend anyone who likes Indian food to try this restaurant.

Went for dinner during the work week and met long time friends. I never remember the names of what we ordered -- marsala, naan, some kind of lamb, rice, something else -- everything is always well prepared. Spices, service, atmosphere -- always enjoy our time. Owner is extremely friendly and helpful.

I love Indian food and this place was up to my expectation! Tasty, big portion, great service . The Roti was to die for.

This is a great place to have authentic Indian food in San Francisco. We tried their vegetarian options including their roti basket and it was great.

Rich flavors. Excellent service. And hard to imagine a SF restaurant with reasonable prices. Portions could be a little bigger but no big deal.

The food is tasty but this time the owner looked in foul mood, tried to send us out for vaccination proof which we had. No smile. One item asked was served as something else. However didn’t point out. Tea was also not hot. Lunch menus are good though

Ordered appetizers off the menu from their new San Mateo location for a NYEve party and everything was awesome! Everything was hot, fresh and tasty! Everything was a crowd pleaser! Looking forward to our next visit!

Excellent service and choices for vegetarians too, excellent garlic and plain naans, rotis and other indian varieties

This is one of our favorite Indian restaurants in our city filled with great restaurants! The thing that sets this place apart from others is the warm, caring owner/manager who sets the tone for the entire restaurant. The staff are busy and gracious too, and, if they have the time during a quieter time, they are wonderful to chat with as well. Roti fills quickly on weekend evenings, because locals know it's so good. The trick is to go early or go on a weekday. Their vegetarian dishes are fantastic. And the cauliflower "gobi" dish, which is only served during the October-November time frame and is roasted slowly for hours to get it's amazing taste, is a must order! We just took my parents who are visiting from southern California last night (on a Thursday); they've eaten Indian food all over the world and agreed that this special cauliflower dish is one of the best ever. And after engaging in a conversation with him, they were charmed beyond description by the manager. Highly, highly recommend Roti if you want a warm cozy atmosphere in a low-key neighborhood restaurant, with great service, and most importantly, fantastic food. Just go early, or treat yourself on a weekday, to avoid the rush of others who already know about this local neighborhood gem...

Visited here with two friends and wasn’t disappointed. Very comfortable and clean restaurant and service was pleasant. Had three main courses with an extra serving of rice and a bottle of wine. Total bill including tax was 83 dollars. Also was able to cater for a celiac who was dining in our group. Would love to go back.

The food was brilliant and we persuaded our server to give us a half portion of the selection for 2 people at $34 per person and a lamb korma! We had had the selection for 2 people on a previous visit and it was too much food. The owner kept coming back to talk to us and it was a great dinner, buzzy atmosphere and good value.

Definitely my favorite Indian restaurant in the city.

This a fine dine Indian restaurant and a bit on the expensive side. The menu was extensive and had some of the rare Indian delicacies in them. However, we found the price tag a bit on the higher side. Would recommend customers to be prepared for a hefty bill.

We ate at Roti and it was really, really good. The owner was such a wonderful gentleman and we had a great conversation with him. He insisted on giving us a free fabulous Mango drink. Loved the ambiance and i especially love the candy and anise mixture one can put in one's palm when exiting the restaurant. all in all a great evening.

We have been coming to this restaurant for over 3 years. Although it is not in our neighborhood, we find it worth the drive. Amongst the many Indian restaurant we have tried in SF, this is our favorite.

This time the service the food was better than last time as we reached earlier than the finishing time for their lunch menus. Sat outside which is a well covered place neat and clean giving you road view of passing muni at regular intervals. Overall tasty food and service.

We have had a wonderful dinner here as sorry of three. The food has been as good as 6 Keats ago, when we went here first. We enjoyed the Roti feast and did not manage to finish it although it has been delicious.

Best we've found in the city.

I have been a customer since their opening and I can’t believe that I am writing this just now. Roti is the best Indian restaurant in our neighborhood. It offers impeccable service that you typically wouldn’t expect from a very casual establishment, flavorful food that is always fresh and wonderful menu selection. Food is always amazing, flavorful and big portions served family style. They also serve very good house wine. If u come in October, make sure to try their cauliflower special that they only serve 2 months a year (one 1 in October and another one I think in February). Another favorite of mine is boti kebab (large, grilled, juicy pieces of lamb).

The restaurant is clean, cheerful, welcoming. Best Indian food ever is always the fare. They will fix spice temperature according to your preferences. Reservation recommended due to popularity. MUNI stops 1/2 block away. Parking is on the street, or a lot on Ulloa Street; both are metered. All the favorites are on the menu, along with specials; wide variety is a strength. Naan is perfect. See you there!

one of the best indian cuisines in sf. the only drawback is the noise level.

Fresh + organic indian food, a little pricey but well worth it!

Now, I have to say that my expectations of Indian cuisine is high. And that I seldom get moved to review an indian restaurant in most of the countries of the world. But this one is one that will not dissappoint. Ok, not great. But in to ppl 10% that you will find. Friendly service and decent good. Busy but decor maybe a little uninspiring.

I have ordered takeout from this place several times and have been satisfied. The first time I ordered takeout the spice level was way too high and since we've requested "medium." Specials are usually different than usual and worth ordering.

I was not expecting much from this family friendly, neighborhood oriented Indian restaurant, especially since it is nowhere near the trendier parts of San Francisco (we were in the area, it was selected for convenience). Upon arrival, however, I was pleasantly surprised by the clean, modern and well maintained decor. Service was prompt and friendly and, aside from a somewhat noisy environment (family friendly = kids in the restaurant), everything was appealing and enjoyable. Other than one Michelin starred Indian restaurant in New York, the food was as good as anything I've had from Indian restaurants in the US. When I asked the manager about the dishes and how they compare to India, he started explaining everything the culinary team does to prepare. Starting off by grinding their own spices (the house-made garam masala that is used in many of their dishes - I was given a sample to taste and smell), it became clear that attention to detail is important to this place. We enjoyed everything that was brought to the table. I don't think you'll go wrong with any of their offerings.

Very close to the West Portal Muni stop. Easy parking too. Food and service is very good. Always has a nice mixture of the many people who live by. That is a good sign. Friendly service and I have eaten here many times

I was on New Year eves 12/31/2010 around 7:00 P.M. with family visiting San Francisco. All tables were reserved and didn't get the seat at all. It is understandable for a good restaurant to be full-house for this special night. I craved for grilled stuff so might as well take out. So, I ordered Roti’s Lamb “Popsicles,” Tandoori Murgh and Naan to go. Took that box and have my dinner at the Golden Gate bridge watching a fantastic view. Imagine! chilled weather outdoor and hot grilled stuff aroma with beautiful lighting- Wow. Lamb chops was juicy, has a mild spice and sweet taste. It must be the yougurt. Grilled chicken was like rotisserie chicken in Indian spices. It was great food and enjoyed a lot. So, we went back again 1/1/2011 ordered vegetarian meal. Poori was a huge piece. I am used to a small crispy one. Saag Aloo and Channa Masala, they were hot and spicy unlike yesterday. Yummy! it was two different meals that reminds me in SF night. I tried Kulfi, it was extra smooth and creamy taste. It goes together. Setting is cleaned, Staff are polite and management gives an extra attention to customer. Ask each painting hangs at wall, manager has history to explain. I would recommend to anyone who loves food and style.

Wait-staff was very attentive and professional. All the entrees and dishes we had were truly authentic and wonderful. You will not be disappointed!

The menu selections were both broad enought to appeal to those not familiar with Indian cooking and interesting enough to appeal to someone who has enjoyed home cooked Indian cuisine for many years. Dishes were offered ala carte, which was wise because many could be shared. I especially enjoyed the lamb dish special for the month of August. Service was attentive and prices were quite reasonable. I will try to come back as soon as I can.

Went there for lunch. Will definitely return. It's off the beaten track for tourists but if you are in the area, it is worth a visit. Lots of vegetarian options - not really heavy on the oil like some Indian restaurants.

The blends of spices and ingredients were delicious in every dish we had last evening (14 May 2016) at Roti. I like it that Roti features 6-8 new dishes each month, so there's always something new to try. We started with Bengan Pakoras, which were lightly battered and fried fresh eggplant slices. Delicious! For the main courses, we chose one item from the traditional menu: a mixed tandoori assortment of lamb, chicken, fish and prawns. The smokiness from the tandoori oven made the fish and prawns exceptionally moist and smoky. From the "monthly specials menu," we chose the goat curry, which was quite wonderful. The naan and poori breads were melt-in-your-mouth delicious. We had one slight disappointment in that the wine we ordered (a French Grenache) was not available. However, the server did not tell us that fact and brought a bottle of Spanish Garnacha (same grape, I know), instead. In tasting the wine, I mentioned that it was "quite thin" for a grenache. When my partner checked the label against the wine menu, we noticed the substitution. The server then mentioned that the restaurant was in the midst of changing its wine selections, and she offered to bring a bottle of a different wine. I realize that restaurants need to change out dishes and wines, but owners and servers should inform diners of the change or lack of availability. This wine substitution was the only negative in an otherwise terrific meal. Roti Bistro is definitely our first choice when we want Indian food near our home in San Francisco, and we'll go back again soon. I'd recommend that you make reservations (via OpenTable or calling), particularly on weekends, since the place is so popular.

Excellent service, food delicious and very welcoming environment. Great value for money. Would highly recommend, will be back.

really awful and ridiculously overpriced.

Dined here on a Friday in August, during a long weekend visit to grad school daughter in SF. This was the first real experience with Indian food for my wife and I, so we have nothing to compare this against. We thought the food was very good to superb. The menu seemed very diverse with lots of choices. We found the service to be very friendly, very helpful in educating us as neophytes, and attentive. We brought a bottle of wine in, thinking we might drink it there. Roti's has very fair corkage, but in the end we all opted for a French ale vs. wine. I can't see many wines standing up to this food. The ale was a great match. We would most definitely return. All in all, a most enjoyable evening. Our total bill for 3 people, given all we had, seemed very reasonable to me. Reservations strongly recommended, as the place was busy all night.

My cousin suggested this for a family get together. Fantastic cuisine with excellent service. One of our group had a nut allergy and the staff could not have been more helpful. Would recommend a return visit.

We recently tried to go to Chou Chous for lunch and they were closed ~ so came to West Portal and decided to try Roti. The lunch menu was amazing and the service couldn't have been better. The ambiance is soothing and wonderful and it, after one time, has become a favorite place for lunch. AND - not to be missed - the Naan - AMAZING!!

probably the best restaurant in W. Portal, and perhaps the best Indian restaurant in SF!. Not cheap, but the quality of the dishes is worth the price, delicious breads and monthly specials!

The neighborhood of West Portal is amazing. It is only a couple of blocks long, but offers myriad of choices for some quite decent food. Roti is one of the best. The offerings are just good - loads of flavor, but not too much spice. We have visited many times and have never been disappointed.

I went specifically to the San Mateo branch of this restaurant because it appeared to be the only one close to the SFO airport that is appropriate for vegans. The food was good and it was vegan. There are, however, a couple of things to keep in mind: a) When they ask you whether you would like your food to be hot (spicy), keep in mind that "mild" is actually really hot. "Hot" is inedible. b) If you ask for nan (even if you tell them you are vegan), they will put ghee on it, which renders the nan non-vegan. The guys in the restaurant attempt to do a good job with the concept of veganism, but they don't quite get it yet. Beware of hidden ingredients.

Did lunch ,four of us, ordered all vegetarian. Thick,chill,rightly spiced Lassi was a great start as we geared up excitedly for the lunch. Alas, what a let down! The paneer mutter curry was okay. The potatoes were not even cooked in the Alu Sag. Dal Makhni was anything but that. And the yellow dal was again uncooked, the lentil was hard and the masala hadn't even cooked. Pulav, was just mildly fried rice with cardamom and clove. Rotis were fresh and hot ,but the rest were all a let down. Surprised by its rating!

I always have a good feeling about an Indian restaurant when I walk in and you can smell the tandoor. The food does not disappoint. Curries were great, the naan was near perfect. The food took no more than five minutes to arrive. And the atmosphere is lovely. Great service.

Maybe Indian food is different in the UK but this food was boring. It lacked any spice or flavour. My chicken was good although my boyfriend was disappointed with his lamb, it was tough and tasted more like beef. The service was good we ordered two indian beers that were off, our waiter took them away and changed them immediately, which was good. I would recommend this restaurant if you like mild food not if you want something a bit more adventurous.

Pleasant ambiance in a neighbor hood gem. Quality and tasty Indian food with nice service. parking is a bit of a challenge, but Roti is definitely worth a visit.

First time I went to Roti, there was one other group sitting at a table. We sat there for 20 minutes without a menu, water or any attention whats so ever. So we walked out and went to Bulls Head around the corner. I thougtht they had a bad day, so I tried it again tonight with a group of friends. We had a reservation that we were slightly early for. She said we would have to wait 20 minutes to be seated. We did. Another group walked in without reservations and got seated right away. I asked why they got seated ahead of us when we had been waiting with reservations and they didn't. The hostess said the owner did it and she had no control. Never again!!!!! Clay Oven is at the other end of West Portal and they will fall over each other to give you amazing service, not to mention the food is much better and much more reasonable

This Indian spot wasn't far from where I was staying so we visited. I had Garlic Naan, Rice, Lamb Chops with Taj Mahal Beer. Everything was great. Restaurant looked nice

The veggie pakora was good. The channa masala and aloo gobi were fine, as was the chicken tikka masala. If you want great service, though, look elsewhere. Service ranges from efficient to surly. We had four different servers of all kinds of temperaments. We tried to order a couple of additional things and were refused because “the kitchen was closed” even though the restaurant was still full. No notice like “hey the kitchen is closing in 10 minutes. Would you like anything else?” If you’re going to be open for business, be open. If you’re going to accept reservations, serve people until they’re finished. There are plenty of other good Indian places in SF. I’ll go somewhere else.

While in Sanfrancisco, a friend told about this restaurant for Indian food. Though not very happy with the Indian food around here, we took a chance and visited with friends visiting us. The food was delicious and service very good. Surprised to find many non Indians eating there. Navratan Korma Dal makhni and paneer tikka masala were great. Yellow dal some of the group people didn’t like much but it was very tasty. Man I would recommend to all.

The food here is definitely above average. It's some of the better Indian food in SF, IMHO. However the prices are above average and the service below average. And god forbid you try and call in an order. If they answer the phone (a big if), and if they don't put you hold never to return (another big if), then the wait time is usually 45-60 minutes. I use to order occasionally from them, but have given up. The service is better in the restaurant, but it's still mediocre. For the prices they charge, you'd think they could afford a couple more people on staff.

We recently had dinner here and were quite happy with the experience. The food was excellent, the staff was courteous, and the service was prompt. We ordered a bread basket that gave us a good assortment of naans and rotis. Both the lamb curry and the mushroom curry were very tasty. An overall good experience. One small tip - if you are like us who enjoy Indian food but not necessarily enjoy the staying smell, get an outside table. It had two tables outside, and we picked the one tucked at a corner, and it was perfect - not too old, the wind was somehow shielded and it's perfect for people watching as well.

Charming interior, delicious food for a really small price (the chai is included), good variety of dishes to chose from and just amazing service. I couldn't find anything that wasn't just right even if I tried.

This is some seriously upscale Indian fare. Great service, awesome flavors. Lovely venue. We had a party of 8 and our table was waiting, as were the servers. The garlic naan and chicken korma were to die for. Even the owner? host? was hovering over us to make sure everything was perfect. Just amazing food. I would recommend this place to anyone who wants to experience wonderful Indian food in an incredible location. And... check out the bathroom. You might never want to leave.

Roti has delicious Indian food in a somewhat upscale but unpretentious environment. It's typically busy which means it's not generally a quiet meal but fine if you like an active scene. Long menu and friendly service.

Wide variety of Naan, the Goat Cheese Naan is excellent. Great traditional and non traditional dishes. Check the daily menu for seasonal offerings. Best Indian food I've had.

Some of the consistently best Indian food I've ever had and have been dinning here for over 10 years. As soon as you walk in you know you're going to have great meal as the aromas engulf you. They have an extensive menu with many specials which are always changing, and they have some great craft cocktails. Food and service are 5 Stars for sure!

Awesome Indian food and very nice setting.

This was our 2nd visit to this restaurant and we were very disappointed as it`s dishes were not spicy enough. Coming from the UK where Indian food is a staple of our diet this was not great - the vindaloo which is one of the hottest Indian dishes around was like any mild curry dish and the madras dish was the same. Going back to Aslam Rasoi for some hot spicy Indian food in future. The waitress did not seem very engaged in her job either - probably will not return.

The food we had was delicious. Individual requests were catered for. I had the assortment plate as a stater, there was plent of tasty food - Samosa, onion pakora & popadoms. The Chicken Jalfrezi was delicious. The owner offered a warm & friendly service. I would highly recommend Roti.

One of the best Indian restaurants I have found in the city so far. The flavors and colors of the food were wonderful.

Very good Indian food with large portions for lunch. Enough to take home for dinner. Exceptional service also.

Simply my favorite restaurant in SF. We have been regulars here for years, and never been disappointed with a dish, let alone a meal. The attention to detail in the flavors, spices and ingredients is obvious as this is a step in quality above most Indian restaurants. Even the simple things like the roti and chai are special. The service is always impeccable, the value for money is better than most restaurants of this quality, and the unique monthly specials are a reason to come here (at least) 12 times per year.

We had a party of five and ordered a fair variety of dishes. Everything was really good, and there were some unusual touches (like pineapple in the vegetable korma). Would definitely eat here again. Only downsides are that it's a bit noisy and parking is a bit difficult.

Simply superb Northern Indian cuisine! From the Naan, to the spinach to the lamb, chicken and halibut and curries, everything was very delicious. The owner, Pankaj, is so gracious and welcoming - just cannot praise this restaurant more highly. The best in San Francisco!

I have always wanted to have dinner at Roti's, because whenever I passed it on foot, I'd peer in the window and saw food that looked very tempting. Last night, we finally stopped in for dinner. My husband and I concur that this is absolutely the BEST Indian food we have ever had! Everything is so fresh and eye appealing. We had lamb biryani that had tender pieces of lamb and fruit. Oh, so delicious! Salmon curry was too mild for us, so they added spices and heat, and it was exactly right! Let's not forget the Cornish game hen that was cooked to perfection! We added riata and onion naan which was so good! We could have eaten every morsel, but saved some so we could have leftovers. The service was impeccable, friendly and helpful. . Prices are reasonable. The owner, a very charming man, goes from table to table, making sure everything is perfect, and it was! DO go to Roti's for Indian food; you won't be sorry!

Great but pricey!

This place is fantastic. The service is always great and the food is consistently among the best Indian food we have had. The prices are on the high side for what is not quite fine dining given the very neighborhood feel of the place. But it is worth every penny given the very high quality of the food and service. Don’t miss this superb Indian restaurant.