Thanal Indian Tavern Reviews

Wonderful little Indian restaurant with a big selection. A little more costly than most of neighborhood Indian restaurants but worth the difference. Great service. Doesn't look like much from the outside - but you will be surprised once you are inside. Give it a try

Watching the guys at Thanal is like watching an episode of "Rocky". These fellows have suffered every imaginable misfortune and setback -- Covid, vandalism, break-in, more smashed windows. And every time, they keep getting back up off the canvas. Through it all, their food is consistently delicious. Never a bad dish -- from the samosas, to the vindaloo, to the biryani, to the curries, to the saag -- it is all scrumptious and delightful. My favorite is their curried goat. Generous servings. My wife and I love this place. We had the pleasure of being on their premises a couple of times when they first opened. Great bar by the way, with a nice selection of whiskeys. Marvelous table service. Warm, intimate surroundings. Small, but by no means tiny. Now, outdoor seating! More recently, we have had to content ourselves with take-out or delivery. We've done both. I must say, their food 'travels' unusually well. Every time, it is hot and fresh. and upon opening the containers -- as aromatic and flavorful as if we were right there in the restaurant. The owners of Thanal are a true asset to our neighborhood. I hope they stay here for years to come, and that they prosper mightily. They deserve it. If you love South Asian cooking at its very best, come with an appetite.

Great food with authentic taste, All the food items we ordered were very fresh and tasty. Service is great too and every one keen to help.

We came across this by accident when looking for another restaurant and visited for dinner on the following night. We’re really pleased we found it! Delicious food, lovely atmosphere despite being busy, and friendly staff. We sat outside which also added to a relaxed evening.

Excellent authentic Indian food. Historically, Indian cuisine isn’t in the top of my list, but this has changed my mind. If you’re looking for a great Indian meal, I’d suggest this place

Happy with our choice to go here even with lack of reviews. Very friendly staff. Cute atmosphere. Chose plain naan, triple green Dosa and saag paneer. I went with a level 7 spice with my order. Was good but needed a lot of water. Recommend a 6. Very tasty.

Very disappointed with the service at my first visit to Thanal yesterday and I will not be back. The ambiance was lacking as well. First, the hostess tried to seat my party of 7 (w/OpenTable reservations) at a banquet table for 6 W/the seventh seat having only partial table access as it was inside a window alcove. Who does that?? The table was also about 8 inches from the bar with a small passage way for patrons to go to the back of the restaurant. When I expressed dissatisfaction with the table as no one could fit into the 7th seat, I was told that I had reserved that table....Really? I pointed out that there were 2 empty 4-seaters in the front of the restaurant that could be combined. After a bit of hesitation, they reluctantly agreed to seat us there. The food was generally alright, but the saag paneer didn't meet our moderate spice request (so spicy that it was actually inedible) and the vegetarian dishes in general were small in size as compared to the price. Our chicken biryani arrived more than an hour after we ordered it and after we had finished our meal. When we asked for tea and coffee at the end of our meal, we were told it was not available as the chef would not make it. Our waitress told us that 30 groups had come w/out reservations last night and the chef refused to make any more tea/coffee...Still she did go ask him again, and he refused.... Again, which restaurant does that?? The icing on the cake is that we were asked to leave after being there for only 1:27 hours. The waitress came to our table about 5 minutes after we paid the bill, and said you have to vacate the table because we have other guests! Mind you we had reservations, and had been served our last dish less than 30 mins before.....I have to say after having dinner at Vernick's the evening before and brunch at Parc that morning, my experience at Thanal was a disappointment. Thanal needs to work on their professionalism and have better ambiance given their close to fine dining prices... And I have eaten at my fair share of Indian fine dining spots around the country just last week at Srijith Gopinathan's Eylan in the San Francisco Bay Area) to know that Indian establishments are capable of doing it well. As noted abov, I will not be back....and I suggest you spend your money elsewhere.

Had a lovely dinner here. Food is amazing and staff is very friendly. It did take quite a while to get our entrees, but the wait was well worth it.

The food and service were amazing. Nice atmosphere, smelled amazing as soon as we walked in the door. We had the tandoori salmon and it was easily some of the best salmon we’ve ever had. Very friendly servers who were genuinely interested in whether we enjoyed our meal. Highly recommend!!

First time here with Hubby. Heard they had live jazz on the weekends so we wanted to go check it out. We love our Live music and since COVID arrived, live shows have become non existent. Service was good, it was a nice small crowd dining outside with socially distant table setup, and although it was a cool breezy night, everything was great. I had a superb bowl of country chicken soup, Shrimp with creamy Marsala sauce over rice, which was fantastic and my hubby had Stewed goat with rice which he enjoyed. Very enjoyable evening and the music set the right tone.

This out of way restaurent is a hidden Gem. Seems a quiet place from outside but is not. We had taken food to go and then lunch. Lunch was fully packed and the buffet at 18 Dollars is a good bargain. Service is good and efficient. Must visit for all

In the heart of downtown Philly, this Indian Restaurant and tavern serves excellent food and is a nice alternative to traditional American fare. Curries were especially nice, and service was great. It is favorite of some of the locals who live downtown.

Small restaurant, little pricey, but then these days which one isn’t. Their online menu is out of date, no South Indian food available. We had the pudina paneer tikka and the eggplant koora, with rice that came included and onion kulcha all of which were delicious

Tiny hidden gem. I went here with during Restaurant Week for a friends birthday. Although, reservations aren't required I would advise it even if it's not Restaurant Week as it's a very small place and fills up fast. Street parking, I do not recall if there is a parking garage nearby for additional parking. We were lucking to have found parking right in front of the restaurant upon arrival and was promptly seated. Staff was friendly and professional, service was initially on point but quickly became extremely slow after the drinks and appetizers were served, maybe because it was Restaurant Week or that we ordered off the regular menu I am not sure. The drinks and appetizers came out relatively quick after ordering and was hot. DRINKS: Madras Mule. The bartender makes a mean drink and it was well worth every penny. APPETIZERS: Vegetable Samosa and Spiced Crab Naan. The Samosa were very good but could have used more seasoning. The spice and crab was lacking in the "Spiced Crab" Naan, it tasted like regular naan no hint of spice or crab. Here is where things take a turn, after we finished our appetizers and enjoying our great drinks, conversation and atmosphere it took quite some time before we received our main course. There wasn't much interaction with the waiter during this time either, he seemed to have avoid us at all cost while we were waiting for our meals. The bartender noticed the long wait time and motioned for our waiter to check on our meals. The wait time seemed to have been consistent throughout the restaurant, I doubt everyone ordered off the main menu. ENTREES: Korma and Shrimp Tikka Masala. When we finally received our meals it was hot which was an indication it wasn't just forgotten and waiting to be served. HOWEVER, again both meals were extremely lacking seasoning and for ME to say that it couldn't have been seasoned at all. It wasn't even spicy which is odd for an Indian Restaurant. We liked the atmosphere and vibe of the restaurant so I plan to go back outside of restaurant week and give them another try to gauge if they were just not used to foot traffic during restaurant week or just slow and serve tasteless food. So look for an update in the near future not sure when I will return. RESTAURANT: clean, tiny, nice setup with outside seating. Because it's small seating is somewhat close so it was nosey with other conversations going on especially if they are loud like a group when we went. BATHROOM: there are two rooms (men/women) but you can use whichever one is empty which did not turn out to be a got idea. My first trip to the facilities was upon arrival I used the women bathroom, it was big and tidy but needed some tending to. My second trip to the facilities someone was in the women's room so I used the men's room and boy did I get a different experience there, smelly, not so clean and lacking supplies, I had to use paper towels to wipe myself, I am glad there was at least soap to wash my hands afterwards and the floor was nasty. PRICE: was average $$ and conducive to the meal options.

Great Indian food. Compares with London. Much better than the local chains like Ekta and Tiffin. The service is casual and the ambience loud. The number of folks waiting outside on the sidewalk tells the story.

Everything we ordered was delicious! Portions were large. The Tikki Masala was the best I've had. We started with the cauliflower appetizer and it was amazing. My kids couldn't tell it was cauliflower. Nice staff...they were very busy with to-go and delivery orders so our food didn't come quickly and we had to wave our server over to refill drinks but we weren't in a hurry. Overall a great place for Indian cuisine.

My wife and I came for a quick lunch today. Great spot for an Indian buffet. Very tasty food and very busy during weekday lunch hour. We were sitting at the front and no one waited more than 5 minutes to be seated. Great atmosphere.

Visiting Philadelphia from Florida for the first time, we ate at this restaurant twice. The second time an heavy Indian woman served us. While the food is good, she was asking very annoying personal questions about me and my wife. The restaurant needs to train its staff to mind their own business and stop asking stupid questions from the guests.

Small space with big flavors and intriguing menu items beyond the typical Indian menu choices. Our server was very knowledgeable about the composition of any dish about which we inquired. A standout from the First Tastes section was the Gobi Manchurian, Spiced cauliflower sauteed with a crisp, crunchy but thin shell. Excellent. From the entrees, the Thanal Special Goat Curry was delicious and boneless. The beer, wine and cocktail list nicely complimented the food menu.

We love Indian food and visited Philly to visit family recently. They took us to Thanal and it was great. Our coriander lamb dish was about the best Indian lamb dish ever. Our appetizer was great as well. We highly recommend Thank Indian Tavern.

I am a businessman in philly for a very high profile hotel opening and was supposed to return with a recommendation. Very disappointed. !! If you are a black person do not visit this restaurant. I am not one to pull the race card and this is my first ever review on yelp but it was VERY obvious that I was treated MUCH different than all other customers. First of all lady who was a server hardly gave me eye contact and never cracked even a small smile. I asked her about something in the menu and she answered while she was wiping another table. Another guy at the bar with a beard almost tripped trying to open the door for another customer and laughed and thanked them for their patronage (never was offered to open door when I left :)). Furthermore no one EVER asked me if my food was good or anything like that. I felt invisible. By the way the restaurant was 75% empty so no excuse. One time I called a server over to ask a question and he answered with “what’s up man!!” The food was good but the experience totally masked that.

Dishes hear are very hearty and humongous. I'm not sure but I think they are meant to be shared family style. If you do not like spicy food then this may not be the place for you as there are not a lot of non-spicy dishes.

we ate on a bust saturday night - the experience was very cumbersome stood around for 5 mins upon entry dirty table and flustered seating curry rating of 1-10 like a mcdonalds curry all tasted the same - butter chicken and vindaloo looked identical food was editable and fine but not top notch ambiance rushed

Located very close to the Museum District ,this restaurant seems to be a popular place .We had to wait a few minutes due to their upper floor not in service . The flavour is south indian with signature dishes on the menu . The buffet option is preferred as you can sample many dishes and is also reasonably priced . In all,this place is a good value for money if you are looking for a pan India experience !

Small, friendly restaurant with very attentive staff and management. Everything was delicious and perfectly prepared. The chef even came out to confirm the level of spice we wanted, even though the server had asked

What a lovely place. A little hidden but totally worth it. Busy restaurant with even busier amount of takeout. Everything we ate was delicious. Would absolutely return.

So locals will know that prior to Thanal opening at this location, there was another Indian restaurant here for years. The food was quite good but the interior and furnishings were very dated and it was BYOB. We live a 10 minute walk from this location and love Indian cuisine, so we were excited to learn that another Indian restaurant would open in the same location. Thanal did not disappoint! The Railway Peppers are my favorite appetizer and a must try for those of us with palates that tend towards the spicier. I’ve tried many of the dishes but my favorite is the Chicken Vindaloo, which they can “spice” to your preference. The sauce is the most amazing Vindaloo I’ve ever had! You must try it. The Whole Wheat Roti is also an excellent way to make sure none of that delicious sauce gets left behind! The bar is extensive and they make excellent alcoholic as well as non-alcoholic cocktails! Excellent food, excellent service and great location, easily accessible to tourists staying in Center City hotels.

A decent place for Indian buffet in downtown with reasonable price. However, they will charge gratuity, if you visit in a group of 5 above even for buffet. They have two level restaurant. The service is little shower on the upper level. Although there is a limited variety of food, but enough you can eat in a meal. There is a combination of North Indian and South Indian appetizer, main course and dessert (only 1 for buffet). The best part is having Indian style tea at the end! It gets over crowded on Fridays for afternoon buffet and you need to wait longer for the food. I would recommend coming early fir the lunch.

De-freaking-licious South Indian food and very courteous service! We just happened to pass by with Indian food on the brain and was able to walk in and get seated for 5 right away. All dishes were a winner, Butter Chicken, Saag Panner, and Galub Jamás dessert

The food at this restaurant is excellent, although the wine list is limited and extremely overpriced. The goat curry was delicious. The vegetable biryani was complex, flavored with citrus and perfectly cooked. Similarly the aloo gobi was delicious. Unfortunately, the experience was marred by dreadful service. The hostess first sat us at a table next to an extremely loud party at an adjoining table. When we asked to be relocated she gave several excuses for not being able to do so and then disappeared never to be seen again. A very pleasant waitress finally took the time to listen to us and moved us to a quieter location. We then ordered. When the overpriced bottle of Chardonnay appeared the cork was pulled and the wine was poured without an opportunity to taste. The appetizers were served minutes after we ordered. We ordered a papadum and chutney along with the goat curry to begin. The goat curry appeared with the wrong bread and no chutney. When I asked for a replacement bread it never appeared, nor did the chutneys. While we had just begun our appetizers our main courses were served. When I protested to the waitress I was told that the restaurant was very busy and there was nothing she could do about it. Having been stressed out during the entire time we were in the restaurant, we took a few bites and paid the bill. The wrong bread still appeared as a charge and we were too exhausted to protest. On our way out the door the manager appeared to make excuses. Too little, too late.

On a recent visit to meet a friend in Philadelphia, we decided on Indian food for dinner. As we were in the area I suggested this restaurant. What a great idea it turned out to be. The food is fairly authentic for Indian cuisine with a good variety of dishes. The staff is very accommodating and helpful to customers needs and the food is top notch.

Laid back atmosphere, excellent service, fantastic food, and beverages. Classic quality Indian food with a few added surprises. We will definately be making this one of our "go to places" when visiting Philadelphia.

This was a delivery. I used Thanal’s recommended delivery through Sauce as directed. Food arrived nearly a hour and a half later ice cold after delivery driver went up and back through town after being right in near my home before turning around and going across town. Food was 45 minutes after scheduled and inedible. Sauce was supposed to contact me about a refund within two days but never bothered. Good Indian restaurant but I would NEVER order delivery from Thanal Indian Tavern OR use Sauce for delivery again. A total waste of $150 including generous tip for cold ruined meal.

Thanal turned out to be an excellent place for lunch. Conveniently located in the city centre it was an easy walk from the office and the atmosphere in the place was comfortable. The vegetable dishes were very tasty and well-prepared and Thanal's version of the gulab jamun dessert had a balanced sweetness which was very good.

We had overlooked this spot for months because it used to be a dingy lunch place. Our mistake ! Our host, one of the owners, gave us a thorough guide to the menu and among the four of us we sampled three appetizers, four mains and one dessert. Not one item disappointed. Particularly good was the cauliflower appetizer and the Thanal goat curry. An extra nice touch was that when one of us spilled half her beer, they brought a new one at no charge. Our only complaint ( and we are older) is that the noise level was too high for easy conversation

Newly opened and already a neighbourhood favourite. And why not? Authentic Indian cuisine... delicious. With our happy hour beer we had the Gobi (spiced cauliflower, 1 to 10 heat scale). Friendly servers and a cool vibe. CHEERS TO A GREAT SPOT.

... and I’ve travelled a lot in India!! Mohan greeted us and suggested a selection of appetisers- well each appetiser was a main meal in itself. The crab dosa was excellent, we had lamb sukka which was amazing, followed by by prawn Malaga, gobi Manchuria (best cauliflower I have ever tasted!!), Apollo fish which was super tasty and paneer tikka which was excellent. We had bullet nan, and olive truffle nan which were both fantastic.