Tamarind of LondonFood good, but some suggestionsBeen coming here regularly since it opened. Tasty Indian dishes, nice location, great staff. Lately have noticed some subtle changes. One, they have scaled back on the number of items on the dinner menu. Hopefully, they will move the other direction. Two, the bartenders seem on the young side, not as versed in cocktails as you would expect for this crowd. Only two brands of vodka. Stoli and Ciroc...Ciroc? Really? Finally, my pet peeve, they used to carry a wide selection of large format Indian beers (22 or 16 oz). Love Indian food with traditional Indian lagers pair so well with it. Flying Horse, Blue Mountain, Taj Mahal. They now carry only one Indian beer (Taj) and only in a 12 oz size. Guys, you really need to re-think this approach.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMVegetarian optionsOut of the already limited vegetarian options, only one entree was available on a Tuesday evening. Being that the restaurant offers an Indian cuisine, I would like to see more vegetarian choices on the menu that are actually available when guest order.6/11/2013 12:00:00 AMA Nice FindUnique and original interpretation of Indian food. Beautiful presentation. Very tasty. Decent portions. Reasonable prices. Cocktails are very original.6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMOur favorite and upscale tooThe subtle nature of Taramind (we dined early) was most pleasing as was the introduction of the various flavors (cumin, mint, fenugreek and curry) from the papadum to the chocolate ice cream was super! We especially enjoyed the banter with the wait person, all are terrific but Charissa was a real delight.
Portions amazing and pricing just right...go there now!6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMwe had a wonderful meal andwe had a wonderful meal and a great time, staff was friendly (maybe a tad unorganized). Food is DELICIOUS! my old standby Indian restaurant in Newport has gone way down hill so now Tamarind will be my new favorite!6/4/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was exceptional andThe food was exceptional and the service outstanding. We loved every item the waiter recommended. We plan on going back often to try other items on the menu.5/31/2013 12:00:00 AMElegant Indian FoodSimple elegance and very interesting twist on some of my favorite Indian dishes and some additional choices. Definitely worth a visit.5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was delicious and settingFood was delicious and setting was beautiful. More vegetables would make selections more interesting, and more fusion-like...the lamb kebab was described as inlcluding greens and julienned vegetables, but only had greens. The meat platter offered garbanzo beans as the "fresh vegetable of the day," which made the balance of items too starchy (platter also includes rice, naan, and lentils.) A green veggie would have been a refreshing variation. The chicken and lamb were great, as were their individual sauces.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious!!!Best Indian food I have had. Everything we had was fabulous and we are a picky bunch!! Beautiful decor and fantastic service. We will definitely be back5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were vacationing in theWe were vacationing in the area and I remembered reading Jonathan Gold's review. So glad I did! The food was wonderful. We'll be back in August and I'm already looking forward to our next dinner.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMTamarind is unique among NewportTamarind is unique among Newport Beach restaurants. The fact that the food is perfectly balanced, elegant and surprising is enhanced by the venue's fire & ice atmosphere (c'est urbain), indoor/outdoor seating and open kitchen it offers a unique dining experience.5/11/2013 12:00:00 AMmust tryLamb chops are very tasty. Service is a bit slow but server was very nice and helpful with us choosing our dishes since it was our first time there. Alcoholic drinks weren't so good. Watermelon margarita only tasted like watered tequila. Rice casserole was awesome too.5/10/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent service,food wasExcellent service,food was delicious.Blessings & enjoy. Sarv5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMA very nice experience overall.A very nice experience overall. The menu was interesting and inviting. No doubt that this is on our go to list and we will return.4/28/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food - would have preferredGood food - would have preferred more choices on menu4/24/2013 12:00:00 AMTamarind is Excellent !!!This was our 4th visit back and happy to say Tamarind never disappoints.
The entire menu is fantastic. Great appetizers and main courses to choose from.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the taste or spicy level of the food,
the excellent waiters will have the answer. Their recommendations have always been spot on.
Personal favorites are any naan bread, the quinoa avocado salad, butter chicken and lamb chops
but other choices are equally tasty.
Big tea selection and delicious deserts will finish a perfect dinner night out.
Put it on your to do list !4/19/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat FoodGot there late, but service was prompt and courteous. Pretty quiet (read not crowded).. Food was fresh, excellent. Had a great meal.4/18/2013 12:00:00 AMUnbelievable service. GetUnbelievable service. Get the off-the-menu Chicken Tikki Masala. It's amazing.4/12/2013 12:00:00 AMAwesome PlaceExceeded expectations once again. Server assigned to us was simply awesome. My guest and I wish her and all of you the very best.4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMAs an English couple who liveAs an English couple who live a number of weeks a year in Newport Beach we were ecstatic to find that Tamarind was opening in crystal cove. As Indian food lovers it has been very hard, nigh on impossible to find good Indian food in the area. Tamarind is fantastic, it didn't disappoint ,although we feel that the spice side of the menu is slightly geared towards the Californian palate ie. less spicy than it would be in Tamarind of London. The service has been impeccable bar once when we had a waitress who was obviously having a bad day. I explained to management that the gratuity although given, should be directed in that instance to the staff as a whole rather than the one individual, he was charming and understanding.love the place.!!!!!4/11/2013 12:00:00 AMI came here with my familyI came here with my family for my mom's birthday dinner. Our server (I can't remember her name!) was super helpful and friendly. We all really enjoyed the service, food, and ambiance. It is very moderately priced as well. I will definitely come back.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a great time! GreatWe had a great time! Great food! Our server Anthony was very helpful with the menu. None of us had ever eaten Indian food before. I would recommend the lamb chops and the black lentils. Everything we had was great! We will be back!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat fusion Indian foodDelicious fusion Indian food with a nice ambiance and decor.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThe taste of India and CaliforniaI had seen this place in the upscale shopping center and thought it was just another expensive restaurant until I read the LA Times review and decided to try it. Tamarind of London did not disappoint. The food was very good, the price was reasonable, and the service was just fine. I agree with everything the critic wrote about. It is not your average Indian food. It is quality, Indian traditional dishes with a California twist. There are also non-traditional dishes that combine the taste of India and California. I recommend it!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMExcellent food, very exoticExcellent food, very exotic flavors. The wait staff was friendly, knowledgable, and not stuffy.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWe throughly enjoyed our dinner.We throughly enjoyed our dinner. The flavors were subtle yet interesting. Cocktails were interesting and fun. The restaurant had a nice open feel with a views of the kitchen. We are definately going back. The only downside was the reservations were backed up so you had to wait. Not your typical Indian restaurant!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMOnce again Tamarind was excellentOnce again Tamarind was excellent in every respect - food, bar, service, decor, ambiance. It is truly a pleasure to dine there. Involving their London based Michelin Starred chef, Alfred Prahad, & having him visit regularly is paying off in taking the cuisine to even greater heights & keeping the food uthenticslly Indian.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMTamarind exceeded every expectationTamarind exceeded every expectation. The dining experience was outstanding.3/19/2013 12:00:00 AMI absolutely love TamarindI absolutely love Tamarind of London. I came in for happy hour and was delighted at how reasonable the prices were. The lamb curry was great!3/18/2013 12:00:00 AMWe loved the food! Their NaanWe loved the food! Their Naan bread with goat cheese was fantastic as was the potato appetizer and the chicken tikka, etc.!3/13/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food and excellent service/cuGreat food and excellent service/customer relations.3/9/2013 12:00:00 AMreally good food , expensivereally good food , expensive but the server was outstanding---great experience3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMCan't get much better than thisThe best Indian food in Southern California (and I've looked everywhere prior to dining here). Also, some restaurants understand how to serve people. This place understands people...can't even begin to describe how welcome they make you feel. This is a true OC gem3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMA clear notch above. I absolutelyA clear notch above. I absolutely loved their lentil dish. It tasted like nothing I have had before; incredibly rich tasting.
We had a young man as our server, who was very knowledgeable about the menu and appeared quite proud to be working at Tamarind. He helped make the night very enjoyable.
We ate outside. The patio was covered and heated, and quite beautiful.3/2/2013 12:00:00 AMThe beef vindaloo was excellent,The beef vindaloo was excellent, but pretty spicy, so I would definitely recommend it if you really like spicy foods. The goat cheese naan was amazing. Definitely would go back again.2/23/2013 12:00:00 AMWE WERE VERY PLEASED WITHWE WERE VERY PLEASED WITH OUR VISIT. WILL RETURN AGAIN.2/23/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was delicious! TheThe food was delicious! The portions were tiny though. Don't think that because you are spending $25+ per plate, that you will be able to share an entree. It was very yummy and worth it!2/15/2013 12:00:00 AMSarv m. Grover,M.D.It is wonderful Restaurant, View is gorgeous.Service is excellent.Staff is very hospitable.Food is exotic.2/10/2013 12:00:00 AMIndian food at a higher, moreIndian food at a higher, more sophisticated level than the typical Northern Indian restaurants that all seem to have the same menu.2/10/2013 12:00:00 AM