Masala Art DC (Tenleytown)

Masala Art is our go-to joint after a concert at National Cathedral. Fast service, excellent food. By excellent I mean Masala Art does not suffer in comparison to Rasika. (We ate at Rasika 4 days previous.)

The food was fine but the service was atrocious. Won't go back except for carry out.

An early dinner with friends prior to an event was perfect. Neither of our friends had been to Masala Art before and they were as impressed as we anticipated. What is there not to love about chicken biryani, saag paneer, perfectly good lentils and more?

After a bit of a lull, Masala Art is back better than ever! Every element of our dinner was delicious.

A great neighborhood Indian restaurant with very friendly staff and a diverse menu with choices for every taste

Crowded conditions expected on Valentine’s Day. Nevertheless, there were mistakes on the bill

Great neighbor restaurant, but steps away from metro.

Dining at Masala Art in Tenleytown is an unexpectedly upscale experience in an otherwise unimpressive neighborhood. The food is absolutely scrumptious and the restaurant itself is sumptuously decorated. My dining companion and I shared three dishes: Kastoori Paneer Tikka, Lamb Neelgiri Korma, and Baingan Mirch ka Salan. All were mouth wateringly delicious.

Although the service was professional and efficient, the staff seemed . . . I don't know, unhappy to be there? I did overhear one of them discussing the fact that their business had taken a hit due to the gov't shutdown; so maybe that explains it. Also, the bathrooms (at least the one I used--which has two toilets facing one another. Weird) are not heated, so it's pretty darned nippy in there!

Bottom-line: I would (and will) revisit Masala Art again in a heartbeat, chilly bathroom notwithstanding.

Service was not good, slow but overall everything was very good!

Great experience; everything was just right: service was attentive, ambiance was relaxed and conducive to talking; and the food was delicious, as usual.

Came here for a quiet dinner with my husband. Great food and a comfortable, cozy atmosphere. Conveniently located close to the Tenleytown/AU Metro. Will definitely return.

(Weird toilet situation, but I won't tell you and ruin the surprise. Haha.)

Wonderful food, both the vegetarian and meat/seafood dishes. They warn you that the vindaloo is hot - true! We went Christmas night and it was packed. We were seated right at the time of our reservation, but ordering took 30 minutes and the food took another 30 minutes to arrive. But I really want to go back. It was delicious. Nice wine too.

Spectacular dinner on Christmas day. Every dish was delicious. The staff seemed briefly overwhelmed by the crowd of diners, but service was professional and cheerful. Highly recommended.

Amazing service and meal! The entire atmosphere was wonderful!

Spicy, but delicious!

Always reliable, Masala Art is a valued neighborhood asset. You can always count on having a good meal.

Fantastic service food and ambiance but they do better with their red wine selection and would appreciated if they would return my favorite spicy lamb chop with ginger and better quality of their cardamom ice cream

The food and ambiance were wonderful, but service was non existent. We waited a full 10 minutes after seating and i had to grab someone to get their attention. We were completely ignored and had to ask multiple times for everything. The food was delicious and a nice atmosphere, so perhaps it was just a bad night, but until the service improves, i'm not returning.

We had reservations but had to modify them twice because of our guest's schedule. Even so, and even with a crowded restaurant and a line at the hostess station, we were greeted warmly and after only a brief moment, shown to our table.
Three of us ordered three different entrees and all three were delicious.

Meal was very satisfactory. I did not like my choice of wine.

We have dined at Masala Art for years - this meal really stood out as exceptional. As good as the cooking has been in the past, it was better this time. Some new dishes and many old dishes that have been reinvented. They have also upgraded the cocktail menu.

This was my first time at the restaurant. Almost everything was exceptional. The ambiance, the service (once I was seated) and the food, which was beyond delicious.

I've been to Masala Art several times recently and it never fails to delight. The ambiance is warm, the service accommodating, and the food absolutely delicious. Tandoori salmon in particular is a standout. I'm lucky that it is within walking distance but I'd go out of my way to dine here.

Always a gret meal. As good as the fancier places downtown.

Love this place! Service was a bit slow the night we went only two people working the tables and felt like we were a bit forgotten. Beyond that the food is amazing with lots of options for everyone!

Visiting from Texas, daughter is joining American University and we took time off the busy move-in experience for some Indian Cuisine. Our first time in Washington DC, so we were curious what the Indian cuisine here would be like.

The appetizer (Chicken 65) were 4 pieces (bit dry and chewy meat) in a spicy tomato-onion sauce which I liked, but a bit spicy for my daughter and both of us felt disappointed with the lack of tenderness and small portions served.

The Murg Makhani (Butter Chicken) sauce was a bit runny and the meat was mostly dark meat, our preference being white meat. The portion was just right for us both with Naan, Tandoori Roti and Rice.

We are used to big portions dishes out in Texas, so bit disappointed with the Micro-scoop of the Cardamom ice cream which was delicious along with the Gulab Jamun.

Overall good ambience and friendly staff.

We were a table of 4 and they charged us an automatic 20% gratuity. I asked if this was for every transaction and the manager said "yes, everyone is being charged this gratuity". I like to give 20% gratuity for excellent service, 14% for average and 16% for good service. This service was far from good. Anyway, charging everyone a forced gratuity is out right unfair.

The food option are great, although our food was soo salty, that we couldn't enjoy the meal. This may have been a mistake (i assume) and we chose not to even bring it up.

We are so lucky to have Masala Art as a neighborhood restaurant!

Very nice meal in a quiet setting that lent itself to good conversation. Service was unhurried and inelegant, but this allowed us to catch up with old friends without feeling rushed. Food was also quite good.

One of the servers didn't show up so one person was seating people, explaining the menu, taking orders, and making the drinks. Someone from the kitchen did bring out the food. But given that the restaurant was half full, it was a long wait. Otherwise the food was delicious as always.

One of my favorite places. We loved sharing appetizers and a bottle of wine.

Food was good as usual, but the service lacked a little finesse. Our entrees were brought to us while we were only halfway through our appetizers. Still a good meal, though.

This was a disappointing return to an old favorite. The service was extremely slow and inattentive. The food was dry or greasy in comparison to previous visits. This may have been an off night but I don't think I will be returning again soon.

The food was excellent. By far the best Indian in Washington DC. Service was great.

We have always found the food, service, and atmosphere here to be excellent. This place stands out.

Masala Art is our go-to joint after a concert of the Cathedral Choral Society. It does not suffer in comparison to Rasika. And at half the price.

Love Marsala Art as our very own neighborhood get away restaurant. The food is always excellent and a fantastic value. If you love Indian food, this is the place for you!

Terrific food

Very good quality, value and service despite a busy Saturday evening reservation.

They are great and very welcoming of kids