Tigerlily
1513 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley
(510) 540-7900
Recent Reviews
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We’re lucky because this is the only neighborhood bar/restaurant in which to get a drink, but it’s also wonderful! It has a great cocktail menu and a bar for sitting outside and watching the weirdos go by. The Indian food is fresh and delicious, from the extensive appetizers to full meals!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Visiting from out of town, and was looking for a nice spot to dine with my partner, who is taking classes at Berkeley. I had previously ordered her takeout from Tigerlily via a delivery service and loved the menu. Our dine-in experience was outstanding. The environment is great, our service was great, and the food was the best I’ve had yet in the Berkeley area. We had the veggie samosas (which were so good we followed up with a samosa chile order), and also shared a chicken vindaloo and palak paneer. Portions were great. Flavors in all sauces and spices were outstanding and complimentary. The samosas were perfection. We also ordered cocktails that were delicious. Would recommend to anyone dining in the Bay Area
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
The atmosphere and service was good however the food was not something we liked. We ordered Malai Kofta, Paneer Tikka and Egg/Dhal Kofta. Malai Kofta was not right and instead it was Dhal kofta. I feel the food is not authentic to the Indian Spices and is just based creamy sauce.
The other is the Gratuity. We were charged 18% Gratuity for family of 4. This was not a large group and this was highly unexpected and unfair. I don't mind giving a tip at all, but for a smaller group it should be left to the customers.
Not sounding too negative, this is something I didn't personally like.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Food ranged from good to excellent, but the cocktails were the real star of the show. The drinks menu was extensive, and we enjoyed each one we tried (their namesake, the Tigerlily, was a standout). The fresh fruit is a decadent touch to the very flirty, very sweet cocktails.
The fried chicken was exceptional, with an interesting take on mashed potatoes underneath — very hearty and filling. The coconut curry chicken was also excellent, though the naan was unusually thick and dry.
We also had the beet salad, which was delicious except for the avocados — they were so unripe that I couldn’t cut them with my fork and knife. Not exactly sure how they ended up on a plate and served, but the service was somewhat spotty so we couldn’t send them back before our entrees arrived — not the end of the world, since the beets and paneer were still good.
Overall, the food was good enough to warrant a return visit sometime, and the vibe was sophisticated (if not a bit sports-bar-y in the front). Great for a date night or a special catch-up with friends.
Parking: Parking takes a minute; be sure to allow yourself an extra 5 mins or so to find somewhere around the corner, if not on Shattuck.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Coconut Chicken Curry, Tikka Masala Fried Chicken, Fried Chicken Tikka Masala
Can't believe I didn't discover this place sooner! Been living in Berkeley for over a year and stopped by tonight for the first time. Had the most delectable samosas - what an explosion of flavor. The sauces were divine. And the cucumber cocktail had the perfect balance of sweet & spice. What a gem of a spot!!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Vegetable Samosas
Lovely meals and cocktails! A nice combination of casual and special. Love what they do here!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Coconut Chicken Curry
Tiger Lily is pretty good. When it started it was pretty good. It went through a period where the cleanliness slipped a lot, and I was almost on the verge of not going there anymore. But it seems like somebody has figured out that they need a bit more attention to detail. The last two times I've been there it is acceptably clean again. The food is still good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Citrus Soy Glaze Brussels Sprouts
Tiger Lily is pretty good. When it started it was pretty good. It went through a period where the cleanliness slipped a lot, and I was almost on the verge of not going there anymore. But it seems like somebody has figured out that they need a bit more attention to detail. The last two times I've been there it is acceptably clean again. The food is still good.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Citrus Soy Glaze Brussels Sprouts, Cilantro Garlic Naan
superb experience at this restaurant, highly recommend the nachos, and the chicken sambosa. the man serving us was Atul and is a very genuine soul. Cant wait to have dinner at Tigerlily
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
An impressive array of vegan options (3.5/5 Green Stars)Tigerlily opened in 2015 with Chef Joel Lamica (former chef of the Ramen Shop in Rockridge) running the kitchen, but has new management since 2019. I’ve been twice – once in the good old pre-lockdown days, before the management changed, and then a couple of months ago. And I have to say, I really enjoyed the food both times. Congrats to the new management for maintaining standards. They could do a better job at providing more info on their website, though. The original team favored organic ingredients but that’s not clear anymore. They do serve a lot of vegan dishes, so thumbs up for that.We had two of my standard Indian dishes – veggie samosas and veggie korma. Tigerlily’s versions of these two were possibly the best (samosa) or among the best (korma) that I’ve ever had. This is significant, given that I’ve had many samosas and kormas in my time. The veggie korma ($21.50) includes rice and garlic naan and has a good balance of spice, heat, creaminess, and tasty veggies. The veggie samosas (delicious pastry, not greasy, very filling) are normally $10 but note that both korma and samosas are on the happy hour menu, so avail of that if you can (4:30 to 5:30 every day). We also had the Sesame Avocado Flatbread ($13.50), made with fennel seed, turmeric, sprouts, parmesan & chili oil. Staff members were very friendly and I highly recommend trying it out during happy hour while it’s not too busy.I’m giving Tigerlily 3.5 out of 5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact, for these reasons:• Even though there are several meat dishes, I was impressed by how much of the menu is not just vegetarian but vegan. Adopting a plant-based diet is the top thing you can do to mitigate climate change and deforestation, besides avoiding animal cruelty and the negative impact of the meat industry on society.• Of course, your own footprint will depend on what you order, from vegan dishes at one end of the scale and lamb dishes at the other end. Like beef, lamb has one of the highest carbon footprints of our food options.• If Tigerlily wanted to step up and improve on its social and environmental impact then switching from lamb to a vegan substitute would be the most effective steps.• More information on food sourcing should be provided.• Local beer is available on draft, mitigating packaging and transportation impacts.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Extraordinary lamb chops with sesame
Not inexpensive … and worth it
Carol enjoyed the fish (but ask them if they can debone it)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We had cocktails and appetizers on the happy hour menu. The drinks were very interesting and delicious, and we really enjoyed the veggie samosas and onion rings
Consistent food quality, great flavors and
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Extraordinary lamb chops with sesameNot inexpensive … and worth itCarol enjoyed the fish (but ask them if they can debone it)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Been here a few times and while the food is decent (Samosas are very good), the other dishes we had were just average. Couldn't really tell much difference between the identically presented Tika Misala and the Coconut chicken dish, only that the coconut dish was even blander.Agree with other that prices are very high for the quantity and quality of food. Five small pieces of chicken in a dish for $26.50! Small platter instead filled with rice to look bigger I guess.Come on now. Maybe proximity to Chez Panisse has them thinking this is a golden block where prices and quantity don't matter. Get back to your roots.Diego the server was superb! Nicely decorated but a little loud for me. Agree that the modern decor doesn't make it feel Indian at all.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 5
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