Our meal was excellent but service was somewhat awkward.  Passage to India has made some changes since we were last there apparently aimed at bringing in new customers and more business. I can't say we liked all the changes, but this is a longtime favorite, and we wish them success.
Warren
The last time I went to Passage to India, the food quality had slipped a bit, but I'm happy to report that it is back to its former excellence. I think I read that they have a new chef. In any case, all the food was excellent, but especially the pakoras. Service was excellent. I was surprised that the restaurant was not even half full during dinner. It should be full. Prices are very reasonable given the quality. This is my go to restaurant for Indian food in Bethesda, because the food is so tasty and the ambiance is so soothing and relaxing.
Carolyn Frank
Group of friends enjoyed lunch here. We all ordered off the lunch special menu where each dish was served with a veggie-studded white rice portion and a salad that mostly pieces of green and sweet red pepper. I liked my lamb stewed in a flavorful tomato-based broth. Others liked their Tandoori chicken, chicken Tikka and lamb in a pureed spinach stew. The restaurant was quiet and cool, and one could easily hear the folks at the other end of a 6-person table. The service was a bit slow but the waiter attentively kept our water glasses full of gratefully accepted ice water on a 90+ degree day.
Sheila
⸻ We were a small group, reuniting after High school.The joy of reconnecting was made even more memorable by the warm hospitality at the restaurant. A special thank you to the manager, whose patience and kindness helped us feel right at home as we chose from the menu. The food was excellent It was the perfect location with lots of parking at the garage across the street .
Sharon
We are long-time customers and satisfied diners. We love the new decor. The food is always freshly prepared and served with skill.
Alexander Romanyukha
The waitress wasn’t polite and didn’t bring me all ordered food. But check was on full price. When I complained nobody provided any reasonable explanation or apology. I was in this restaurant many times for last 10 years. But it’s completely degraded
rahul
Generally, Food and portions were good. Awadhi lamb was well marinated. Lassi was watered down. Chaat was sub par. Only 2 servers for a Mother's Day full house manifested in minimal service.
Susan
The food is fabulous! We had the brunch which offered many different tastes! We were able to chat with each other. And the service was excellent and unobtrusive. We talked about coming more often!
Keily Downey
This is a terrific Indian restaurant. The decor is lovely. The food is is always special. It's an extensive menu from all over India. I always enjoy trying whatever companion's are having, but my own order is always chicken tikka masala and onion kulcha with a samosa chaat appetizer, which I always enjoy but feel ridiculous getting when clearly this kitchen does a great job with a wide variety of Indian dishes.
Gail Povar
Lovely calm interior decor with nice lighting and colorful touches. Lots of menu options and very well prepared and presented dishes. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Highly recommend
Have been there several times for several years. It is one of the best Indian Restaurants in the DMV area. Highly recommend.
Opentable Diner
Chef Sayan Bhattacharya was amazing He prepared authentic Bengali cuisines for us which is not available in any other Indian restaurants in the DMV area. I will go back again and again.
Tamara
We came here with friends visiting from out of town who don't often get a chance to have Indian cuisine. We all absolutely loved every single dish we ordered, from the appetizers to the dessert! The food was flavorful and delicious, and the service was very attentive.
Barbara Silberman
Dinner ordered and delivered from Passage to India in Bethesda was disappointing. We used to order from them often. We have been ordering from another Indian restaurant in Bethesda but decided to try Passage to India again. Chicken tikka masala and chicken makhni had little taste. Saag paneer was dry and not tasty. Quality of food has gone down a great deal in my opinion. Restaurant owner claims that recipes are the same but I can tell you that something is way off in the food. And last night when we ordered from elsewhere my husband spoke about how much better it was to what we had from Passage to India. I rarely write reviews - especially bad ones.
Kelly R
I wish I could give this place zero stars. We usually order from Biryani City but wanted to try a new place. We checked out this place because it had a decent amount of good reviews, but gosh do I regret this choice. We spent nearly $70 for two bland entrees. We got the chicken biryani, naan, samosas, and chicken tikka masala. The most flavorful item was the samosas. The chicken masala tasted like tomato soup with a tiny bit of pepper. The biryani was all around bland. Not even the chicken had spice. I wish I could get a full refund because it definitely wasn't worth the $70.
Update in response to the comment left by Passage to India: I understand that Passage to India has been serving customers since 2001 and has built a reputation for quality food. However, my recent experience with takeout did not match the quality I’ve come to expect from any restaurant. I recognize that recipes can vary slightly across businesses, but the taste and consistency seemed off for my dishes. I just hope that the quality can be maintained for both dine-in and takeout orders, as it’s important for customers to enjoy the same experience no matter how they choose to order. I appreciate your willingness to discuss the matter further and look forward to seeing how the restaurant can improve in the future.
Our meal was excellent but service was somewhat awkward.  Passage to India has made some changes since we were last there apparently aimed at bringing in new customers and more business. I can't say we liked all the changes, but this is a longtime favorite, and we wish them success.
The last time I went to Passage to India, the food quality had slipped a bit, but I'm happy to report that it is back to its former excellence. I think I read that they have a new chef. In any case, all the food was excellent, but especially the pakoras. Service was excellent. I was surprised that the restaurant was not even half full during dinner. It should be full. Prices are very reasonable given the quality. This is my go to restaurant for Indian food in Bethesda, because the food is so tasty and the ambiance is so soothing and relaxing.
Group of friends enjoyed lunch here. We all ordered off the lunch special menu where each dish was served with a veggie-studded white rice portion and a salad that mostly pieces of green and sweet red pepper. I liked my lamb stewed in a flavorful tomato-based broth. Others liked their Tandoori chicken, chicken Tikka and lamb in a pureed spinach stew. The restaurant was quiet and cool, and one could easily
hear the folks at the other end of a 6-person table. The service was a bit slow but the waiter attentively kept our water glasses full of gratefully accepted ice water on a 90+ degree day.
⸻ We were a small group, reuniting after High school.The joy of reconnecting was made even more memorable by the warm hospitality at the restaurant. A special thank you to the manager, whose patience and kindness helped us feel right at home as we chose from the menu. The food was excellent It was the perfect location with lots of parking at the garage across the street .
We are long-time customers and satisfied diners. We love the new decor. The food is always freshly prepared and served with skill.
The waitress wasn’t polite and didn’t bring me all ordered food. But check was on full price. When I complained nobody provided any reasonable explanation or apology. I was in this restaurant many times for last 10 years. But it’s completely degraded
Generally, Food and portions were good. Awadhi lamb was well marinated. Lassi was watered down. Chaat was sub par. Only 2 servers for a Mother's Day full house manifested in minimal service.
The food is fabulous! We had the brunch which offered many different tastes! We were able to chat with each other. And the service was excellent and unobtrusive. We talked about coming more often!
This is a terrific Indian restaurant. The decor is lovely. The food is is always special. It's an extensive menu from all over India. I always enjoy trying whatever companion's are having, but my own order is always chicken tikka masala and onion kulcha with a samosa chaat appetizer, which I always enjoy but feel ridiculous getting when clearly this kitchen does a great job with a wide variety of Indian dishes.
Lovely calm interior decor with nice lighting and colorful touches. Lots of menu options and very well prepared and presented dishes. Service was attentive but not intrusive. Highly recommend
Restaurantji Recommends
Have been there several times for several years. It is one of the best Indian Restaurants in the DMV area. Highly recommend.
Chef Sayan Bhattacharya was amazing He prepared authentic Bengali cuisines for us which is not available in any other Indian restaurants in the DMV area. I will go back again and again.
We came here with friends visiting from out of town who don't often get a chance to have Indian cuisine. We all absolutely loved every single dish we ordered, from the appetizers to the dessert! The food was flavorful and delicious, and the service was very attentive.
Dinner ordered and delivered from Passage to India in Bethesda was disappointing. We used to order from them often. We have been ordering from another Indian restaurant in Bethesda but decided to try Passage to India again. Chicken tikka masala and chicken makhni had little taste. Saag paneer was dry and not tasty. Quality of food has gone down a great deal in my opinion.
Restaurant owner claims that recipes are the same but I can tell you that something is way off in the food. And last night when we ordered from elsewhere my husband spoke about how much better it was to what we had from Passage to India. I rarely write reviews - especially bad ones.
I wish I could give this place zero stars. We usually order from Biryani City but wanted to try a new place. We checked out this place because it had a decent amount of good reviews, but gosh do I regret this choice. We spent nearly $70 for two bland entrees. We got the chicken biryani, naan, samosas, and chicken tikka masala. The most flavorful item was the samosas. The chicken masala tasted like tomato soup with a tiny bit of pepper. The biryani was all around bland. Not even the chicken had spice. I wish I could get a full refund because it definitely wasn't worth the $70.
Update in response to the comment left by Passage to India:
I understand that Passage to India has been serving customers since 2001 and has built a reputation for quality food. However, my recent experience with takeout did not match the quality I’ve come to expect from any restaurant. I recognize that recipes can vary slightly across businesses, but the taste and consistency seemed off for my dishes. I just hope that the quality can be maintained for both dine-in and takeout orders, as it’s important for customers to enjoy the same experience no matter how they choose to order. I appreciate your willingness to discuss the matter further and look forward to seeing how the restaurant can improve in the future.
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