Left a detailed review on OpenTable as well. Tried it out as part of the CSR exclusive tables. Loved the food and great portions. Expensive but quality was top notch.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Barie V
Food was fantastic! Lobster shorba was silky smooth. Gulf snapper (tandoor) is highly recommended. Calamari appetizer was amazing I have never seen such thick rings of calamari! My husband had the lamb porterhouse chops. The serving size quite generous and the medium rare cook was perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Pooja Shah
Food is fresh but too blend
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Priyanga CrewForShoots
Great service and beautiful atmosphere. Food is good but it's not as authentic as i would expect since i have tasted real Indian food from India itself. Its been modified to blend with Americans. Very clean washrooms. Paid garage parking. Staff has been very friendly and helpful. Very attentive too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Kathryn Akunne
I got takeout so I placed the order online, which was an easy process. Said to expect my order to be ready by 8:28. I arrived right on time and was told it would be another five minutes. As time passed, I kept disappearing in the sea of people coming in and waiting 45+ minutes for their reservations, because that looked to be poorly managed as well. I checked on my food twice and finally 40 minutes in was ready to ask for a refund if they didn’t bring it up after checking a third time, but it was brought up. I got home 10 minutes later and the food was lukewarm, which leads me to believe it has been sitting around for a while. Very frustrating.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only issue. The food is delicious but WOW I had no clue I had to pay $29 for butter chicken and $32 for chicken vindaloo and NOTHING came with rice?! So after waiting 45 minutes for my food, I get home to find out we need to make rice to even enjoy it. The four pieces of naan for two people aren’t going to do it, so here I am at 10pm eating dinner when it was meant to be ready at 8:30. Absolutely ridiculous all around.
It’s really upsetting because the food is incredible and I would love to have it again but I don’t know if I have the patience to go through this experience a second time. AND pay for rice on top of expensive entrees that can’t really be enjoyed without rice…unless that’ normal, I have no idea...
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Fabian Gomez
Delicious, authentic, and worth the experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Deva Mullapudi
Tried the vegetarian option and it was extremely disappointing. The food lacked flavor and was poorly prepared. Definitely not worth it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Caleb Carter
Kiran’s is one of Houston’s most talked about Indian restaurants, and we chose it to celebrate a birthday, with expectations appropriately high.
Arrival was smooth enough. Parking is plentiful but paid, with valet at eight dollars and self parking at five. Reservations are required, and the restaurant was completely full the evening we attended. The space is large and elaborate, with a visible kitchen that signals an attempt at a destination dining experience.
We opted for outdoor seating. While the weather was fine, the patio sits directly alongside Richmond Avenue, leading to frequent interruptions and moments where conversation stopped entirely as cars passed. It was serviceable, but not relaxing.
Kiran’s presents itself as an elite dining experience. In practice, it feels like a restaurant still in training for that role rather than fully inhabiting it.
We ordered appetizers and main courses, finishing with the complimentary birthday dessert. Our meal lasted just over three hours. While we were not rushed for time, we expected a dining experience closer to half that length. Long stretches between courses became tedious, and the sustained absence of service led us to consider ending the evening early.
During that time, multiple tables arrived and departed while we remained seated at a small two person table with claw foot legs that made it difficult to sit comfortably.
Our waiter was kind but difficult to understand, and we saw him only a handful of times over the course of the evening. Drinks went unrefilled, pacing was unclear, and small service details were missed. Silverware was placed while menus were still on the table, napkins were not provided until requested after appetizers arrived, and overall attentiveness felt inconsistent. These may seem like small details, but together they made us feel like afterthoughts rather than guests.
The kitchen, however, delivered. Every dish arrived hot and thoughtfully prepared. The lamb belly was the standout, rich and balanced from the first bite. The lamb kebab grew in complexity as you spent time with it, nearly overtaking the lamb belly as a favorite. The homemade paneer was lightly fried and flaky, offering a welcome contrast to the heavier dishes.
For mains, we ordered the Dosa Three Ways and the Punjabi Thali. Both were generous and flavorful, offering a wide range of preparations and textures. Plating was thoughtful, and the consistent use of Le Creuset serviceware felt appropriate.
Spice levels were not discussed and were determined by the kitchen. The heat was noticeable but mild by Houston standards, likely comfortable for many but restrained for spice tolerant diners.
Dessert was thoughtfully presented and well executed, with a chocolate madeleine, a praline style bar with chocolate ganache and hazelnut filling, and a birthday tag.
In the end, the food was very good, with portions that felt fair for slightly elevated prices. Service and pacing, however, lagged significantly. The kitchen is operating close to five star quality, but the rest of the experience has not caught up.
My rating: ★★★☆☆
Rating scale: 1 star — I will never return. 2 stars — If nearby, I might return, but without urgency. 3 stars — Worth a visit if in the area, though not a destination in itself. 4 stars — Worth going out of my way to enjoy. 5 stars — I would fly around the world for this meal.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
Jerry Volkin
An exceptional meal. A very wide variety of foods on the menu, my new favorite restaurant. The lobster shorba (pictured in the bowl next to the huge serving of calamari) may be the best thing I ever ate in 70+ years. This place is a gem
The food was a huge disappointment and not in line with the menu. The Malabar crab was supposed to be prepared with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and fresh coconut, and was instead tossed in a tasteless generic mayo with none of those ingredients. The Bagare baingan were supposed to have peanuts and sesame, and were instead prepared in a generic tomato and onion masala.
The setting is pretty, but the table next to us had kids watching something on their iPads with the volume turned up, which was very distracting. The restaurant did nothing to correct this.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Shayan Kerai
Bro, the food was super overpriced, and when food is that expensive you'd expect great service. Not once did they come refill waters or sodas until I asked. Naan took like 20 mins to come so my food was ice cold. Kids chicken tenders are not chicken tenders, they are more like chicken pakodas. My wife had to peel the pakoda breading to be able to feed the kids. You rarely see your waitress/waiter. Neglected. They didn't clear our table, like I had dishes stacked to the ceiling. Most high end restaurant you'd expect them to clear out the table to make room to be able to order for dessert. Korma and chicken tandoor was bland could use salt probably. Lamb was bland but cooked well. The vindalo and the wings were good. The add on rice to the gravy dishes on the menu didn't state that it had dried fruits. I tried to yell a few times across the room. Twice I asked the bussers to get my waitress. I had to get up and go to the computer station to inform the waitress what was going on, then of course multiple managers came, cleaned the table, and comped dessert. But it's not something you should have to point out. Good dessert.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kelvin Pan
Five stars for Susanna the hostess. I had called on Christmas Eve when they would close and whether they allow takeout. When I arrived around 8:30p another hostess told me they paused/weren't allowing takeout and was reluctant to allow it after I explained my call beforehand. Susanna checked for me and took my order. She even brought it out to me since I was waiting outside due to occupancy of the waiting area.
Muthu Raja Sankar
Visited Kiran’s for the second time with colleagues and clients — it never disappoints. The food and service are always top-notch. The thali options for the main course are a great touch, though serving them on a traditional thali plate would make it even more convenient and authentic. Overall, a wonderful dining experience with great flavors and presentation!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Prathyusha
Went for afternoon tea. Cosplaying high tea, then an actual experience of such. Very crowded- quantity over quality. Waiter gave us no menu and just brought stuff out. Had no idea what he was doing. Didn’t explain the food brought out. Didn’t actually give us tea until we asked. Was not knowledgeable about the menu. Such an off putting experience. Food was not as well presented or of quality as presented online. Seems the auto 20% tip does not incentivize them to do better plus we got stuck with a new guy. But we understand, it wasn’t just his first day on the job but his first day on earth I guess.
Nice atmosphere and with holidays it was crowded.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Left a detailed review on OpenTable as well. Tried it out as part of the CSR exclusive tables. Loved the food and great portions. Expensive but quality was top notch.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 4
Food was fantastic! Lobster shorba was silky smooth. Gulf snapper (tandoor) is highly recommended. Calamari appetizer was amazing I have never seen such thick rings of calamari! My husband had the lamb porterhouse chops. The serving size quite generous and the medium rare cook was perfect.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Food is fresh but too blend
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great service and beautiful atmosphere. Food is good but it's not as authentic as i would expect since i have tasted real
Indian food from India itself. Its been modified to blend with Americans. Very clean washrooms. Paid garage parking. Staff has been very friendly and helpful. Very attentive too.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
I got takeout so I placed the order online, which was an easy process. Said to expect my order to be ready by 8:28. I arrived right on time and was told it would be another five minutes. As time passed, I kept disappearing in the sea of people coming in and waiting 45+ minutes for their reservations, because that looked to be poorly managed as well. I checked on my food twice and finally 40 minutes in was ready to ask for a refund if they didn’t bring it up after checking a third time, but it was brought up. I got home 10 minutes later and the food was lukewarm, which leads me to believe it has been sitting around for a while. Very frustrating.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the only issue. The food is delicious but WOW I had no clue I had to pay $29 for butter chicken and $32 for chicken vindaloo and NOTHING came with rice?! So after waiting 45 minutes for my food, I get home to find out we need to make rice to even enjoy it. The four pieces of naan for two people aren’t going to do it, so here I am at 10pm eating dinner when it was meant to be ready at 8:30. Absolutely ridiculous all around.
It’s really upsetting because the food is incredible and I would love to have it again but I don’t know if I have the patience to go through this experience a second time. AND pay for rice on top of expensive entrees that can’t really be enjoyed without rice…unless that’ normal, I have no idea...
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 4
Service: 1
Delicious, authentic, and worth the experience
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tried the vegetarian option and it was extremely disappointing. The food lacked flavor and was poorly prepared. Definitely not worth it.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Kiran’s is one of Houston’s most talked about Indian restaurants, and we chose it to celebrate a birthday, with expectations appropriately high.
Arrival was smooth enough. Parking is plentiful but paid, with valet at eight dollars and self parking at five. Reservations are required, and the restaurant was completely full the evening we attended. The space is large and elaborate, with a visible kitchen that signals an attempt at a destination dining experience.
We opted for outdoor seating. While the weather was fine, the patio sits directly alongside Richmond Avenue, leading to frequent interruptions and moments where conversation stopped entirely as cars passed. It was serviceable, but not relaxing.
Kiran’s presents itself as an elite dining experience. In practice, it feels like a restaurant still in training for that role rather than fully inhabiting it.
We ordered appetizers and main courses, finishing with the complimentary birthday dessert. Our meal lasted just over three hours. While we were not rushed for time, we expected a dining experience closer to half that length. Long stretches between courses became tedious, and the sustained absence of service led us to consider ending the evening early.
During that time, multiple tables arrived and departed while we remained seated at a small two person table with claw foot legs that made it difficult to sit comfortably.
Our waiter was kind but difficult to understand, and we saw him only a handful of times over the course of the evening. Drinks went unrefilled, pacing was unclear, and small service details were missed. Silverware was placed while menus were still on the table, napkins were not provided until requested after appetizers arrived, and overall attentiveness felt inconsistent. These may seem like small details, but together they made us feel like afterthoughts rather than guests.
The kitchen, however, delivered. Every dish arrived hot and thoughtfully prepared. The lamb belly was the standout, rich and balanced from the first bite. The lamb kebab grew in complexity as you spent time with it, nearly overtaking the lamb belly as a favorite. The homemade paneer was lightly fried and flaky, offering a welcome contrast to the heavier dishes.
For mains, we ordered the Dosa Three Ways and the Punjabi Thali. Both were generous and flavorful, offering a wide range of preparations and textures. Plating was thoughtful, and the consistent use of Le Creuset serviceware felt appropriate.
Spice levels were not discussed and were determined by the kitchen. The heat was noticeable but mild by Houston standards, likely comfortable for many but restrained for spice tolerant diners.
Dessert was thoughtfully presented and well executed, with a chocolate madeleine, a praline style bar with chocolate ganache and hazelnut filling, and a birthday tag.
In the end, the food was very good, with portions that felt fair for slightly elevated prices. Service and pacing, however, lagged significantly. The kitchen is operating close to five star quality, but the rest of the experience has not caught up.
My rating: ★★★☆☆
Rating scale:
1 star — I will never return.
2 stars — If nearby, I might return, but without urgency.
3 stars — Worth a visit if in the area, though not a destination in itself.
4 stars — Worth going out of my way to enjoy.
5 stars — I would fly around the world for this meal.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 5
Service: 2
An exceptional meal. A very wide variety of foods on the menu, my new favorite restaurant. The lobster shorba (pictured in the bowl next to the huge serving of calamari) may be the best thing I ever ate in 70+ years. This place is a gem
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
The food was a huge disappointment and not in line with the menu. The Malabar crab was supposed to be prepared with curry leaves, mustard seeds, and fresh coconut, and was instead tossed in a tasteless generic mayo with none of those ingredients. The Bagare baingan were supposed to have peanuts and sesame, and were instead prepared in a generic tomato and onion masala.
The setting is pretty, but the table next to us had kids watching something on their iPads with the volume turned up, which was very distracting. The restaurant did nothing to correct this.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Bro, the food was super overpriced, and when food is that expensive you'd expect great service. Not once did they come refill waters or sodas until I asked. Naan took like 20 mins to come so my food was ice cold. Kids chicken tenders are not chicken tenders, they are more like chicken pakodas. My wife had to peel the pakoda breading to be able to feed the kids. You rarely see your waitress/waiter. Neglected. They didn't clear our table, like I had dishes stacked to the ceiling. Most high end restaurant you'd expect them to clear out the table to make room to be able to order for dessert. Korma and chicken tandoor was bland could use salt probably. Lamb was bland but cooked well. The vindalo and the wings were good. The add on rice to the gravy dishes on the menu didn't state that it had dried fruits. I tried to yell a few times across the room. Twice I asked the bussers to get my waitress. I had to get up and go to the computer station to inform the waitress what was going on, then of course multiple managers came, cleaned the table, and comped dessert. But it's not something you should have to point out. Good dessert.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Five stars for Susanna the hostess. I had called on Christmas Eve when they would close and whether they allow takeout. When I arrived around 8:30p another hostess told me they paused/weren't allowing takeout and was reluctant to allow it after I explained my call beforehand. Susanna checked for me and took my order. She even brought it out to me since I was waiting outside due to occupancy of the waiting area.
Visited Kiran’s for the second time with colleagues and clients — it never disappoints. The food and service are always top-notch. The thali options for the main course are a great touch, though serving them on a traditional thali plate would make it even more convenient and authentic. Overall, a wonderful dining experience with great flavors and presentation!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Went for afternoon tea. Cosplaying high tea, then an actual experience of such. Very crowded- quantity over quality. Waiter gave us no menu and just brought stuff out. Had no idea what he was doing. Didn’t explain the food brought out. Didn’t actually give us tea until we asked. Was not knowledgeable about the menu. Such an off putting experience. Food was not as well presented or of quality as presented online.
Seems the auto 20% tip does not incentivize them to do better plus we got stuck with a new guy. But we understand, it wasn’t just his first day on the job but his first day on earth I guess.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
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