Budapest's Indian restaurants aren't about to set the food world on fire but this isn't surprising: the city has a small Indian expat community, and few locals seek out Indian food (though tourism from India is rising). The restaurants below serve the usual suspects of northern Indian fare, including reliably prepared tandoori chicken, korma dishes, butter chicken, biryani, saag paneer, and dal makhani.
Located a bit outside the city center in District 6, Taj Mahal is one of the top Indian restaurants in Budapest specializing in north-Indian fare. They serve food from delicate copper tureens, there are Indian art pieces on the walls, and, somewhat bizarrely, the Hungarian waitresses wear saris in an effort to fill the high-ceilinged room with Indian vibes.
For starters, I've enjoyed the onion bhaji, the pakora fritters stuffed with vegetables, and the hara bhara kabab, a "vegetarian kebab" snack made from spinach, peas, and potatoes. The sizzling tandoori chicken is perfectly smokey with splotches of char, but best of all is the chicken korma, boneless pieces of chicken swimming in a luscious, cashew-infused sauce. Taj Mahal is one of the few restaurant in Budapest that serves a masala dosa — a classic south-Indian rice-lentil pancake filled with curried potatoes, onion, and a side of lentil stew. Mains are €10-16.