Aabha Indian Cuisine

3690 The Barnyard, Carmel-By-The-Sea, CA 93923, USA

Location

Photos 100

Reviews 16

Renee Brand

We drove 2 hours just to come to this place. And all I can say is: it was worth the drive! We made a reservation since there was 6 of us. When we arrived, our table was ready. From the beginning, everyone was great and this place truly worked together to help serve us. Our waiter Sagar was truly one of the best waiters I have encountered. He was personable, funny, and very helpful if we had any questions. He was on top of everything. The Aabha restaurant is truly lucky to have him. I also noticed him serving at another table and he was giving them the same great service he was giving us. Truly a gem! And it made our experience there even more enjoyable. Now for the wonderful food! They started us out with Papadum and 3 different sauces to dip in. Very light but full of flavor. For appetizers, we ordered Lamb and Goat Cheese Kebab and Turmeric-Garlic Scallops. Both were wonderful flavor combinations and everyone enjoyed them. For the entrees: I ordered the Rogan Josh which is a traditional lamb curry dish. I ordered it spicy which kicked in after about 3 bites. Lamb was tender and I enjoyed it with the rice it comes with. BF asked the waiter to bring out one of the best dishes they had and he brought out the Fornetire Lamb Chops which was not on the menu. The other entrees ordered were Coconut Prawn Curry, Lamb Biryani, Prawn Pineapple Tikka, and Lamb Seekh Kebab (which is like the lamb kebab appetizer without the goat cheese). Everyone seemed to enjoy their meal. We also ordered Garlic-Rosemary Naan to go with the meal which was just the right amount of fluffiness and oozing with garlic and just the right amount of hint of rosemary. At the end, the chef even came out to see how everything was. I can say if you are in the area, this should be a must stop. We will be going back whenever we make the drive up to Carmel again.

Damon Abraham

My friend and I have heard about this Indian Restaurant but never tried it until last Friday when we were in the area looking for a descent place to eat at. And I remembered that there is a new Indian restaurant that I had googled earlier but couldnt remember its name. At first, we both were hesitant to commit to get in--knowing what we know about typical Indian dishes where the food itself comes secondary to the overwhelming amount of spices in it. Long story short, we got in and after browsing through the menu, I ordered Lamb Shank and my friend ordered Lamb Chops. After about half an hour wait, the waiter brought our orders, and boy, was it delicious!!! I must mention, both my friend and I are extremely picky about foods and we cook foods from a wide variety of cuisines--Middle eastern to Mediterranean to Italian and French, and everything in between on a regular basis, yet we couldnt find one thing to complain about. We tasted each others foods and both agreed that the Lamb shank and the Lamb chops were one of the best weve had. The complex layers of flavor were revealed with every single bite. Later on, the chef/owner himself came and greeted us warmly and told us that he makes even the spices from scratch every day. Of course, such flavor and aroma cannot come out of any kind of over-the shelf spices. The overall ambient of the restaurant is very cozy and welcoming. The service staff are very friendly, responsive and knowledgeable about the menu. The service is not shy of that of any five star restaurant. By far, that was the best experience we had with any restaurant on the Peninsula. Great job Chef/Owner Bhupender, keep up the creativity and the great work!!! I unhesitatingly give this restaurant my highest recommendations. (Moe & Sura)

Rich Brimer

When looking to satisfy your Indian food crave, you should definitely head over to Aabah at the Barnyard Shopping Village. Their authentic indian cuisine is fresh, clean and enormously flavorful. I have been to their lunch buffet on several occasions and am pleased the huge changing selection of vegetarian and meat dishes offered each day. For sure recommended!

Jyotsna Sinha

Food is super good. I can easily say that its the best Indian food I have had in California. Chef. Bhupinder is really good with his flavors and loved the special Shaahi Tukdaa, a dessert from Hyderabad, which he offered us as his speciality !! Loved the ambience, patio is very nice and lunch there would be really nice, when we go again there tomorrow :)

sahithya baskaran

Unique and excellent Indian cuisine. We randomly discovered this restaurant when the Lafayette bakery was closed and it was a pleasant surprise. We didnt get a chance to try the lunch menu as we stopped by for a quick bite. All the appetizers were really good - The samosas and avocado pomegranate chaat were the highlight. The ambience is great as well.

Amitesh Bhagwan

The place is spacious and airy. The taste of the food depends on whether youre Indian. I am and found it just satisfactory- the flavor was mild. This is perhaps attractive to Americans. Avoid the tea- its really bad if youre expecting masala chai. We were the only 3 Indians in the room. Its clear the place caters to non-Indians.

Anne Gallagher

We are big fans of Indian cuisine and we just moved here from NYC and are so excited that we found Aabha! The quality of the food is incredible; we had shrimp peri-peri, butter chicken and the rack of lamb all of which were delicious, we had take- out this evening and cant wait to go and have a sit down meal.

MEGNA PRASAD

The food was OK and edible, but its far from authentic. It caters to the yuppie taste buds, food is mild and sweeter rather than savory. Also some of the buffet items does not seem to be daily fresh made; feels like yesterdays left overs were tossed in with todays made food to top it off.

Paige Sidway

This restaurant is amazing! The lunch buffet is fantastic. particularly the butter chicken and the fresh warm naan are to die for. The entire staff is so nice and helpful and they remember you after a few visits :) I cant recommend Aabha more highly !!

Ridhima arora

Being an Indian, I can say that this has been my best dining experience in an Indian restaurant in the US from the past 5 years!!! Here food, service and ambience was great, and they make sure you have a good experience!

Sue McSorley

The quality of the food is excellent! The service is good and helpful with suggestions on menu selections that compliment each other. Good wine, beer choices. Definitely will be returning many times.

Hari Krishna Y D

AMAZING, its delicious Indian food. The lunch buffet has so many varieties. Indian naan was awesome. The great staff, all of them receive you with an pretty smile. I definitely recommend to try it.

Cynde Balent

Lovely people, wonderful food. The staff are very attentive and kind. The food is top notch if a wee bit too salty. Try the crispy kale and dont forget the naan! Prices are reasonable.

K i t e . . Flyer

Cozy, compact perfect enough place for a familys exotic dinner. Exceptional taste, hygienic food and an ocean of varieties..... above all.... authentic, typical taste and flavours.

TK Mann

So good... This is the absolute pinnacle of Indian food in the greater bay area, a fantastic restaurant experience... 5 stars all day long!!!

Fran Robertson

Great lunch buffet , pleasing array of flavors and spices. Fresh puffy naan bread delivered to our table. Will definitely return for dinner.