Columbus Indian Dining Scene Expands With Two Fresh Openings
Columbus's South Asian dining landscape is growing on two fronts this season: an upscale new restaurant from the Kondhare family is claiming a prominent Polaris address, while the beloved progressive Indian restaurant Rooh in the Short North has emerged from a revamp with an inventive limited-run breakfast offering.
🍛 Bombay House Brings Pan-India Upscale Dining to Polaris
Bombay House Restaurant & Bar is set to open in July 2026 at 496 Polaris Pkwy in Columbus, taking over a portion of the space that formerly housed the Winking Lizard, an Ohio chain focused on beer and wings that closed its Polaris location in 2023. The new venue is operated by the Kondhare family, whose vision is to introduce Columbus diners to the full breadth and diversity of Indian culinary traditions. Unlike many Indian restaurants in the United States that center their menus around a narrow selection of dishes, Bombay House will offer a pan-India menu drawing from the varied regional cuisines of the subcontinent, showcasing the distinct flavors, spices, and cooking styles that differ across India's many culinary regions. The restaurant aims to be an upscale dining destination, positioning itself as a step beyond the familiar while remaining welcoming to curious diners. Alongside its food offerings, Bombay House will operate a full bar serving handcrafted cocktails inspired by Indian flavors, adding a beverage program that ties in the same regional inspiration as the kitchen. The opening is anticipated to bring a new level of South Asian fine dining to the Polaris area of Columbus, filling a gap left by the departure of the Winking Lizard and introducing the Kondhare family's vision to central Ohio. [1]
🍛 Rooh Short North Debuts 'Mornings by Rooh' Indian-Inspired Breakfast Pop-Up
The progressive Indian restaurant Rooh in Columbus's Short North neighborhood has reopened following a brief revamp, emerging with a refreshed dining space, an updated dinner menu, and a new breakfast offering called Mornings by Rooh. The breakfast program is a limited-run pop-up that draws on the same culinary philosophy as Swadesi Cafe in Chicago, a project associated with Rooh's ownership, delivering an Indian-inspired morning menu that blends South Asian flavors with familiar breakfast formats. The menu spans breakfast sandwiches, pastries, coffee drinks, chai, matcha, and cocktails. Standout items include a jaggery, brown sugar, and sea salt latte topped with an ube rice pudding cold foam, and a mango ras malai croissant that is creamy and lightly sweet. The savory side features the Rooh egg sandwich, which layers eggs with American cheese, crispy potato salli, and a spicy mayo on a potato bun, with a choice of bacon or avocado. Also notable is the tandoori chicken croissant spiral, a dense and flavorful savory pastry topped with pickled onions. Rounding out the sweet side is the buckeye in Dubai tart, a brownie-like dessert pastry. The breakfast pop-up runs for a limited period alongside the restaurant's revamped dinner service in the Short North. [4]
Sources: [1] The Columbus Dispatch · [4] Breakfast With Nick