Best Indian Restaurants in Richmond (2026)

TL;DR

• Richmond's Indian dining scene spans the West Broad Street corridor, Carytown, and suburbs from Henrico to Chester 🗺️
• TAVA Cuisine of India is the city's standout for weekend Indian brunch, running 9am to 2:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays 🍳
• Hyderabad Biryani House specializes in authentic dum biryani; Kabab House anchors the grilled-meat end of the spectrum 🍖
• Upscale dinners belong to Lehja and Kismet; casual weekday lunches are covered across the full corridor 🍽️
• More than a dozen Indian kitchens serve the metro — here is how to navigate all of them

Richmond's Indian Restaurant Scene

Richmond, Virginia has quietly built one of the stronger Indian dining networks on the East Coast. The West Broad Street stretch alone hosts five or six restaurants, ranging from workaday lunch counters to white-tablecloth rooms. Add in Carytown's neighborhood staples, the Pump Road suburb, and outlying communities like Chester and Midlothian, and you have a metro with more choices than cities twice its size.

The South Asian community in Richmond has grown steadily over the past decade, and the restaurant count has followed. What you find today is a genuine spread — Hyderabadi biryani specialists, kebab houses, upscale modern Indian, weekend brunch service, and even a coffee shop with Indian-influenced fare.

The West Broad Street Corridor 🗺️

West Broad Street is the spine of Richmond's Indian food scene. Starting in the Short Pump area, Indian Aroma at 11636 West Broad Street draws a loyal lunch crowd every day of the week from 11am to 3pm. It is the reliable, unpretentious kind of spot that anchors any good dining corridor.

A few miles east, Jannat Indian Cuisine at 7801 West Broad Street has become a community staple. You can reach them at 804-562-8905 or visit jannatva.com to review the menu before heading over.

At 11800 West Broad Street, Lehja is the upscale anchor. The kitchen takes a refined approach to Indian cuisine — composed presentations, a thoughtful regional scope, and a dining room that works equally well for a special occasion or a polished business lunch. Reach them at info@lehja.com or lehja.com.

Further along the corridor, Lemon Cuisine of India at 3215 West Broad Street opens for weekday lunch starting at 11am. Kismet at 2918 West Broad Street runs Tuesday evenings from 5pm — it is one of the more contemporary Indian dining experiences in the city, with a menu that draws from modern Indian cooking rather than a buffet-style playbook.

Carytown and the City's Neighborhood Spots

Carytown is Richmond's most eclectic dining district, and Indian food has earned a solid foothold there. Tulsi at 3131 West Cary Street has long been a neighborhood staple, with traditional Indian preparations that keep the regulars returning. Just down the block, Carytown Indian Cuisine at 2907 West Cary Street runs weekday lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm, Monday through Friday.

Just off Carytown's orbit, Bajra Indian Bistro at 711 North Lombardy Street opens Tuesday lunch from 11:30am. The bistro framing sets it apart from generic lunch spots — the menu leans more composed and chef-forward.

Downtown proper, Spice of India at 106 North 7th Street is the most centrally located option in the city. Call them at 804-775-0108 or visit spiceofindiava.com.

Weekend Brunch and Specialty Dining 🍳

The standout for weekend mornings is TAVA Cuisine of India at 3406 Pump Road. TAVA runs a proper Indian brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 2:30pm — and then re-opens for dinner the same evenings. Weekday lunch runs Tuesday through Thursday from noon to 2:30pm. It is one of the very few Indian restaurants in the Richmond metro doing serious weekend morning service. Visit tavacoi.com for the full menu or call 804-813-8815.

For biryani devotees, Hyderabad Biryani House at 4040 Cox Road is the name to know. Hyderabadi-style dum biryani — layered, sealed, and slow-cooked so rice, spices, and protein meld — is the signature. Monday hours run 11:30am to 3pm; see hyderabadbiryaniva.com for the rest of the week.

Kabab House at 3411 Old Parham Road fills a complementary niche: smoky, marinated kebabs in the North Indian and Pakistani grill tradition. Find them at kababhouserva.com.

More Indian Kitchens Across the Metro

The Richmond suburbs have their own growing roster. In the West End, Anokha at 4015 Lauderdale Drive serves weekday lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm (anokha.us). Anant Indian Cuisine covers the Pouncey Tract Road corridor at 4348 Pouncey Tract Road; visit anantva.com. Rutba Indian Kitchen at 13822 Village Place Drive runs daily lunch from 11:30am to 2:30pm — consistent hours that working commuters appreciate (rutbarva.com, 804-893-3465).

Swagat Indian Cuisine on Centralia Road draws a suburban Sunday crowd from 11am to 3pm; find them at swagatva.com. Desi Bites at 3621 Cox Road keeps things casual and crowd-pleasing (desibites.com, 804-656-6004).

In Chester, Saffron Indian Cuisine at 12114 Bermuda Crossroad Lane serves the south-metro community with weekday lunch from 11am to 3pm (saffronchester.com). Saheb Indian Bistro covers Midlothian at 13126 Midlothian Turnpike — call 804-893-3187 or visit sahebindianbistro.com.

Gold Lion Cafe at 1012 Hull Street brings an interesting wrinkle: it is primarily a coffee shop with Indian-influenced menu items, open Mondays from 10am (804-416-5075). Spice on the northwest side (spiceindiancuisinerva.com, 804-351-5148) runs Tuesday through Friday from 11am to 3pm.

Insider Tip: TAVA Cuisine of India on Pump Road is the only Indian restaurant in the Richmond metro offering a dedicated weekend brunch starting at 9am Saturday and Sunday. If you want Indian breakfast — proper, not just leftover lunch items — call 804-813-8815 and plan your visit around Saturday or Sunday morning.

FAQ

Q: Which Richmond Indian restaurant is best for a special-occasion dinner? Lehja at 11800 West Broad Street is the most frequently cited upscale option. Kismet on West Broad also offers a more elevated, contemporary experience suited to a dinner-out evening.

Q: Where do I get authentic Hyderabadi dum biryani in Richmond? Hyderabad Biryani House on Cox Road is the specialist. The dum cooking method produces a notably different result from generic restaurant biryani — the rice and protein are cooked together under steam rather than assembled separately.

Q: Is there Indian food close to downtown Richmond? Spice of India at 106 North 7th Street is the most centrally located option for downtown diners.

Q: Which restaurants are open on Mondays? Indian Aroma, Lemon Cuisine of India, Rutba Indian Kitchen, Hyderabad Biryani House, and Gold Lion Cafe all have confirmed Monday hours. Always call ahead to verify current schedules.

Q: Can I find Indian brunch in Richmond on a Saturday? TAVA Cuisine of India on Pump Road is the answer. Weekend brunch runs 9am to 2:30pm on Saturdays and Sundays — rare for an Indian restaurant anywhere in the metro.

Bottom Line

Richmond's Indian dining scene rewards exploration. The West Broad Street corridor — anchored by Indian Aroma, Jannat Indian Cuisine, Lehja, Lemon Cuisine of India, and Kismet — is the logical starting point. Specialty seekers should head to Hyderabad Biryani House for dum biryani, Kabab House for grilled meats, and TAVA Cuisine of India for the city's best weekend brunch. The suburbs fill in the rest: Rutba Indian Kitchen, Anokha, Anant Indian Cuisine, Swagat Indian Cuisine, Desi Bites, Saffron Indian Cuisine, Saheb Indian Bistro, Bajra Indian Bistro, Carytown Indian Cuisine, Spice of India, and Tulsi all serve loyal neighborhoods. The Indian food community in Richmond is still growing — and the restaurant count is rising right along with it.