The name “Indian Essence Art” may get you thinking that this business is about something else, but it’s, in fact, a restaurant. It has two branches in Sukhumvit 22, but we’re focusing on the one at Soi 6, right across from Holiday Inn.

This restaurant specializes in northern Indian and Chinese cuisine. It prides itself on authentic Indian food made with the freshest ingredients and the expertise of top Indian chefs.

Indian Essence’s interior is perfect for groups of casual diners with its friendly staff. 

While waiting for your food to come, you can admire the great selection of paintings displayed throughout the premises — we guess this is where the “art” in the name comes from.

It’s open from morning until a few hours after midnight so you can bring family or go out drinking with your friends here. Since this Indian restaurant is in an interior soi, there’s no parking available — just park somewhere else if you’re coming in a car.

You can also order through Indian Essence’s official website to enjoy food at home. Its vast menu has everything for everyone, including halal, vegan, and gluten-free options.

Many agree that Indian Essence’s food is good, if not the best, in Bangkok. But many also think that the food is too expensive for its actual quality. 

There’s a loyalty program with discounts for avid customers, so we believe that helps cushion the price.

Amritsr is another restaurant along Sukhumvit 22 that serves cuisine from the Amritsari region of India. It’s eye-catching on the road for its sign that looks like a mustache.

Because it’s along the main road, no parking is available, and you need to think twice about bringing a car into this restaurant. If you’re staying at the Holiday Inn in Sukhumvit 22, you can reach Amritsr in less than five minutes.

Upon entry, we immediately realized that the place was a bit small for our liking but still looked great overall. 

However, it’s still always packed because of the excellent quality of its food (albeit for a higher price than average); we recommend you try the chicken tikka masala and paneer.

Customer service is excellent; servers are friendly and quick to respond. Yet, according to some past customers, there have been instances when the staff prioritizes Indian nationals more than other nationalities in service. 

We hope that Amritsr will address these allegations of racial bias — this is a valid concern we didn’t experience ourselves but hope never to do so.

If you can’t eat out, you can instead go for delivery to your home through its official website or mobile app. 

Charcoal Tandoor Grill & Mixology (we’ll call them “Charcoal” for brevity) on the 5th floor of the Fraser Suites Sukhumvit in Watthana provides a great modern take on Indian food.

Charcoal brings northwestern Indian cuisine together with the science of drinks to Bangkok. Its specialty is kebabs, and it offers diners different types of specialty drinks.

The restaurant looks great with its rustic Asian wooden aesthetic. Aside from a long bar, its many long tables are perfect for dining in groups — in line with the restaurant’s vision of creating a sleek and social ambiance.

Charcoal has two stars from Frommer’s, a professional food critic organization similar to the Michelin Guide, and a Traveller’s Choice Award from Tripadvisor in 2021. Screams great quality!

The food is delicious; we especially liked the lamb biryani, chicken tandoori, desserts, and cocktails. However, be prepared to spend more than the average because this premium food comes at a premium price — not surprising given Charcoal’s four-star location.

For example, mains start at THB 450, much higher than the average of THB 300 at other places. 

Service is a hit or miss. Charcoal has great waitstaff like Mr. Gerald and Mr. Sulaiman, but we’ve also heard of instances where customers walked out of the restaurant due to very slow service. 

Ultimately, the most sensible thing to do is manage your expectations.

If you’re willing to splurge to a different level of dining, then Punjab Grill is the next best choice. This fine dining restaurant inside the Radisson Suites at Watthana modernly serves classic northern Indian food in a la carte and tasting menu options.

Punjab Grill has been featured in the 2020 Michelin Guide and is a Tripadvisor Traveller’s Choice for 2021, making this one of the most decorated Indian restaurants in Bangkok and on our list. 

It only has dinner service on the weekdays but offers an exceptional weekend lunch service. You can also catch international Indian musicians performing at Punjab Grill six days a week, adding to the premium fine dining experience.

As we’ve hinted above, Punjab Grill is on the pricier side. Vegetarian mains start at THB 260, while regular, meat-based mains start at THB 410; its Sunday brunch starts at THB 1,000 per person.

We enjoyed its take on Butter Chicken and the vegetable (lentil) dish Dal Makhani; desserts are the bomb. Our verdict matches the average customer’s take on Punjab Grill’s cuisine.

On the flip side, some people don’t see anything special in their food. The waitstaff service is just okay. 

Nevertheless, we still think Punjab Grill is a great place to dine.

Say you’ve never had Indian food and are looking for the best place to try it out or you’re someone who didn’t like their initial foray into Indian cuisine. You can drop by Indus, a restaurant specializing in northern Indian cuisine at Sukhumvit 26.

We call its cuisine “inspired” because it’s clear from the first bite that its dishes are for the non-Indian palate. Indus’ food is still good; it’s just not authentic enough, so it’s best for foreigners and diners who want to play safe.

Some past customers told us that main course entries like vindaloo curry still lack spiciness to be considered traditional in taste. Other dishes’ sauce is often watery and mediocre, unlike authentic Indian recipes.

The Indus premises is very cool and filled with art —  it’s in a house with 1960s architecture and has two dining rooms, a bar, and a garden with alfresco seating. You can dine in a different area each time you visit this restaurant.

There’s also parking, but it’s limited to just ten vehicles. We do not recommend ordering from this restaurant as we’ve heard that it takes them long to fulfill orders, and most of the time, deliveries are not the same quality as dine-in ones.

The staff is mostly Indian nationals, but we’re glad they can speak Thai. We think Indus is best for locals and you can bring your farang friends here, too.

Despite being consistently featured in the Michelin Guide for Bangkok for the past five years, we love that this is one of the most affordable places we’ve been to for Indian food.

Nestled along the Ong Ang Canal in Phahurat, Mama Restaurant offers a taste of authentic Northern Indian cuisine with a Punjab influence.

Founded by Mama (Balbir Singh), who fell in love with Thailand during his visits as a tourist and decided to bring his family’s traditional recipes to Bangkok, Mama Restaurant promises an unforgettable dining experience filled with the sights, smells, and flavors of Indian cuisine.

We think that Mama Restaurant excels in offering authentic Northern Indian cuisine with a Punjab influence.

From classic dishes like butter chicken and biryani to lesser-known specialties, every dish is prepared with care and attention to detail, capturing the essence of Indian flavors and spices.

Mama Restaurant takes pride in sourcing authentic spices and ingredients from vendors located in India, ensuring an original and amazing flavor for all their dishes.

With a commitment to authenticity, we like that diners can expect a true culinary experience that transports them to the streets of Northern India with every bite!

Mama Restaurant promises to deliver mouthwatering portions at an affordable price, making it a popular choice for both Indians craving a taste of home and locals and visitors seeking an incredible dining experience. Whether dining in or ordering for delivery, guests can expect generous servings that evoke the feeling of family dining.

While we’re heard of the best things about them, there have been some customers who have complained about their bad service and some find the food to be overpriced.