Sitar Indian Restaurant: Southeast Asian cooking without the travel
A downtown Nashville restaurant offers a taste of India with aromatic spices and sizzling dishes.
Sitar Indian Restaurant, located just steps away from Vanderbilt University’s campus off of West End Avenue, offers an array of Southeast Asian dishes including appetizers, rice and roti, vegetarian, chicken, lamb and seafood options.
Both food and decor reflect an Indian influence. A sitar, a stringed instrument commonly used in India, Bangladesh and Pakistan, sits nestled in a corner in full view from the font door, welcoming diners.
Inside, the restaurant offers a cozy atmosphere sprinkled with small tables and dim lighting.
On arrival, customers are offered papadum, a thin and crispy lentil bread. Among the appetizers on the menu are samosas, pakoras and other dishes served with mint and onion chutneys.
For the main course, the menu boasts an Indian food aficionado’s paradise: chicken tikka masala, lamb vindaloo, shrimp nirgisi and other favorites. The spice levels vary, ranging from mild to very hot.
To finish the sitar dining experience, patrons can order from the desert menu that includes gulab juman, a deep-fried cheese ball dipped in syrup, and mango ice cream.
If this is your first Indian food experience, try heading to the restaurant around lunchtime, 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Saturday or noon to 3 p.m. on Sundays, for their all-you-can-eat lunch buffet for $7. Prices for entrées range from $7.95 to $15.95.
Posted by Leah M. Caudle
