Came here as part of a team dinner recently and wow, I was blown away. I have to say, I don't know that I would have come here on my own before this dinner. Fancy Indian food doesn't exactly speak to me, but wow, I have to come back! First off, our server Ahmed, who says he has been there for decades, was AMAZING! Such a sweetheart and so accommodating. It's hard to find a gem like him nowadays in the service industry, and I know, I used to work in it! We tried a variety of appetizers, including the Palak Chaat, which I loved, and the Seekh Kabob was delicious as well, especially with some lemon and mint chutney! For entrees, we had black cod, which was buttery and flakey, perfectly cooked. I also tried the lobster, which was a nice touch. The lamb chop I got was a little small and fatty, but the good parts were delicious and perfectly cooked. I also really enjoyed the Dal Makhani, as lentils and onions are a great combo! My friend dining with us was vegan, and instead of having to pick around our options, they brought her out specialty items that were vegan! That is something I've never seen at another restaurant, and was amazing to see. Lastly, for dessert (although I was stuffed!) we tried the Gulab Jamun, which was obviously warm and sweet and perfect! Perfect finishing touch. Such a great atmosphere from the decor/lighting to the service and of course, the delicious food. Thank you for a great night, so good I forgot to take pictures!

When I lived in DC, I always wanted to try this restaurant and never made it. Travels this summer for a conference with work colleagues that love Indian food, we unanimously chose it. The recommendations from the server were spot on! Great flavors and textures. We ordered a few small plates and entrees and shared. Plenty of food. So sad it took me so long and will be back again!

A nice place for a night out. Overall friendly and knowledgeable staff. Being first time here, we ordered all their signature items - Palak Chaat (crispy baby spinach), Black Codfish, Saoji Lamb Shank , and the Chicken Masala. Quite a contrast between the Palak Chaat - a celebration of flavors, and the lamb shank - dull and heavy; one is a must. Felt a bit bloated after the meal.

We chose this place to celebrate my friend's birthday, and it turned out to be a fantastic choice! I was so caught up in the great atmosphere that I completely forgot to take pictures of the food. Although I'm not typically a fan of Indian cuisine, spicy food isn't really my thing, I was pleasantly surprised. I can't speak to the authenticity since I'm not well-versed in Indian dishes, but I genuinely enjoyed everything we tried! I mentioned my preference for mild food, and the waiter thoughtfully informed me about the spiciness of each dish before serving. The customer service was impeccable, everything arrived on time, and the staff took the time to explain the dishes and ingredients. They even surprised our friend with a complimentary birthday dessert, which was such a nice touch. The prices are reasonable compared to other similar spots in the DMV area, but what really sets this place apart is the outstanding customer service. I highly recommend it!

My wife was excited to bring me to this establishment, one of her favorite restaurants in the city. And I wouldn't say I was skeptical, per se, because she has excellent taste. However, as an avid explorer of Indian cuisine, Rasika really had a high bar to meet. And it absolutely delivered. We began with spinach pakoras, which were about a delicious as such a dish could possibly be - crispy, slightly spicy, with a bit each of bitterness, salt, and tang. If salad were like this, I would eat much healthier. We (my wife and I and a friend) shared three entrees. My wife ordered her typical, chicken makhani. Tasting it, I understood why her standard for the dish (it is one of the primary metrics by which we evaluate new Indian joints) is so high. It is full-bodied and meaty with big, bright flavors, the Platonic ideal of by which all other chicken makhanis should be measured. The mutual friend and I split a prawn vindaloo and black cod. The former was outstanding in its complexity - each bite was a fiery meditation on a half dozen wonderfully contrasting flavors. The black cod was exactly what it would have been: flaky, buttery, succulent goodness. Miscellaneous notes: service was great (friendly, knowledgeable, and prompt). And their alcoholic options were interesting, and included a surprisingly good Indian IPA (Rupee).

This place was very quiet and dim. Nice for a casual dinner or date night. They have a fully stocked bar and the waiters are very knowledgeable of the food. The food came out surprisingly quickly. The lamb was tender and the whole meal was delicious

I went for restaurant week and to my surprise lunch was $35 instead of $25. I forgot to bring my sweater because they keep they a/c in tip top working order in August. The maitre'd sat me down with menu down first and restaurant week paper menu on top, the waiter was quite aggressive and moved the paper to be under the leather bound menu. Then he said bottle water right which I almost didn't catch because normally waiters say tap right. I looked around and saw everyone else was drinking tap. Then when he came around for me to order I'm pointing to what I want on the restaurant week menu and he said "oh you want to order from the restaurant week menu". Dude don't be annoyed people want to take advantage of restaurant week, honestly! I should have read my last review before coming because I once again ordered the Sev Puri and still didn't like it. See I know I don't like Palak Chaat so was just trying to order anything else. I got the Vegetable Thali which came with Paneer Khubani Kofta / Khumb Palak / Dal Makhani, rice and bread. There was no cheese in the spinach!!! It was Potatoes instead (but I googled Palak and it says mushrooms). It was a huge disappointment. Lentils were amazing and spiced perfectly but lukewarm warm, I prefer my food hot. Dumplings with gold foil were so good. The Thali had paper dollies under the serving bowls which stuck to the bowls then got in my plate, they may look nice but are not practical in use. My water constantly got refilled after one sip. Kind of annoying. My table was not cleared when the check was brought. I guess since the bill says tip included now they know I don't need to write anything but they still brought the envelope to sign for additional tip. Rasika has stopped using opentable which I find inconvenient. I had to get a phone call and text to remind me of my reservation even though I made the reservation online and they had my email address.

Visiting DC, this was the first place I went to have lunch. I've read so many good reviews that I had to go there even though I can't handle spicy food. I started with the popular palak chaat. It was so good! The texture and the flavors were something I've never tasted before. Then, I ordered the chicken makhani. My server told me the chicken wasn't too spicy and he was right. It had the right level of spice. The naan that came with the chicken was delicious! To finish, I had the gulab jamun with cardamom ice cream. This was the only thing I didn't like very much. In general, a good place to go in DC.

Mini Review -one of the best Indian Food Restaurants in DC -indoor and outdoor seating options -offers valet, but walkable from metro -try the masala chai (delicious) -gets crowded on weekends so come early! -offers first come first serve bar seating -can adjust spice level for dishes