Best Indian Restaurants in Houston: Hillcroft to Fine Dining

Here's a Houston dinner plan most visitors never hear about: a Michelin-starred tasting of Indian regional cooking inside a shopping mall, followed the next day by a dosa longer than your forearm on Hillcroft for a fraction of the price. That range is the whole point of eating Indian food in Houston. You can go white-tablecloth, you can go paper-plate, and some of the best meals in town happen at counters where you order at the register and wait for your number.

This is the shortlist we'd hand a friend who asks for the best Indian restaurants in Houston. It starts where Houston's Indian food scene started, along Hillcroft in southwest Houston, then fans out to the fine-dining rooms, the all-day cafes and the suburbs.

The quick list

• For a special occasion: Musaafer in The Galleria, which holds a star in the Michelin Guide.
• For classic fine dining and afternoon tea: Kiran's in Upper Kirby.
• For breakfast, lunch or a cooking class: Pondicheri on Kirby Drive.
• For giant dosas on a budget: Shri Balaji Bhavan, Udipi Cafe or Shiv Sagar.
• For chaat: Chowpatty Chat on Hillcroft.
• For a box of sweets to take home: Raja Sweets.
• For Indo-Pak cooking with a cult following: Himalaya.
• For something you won't find anywhere else: London Sizzler or da Gama Canteen.
• For a quick weeknight curry: Tarka Indian Kitchen.

How we chose

We looked for restaurants with a clear point of view: a regional specialty, a signature dish, a chef with a story, or a style of eating you can't easily get elsewhere in Houston. We balanced splurges with cheap eats and vegetarian kitchens with grills and tandoors. Every pick below was checked as open on its own official website in October 2026.

Hours change, and many of these restaurants close one day a week (often Monday or Tuesday), so treat every schedule here as "typically" and check the restaurant's site before you go. This guide is our editorial opinion. Nobody paid to be on it.

The Mahatma Gandhi District (Hillcroft)

Locals still call it Hillcroft, after the street that runs through it, or Little India. South Asian families began opening restaurants, markets, jewelers and clothing stores near Hillcroft and Harwin in the 1980s, and the area was formally named the Mahatma Gandhi District in 2010. Come hungry, bring a friend, and order more than you think you need. Most plates here are built for sharing. If you're exploring nearby, our Bellaire and Chinatown restaurant guide covers the other great food corridor just to the east.

Shri Balaji Bhavan

5655 Hillcroft St · South Indian vegetarian · counter service · closed Tuesdays

If you only make one stop on Hillcroft, make it this one. Shri Balaji Bhavan has been cooking South Indian vegetarian food in the district for more than 25 years, and the family says it makes its dosa batter from scratch every morning, the way it's been done in Udupi's temples for generations. The masala dosa arrives bigger than your head. Add a chaat or two and a thali if you're feeding a group.

Order: masala dosa, a chaat, tomato rice.

Udipi Cafe

5959 Hillcroft St · South Indian vegetarian · closed Mondays

Udipi Cafe is pure vegetarian, with vegan options marked, and it's the place to work through South Indian classics: mini idli masala, tomato uthappam and a crisp masala dosa. On weekends the restaurant typically runs a buffet, which is an easy way to try a little of everything.

Order: mini idli masala, tomato uthappam, paneer butter masala.

Shiv Sagar

6662 Southwest Fwy · vegetarian street food · open daily

Shiv Sagar is the all-rounder: Mumbai street snacks, South Indian staples and thali platters under one roof, all vegetarian. It's a strong pick for a mixed group, because the menu runs from pani puri and pav bhaji to chole bhature and kulfi. Finish with a lassi or falooda.

Order: samosa chaat, chole bhature, masala dosa.

Chowpatty Chat

5711 Hillcroft St · vegetarian chaat and Bombay street food · open daily

Chowpatty's menu is built around Bombay street food: bhel puri, sev puri, dahi puri, pani puri and samosa chaat, plus pav bhaji and grilled Bombay sandwiches. Everything is 100% vegetarian. If you've never had chaat, order the chat platter, a mix of several chaats with three chutneys.

Order: pani puri, pav bhaji, the chat platter.

Raja Sweets

5667 Hillcroft St · sweets and snacks · closed Tuesdays

Here's the "I didn't know that": Raja Sweets opened in 1986, and its founder, Yogi Gahunia, is credited by the shop as one of the people who turned this stretch of Hillcroft into the district it is today. The shop makes its sweets from scratch on the premises every day. Walk in, point at the glass case, and leave with a box of gulab jamun and barfi for whoever's waiting at home.

Order: gulab jamun, a mixed box of mithai, a samosa for the road.

Himalaya Restaurant

Hillcroft area · Indian and Pakistani · BYOB · closed Mondays

Chef Kaiser Lashkari has run Himalaya since 2004, and he was a James Beard Award semifinalist in 2019. The menu is Indo-Pak and generous, and the restaurant is BYOB. The dish to know is the Hunter's Beef plate, which the restaurant describes as Indian-style pastrami: beef cured and marinated in traditional spices. Note that the dining room closes for the last half hour of service, when it's takeout only.

Order: Hunter's Beef, a grilled kebab, the lunch special if you're there midday.

London Sizzler

6690 Southwest Fwy · Indian bar and grill · full bar

London Sizzler is a full-service Indian bar and grill, and its cooking has a story: the restaurant describes it as Indian food influenced by British colonialism and African spices. That shows up on the menu as sizzling tandoori platters, lamb chops, fish tikka and a mixed grill. It opens for dinner most nights and from midday on weekends, and it's a good pick for a group that wants cocktails with its kebabs.

Order: the mixed grill, lamb chops, dal makhani.

Fine dining

Musaafer

The Galleria, 5115 Westheimer Rd, Ste 3500 · contemporary Indian · reservations recommended

Dinner in a mall doesn't sound like an event. Musaafer changes your mind the moment you walk into its arched, palace-scale dining room. The menu grew out of the owners' culinary journey across India in search of authentic regional recipes. Musaafer holds one star in the Michelin Guide, which singles out the delicate achappam to start and the Malabari fish curry with paratha. It typically opens for dinner Monday to Thursday and from noon Friday to Sunday.

Order: whatever regional menu is running, plus the Malabari fish curry.

Best for: anniversaries and out-of-town guests. Make a night of it with our Galleria and Uptown restaurant guide.

Kiran's

2925 Richmond Ave, Upper Kirby · Indian fine dining · closed Sundays

Chef Kiran Verma is known, in her restaurant's words, as the godmother of Indian fine dining. She was a 2023 James Beard semifinalist for Best Chef Texas, and her restaurant describes its style as Indian hospitality with French sophistication and American informality. The wine list runs to more than 300 labels. The insider move is afternoon tea, served Friday and Saturday from noon with the last seating at 2 pm, with vegetarian, vegan and children's tea menus.

Order: the afternoon tea, or the chef's dinner menu with a wine pairing.

Best for: a long lunch with your mom, or a grown-up date night.

Pondicheri

2800 Kirby Dr, Upper Kirby · modern Indian · all day

Chef Anita Jaisinghani trained and worked as a microbiologist before she ran kitchens, and her cooking at Pondicheri leans on Ayurveda, spices and fresh local produce. It's an all-day room: counter service through the afternoon and table service with reservations from 5 pm. Upstairs, the Bake Lab bakery and cafe (typically Wednesday to Sunday) is worth the climb for baked goods and ice cream. Pondicheri also runs cooking classes and tasting lunches.

Insider tip: park free with validation in the West Ave garage directly behind the restaurant; ask staff for the QR code.

Best for: breakfast, a casual lunch, or an introduction to Indian food for a picky eater. More nearby in our Upper Kirby restaurant guide.

Beyond Hillcroft

da Gama Canteen

600 N Shepherd Dr, Ste 520, near the Heights · Portuguese-Indian · open daily

da Gama draws on the former Portuguese-Indian territory of Goa, plus Gujarat and Portugal, and the result is a small-plates menu you won't find anywhere else in Houston. The Michelin Guide named it a Bib Gourmand, its pick for good value, and recommends the chana masala, the East African-style beef mishkaki and a warm pastel de nata to finish. Natural wines and cocktails round it out.

Best for: a fun dinner with friends. Pair it with our Heights restaurant guide.

Tarka Indian Kitchen

Upper Kirby, the Heights and Springwoods Village · fast casual · open daily

When you want chicken tikka masala and a mango lassi on a Tuesday night without a reservation, Tarka is the answer. It's a fast-casual counter with curries, kebabs, biryani and plenty of vegetarian options, and it typically opens daily from 11 am to 9 pm at all three locations.

Order: chicken tikka masala, sheesh kebab, a fresh lassi.

Nirmanz Food Boutique

Sugar Land and Richmond · modern Indian and street food · closed Tuesdays

Out in Fort Bend, Nirmanz is our pick for families who want everything on one menu: classic curries and biryanis next to street-cart favorites like pav bhaji, kathi rolls, dosas and chaat, with vegetarian and vegan options. Many weekdays it closes between lunch and dinner, so check the hours. Our Sugar Land restaurant guide has more for the day.

Order: a paneer kathi roll, goat biryani, a chaat to share.

Save this: a Hillcroft snack crawl

Three of the best stops in the district sit in the 5600 and 5700 blocks of Hillcroft, so you can park once and eat your way down the street.

1. Shri Balaji Bhavan (5655 Hillcroft): split a masala dosa.
2. Chowpatty Chat (5711 Hillcroft): order pani puri and eat each one in a single bite.
3. Raja Sweets (5667 Hillcroft): finish with gulab jamun and take a box home. Skip this route on a Tuesday, when both Shri Balaji Bhavan and Raja Sweets are typically closed.

Before you go: a quick checklist

• Watch the closed days. Udipi Cafe and Himalaya typically close Mondays, Shri Balaji Bhavan and Raja Sweets close Tuesdays, London Sizzler is closed Mondays, Kiran's closes Sundays, and Pondicheri's Bake Lab closes Mondays and Tuesdays.
• Book ahead for Musaafer, Kiran's and da Gama. Most Hillcroft spots are counter service, so just walk in.
• Vegetarian? Shri Balaji Bhavan, Udipi Cafe, Shiv Sagar and Chowpatty Chat are fully vegetarian kitchens.
• Want a drink with dinner? London Sizzler has a full bar, and Himalaya is BYOB.
• Spice levels on Hillcroft can run hot. Ask before you order if you're cautious.
• Bring friends. Indian food is better shared, and you'll get to try twice as much.

More great eating in Houston

Keep going with our best restaurants in Houston guide, the best Chinese food in Houston and our Houston bakeries guide. You'll find every cuisine on our food and dining hub.

Last verified: October 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Little India in Houston?

Houston's Mahatma Gandhi District, also called Little India or Hillcroft, is in southwest Houston along Hillcroft Avenue near Harwin Drive and the Southwest Freeway. It was formally named in 2010.

Is there a Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in Houston?

Yes. Musaafer, in The Galleria at 5115 Westheimer Rd, holds one star in the Michelin Guide. da Gama Canteen near the Heights is a Michelin Bib Gourmand.

Where can I get the best dosa in Houston?

Head to Hillcroft. Shri Balaji Bhavan and Udipi Cafe are South Indian vegetarian specialists, and Shiv Sagar on the Southwest Freeway also serves dosas alongside street food.

What are the best vegetarian Indian restaurants in Houston?

Shri Balaji Bhavan, Udipi Cafe, Shiv Sagar and Chowpatty Chat are all fully vegetarian. Pondicheri, Kiran's and Nirmanz also have strong vegetarian menus.

Which Indian restaurant in Houston serves afternoon tea?

Kiran's in Upper Kirby serves afternoon tea on Fridays and Saturdays from noon, with the last seating at 2 pm. Reservations are taken by phone, email or online.

Where can I buy Indian sweets in Houston?

Raja Sweets at 5667 Hillcroft has made sweets on site since 1986. It's typically closed on Tuesdays.