Best Trendy Indian Restaurants in Downtown LA
3 hand-picked restaurants, critic-reviewed and ranked
Last Updated: February 2026
Our Top Pick
Baar Baar - LA
High-design Downtown room serving polished, cocktail-friendly takes on regional Indian dishes.
Notable Picks
8.5
New York import Baar Baar brings chef Sujan Sarkar’s modern Indian cooking to a dramatic DTLA dining room, pairing richly spiced small plates with serious cocktails. It’s the upscale Indian choice near Crypto.com Arena, better for composed dishes and drinks than a quick curry-and-rice fix.
Must-Try Dishes:
Baar Baar Butter Chicken, Cheese & Jalapeño Naan, Gulab Jamun Cheesecake
What Makes it Special: High-design Downtown room serving polished, cocktail-friendly takes on regional Indian dishes.
Worthy Picks
7.9
A 12-year DTLA fixture that fuses Punjabi technique with Canadian comfort—the butter chicken samosa and chicken tikka poutine deliver genuinely inventive crossovers rather than gimmicks. The small, loud room runs on hip-hop energy and works best for groups who want shareable plates with some heat. Bib Gourmand-recognized, though spice levels run mild unless you ask otherwise.
Must-Try Dishes:
Poutine, Butter Chicken Samosa, Pork Belly
What Makes it Special: Indian-Canadian fusion from brothers who blend Punjab flavors with LA street food attitude
7.9
A Michelin-starred chef's Indian-Californian fusion concept that leans hard into technique-driven reinvention—pot pies filled with butter chicken, rendang built on lobster, tandoori applied to sea bass. The kitchen runs well above the category average for DTLA, but front-of-house staffing can stretch thin on busy nights, leading to uneven service that doesn't always match the price point. Best experienced on a weekday when the dining room is calmer and servers aren't juggling bar duty.
Must-Try Dishes:
Butter chicken pot pie, Eggplant bharta lasagna, Tandoori chicken wings
What Makes it Special: Indian spice profiles applied to inventive, comfort-driven fusion dishes.