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| - If you have $80 to burn and a mean hankering for Indian AND you happen to be at the Rio, then you've found your place! Otherwise, for the curious (i.e. my husband) be sure to go equipped with a restaurant.com coupon. I rarely suggest a coupon, but the average curry here is $18! [Eyes popping out of my head!] Even our vegetarian options were right at $15, and they do not include rice. Summary: It is very expensive for Indian food.
However, the serving portions are nice. We ordered three curries, and one order of rice was more than enough to eat with our dinner.
Before I get to the food, I want to comment on the service and interior. The interior was at one time opulent, but now it is a little worn. It is like dining in an ancient, velvety jewelry box, and it was dark. The ambiance took away from the dining experience for me, as it felt a tad unkempt. They should turn up the lights and redo the interior. Service was not miraculous despite there being a multitude of servers on the floor. Things took a bit longer than they should have. Water glasses ran dry.
Alas, all of this is making me think that it is a 2-star place, but the day after, snacking on leftovers in the comfort of my home, I realized the food is well-executed. That evening I had thought the food was good, but I was a bit distracted by all of the above. We ordered the dal makhani, baingan bartha and vegetable masala. We requested spicy, and the result was the perfect heat level. The flavors were all complex, absolutely no skimping on spices here. And, each dish had a distinct flavor, which let me know the chef wasn't just mixing up the same batch of curry and throwing a different label on the dish. The leftover meal was notably delicious. If it had been served in a nice, new setting with half the price tag, I would be a fan.
For now, I am pleased with the lunch I had the day after. Maybe you should order everything to go?
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