Paprika Indian Gourmet Restaurant

What happens when 3 white girls walk into an Indian restaurant? Well all order the exact same meal (samosas, chicken tikka masala, rice, and naan) and want to split the bill on 3 different cards! :-)

The food was all pretty much on par with the Indian food I've had at other places, tasty and satisfying.You could tell the tikka masala was cut with yogurt to get the creaminess and not heavy cream (which I appreciate). The peshwari naan with the pistachios, almonds, and herbs was outstanding and delicious.

The service was slow at times - there might only be 1-2 guys working there both covering tables, cooking, and handling takeout traffic = but I was with a group of girlfriends and we were splitting BYOB wine, so it wasn't a concern. I do have to say, one thing that impressed me was that we asked for some extra rice to split for our leftovers, and he went to the kitchen, cooked us each fresh rice and gave us generous portions! Its little things like that I appreciate!

Based on good reviews here and the fact its five blocks from my house, I got take away recently. People are right about not eating in - on a cold night in Chicago, the empty restaurant was maybe colder inside than out. I had to go to the kitchen to find anyone to order from. Its a shame, because the place has decent decor. The proprietor was very nice.

Anyway, I don't know what the raves are all about. I ordered 4-5 standard favorite dishes. It's perfectly suitable Indian food, but by no means even the best in Lincoln Square area, much less a mile north on Devon. And the prices, while normal, were not cheap enough to make it a bargain. I will likely give it another shot due to convenience, but I was underwhelmed.

Delicious dishes arrive piping-hot from the kitchen in quite sizable portions, carried by the hands of (we think) the chef himself.   Quite a broad selection of vegetarian and meat meals without an endless menu, spiced just as described.  The naan was huge, fresh and tasty.  I recommend the garlic one.  Paneer was also impressive with surprisingly fresh-tasting peas.  They don't skimp on quality ingredients here.  Three dishes and three sides (bread or rice) was far more than us three hungry diners could eat. The server/cook was great, very attentive and endearing without being imposing. The ambiance is snug and cozy and clean.  It's not as cheap as Devon, but also one of the few places to get good curry within its range.   I'll certainly return.