Akbar Cuisine Of India

(310) 574-0666

3115 Washington Blvd
Marina Del Rey, CA 90292 33.9895 -118.4496

Get Map & Directions »

Neighborhoods: Marina Del Rey, West LA, Marina Del Ray

AKBARCUISINEOFINDIA.COM

Price:

$

Last updated 7.25.11

Category:

Restaurants, Catering

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, Discover, Diners Club, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Lunch Spot, Dine At The Bar, Notable Wine List

Cuisine:

Indian

Editor's Tips

What People Are Saying About Akbar Cuisine Of India

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – Lunch-breaking office workers pack the place to the tune of upbeat Indian instrumentals. In the evening, the crowd skews toward casual couples and small groups. Beyond house-specialty tandoori grilled lamb, chicken, shrimp and sea bass, most dishes come enhanced with rich sauces and curries. Chicken is served in a tangy tamarind sauce, and vegetarian gobi aloo sautees cauliflower and potatoes in garlic, ginger and spices. Tall glasses of mango lassis help cut the spice. –

Editor's Tips

Know Before You Go:
At the top of the menu is the "1 to 5 chili meter," a key to the spiciness of each dish. Lamb in a green-peppercorn sauce, for example, earns a high five rating, while the milder lamb and spinach saag is rated 2.
ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “The ambience is good.”
  2. “Great wine, fine food, not too expensive, casual and even romantic”
  3. “Good food, nice ambiance, the heavy manager is a total a”
  4. “We scored Akba Santa Monica Out of 10 for fun and to help others in search of a good curry take away”
  5. “Akbar restaurant lured me & my boyfriend in with its cozy lighting and it seemed full of people every time I drove by, so I thought crowds should mean great food.”
  6. “It's great for a romantic meal or just wanting something healthy and tasty with many different flavors.”
  7. “The atmosphere is casual but lovely and the food is incredible.”
drinks
90.0% positive
  1. “Everyone should visit for the friendly service, wine list and ooh the garlic cheese naan.”
  2. “Great wine, fine food, not too expensive, casual and even romantic”
  3. “Our server was also extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgable about the wine as well as the food.”
  4. “am a big wino and was very very impressed by atul's wine selections and pricing on all the wines.”
  5. “The service was amazing (thanks Nino), food was cooked they way I wanted it and the wine selection was suprisingly extensive.”
  6. “Shame, because the food and wine are quite good”
  7. “The wines at akbar are high end and for an indian restuarnt it is one of the best wine lists in los angeles by far.”
  8. “am a big wine collector and was surprised by atul's reasonable prices for all the wines.”
  9. “This is one of my favorite restaurants in L.A. the staff is friendly, the food is incredible, and the wine selection is good as well.”
  10. “had two beers, a nasty poppadom, some shared starters of samosa and potato patty.”
food quality
76.24000072479248% positive
  1. “The food here was so delicious, I highly recommend this restaurant.”
  2. “On the menu there was a 1-5 "spice" scale next to each entrée (very helpful), and when we ordered entrees in the 3 range, the manager warned us that we were "on our own", that anything from 3-5 was spicy, and food would not be returned to the kitchen if w”
  3. “Indian food of this kind should not be expensive.”
  4. “Best indian food in united states and los angeles”
  5. “The restaurant was freezing, service was horrilbe and the food was bad.”
  6. “The service was amazing (thanks Nino), food was cooked they way I wanted it and the wine selection was suprisingly extensive.”
  7. “The place did not have any exotic aromas in the air, and the house favorite and our favorite chicken tikka masala was nothing compared to other placed I have tried it at.”
  8. “Oh well... the service and food would surely be good.”
  9. “Great prices and wonderful cuisine”
  10. “have never enjoyed indian food, Until I stumbled into Akbar.”
  11. “The service was poor and the food was ridiculously expensive.”
  12. “good food to match that would do wonders.”
  13. “Staff is a bit slow and the food will take a bit.”
  14. “Akbar is far from authentic Indian food.”
  15. “had two beers, a nasty poppadom, some shared starters of samosa and potato patty.”
  16. “The atmosphere is casual but lovely and the food is incredible.”
  17. “food is awesome.”
  18. “Unlike other Indian restaurants in the city, the food is fresh, well-prepared and the service is excellent.”
  19. “The food was not fresh, authentic, or tasty.”
  20. “It tasted fresh and portions were a decent size.”
  21. “Best Indian food in LA!”
  22. “In all fairness despite the slow service, the busboy was very polite, solicitous, apologetic about the chicken wings, and kept the water glasses filled.”
  23. “We had several amazing dishes such as tandoori grilled lamb chops,chiken tikka masala,chic kati roll,bhartha,prawn madras,banarasi pillao.”
  24. “This is at least double the cost of a similar but better and more authentic Indian meal in Europe.”
  25. “Hope you like spice because the food has a BIG kick to them!”
  26. “But where was the wonderful spicy scent, so prevalent at any Indian restaurant?”
  27. “Atul prides himself in using the finest fresh ingridients from california and he only uses organic lamb and breast white meat chicken in all chicken dishes.”
  28. “It's great for a romantic meal or just wanting something healthy and tasty with many different flavors.”
  29. “Great food”
  30. “There was a weird column on the menu with entrée prices and another column for dinner prices: the "dinner" included vegetables, Nan, rice and a lentil concoction.”
  31. “Shame, because the food and wine are quite good”
  32. “Great wine, fine food, not too expensive, casual and even romantic”
  33. “We kept wondering what was that special about the place, and the only solution was that the people who go there probably have never tried really good Indian food.”
  34. “Akbar restaurant lured me & my boyfriend in with its cozy lighting and it seemed full of people every time I drove by, so I thought crowds should mean great food.”
  35. “Started off with the Papri Chat, sort of like indian "nachos", Their vegetarian options are pretty tasty also, The chicken tikka, still smoking and sizzling from the tandoori is unforgettable.”
  36. “Our server was also extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgable about the wine as well as the food.”
  37. “The food is fantastic.”
  38. “We have eathen there multiple times and every dish we have tried has been wonderful.”
  39. “Good food, nice ambiance, the heavy manager is a total a”
  40. “Best dishes: Chicken Tikka Masala!”
  41. “Okra was really tasty and plentiful but expensive at $10 for a side dish of veg.”
  42. “Thats how I like it being from the UK, if you dont like food too spicy go for level 2 in the spice factor.”
  43. “Every dish has a unique flavor and you'll want to lick your plate clean.”
  44. “This is one of my favorite restaurants in L.A. the staff is friendly, the food is incredible, and the wine selection is good as well.”
  45. “The food is awesome!”
  46. “was greeted by Atul and made me love indian food again.”
  47. “It was a decent meal for the price.”
menu variety
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “On the menu there was a 1-5 "spice" scale next to each entrée (very helpful), and when we ordered entrees in the 3 range, the manager warned us that we were "on our own", that anything from 3-5 was spicy, and food would not be returned to the kitchen if w”
  2. “Started off with the Papri Chat, sort of like indian "nachos", Their vegetarian options are pretty tasty also, The chicken tikka, still smoking and sizzling from the tandoori is unforgettable.”
  3. “This is one of my favorite restaurants in L.A. the staff is friendly, the food is incredible, and the wine selection is good as well.”
  4. “am a big wino and was very very impressed by atul's wine selections and pricing on all the wines.”
  5. “The service was amazing (thanks Nino), food was cooked they way I wanted it and the wine selection was suprisingly extensive.”
  6. “There was a weird column on the menu with entrée prices and another column for dinner prices: the "dinner" included vegetables, Nan, rice and a lentil concoction.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “have my favorite little Indian restaurant on Lincoln Blvd where I have been going for a couple of years.”
  2. “have been to the finest top restaurants in the world such as el builli,the fat duck,daniel,le bernardin and french laundry but i have to say that akbar is the next best restaurant in the world for it's delicate wonderful flavors of indian spices.”
service
73.53000164031982% positive
  1. “On the menu there was a 1-5 "spice" scale next to each entrée (very helpful), and when we ordered entrees in the 3 range, the manager warned us that we were "on our own", that anything from 3-5 was spicy, and food would not be returned to the kitchen if w”
  2. “Good food, nice ambiance, the heavy manager is a total a”
  3. “The service was amazing (thanks Nino), food was cooked they way I wanted it and the wine selection was suprisingly extensive.”
  4. “Only complaint - they don't take reservations and owner/manager likes to seat his friends ahead of waiting line.”
  5. “Oh well... the service and food would surely be good.”
  6. “The manager has a great memory of what customers liked or did not like.”
  7. “In all fairness despite the slow service, the busboy was very polite, solicitous, apologetic about the chicken wings, and kept the water glasses filled.”
  8. “The owner is great, very friendly and accomodating.”
  9. “Akbar restaurant lured me & my boyfriend in with its cozy lighting and it seemed full of people every time I drove by, so I thought crowds should mean great food.”
  10. “Nino, the host, is so friendly and always remembers your name and what you like to eat.”
  11. “Our server was also extremely friendly, helpful and knowledgable about the wine as well as the food.”
  12. “The restaurant was freezing, service was horrilbe and the food was bad.”
  13. “This is one of my favorite restaurants in L.A. the staff is friendly, the food is incredible, and the wine selection is good as well.”
  14. “Everyone should visit for the friendly service, wine list and ooh the garlic cheese naan.”
  15. “The service was poor and the food was ridiculously expensive.”
  16. “Unlike other Indian restaurants in the city, the food is fresh, well-prepared and the service is excellent.”
  17. “We kept wondering what was that special about the place, and the only solution was that the people who go there probably have never tried really good Indian food.”
value
74.35999870300293% positive
  1. “Great prices and wonderful cuisine”
  2. “There was a weird column on the menu with entrée prices and another column for dinner prices: the "dinner" included vegetables, Nan, rice and a lentil concoction.”
  3. “It was a decent meal for the price.”
  4. “Great wine, fine food, not too expensive, casual and even romantic”
  5. “am a big wino and was very very impressed by atul's wine selections and pricing on all the wines.”
  6. “So even by UK standards this was a good indian but not cheap.”
  7. “Indian food of this kind should not be expensive.”
  8. “I'm a huge fan of Akbar.”
  9. “Okra was really tasty and plentiful but expensive at $10 for a side dish of veg.”
  10. “It tasted fresh and portions were a decent size.”
  11. “am a big wine collector and was surprised by atul's reasonable prices for all the wines.”
  12. “have never made a reservation, the lunch is super inexpensive and the portions are perfect.”
  13. “The service was poor and the food was ridiculously expensive.”
wait time
25.0% positive
  1. “In all fairness despite the slow service, the busboy was very polite, solicitous, apologetic about the chicken wings, and kept the water glasses filled.”
  2. “Staff is a bit slow and the food will take a bit.”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/31/12

good food

by aprincess11

happily recommend this Indian food place. Cheese nan here is better than pizza!

4 Star Rating: Recommended

12/30/11

Best Around

by Stanley225

J.C. is great. The food, service, and cuisine are just what you would expect. There are a lot of Indian restaurants and this is one of the best.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

09/19/10

still love my indian

by nicoleeeena

I grew up going to this indian restaurant and my husband and i went back recently and I still think that it is really great! We had their Lamb chops which were so succulent and tender. And the Sea Bass is to die for! Always remember loving their Sea bass dish and it is still amazing! I also like that i can get my favorite beer there; Delirium Tremens! Bring a sweater because it can get cold.

1 Star Rating: Poor

11/22/09

Dissapointing experience

by ltadmin

I have my favorite little Indian restaurant on Lincoln Blvd where I have been going for a couple of years. But once in a while I love trying new places. Akbar restaurant lured me & my boyfriend in with its cozy lighting and it seemed full of people every time I drove by, so I thought crowds should mean great food. Alas, the experience was disappointing...

The place did not have any exotic aromas in the air, and the house favorite and our favorite chicken tikka masala was nothing compared to other placed I have tried it at. The spices that came in chucks in the sauce interfered with the meal rather than complementing it. The serving of tikka, rice and lentils sides were all on one plate (re fried beans style) the flavors reminded me of Mexican restaurants, rather than Indian. We had to wait for nan until it arrived halfway through the meal.

We kept wondering what was that special about the place, and the only solution was that the people who go there probably have never tried really good Indian food.

1 Star Rating: Poor

08/06/09

A Forgettable Experience

by Contributor72

We had received a two-fer coupon and decided to try the Marina del Rey Akbar for the first time. The place was small, but nicely appointed. But where was the wonderful spicy scent, so prevalent at any Indian restaurant? The place was almost antiseptic, with not even a hint in the air that that we were in an Indian restaurant. Oh well… the service and food would surely be good. The service was, in a word, pretentious. There was the annoying inquiry at the get-go about whether we wanted bottled water (no, thank you!). The emphasis seemed to be on wine, with the “sommelier” (probably the portly manager mentioned in other posts) pushing wine. Most tables had a bottle of wine. We’ll have a domestic beer please, but the only ones available were from domestic and foreign micro-breweries at $5.95 a pop. I tried one from Maine, and it gagged me. There was a weird column on the menu with entrée prices and another column for dinner prices: the “dinner” included vegetables, Nan, rice and a lentil concoction. In every ethnic restaurant I’ve tried, the “dinner” items include versions of what Akbar charges an additional $5. for the Indian “dinner”. Who would order just the “entrée”? The prices were high for the “dinner”, averaging around $17.95, but if it was high end Indian food, no problem. On the menu there was a 1-5 “spice” scale next to each entrée (very helpful), and when we ordered entrees in the 3 range, the manager warned us that we were “on our own”, that anything from 3-5 was spicy, and food would not be returned to the kitchen if we didn’t like the heat. Maybe it was an attempt at humor, but it felt patronizing. Well, we did get to return something to the kitchen pretty quickly anyway. We had ordered an appetizer of spicy chicken wings and waited and waited for them. When they finally arrived, the chicken was raw in the middle and we sent them back. The very same wings arrived later, just scorched to death and dry. The Nan arrived long before the entrees and was cold by the time the entrees arrived. As for the entrees, nothing much of note – pedestrian Indian food rather than the higher end food I was expecting, given the price and pretense. In all fairness despite the slow service, the busboy was very polite, solicitous, apologetic about the chicken wings, and kept the water glasses filled. And the coup de grace: the two-fer coupon was ignored on our check, even though the manager had specifically thanked me for giving it to him at the time we ordered.

  • Cons: Slow Service, Average Food, Pretentious Ambiance, Price

The Details on Akbar Cuisine Of India

Place Categories:

  • good fine food
  • best indian food
  • amazing service
  • favorite little indian restaurant
  • amazing dishes
  • helpful server
  • authentic indian meal
  • expensive okra
  • really great nino
  • good place
  • great dinner
  • good curry
  • quite good wine
  • disappointing experience
  • decent size
  • slow staff
  • great owner
  • unique flavor
  • favorite indian
  • great prices
  • great memory
  • likes ownermanager
  • like spice
  • favorite chicken tikka masala
  • very polite busboy

As Seen In…

Best of Citysearch

Los Angeles

Advertisement

Lists In Los Angeles

Recent Reviews In Los Angeles

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

Kravings Fusion

18663 Ventura Blvd #100, Tarzana, CA

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

Natalee Thai Cuisine

10101 Venice Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

Natalee Thai Cuisine

998 S. Robertson Blvd., Beverly Hills, CA

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

Tawanna Thai

6236 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA

Advertisement