Outside of the city, Saffron has restaurants in Bala Cynwyd, Wayne, and Ambler. Each location is bright and pleasant, and they are good date night spots to share dishes like chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, and tandoori lamb chops.

On N. Broad near Temple’s campus, Saffron Indian Cuisine (not to be confused with Saffron Indian Kitchen) offers up biryani, roti, and tandoor-cooked dishes from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Order the salt lassi on the side.

With several locations throughout the Philly region, Tiffin is a local standby that’s popular for both dining in and delivery (it actually started as a web-based, delivery-only restaurant). Regulars rave about the butter chicken, saag paneer, and chicken korma. Try the samosa chaat as an appetizer.

Another legendary West Philly institution, Haveli Virasat is known for their flavorful lamb biryani and embrace of Indo-Chinese dishes, such as their tasty chicken momos and vegan entrees.

This beloved Indian restaurant in Rittenhouse is unapologetic about its love for cooking its cuisine in clay pot ovens. Their gunpowder shrimp tikka is a standout dish that features tandoor grilled jumbo prawns marinated with a nutty spicy mix, chili powder, curry leaf, and coriander.

While International Foods & Spices is technically a grocery store, it’s the perfect place to stock up on goods for your at-home South Asian feast while also eating hot samosas, among other dishes. The samosas are flaky and filling and are a great snack to munch on while you shop.

In Center City, Veda is a truly elegant Indian restaurant. The ceilings are high, the service is friendly, and the see-and-be-seen bar mixes up not-to-miss drinks, like the Drunken Lassi with mango yogurt and aged rum (along with a solid selection of nonalcoholic cocktails). The lassoni gobi — fried cauliflower in a tangy, bright red tomato and ginger glaze — is a must-order appetizer.

Amma’s is a Philly staple, with aloo bonda served with cooling coconut chutney, idli dipped into sambar, masala dosa, and lamb chettinad (a long-cooked lamb dish spiced with coconut and ginger). The Couple’s Combo, which includes chicken and mutton biryani, chicken kuruma, parotta, raitha, raitha, and dessert, is a good bet for date night night out or in.

West Philly’s Desi Chaat specializes in the savory, street food-style snacks of northern India. There’s a wide variety of chaats here, with different mixes of thin, crisp bread, chickpeas, potatoes, and proteins, topped with chutneys and yogurt sauce.

This vibrant sports bar in Point Breeze serves some of the best Indian cuisine in the city. Here, diners can watch a game while enjoying Tandoori chicken wings, kati rolls, Masala-rubbed fries, and more.

This emerging dining hotspot in South Philly has been attracting Philadelphians from all over with their fast-casual approach to popular meat and vegetarian dishes such as chicken Pakora, gobi manchurian, chat papri, and more.