Cafe Lotus

Best Indian food I have ever had. Don’t let this little place fool you. naan and special paratha was very nice. love this paratha so nice.

Awesome I never eat like this Indian food, great service, amazing atmosphere, first time coming not my last time

Café Lotus, a small little hole in the wall restaurant tucked into the hills of Fairfax California. The place may be small but the food speaks volumes and abound with flavor, intensity, heat, in every mouthful. I was not disappointed in anything that I ordered. The staff is very friendly and the service is great. It’s like walking into your grandma’s home and she is cooking something delicious for you. I have tried their homemade naan, tandoori chicken with bell peppers and onions, saag paneer with their homemade cheese, Mmmm, melts in your mouth. I’ve also tried panner tikka masala with chicken and the homemade cheese. Another delicious treat. You must try their mango smoothie, is one of the best, I can’t help but eat their once a week. Love their food, this is my #1 indian restaurant to go place, I’ll always come back here, and it’s even worth the drive for me. Must tell Diners and Dive about thus restaurant…

LOVE Café Lotus. Good quality food, prepared with care. Pricey for the serving size, but worth it.

Superb Indian food :) .
Ordered malai kofta, naan and paratha. Everything was just perfect.

This place is simply amazing. Loved the garlic Naan and the lamb curry. Their Chai is the bomb diggity. Best Indian food I’ve had in the Bay Area. Great stuff!

Kids n I love this place !!! The whole menu is great n yummy. Yes yes it’s pricey !!! Portions are small… So bring your wallet n credit cards lol … Oh ask for extra ice in the water .
Weather n food is hot n spicy up in fairfax !! There are parking lot right across street… come early cuz always crowded. But today we notice they also have outdoor tables behind the kitchen area… Wow so nice.

The Vegetarian Coconut Curry is the BEST CURRY I’VE EVER HAD! I am not even a vegetarian and this was unbelievable. We ordered a second after finishing the first, which we never do because we always try to choose something new.
And the gluten-​free garlic bread = amazing. I will drive an hour here again just to eat these two things.

YUM.
We requested «spicy» for our saag aloo and paneer tikka masala, as we have learned to do in northern california, because the default offerings at most indian restaurants in this area tend to be a bit subtle/​plain.
I don’t mean we just want heat — we want heat and rich, vibrant flavors. Café Lotus’ «spicy» was not «melt your face off,» or «can’t finish my dinner,» rather a delicious, lingering fire on the palate. Even better the next day for lunch leftovers. The pesto garlic naan was a lovely surprise! Quite tasty. Samosas were light and flavorful, not too greasy.
Looking forward to our next visit!

Great Indian food with fresh ingredients. I take out food from here all the time. Try the chicken tikka masala. Not much seating but otherwise it’s all good.

Came in before visiting revolution 9. Wanted to get curry… i lucky came for lunch and it was a great deal for the lunch special. Their regular lassi is super good… sour and sweet. The tikki paneer was yum… clean and fast place to get your curry on

We recently came here for take-​out and were very impressed with the quality of the food. We’ve certainly been to a really broad range of Indian restaurants on our travels from Biriyani street stands in back alleys in Penang to 5 star fine dining Indian tasting menus in Singapore. This is Northern Indian food, very classic dishes executed just a cut above what I expected from a casual little neighbourhood place. If you like spice, ask for it. The default is fairly mild.

Excellent service, Excellent food!
Try the panner Tikka masala and garlic pesto naan!

The food was excellent. We had tikka masala and tandoor chicken with naan bread. I especially like the tikka masala.
The restaurant is small and intimate. The service was good too. The food came out fast and they were attentive without being overbearing.

This is one of my favorite restaurants in Fairfax– we go here at least once a month, sometimes once a week! Excellent, flavorful Indian food (highly recommend the chicken Korma with garlic pesto Naan), friendly staff, and they are opening an outdoor patio soon. All to-​go orders get 10% off and the staff is both attentive & friendly.

This is my favorite Indian restaurant! The food is delicious, and they are able to accommodate dietary restrictions. They have made my dishes without dairy, and the gluten free naan is amazing!

If the Lotus trifecta of restaurants were a children’s story it would be «Goldilocks». First there is Papa Bear («Lotus Cuisine of India» in San Rafael) which serves grown-​up food for grown-​ups in a quiet, orderly, traditional restaurant. Mama Bear is «Lotus Chaat & Spices» (also in San Rafael), which features a concrete floor and a hip menu of unique offerings including the best and most ample Bhel Puri I’ve come upon. Finally there is Baby Bear of Fairfax, more commonly known as Café Lotus. Baby got a menu that most resembles that of Papa Bear but a hip environment more reminiscent of Mama’s vibe.
Café Lotus is a crowded, bustling, über-​casual little place serving good Indian food. Of the three, it is likely the one which most closely resembles what you’ld find in India though I imagine it’s still light years away from being anything of the sort. It’s located right down the street from the Fairfax 5 Theatres making it a great post or pre-​movie destination.
Café Lotus is always a bit more expensive than I think it should be or than I wish it were but that’s not to say it’s expensive. A meal here for two consisting only of a shared chickpea chaat, a shared chicken tikka masala ($ 12.95), some white rice with peas, and nothing to drink ran about $ 30 which is just expensive enough to put me off ordering additional food even if I so desired.
There’s nothing fancy about Café Lotus which means that it fits perfectly into Fairfax. You could drop in here dressed up for a date or down for a hike and nobody would bat an eye. And if a place dares to open three restaurants with similar menus all within a two mile span they had better be serving pretty good food to pull it off. Café Lotus is and does and even though my personal preference is for «Lotus Chaat and Spices» (owing to that Behl Puri) I’m not at all disappointed when I wind up here.

Excellent traditional Indian food. Chicken curry is delicious, I usually get that every time I go. Really enjoy dipping my naan in the sauce as well as the lathering the rice in it as well. The place is a bit small and the good may be somewhat expensive but the taste is great. If you’re feeling like some Indian food this place is your to satisfy your craving. I highly recommend this restaurant.

My friend and I had a lovely dinner at Café Lotus after a fun day of Unilocal festivities at Peacock Gap. I had actually been wanting to try Café Lotus for a while! When we decided to grab dinner in Fairfax, Café Lotus popped right into my mind.
What a delicious meal! We ordered the vegetarian coconut curry, chana masala, and a side of brown rice. Everything was wonderful and all of the flavors meshed together perfectly. I especially enjoyed the coconut curry! Our food came very fast and everything was extremely fresh.
The service was quick and efficient! I’m also very happy to know that they use organic ingredients. I enjoyed our meal and I look forward to returning again very soon!

Real Indian food.
Local and independently owned.
Organic meats and entrees listed on the menu.
The décor is nothing too fancy but still nice enough to enjoy a casual meal out. smaller and intimate.
Everything ordered was fantastic!
The flavors were very well developed and delicious. The best Indian restaurant I have found in the Bay Area; in sweet little granola town Fairfax!