Swagat

CLOSED I’ve been here three or four times, and the more things I try on the menu the better and better it gets! The food is much lighter than your average Indian restaurant but twice as savory. The last time my husband and I went there we were both blown away by how good the food was. We had a dhosa, malai kofta, aloo gobi, and Lamb in green sour sauce. Fantastic, and unlike any other Indian I’ve had stateside.

Loved the bryani! The best Indian food I’ve had in CT. Will be back.

This is not only the best Indian food on the planet, it is some of the best food on the planet. The chef is a trained chef that makes homemade style food at insanely low prices in a unique quiet atmosphere. This place is beyond a gem.
I have since moved to New York City and I cannot find ANYTHING that satisfies my hunger the way Swagat does.

My wife and I ate here a few years ago and were impressed by their food (unique coarse textured sauces). Just ordered out from them tonight and was surprised by how small the portions were (think ½ the size of a small chinese food rice box per dish). Heck, even the samosas seemed small. The «chili chicken» is far superior at Tandoor in New Haven. Their mutter paneer had a watery base and was similarly unimpressive.

Not bad, can’t add to much that others have already said.

I had high hopes for Swagat being that simple, home-​cooked style Indian restaurant I’ve been searching for. Unfortunately, this place not only serves generic food, but the food is heavy, low on flavor, and the restaurant itself is depressing. They must be trying to cater to fattier American tastes, which is a shame. Avoid the rice which is made with ghee (clarified butter).
The restaurant consists of one small, dark room with rickety tables and chairs. There’s little decoration to speak of, other than some photos of India. The space is low-​lit, but not in a romantic, hip way; here it just feels sad and tired.
The kitchen door was open so the few of us diners could see the disorganized and shady space where all the food is made. There seemed to be a lot of confusion going on.
I had the channa masala (chickpea curry) ($ 10) and the aloo gobi mattar (potatoes, cauliflower and peas) ($ 10). Amazingly, they were out of the baigan (eggplant) so I couldn’t order that.
I hated both dishes. The channa masala was an oily mess that I could barely take a few bites of before feeling revolted. The aloo gobi mattar was passable, at best, and was missing one of the main ingredients: mattar (peas).
As can be expected with Indian restaurants, they didn’t have an option for brown rice, and the rice they do serve is laced with dairy.
In summary, Swagat makes terrible food and has bleak atmosphere. If you’re looking for good North Indian food, try Zaroka in New Haven; if you want good South Indian food, try Thali Too, also in New Haven.

Fantastic, authentic Indian experience.
I wish more Americans would understand that Indian doesn’t food doesn’t necessarily mean expensive and exquisite.
Swagat tastes great, is authentic, and is affordable.
If you’ve never had Indian, head to Swagat to get some authentic food that won’t kill your wallet. And you’ll probably invite friends to go back!

Had a lunch here composed of chaats and dosas (stuffed rice crepes). While the chaats looked great and were well-​composed, they were far too spicy, to the point that it very much degraded the experience. We asked for them medium spicy, and aren’t lightweights in terms of tolerating spiciness, but this was just too much.
The dosas were a bit of a relief after the over-​spicy chaats. I recognize that dosas are not the specialty of Swagat, but they were quite solid.
Two side points — you can hear the microwave oven being used extensively, which is a bit off-​putting (I understand that microwaves are commonplace in restaurants, but I don’t particularly want to be reminded of that). Secondly, the ventilation here is not effective, and the curry aroma is so overpowering and ingrained in the restaurant that it deeply infiltrates your clothing. I had to air out my coat for days afterward.

Being an Indian I say this is the closest to home style cooking that i have ever eaten in a restaurant, outside India. Not in the least bit customized or compromised in spices and the results show in the excellent dishes. If you ask for spicy you get it spicy. If you ask to make it mild you get it mild, the indian standard mild.
Pepper lamb, chicken curry homestyle, lamb rogan jhosh to name a few of my favorites!

The spouse and I had a really great dinner here. While the parking isn’t convenient and the ambiance is a bit lacking, the food is absolutely great. The garlic naan and aloo paratha (potato bread) were incredible, as were the samosas and saag paneer (cooked spinach and cheese). Everything was very flavorful and piping hot. Also, the chef wasn’t afraid to use some extra spice, which I like.
Lastly, the food is very reasonably priced, and since I’m a very cheap person, that makes me happy.

I found this place when I was searching Indian along my way from NJ to MA. My wife had the Dosa and I had the north Indian. The North Indian stuff (the paratha & curry) were very good but the Dosa was «ok».
I would definitely recommend the place and will swing by when I am in the area.

6 months ago I would have given this place 4 stars however restaurant management has changed in the last few months and the food is no longer authentic Indian, however, the food is still reasonable. Sadly, a number of good dishes that existed on the previous menu are no longer available. The service is good and you will get your value for money.

Swagat is a tiny little hole in the wall in a less than easy to get to neighborhood with less than ideal parking, but I think it’s worth the effort to get there. I think they have seating for about 15 people and its not very fancy, but the most important thing in a restaurant is the food — and everything we experienced was delicious and ejnoyable and very affordable. We started with a very good masala dosa, we shared Saag Paneer and Kadai Vegetables, both were very good and the portions were reasonable for about $ 9. I had a cardamom ice cream for dessert that was also excellent. We ended up spending about ½ what we usually do at a place down post road in Orange. Wish it was closer to home.

This is a tough review as it was once my lunchtime mainstay and I’ve seen it evolve over the past 5 years.
John (the owner and at times one man show) is amazing. Great guy, super nice and hospitable, always willing to make you something off the menu if you don’t see something you want or have a taste for something specific. The décor is leaps and bounds above what it used to be (although I kinda miss it being just a little hole in the wall) and improvements are always being made. Subsequently, prices are higher than they used to be (I still have take-​out menus from when a lunch special was $ 5) but still less than other local competitors.
Masala Dosa’s are great and the coconut chutney is tasty. The sambar is good to order in the winter when you’re trying to knock out a cold as it’s hearty and spicy. The masala tea is always a nice way to cap off a good meal, and Swagat is also one of the few places that carry Limca and Thumbs Up among other native soft drinks. If you want a Kingfisher or a Taj Mahal grab one a couple doors down and bring it with you.
Unfortunately, the food varies. When I first started going here, John was the only one cooking, serving, etc. and he knows what he’s doing. The downfall to this was that when it’s crowded the wait time is crazy, but it was worth it. However as helpers from UNH and elsewhere come and go, I’ve noticed the quality of the food change. My experience has been if John’s cooking, it’s gonna be good, otherwise it’s a crap shoot.

Happened to be in Milford on business and needed somewhere to eat. Used the Unilocal iPhone app and found Swagat. I really enjoy good Indian food and this place is awesome. I have been back multiple times since then and everyone I have brought with me has raved about the food.
John (the chef) is a wonderful host and prepares delicious food. You might have to get past the «quaint» atmosphere (the restaurant is in an old downtown store front) but, don’t let that stop you. The service is great and the food will leave you wanting more. If I could give this place 11 stars I would. I actually try to figure out ways to get back to Milford so I can eat here.

I love Swagat. They have great vegetarian dishes and friends have said the meat dishes are great too. The rice is beautiful and the entrée flavors are so pungently delicious. It is refreshing to eat at a low key, off the beaten path, family run business for a change. The prices are so reasonable especially for lunch! Everything is pretty much under 15 dollars and lunch is under 10. I highly recommend hunting this place down!

Very greasy. Super spicy. Frozen naan.

Great food compared to the downtown places, comfortable atmosphere and great pricing. Plus it’s the only place I’ve found since moving out which has punjabi coffee.

Swagat’s South Indian selections (dosa, etc.) deservedly get attention, but one must not overlook its other good points.
Its standard (North?) Indian style food is also totally delicious — chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, etc. — much better than the competition in downtown New Haven.
The young folks that run the place are also totally sweet and friendly.
It’s also BYOB so you can drink without paying high markups.

Delicious/​wonderful prices/​family-​run/​small space… great service. This is New Haven’s answer to Lahore Karahi. They have Southern Indian dosas, mad-​delicious samosas, and my shrimp saag was delicioso. If you are a Nutmegger, you must venture here.
Wish D.C. had something like this!