Spice Up Your Week At This Vermont Indian Eatery Everyone’S Talking About
You can tell within about ninety seconds. Not from the menu or the decor.
From the smell that reaches you before you have even sat down, the one that makes you stop mid-sentence.
Vermont is not the first place anyone pictures for this. Snow, cheese, maple, flannel.
Cardamom does not usually make the list.
Then a plate of something arrives on a main street in the smallest state capital in the country, and it tastes like somebody’s grandmother is back there running the kitchen out of spite.
The staff will ask how you liked it and actually wait for the answer. That happens less often than it should.
You will order too much. Everyone does.
The naan alone is worth the drive, and you will find yourself tearing off pieces long after you are full.
Bring somebody who says they do not like Indian food. Watch what happens.
A Main Street Storefront With Serious Kitchen Credentials
Curry Leaf sits right in the middle of downtown Montpelier, in a space that once housed KSherpa Dinner House. The room is compact, bright, and clean, and it fills up with the smell of cumin and garlic before you even sit down.
Owner Inderjeet Singh Saini runs the place, and he has experience with other Curry Leaf locations. The chef brings more than 15 years behind the stove, working from recipes handed down through generations.
What that means for you is consistency. Everything is made from scratch, so the sauces taste layered instead of flat, and the spice blends belong to the house rather than a jar.
Parking downtown takes a minute, so give yourself a little buffer. Once you are inside, the pace is unhurried and the staff genuinely check in on you.
Regulars will tell you the restaurant has become a favorite addition to the city’s dining scene since opening. It carries an outstanding reputation among locals and travelers alike.
Go ahead and put the address in your phone: 28 Main St, Montpelier, Vermont. You will want it handy after the first visit, because a second one tends to follow quickly.
The Bento Box Lunch That Feeds Your Whole Table
Lunch here comes as a bento box, and the math works out embarrassingly in your favor. You pick an appetizer, then one or two dishes, and basmati rice comes along for the ride.
Groups have shown up, ordered three boxes, added one garlic naan, and still walked out with leftovers. Portions are generous enough that two people can comfortably split a single entree.
Vegan options are clearly labeled on the menu, which saves you from playing twenty questions with your server. Gluten-free choices are marked too.
The rice deserves a note. It is unlimited and complimentary, so ask for more if your plate runs dry.
Staff will refill it happily.
Chana masala turns up again and again as a lunch favorite, flavorful without feeling heavy or greasy. Mixed vegetable curry lands in the same easygoing category.
Because the kitchen cooks to order, a rushed lunch break can feel tight. Order as soon as you sit down if your hour is short.
Value is a big part of the appeal. Diners routinely call the lunch pricing excellent by Vermont standards, and the plates arrive looking like dinner portions.
Mango Lassi With A Heart Drawn On Top
Nearly every conversation about this place circles back to the mango lassi. It is thick, cold, and sweet, and it shows up decorated with a little heart or smiley face on the surface.
That small flourish tells you something about the kitchen. Someone is paying attention to the details that nobody technically has to bother with.
Beyond mango, a sweet lassi is available if you want something less fruity. Masala tea is also on the menu, warm and spiced, and a smart move on a cold Vermont afternoon.
Practical tip: order the lassi first if you are trying anything spicy. Dairy calms heat far better than water does, and you will thank yourself midway through.
The drink pairs especially well with chicken 65 or anything from the chili-heavy end of the menu. Sweet and fiery balance each other nicely.
Diners mention the lassi more than almost any other single item, which says plenty for a menu this large. Two dozen separate mentions is not an accident.
Skip dessert if you must, but do not skip this. Consider it part of the meal rather than a side note.
Curries That Range From Creamy To Downright Fiery
The curry section reads like a tour of India, and each one has its own personality. Tikka masala leans creamy and tomato-forward, seasoned with the house spice blend.
Palak arrives Punjabi style, a silky spinach base simmered with garlic, herbs, and spices. Korma goes rich and mellow, thickened with ground nuts and herbs.
Vindaloo brings the heat. A Goan specialty, it pairs potatoes with hot red chilies and does not apologize for it.
The traditional curry follows a Mughlai approach, built on fresh ginger, onions, and garlic. Simpler, but deeply savory.
Spice levels run mild, medium, hot, and extra hot, all calibrated to American tastes. Ask for Indian hot if you want the real thing, and take that warning seriously.
Lamb curry earns steady praise for meat that falls apart under a fork. Fish korma paired with coconut naan is another combination diners rave about.
Here is the useful part. Servers actually ask about your preferred heat level and get it right, so speak up honestly.
Start at medium if you are new to Indian food. You can always order hotter next time, and there will be a next time.
Naan Worth Ordering Twice
Bread is not an afterthought here, and garlic naan is the runaway favorite. It comes out hot, pillowy, and generously topped, and a single order can stretch across three people.
Plain naan holds its own for scooping up sauce. Paneer naan is stuffed with soft cheese, which turns bread into something closer to a main dish.
The coconut naan, sometimes called Peshawari, is filled with sweetened coconut flakes and nuts. Pair it with a mild korma and the sweet-savory contrast works beautifully.
Chili naan brings green chilies into the mix for those who want bread with a bite. Onion kulcha shows up on the menu too.
Roti and paratha round out the lineup for anyone wanting something less rich. Roti can run on the crisper side, so keep that in mind.
A quick strategy note. Order one bread per two people rather than one each, because the portions are larger than expected.
Bread also helps stretch a spicy dish. Tearing off a piece and wrapping it around a hot bite tames the heat considerably.
You will likely order a second basket anyway. Most tables do.
Appetizers Built For Sharing And Arguing Over
Chicken 65 gets talked about constantly, and for good reason. Fried, punchy, and loaded with chili flavor, it is the kind of starter that quietly disappears.
Vegetable samosas are made in house, stuffed with potatoes and green peas. They arrive with spicy onion chutney, tamarind, and green mint chutney, and all three are worth trying.
Here is a trick regulars use. Spoon those chutneys into your curry to add brightness and another layer of flavor.
Vegetable pakoras are fritters dipped in gram flour batter and fried until crisp. Onion bhaji lands in similar territory and pairs perfectly with the chutney trio.
Aloo tikki keeps things comforting with potato and green pea patties. Chicken momos, steamed dumplings filled with seasoned ground chicken, nod to the Nepalese side of the menu.
Chilli chicken represents the Indo-Chinese corner, fried chicken tossed in a hot chili sauce. It hits hard and fast.
Order two appetizers for a table of four, not more. Entree portions are large, and you will run out of room quickly.
Vegetarians have plenty to work with here. Almost half the appetizer list skips meat entirely.
Tandoori Smoke And Specialty Entrees
Something about a tandoor changes meat entirely. Tandoori chicken here uses bone-in leg pieces marinated in yogurt, ginger, garlic, lemon, and spices before hitting the high heat.
Chicken tikka takes grilled breast meat through a yogurt marinade with the house herb and spice blend. Leaner, but still smoky.
Seekh kabab is made from premium ground lamb, seasoned with diced onions, garlic, herbs, and Indian spices. It is savory in a way that sticks with you.
On the specialty side, butter chicken from Delhi delivers tender boneless pieces in creamy tomato sauce. Crowd-pleasing and hard to dislike.
Dal makhani takes patience, with black lentils simmered overnight in herbs and spices. The result is thick, buttery, and satisfying without any meat.
Shahi paneer brings cottage cheese chunks garnished with cashews and raisins. Aloo gobi keeps things earthy with cauliflower and potatoes sautéed in spices.
Mango chicken or shrimp is the wild card, simmered with mango pulp for a sweet-savory finish. Order it if you like surprises.
Biryani deserves mention too. North Indian style stir-fried rice with fried onions, house herbs, and fresh cilantro.
Service That Remembers Your Spice Level And Your Name
Plenty of restaurants cook well. Fewer make you feel looked after, and that is where this kitchen and its floor staff stand out.
Servers walk newcomers through the menu categories and make suggestions without rushing. Sai and Shravi come up by name constantly in diner praise.
First-timers to Indian food report leaving genuinely converted. Staff ask about heat tolerance, explain dishes plainly, and check back mid-meal.
Vegan and gluten-free guests get real attention here, not vague guesses. One traveling couple called finding the place the jackpot of their entire Vermont trip.
The dining room is small, bright, and cheerfully decorated. Cleanliness gets mentioned often, and the atmosphere reads friendly rather than fussy.
Weekday afternoons tend to be calmer if you prefer a quiet table. Dinner brings more energy and a fuller room.
Everything is prepared fresh, so busy stretches can slow things down. Plan accordingly and the wait becomes a non-issue.
The restaurant holds a remarkable rating across hundreds of reviews, which is rare for any eatery. Hospitality clearly plays as big a role as the spices.
Bring someone who claims they do not like Indian food. Watch that opinion fall apart over garlic naan.
