When it comes to Indian food, I've got high standards. For a start, I come from the UK, the country whose national dish is chicken tikka. I'm a well seasoned traveller on the Indian sub continent and even when I nip back to London, a trip to the Brick Lane curry houses is usually on the cards. So what's a gal to do when she craves Sag Aloo in Paris, where Indian food isn't the foreign fare of choice and when it is they put Laughing Cow cheese in their naan bread? Go to La Chapelle in North Eastern Paris, that's what. This area, not far from Gare du Nord, is Paris' Indian quarter and is lined with Indian restaurants, grocers and sari shops. The centre of this hub is the rue Cail, where my long time favourite Indian restaurant on the street, and by default, in the whole of Paris, can be found: Krishna Bhavan. It's a small and unassuming joint, decorated with kitsch hindi statuettes and packed with all kinds of people delighted to be getting their curry fix on. The restaurant is entirely vegetarian and my dish of choice is the Thali, a huge platter with a little bit of everything in it - dahl, aloo ghobi, aubergines, popadoms and even rice pudding. I would also recommend the delicious mango lassi but you'd have to be rolled out of the place if you ate a meal and drank one of those too. To top it all off, the menu is extremely purse friendly with a main course coming in at about 5 euros. Next time you crave a proper authentic Indian in Paris, you know where to go.
Krishna Bhavan
24 rue Cail, 75010 Paris
Open every day 11am - 11pm
Hey! I love your blog. I added you to mine.
ReplyDeleteKay x
Hey Kay,
ReplyDeleteGlad you like the blog and thanks for adding it to yours. I just checked out your blog - love your photos! I've added it to my blogroll, too.
Kim X
This is a great restaurant indeed. I have tried pretty much all of the restaurants on rue Cail and my personal favorite (all things considered) is the New Madras a bit further down the road. They are super friendly, it is very cheap, extremely delicious and you will not be as tightly packed in as at Krishna Bhavan. They also do take out and might even deliver if you smile brightly enough. Personal favorites are the Thali and vegetarian Biryani. Yummmy!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Erica for the tip - next time I'm craving a curry I'll try to steer myself away from Krishna Bhavan to try New Madras.
ReplyDeletehey, love your blog! check it every morning. just felt like commenting since i am indian and i avoid indian restos in paris like the plague. though i do like Krishna Bhavan for my monthly idli/dosa fix.
ReplyDeleteHey M,
ReplyDeleteThanks for your support - glad you like the blog and glad you agree on Krishna Bhavan, too!
Kim x
I LOVE Indian food and could not find a good place in Paris, will definitely try this one, as well as the one Erica mentioned. Thanks!!!
ReplyDeleteAh yes, cheese naan. Only in Paris!
Thanks for this. My hometown (Vancouver) also has great Indian restaurants, but it's been a long time since I've been home and I've definitely been craving some vegetarian Indian food!!
ReplyDeleteHi Ashley, thanks for the comment, but thanks also for leading me via your comment to your blog - I love it! But alas, it also made me a bit sad as I was at the modern art museum in Ljubjana in August and I didn't see the homage to Guernica - shame as it looks pretty impressive...but what a fantastic museum, so many great pieces. Kim x
ReplyDeletemy host sister Just recommended this to me!
ReplyDeletei can't wait to go, it looks lovely.
Thanks, I Heart Paris, for the blog which has assured me and my family that authentic Indian food is indeed available in Paris. We are visiting Paris in May, and my daughter - a picky one at food - is now happy that a restaurant that serves ONLY VEG is available in Paris. I would appreciate your help in guiding me to reach Krishna Bhavan from Euro Disney by public transport. Thanks again, Madhav / madhavdivya@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteHi Madhav, Glad to be of help.
ReplyDeleteYou can get here from Euro Disney on public transport:
-Take RER A from Marne-la-Vallee Chessy to Val de Fontenay (direction Poissy).
-Change on to RER E at Val de Fontenay to Magenta (direction Haussmann-Saint-Lazare)
-Walk up Rue du Faubourg Saint-Denis (North) and then turn right onto Rue Cail.
The whole journey will take about an hour. Hope this helps!
Kim