It seems ages I am not reviewing an Indian restaurant, right? Well: I was definitely missing it, so after couple of unsuccessful tries, I was finally able to convince a bunch of friends to have an Indian dinner. We chose Lumbini, in Hesperange, as it was quite some time I wanted to try it!

We got there a bit before 9 pm on a calm Monday night – they are open 7/7. Just a couple of tables were busy and the waiter accommodated us on a nice table on the window. The location is very cozy, overlooking the street but with the good level of “privacy” – you can see, but not be seen.

As my friends never had Indian food, it was up to me to introduce them to the menu and to suggest them dishes – and I was very keen doing that.

To start, after Papadam from the house, we shared a portion of meat samosa and one of chicken drumsticks. Both seemed to be much appreciated by the table and we continued then with: a portion of Chicken Vindaloo (guess who ordered it…), a portion of Lamb Dansak (with lentils and herbs, mild), a portion of Panchrangi Takari (vegetables in cashew nuts sauce) and two portion of Butter Naan bread. While in three we mainly shared these dishes, one of us, who does not like much sauces, ordered a portion of Chicken Tandoori.

We accompanied our dinner with two bottles of Sicilian red wine (you know, Italian men…) and concluded with espresso and two rounds of Paan digestifs (of which the second one was offered).

Total bill (2 starters, 4 mains, 2 bread, 2 bottles of wine, 3 bottles of water, 1 espresso and 4 digestif, plus 4 offered) read a bit more than 150 Eur, 38 eur per person.

Pictures of our dinner are followed by my general impressions on Lumbini.

What I liked about Lumbini:

• The food was nice and have the right amount of spices: mild dishes were tasty but soft, while my Vindaloo was hot, but in an appropriate way (enough for someone who is used to eat spicy as I am, but not impossible to eat). Portions were pretty big, above all the Naan was much more than expected and with three men at the table we were barely able to finish all (even if I did my best). In particular, my favorite dish was the Lamb Dansak: I usually tend not to order mild dishes, but this one was delicious and the lamb meat so tender!
• The service was professional and polite. Even if we were a bit noisy at a certain point, the waiter was very accommodating toward our requests, open the wine at the table and make it try twice (not always happens in exotic restaurants), offered us a last round of drinks.
• The bill came out very fair for what we ate and drunk. Even if we shared two starters in four people, we were almost not able to finish the food so portions were more than enough.

What I liked a bit less about Lumbini:

• We did not have any negative remark about our visit. Everything went smoothly and we had great time, so would definitely consider to come back again. Couple of points just to mention to be picky as I usually am: the place is very nice, but, as most of the Indian restaurant in Luxembourg, is anything fancy or posh, so don’t expect Myfair style Indian restaurants. Then. While all our dishes were great, the only one I would not order again might be the veggie one – the nuts sauce had a very weird taste for me, almost burnt, but as it was the first time ordering it, maybe it was just a wrong choice.

In conclusion: Lumbini is a perfect choice if you are looking for an Indian restaurant not right in the city center. The service is extremely professional, food is enjoyable and the location is very cozy. Not to mention the fact the prices are a bit lower than the Luxembourg average. Definitely recommended for friends’ gatherings! Bonus point: it is open 7 days a week.