We’ve long been fans of the color-splashed Chevy Chase branch of this Indian-restaurant duo, but there’s also new energy at the prettily latticed Cleveland Park original–it’s serving one of the best renditions of veal cheeks we’ve had this year as part of a new small-plates menu. At both locations, the thick, aromatic gravies–from a standout tomato-based chicken makhani to the peppercorn-heavy chicken chettinad–share the menu with modernized creations such as mini-dosas and pappadam cones filled with crab and coconut. Both restaurants have good deals. At Indique Heights, a $4 small-plates happy hour runs on weekdays, and there’s a bountiful weekend brunch buffet. Sunday through Thursday, Indique offers a $22 pre-theater menu for date-nighters headed to a movie at the nearby Uptown Theater.
What to get: The tangy potato-and-chickpea salad called papri chaat; salmon sliders on miniature pancakes; lemony tandoori mackerel; Malabar shrimp curry; tandoori chicken; orange-scented gulab jamun; Ginger Passion cocktail with vodka, lychee, and elderflower.
Indique open Monday through Thursday for dinner, Friday through Sunday for lunch and dinner; Indique Heights open daily for lunch and dinner. Moderate.
Ann Limpert joined Washingtonian in late 2003. She was previously an editorial assistant at Entertainment Weekly and a cook in New York restaurant kitchens, and she is a graduate of the Institute of Culinary Education. She lives in Petworth.
