About The Bombay Club
100 Very Best 2014
100 Very Best 2019
If the cooking at Ashok Bajaj’s modern Indian spot, Rasika, is like a New World wine—bright, brash, and full-flavored—the Bombay Club, Bajaj’s first restaurant, is its Old World counterpart. Chef Nilesh Singhvi favors subtle, earthy flavors in his Samundari thali—a curry sampler served with a supple slice of tandoori-cooked salmon—and a lamb vindaloo laced with aged vinegar.
In the dining room, Beltway power players sit at tables semi-obstructed by leafy potted plants, which create a sense of privacy but also intrigue—plenty of neck-craning takes place as servers cater to VIPs while making newcomers feel welcome, too. For a splurge-worthy feast with out-of-towners, there are few better options for an only-in-Washington experience.
Open: Monday through Friday for lunch and dinner, Saturday for dinner, Sunday for brunch and dinner.
Don’t miss: Kale chaat, with date-and-tamarind chutney; spicy duck kebab; Masala crab with onions and curry leaves; chicken tikka makhani; dal makhani.
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.
Anna Spiegel covers the dining and drinking scene in her native DC. Prior to joining Washingtonian in 2010, she attended the French Culinary Institute and Columbia University’s MFA program in New York, and held various cooking and writing positions in NYC and in St. John, US Virgin Islands.
