Outside of the city, Saffron has restaurants in Bala Cynwyd, Wayne, and Ambler. Each location is bright and pleasant, and they are good date night spots to share dishes like chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, and tandoori lamb chops.

On N. Broad near Temple’s campus, Saffron Indian Cuisine (not to be confused with Saffron Indian Kitchen) offers up biryani, roti, and tandoor-cooked dishes from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Order the salt lassi on the side.

With several locations throughout the Philly region, Tiffin is a local standby that’s popular for both dining in and delivery (it actually started as a web-based, delivery-only restaurant). Regulars rave about the butter chicken, saag paneer, and chicken korma. Try the samosa chaat as an appetizer.

Another legendary West Philly institution, Haveli Virasat is known for their flavorful lamb biryani and embrace of Indo-Chinese dishes, such as their tasty chicken momos and vegan entrees.

The all-day buffet at University City’s New Dehli is perfect for college students looking to fill up for $14 during lunch or $18 during dinnertime. At the steam table, find vegetarian, chicken, and lamb specialties, plus appetizers, sides, rice, and dessert.

In Center City, Veda is a truly elegant Indian restaurant. The ceilings are high, the service is friendly, and the see-and-be-seen bar mixes up not-to-miss drinks, like the Drunken Lassi with mango yogurt and aged rum (along with a solid selection of nonalcoholic cocktails). The lassoni gobi — fried cauliflower in a tangy, bright red tomato and ginger glaze — is a must-order appetizer.

Amma’s is a Philly staple, with aloo bonda served with cooling coconut chutney, idli dipped into sambar, masala dosa, and lamb chettinad (a long-cooked lamb dish spiced with coconut and ginger). The Couple’s Combo, which includes chicken and mutton biryani, chicken kuruma, parotta, raitha, raitha, and dessert, is a good bet for date night night out or in.

In Old City, Karma has been serving up Indian fare since 2003. There’s also a full bar and a lunchtime buffet. Order the assorted bread basket for the table and one of the sizzling tandoori dishes.

This emerging dining hotspot in South Philly has been attracting Philadelphians from all over with their fast-casual approach to popular meat and vegetarian dishes such as chicken Pakora, gobi manchurian, chat papri, and more.

One of the best fusion restaurants in New Jersey, Mount Masala has garnered region-wide fans for its Indian take on Himalayan dishes that features shrimp snow balls, beef manchurian, goat curry, and more.