Where to Eat Indian Food Around Orlando Right Now

You’re rolling off I‑4 with a hungry crew that can’t agree on anything besides curry and naan. Good news: within 15 minutes of the theme parks you can sit down to an excellent Indian meal, whether that means a thali feast, a quick lunch special before a show, or a biryani big enough to share. Here’s how I plan dinner when friends visit, with the exact hours, dishes, and neighborhoods that make each spot worth your time in Orlando.

Restaurant Row and I‑Drive: the easy wins near the parks

If you’re staying by Universal or the convention center, I point first-timers to three places that are dialed in for visitors without feeling touristy. Tabla Indian Restaurant sits just off International Drive at 5847 Grand National Dr, about five minutes from Universal. It’s the reliable all‑rounder for mixed groups: classic curries, Indo‑Chinese, and even Thai, plus a full bar. Weekdays bring a value play with lunch specials 11:30 am–3 pm, and on weekends they run a plated thali experience at $18.99 from 11:30 am–3 pm that covers your bases with naan, soup, salad, entrée and dessert.

Two miles away on Restaurant Row, Saffron Indian Cuisine at 7724 W Sand Lake Rd is my move when someone says “I want a buffet.” They host a weekend lunch buffet Saturdays and Sundays 11:30 am–3 pm. If you’re popping in Monday to Friday, the weekday lunch lineup is priced for a mid‑day bite, with vegetarian plates typically around $12 and chicken options about $14; dinner favorites like Butter Chicken $25 and Garlic Naan $6 make it easy to convert a skeptic into a regular. Daily hours for dine‑in run lunch 11:30 am–2:45 pm, dinner 5–10:15 pm, which helps if you’re catching an early evening show.

Still on the attractions grid, long‑running Aashirwad Indian Restaurant & Bar recently settled into 7000 S Kirkman Rd. If your group likes to graze, time it for their buffet windows: they publish Friday brunch 11:30 am–2:30 pm and a weekend brunch Saturday–Sunday 12–3 pm. Dinner service lists 5:30–10:30 pm nightly, so it’s a safe pick after a long park day. I bring folks here for spicy coastal curries and the Indo‑Chinese dishes the kitchen actually seems excited to cook.

What’s the best spot for a fast, flavorful lunch before an afternoon activity?

If you’ve got a 2 pm tee time or a 3 pm show, you need a kitchen that moves. On the attractions side, Tabla’s 11:30 am–3 pm weekday lunch format is built exactly for this problem, and you’ll be out the door on time. Over in Doctor Phillips, Saffron’s lunch window is 11:30 am–2:45 pm on weekdays, and the portions won’t put you to sleep before you get back in the car.

Head east and you’ll hit the UCF corridor, where Spice Indian Grill at 4498 N Alafaya Trl #306 serves lunch daily 11:30 am–3 pm and dinner 5–10 pm. It’s a practical choice if you’re bouncing from Waterford Lakes shopping to a campus event. A couple of miles south, Ahmed Indian Restaurant runs two Orlando locations; the Orange Blossom Trail dining room advertises a lunch buffet daily 11:30 am–3:30 pm, which makes feeding a group of five a straight‑line decision when schedules are tight.

Closer to downtown Winter Park, Mynt Fine Indian Cuisine at 535 W New England Ave #200 also runs brisk lunch hours: Mon–Fri 11 am–3 pm, Sat–Sun 11:30 am–3 pm. Dinner flips to 5–10 pm Sun–Thu and 5–10:30 pm Fri–Sat. If we’re on Park Avenue and need something that won’t hijack the afternoon, I order a veg plate and a bread to split; Mynt stays organized even when the room is full.

Vegetarian or vegan in the group? Here’s where I book without a debate

Orlando is unusually kind to plant‑forward Indian menus, so you don’t have to compromise. Near the Florida Mall line, Woodlands Indian Cuisine at 6040 S Orange Blossom Trl cooks a strictly vegetarian menu with South Indian staples and a big dosa section. They publish hours of 11:30 am–3 pm and 5–9:30 pm Sun–Thu, 5–10 pm Fri–Sat. My usual play for a table of four is a paper dosa, a thali to share, and an extra curry, which lands in that happy place between “snack” and “we need a nap.”

For a Gujarat‑leaning, home‑style vibe, Khasiyat at 852 W Lancaster Rd keeps it all‑vegetarian with an emphasis on thalis and chaats. Hours are posted as Wed–Mon 11 am–8 pm, closed Tuesdays. It’s a counter‑service setup, so you get your food quickly; we’ll often grab a thali and add a dahi puri or a samosa chaat so the table can pick and choose.

Back on Sand Lake Road, The Madras Cafe at 7730 W Sand Lake Rd runs a deep South Indian vegetarian menu and a following for its thali sets. If you’ve got a big appetite or are splitting with a friend, the two most ordered platters on their online ordering pages are the Madras Royal Thali and the larger Bahubali Thali (recent online menus have shown the Royal around the low‑thirties and the Bahubali in the mid‑thirties). I like this play when there’s a vegan at the table because the staff is used to swapping a yogurt side or dessert for a vegan alternative without drama. If you’re coming on a Friday or Saturday night, plan for popular dining times to crowd the lot along Sand Lake; I make a reservation if we’re more than four.

Where do locals go for biryani, chaat, and street‑food flavors?

Two names come up whenever biryani gets mentioned in Orlando. Bawarchi Biryanis Orlando operates right on International Drive at 6315 International Dr, with a long list of biryanis and late evenings on weekends. If a mixed group is sharing one table, I’ll split a non‑veg biryani with a vegetarian biryani and pad the spread with a paneer appetizer so everyone’s happy.

For Indian street‑food energy with cocktails and late‑night flexibility, we end up at Bombay Street Kitchen, a quick hop east of the Florida Mall at 6215 S Orange Blossom Trl. Their posted schedule is straight to the point, with lunch 11:30 am–3 pm and dinner 5–10 pm daily. The menu runs from chaat standards and momos to dosa, tandoori pompano, and Indo‑Chinese. One useful policy note if you’re celebrating: they add an 18% service gratuity for parties of five or more. I structure orders here around a round of chaats to start, a dosa or kathi roll per person, and one big curry to share, which keeps costs predictable.

Old‑school households still point to New Punjab Indian Restaurant at 7451 International Dr, in the I‑Drive core. The restaurant’s own page lists Monday closed and Tuesday–Sunday open from 11:30 am. If you’re anchored at a convention hotel and want a straight‑ahead North Indian dinner within a short rideshare, this is the play I suggest. It’s also one of the few places in the corridor where a table of grandparents and teens both leave content without swapping plates mid‑meal.

How should I plan for busy nights, big groups, and picky eaters?

Weekends around the attractions snap up 7–8 pm tables fast. If you’re five or more, know where reservations are easy. Tabla, Aashirwad, and Saffron each handle online bookings and are accustomed to pre‑theater or post‑park parties. On Saturdays and Sundays, Saffron’s 11:30 am–3 pm buffet is a handy hedge against picky eaters because the lineup usually includes a mild chicken curry, a paneer dish, dal, and a few rotating vegs alongside breads and dessert. Aashirwad’s brunch windows (Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm, Sat–Sun 12–3 pm) scratch the same itch if you’re staying south of Universal.

If you need vegetarian‑only without turning it into a debate, book Woodlands or Madras Cafe near the parks or Khasiyat a few minutes farther south; you won’t be negotiating substitutions across the whole table. Running late from a park day and want to guarantee a kitchen still serving? Woodlands lists dinner until 9:30 pm Sun–Thu and 10 pm Fri–Sat, while Saffron’s dinner block runs to around 10:15 pm nightly. East‑side crews around UCF can bank on Spice Indian Grill’s daily dinner hours of 5–10 pm, with lunch 11:30 am–3 pm if you’re doing a matinee or game day.

Winter Park vs. the attractions: which side is better for your plans?

If you’re based near the parks or the convention center, Tabla, Saffron, Aashirwad, New Punjab, and Bawarchi cluster within a few minutes of Universal and I‑Drive hotels. Their posted hours cover lunch and later dinners, which is helpful after evening shows and fireworks. Better yet, two of them publish buffet or thali options with fixed pricing windows, so you can set a budget before you walk in.

Staying near downtown, Rollins, or Winter Park Village? The Park Avenue area gives you the easier parking and strolling factor before or after dinner. Mynt sits half a block off Park Avenue with lunch through 3 pm daily and dinner running to 10:30 pm on weekends. Tamarind Indian Cuisine is up the road at 501 N Orlando Ave, Suite 149, listing lunch 11:30 am–3 pm daily, dinner to 9:30 pm Mon–Thu, 10 pm Fri–Sat, and 9 pm Sun. East of the city, Tamarind’s UCF location sits at 12309 E Colonial Dr, which is convenient to campus and Waterford Lakes shopping if you don’t want to cross town at rush hour.

Key Things to Know

• Closest to Universal: Tabla at 5847 Grand National Dr and Aashirwad at 7000 S Kirkman Rd both sit within a few minutes of the parks and run dependable dinner hours to 10:30 pm.
• Buffet windows that actually help planning: Saffron runs a weekend lunch buffet Sat–Sun 11:30 am–3 pm. Aashirwad lists brunch buffets Fri 11:30 am–2:30 pm and Sat–Sun 12–3 pm. Ahmed on OBT advertises a daily lunch buffet 11:30 am–3:30 pm.
• Vegetarian‑only, zero negotiation: Woodlands (6040 S OBT) and Khasiyat (852 W Lancaster Rd, Wed–Mon 11 am–8 pm) are all‑veg. Madras Cafe on Sand Lake specializes in South Indian thalis and handles vegan swaps easily.
• Street‑food and cocktails: Bombay Street Kitchen posts 11:30 am–3 pm lunch and 5–10 pm dinner daily; note the 18% service gratuity for parties of 5+.
• Value lunches near campuses: Spice Indian Grill by UCF runs lunch 11:30 am–3 pm daily, and Mynt in Winter Park runs lunch to 3 pm seven days a week.

Reader Q&A

Do any places offer a buffet near International Drive?

Yes. On Restaurant Row, Saffron runs a weekend lunch buffet Saturday–Sunday 11:30 am–3 pm. A few minutes away on S Kirkman Rd, Aashirwad lists a brunch buffet Friday 11:30 am–2:30 pm and Saturday–Sunday 12–3 pm. If you’re farther south along Orange Blossom Trail, Ahmed’s buffet is published as daily 11:30 am–3:30 pm.

Where can I get a full vegetarian menu without special‑ordering?

Three easy options: Woodlands at 6040 S Orange Blossom Trl (vegetarian South Indian; dinner to 10 pm Fri–Sat), Khasiyat at 852 W Lancaster Rd (Wed–Mon 11 am–8 pm, closed Tue), and Madras Cafe at 7730 W Sand Lake Rd (South Indian thali sets with vegan swaps on request). Each runs enough variety that mixed‑preference groups won’t feel limited.

Which Indian restaurant is closest to Universal Orlando?

Tabla on 5847 Grand National Dr is the closest sit‑down option I use regularly, with weekday lunch 11:30 am–3 pm and a weekend thali that’s easy for first‑timers. Aashirwad at 7000 S Kirkman Rd is also a short drive and serves dinner 5:30–10:30 pm nightly if you’re coming after the parks.

Where should we go for biryani that can feed a group?

Bawarchi Biryanis Orlando at 6315 International Dr specializes in biryani with large portions, and Bombay Street Kitchen at 6215 S OBT runs chicken and goat biryani alongside street‑food starters. If you’re in the I‑Drive hotel cluster and want something close, New Punjab at 7451 International Dr is a dependable bet and opens from 11:30 am Tue–Sun.

If you want one pick near the parks that covers a lot of bases, book Tabla for an on‑time lunch or a weekend thali. If you’re craving a buffet window, aim at Saffron’s Sat–Sun hours or Aashirwad’s brunch. Vegetarian‑only group? Choose Woodlands for dosa or Madras Cafe for thali and you’ll spend more time eating and less time debating.

Published: September 28, 2026 · Reviewed by the Visit Orlando editorial team