Best Indian Food in Burlington
Burlington, Vermont — updated August 22, 2026
Four Indian kitchens in and around Burlington, ranked by how convincingly the ratings hold up, from an all-vegetarian Williston favorite with more than 800 reviews to a tandoor-heavy spot on Colchester Avenue.
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Burlington's Indian restaurants are split between the city itself and the retail corridors just outside it, which means the best-reviewed kitchen in the area is a short drive out to Williston. Lunch buffets are still a fixture here, and several of these places close between the lunch and dinner services, so mid-afternoon arrivals go hungry. Below, four options ordered by how settled their reputations are.
1. Aromas of India by Sarita's Kitchen
A 4.9 average across more than 850 reviews is about as proven as ratings get in this market, and Aromas earns the top spot on that strength alone. The entire menu is vegetarian, so this is the default choice for a mixed table where at least one person does not eat meat. Reviewers note that the spice scale runs hot: one described "medium" as more than they wanted, so order mild on a first visit. The kitchen serves lunch and dinner with an afternoon break, opening at 11:00 AM and closing the lunch service at 2:30 PM before reopening at 4:00 PM. Naan, paneer and mango lassi are all on offer, along with buffets and takeout. It is in Williston, roughly 15 minutes east of downtown.
2. Masala Elaichi Indian Restaurant
The strongest option inside Burlington proper, with a 4.4 average built on more than 600 reviews, which makes it the most thoroughly tested Indian kitchen in the city itself. It sits on Colchester Avenue near the hospital and university end of town. The tandoor section is the reason to go: tandoori chicken, chicken tikka, paneer tikka, seekh kabab, boti kabab, tandoori shrimp, tandoori fish, and a mixed grill platter that covers several at once. Hours follow the split-service pattern, with lunch from 10:30 AM to 2:30 PM and dinner from 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM on Mondays. Pickup is available if you would rather eat at home.
3. Mountain Valley Indian Cuisine 10 Farrell street South Burlington
The highest-rated of the three non-vegetarian options at 4.7, but with only 67 reviews behind it, so treat that number as promising rather than settled. It is on Farrell Street in South Burlington, close enough to the city line to be a reasonable weeknight drive. The important scheduling detail: it is closed Mondays, and open 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM Tuesday and Wednesday, running straight through the afternoon rather than breaking between services. That makes it the pick when you want a late lunch or an early dinner at an hour when other kitchens in this guide are shut. Delivery and takeout are both available.
4. Shalimar of India
The longest-standing downtown option of the group, on North Winooski Avenue, with a 4.1 average across 268 reviews. That is a lower score than the others here, and with that many reviews it is a settled figure rather than a fluke, so go in with calibrated expectations. What it offers is range and a daily lunch buffet: the menu runs to lamb curries, beef, vegetable dishes, soups, appetizers and Indian breads, with a separate vegetarian lunch section. Closed Mondays. Tuesday through Sunday it serves 11:30 AM to 2:45 PM and 5:00 PM to 9:45 PM. Its walkable downtown location is the practical argument for it.