Nanda Devi (Indian Restaurant), Tampere

Overview

Nanda Devi is a great dog-friendly Indian restaurant serving very good North Indian style food and a good selection of drinks in Tampere (just off Hämeenkatu). The restaurant serves excellent lunch and dinner buffets every day, but also offers an extensive a la carte menu (except it is closed on Monday evenings). We were extremely happy, and surprised, to find that Nanda Devi is totally dog-friendly.

Food

We have been to Nanda Devi about 5 or 6 times and have usually eaten off the buffet but also enjoyed some dishes off the a la carte menu once.

The weekday lunch buffet offers a generous selection of North Indian-style dishes, including starters, breads, sauces, salads, and both vegetarian and meat options—great value for money. It’s available Monday to Friday until mid-afternoon, with the last replenishment around 30 minutes before closing. The current price is around €14.

An evening and weekend “party buffet” is also available, featuring a slightly wider selection and some premium items from the à la carte menu. It’s offered on select evenings and all day Sunday. As with lunch, the buffet is refreshed for the last time about 30 minutes before closing. the current price is around €22.

Also as noted, we ate from the a la carte menu once, which is extensive, and while everything was very good, we did not see a major difference in quality compared to the buffet (which is a testament to the quality of the buffet and not a criticism of the a la carte). Thus, the only real reason for us to order a la carte is if we want specific dishes, which does happen.

Drinks

In terms of drinks, there are one or two draft beers (local I think), and a couple bottle beers including two Indian brands, plus they offer wine by the glass and bottle, and other alcoholic and soft drinks. The prices are pretty standard; not expensive or cheap. We have only had the bottle beers and red wine but have always been happy with how they are served and the quality in general.

Summary

Nanda Devi has been a great find—consistently serving hot, flavourful Indian food with a wide variety of well-prepared dishes, each with its own distinct taste. Unlike many places, it does not seem to rely on a single base sauce. Having eaten Indian food across Europe and in India, we can confidently say Nanda Devi is one of the best we’ve come across—highly recommended whether you have furry friends or not.

Note: While we haven’t tried many other Indian restaurants in Tampere (and only as takeaway), Nanda Devi has so far won out. However, there are a couple of new places we are looking forward to visiting – watch this space 🙂

Location: Näsilinnankatu 17, 33210 Tampere