Basant Modern Indian Restaurant
Sameet Sapra · 780 Google reviewsBasant Modern Indian Restaurant — North Center indian that sets the standard. This is where you bring someone you're trying to impress. Good cocktails round out an already strong menu. Diana Traydon: "The salmon was perfectly cooked with nice crispy sun and a delicious sauce" [$$, patio]
What 633 diners keep saying
What 633 diners keep saying
verbatim, from Google
“What an amazing dining experience! We ordered the Ram Laddu, Chole Bhature, and Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, and every dish was exceptional. The flavors instantly transported me back to New Delhi and felt authentic and comforting. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a wholesome dining experience with delicious food, great drinks, lively house music, and excellent service.”
“The food was amazing! We had the malai kofta, the fish basant and the chicken tikka and a great garlic naan. Everything was nicely presented and full of flavor. We will definitely come back!”
“We went there for a dinner. We ordered chicken malai cilantro along with drinks - Hari Pari and Paan Chicagowala. Both drinks were amazing and different from usual drinks and it was nicely flavorful and starter was great. One change I would suggest is to give atleast 5-6 pieces. 3 is way too small and the crème is really tasty, tangy and awesome to just eat 3 pieces We order garlic naan and chicken basant and naan was really nicely made and chicken was tender, nicely spiced and awesome. Overall great experience. Izzy was our server and she was awesome and was really serving well and responding with smile”
“Warm welcoming; Friendly staff. Bar tender was very knowledgable and made me a killer old fashioned. Food was amazing, I got the lamb Rogan Josh and chicken tikka and wow. Very flavorful, perfect amount of spice. Can’t wait to come back”
“Fantastic meal, great variety of food and all the meats were cooked very well - the chicken Basant and duck Basant were the stars of the show for me, the the tandoori meats were good but could have come with onions and been a little more charred. The chutney was elite though. Big fan of the Milai cilantro, creamy and rich and with chicken it would be even better. The naan was good, it could have been a bit more buttery. The gulab jamun cheesecake tasted a bit more like a basque cheesecake - very good but little reminder of gulab jamun. I liked the ambiance here a lot - very lowkey, but nicely presented. I would come back here again.”
“Great place to enjoy some familiar and popular Indian dishes with a little twist to make them special. Enjoyed the uniquely flavorful Paan Chicagowala drink, Chicken Tikka and Dal Maharani. We also ordered Lamb Shank Nihari and Gobi Manchurian - which kind of missed the mark. This restaurant is on the pricier side for Indian fare but I will still recommend it for the enjoyable Basant experience.”
“Great place for modern Indian fare. Great food selections. Great drink options. Good service. Spacious and not super crowded. Good modern decor. Decent prices. Good service.”
“This place used to have the best butter chicken in Chicago, so our latest experience was honestly disappointing. We ordered take- out this time. The makhani sauce not only looked noticeably lighter but also seemed watered down and lacked the richness it once had. With their prices being higher than many other Indian restaurants, I would have expected better-tasting food—but that wasn’t the case. The palak paneer was also surprisingly bland. The gobi Manchurian tasted like it was made with ready-made masalas rather than freshly balanced spices. I don’t know if they have a new chef, but I really miss the old murgh makhani recipe.”
“Great food, great wine, great patio and half price wine night which was a surprise to us! Server explained all items in great detail!”
“First time here but the food was phenomenal as well as the service. The drinks were excellent as well!”
“Probably some of the best Indian food that I've had in Chicago. Definitely not your run of the mill Indian restaurant. The place has a pushed up feel without the pushed up prices. The food is unique and amazingly flavorful. The craft cocktail menu is just as unique as the food that they offer.”
Sounds like your kind of place?
Star it — your hit list is where dinner decisions get made.
One email a month — new openings, hidden gems, and where locals are actually eating.
More Indian in Lakeview & North Center
See the ranking →
In the same lane · Indian, mid-range
If it's packed, walk to…
More good rooms in North Center, minutes away.