Key Takeaways

• Royal Rasoi can be reached on foot from Grand Plaza Hotel Hanoi, making it a suitable place to go after a long flight.
• People who frequently visit the restaurant enjoy its butter chicken, dal makhani, and tandoori platter.
• The vegetarian menu consists of several dishes that are different from simply no-meat versions of other traditional Indian dishes.
• The increase in Indian tourists led to a rise in demand for authentic Indian curry in Hanoi.

Why is Indian food near Grand Plaza Hotel in demand?

Hanoi used to be a tough city for this. A decade back, most restaurants near hotels served a version of Indian food that had been quietly rewritten for local taste: less chili, more sugar, sauces that didn't taste much like the original.

That's shifted, and the numbers explain why. Vietnam saw Indian arrivals jump 48.9% in 2025 over the year before, and the growth didn't slow down going into 2026- January alone was up more than 80% year-on-year. Hanoi specifically has seen Indian visitor numbers roughly quintuple since 2019, helped by new direct flights from Indian cities.

Grand Plaza Hotel sits on Tran Duy Hung in Cau Giay, close to Hanoi's business district, so a good chunk of its guests are there for work rather than sightseeing. Between the business travelers and the tourists, there's been steady demand for an Indian restaurant near Grand Plaza Hotel Hanoi that doesn't mean a 30-minute cab ride through evening traffic.

What makes Royal Rasoi worth the short walk?

The menu leans North Indian, which is a sensible call. Gravies, tandoor-cooked meat, bread- that style tends to hold up when it travels. Restaurants that try to run Punjabi, South Indian, and Indo-Chinese sections at once usually end up doing all three at a mediocre level. This is the best Indian restaurant in Hanoi for tourists.

A couple of things worth knowing if you've eaten Indian food abroad before:

• Spice levels are adjustable, but nothing is pre-toned-down for you by default.
• The tandoor gets used properly. You can taste actual char on the naan and kebabs, not just marinade.
• Portions run large, so it's easy to order for a table rather than per person.

However, it's not perfect. Service slows down on weekend nights when conference guests from the hotel come in for dinner all at once. If you're pressed for time, call ahead.

What to order: A dish-by-dish guide

Butter chicken- Start here on a first visit. The gravy is balanced rather than sugary, which is where most butter chicken outside India falls apart. It's the dish most people photograph before they eat it, for what that's worth. The best butter chicken restaurant in Hanoi never disappoints you.

Dal makhani- Black lentils, slow-cooked with butter and cream. Sounds easy, isn't it? It takes hours to get the texture right, and this kitchen doesn't rush it. Order it with the butter chicken if you want the standard North Indian pairing.

Tandoori platter- Chicken tikka, seekh kebab, paneer tikka, all from the clay oven. Good if a few people want to try different things without committing to full plates.

Chicken biryani- Rice and marinated meat cooked together in layers, not stirred together after. Small detail, big difference- pre-mixed biryani tends to taste flat no matter how good the ingredients are.

Garlic naan- If you're only ordering one bread, skip the plain version. It pairs better with heavier gravies like butter chicken and dal makhani.

Butter chicken vs. other curries: A quick comparison

Explore vegetarian and vegan options

This is where Royal Rasoi pulls ahead of most competition. The vegetarian section is cooked with real technique, not just meat dishes with the protein pulled out.

Therefore, paneer butter masala and chana masala are solid picks, and dal tadka is worth trying if you haven't had it before. Vegan travelers have it a bit easier here than at most places in the city- most dal dishes can be made without cream or ghee if you ask, since lentils don't lean on dairy the way the heavier North Indian curries do.

Common ordering mistakes first-timers make

• Ordering everything mild- If you actually like spice, say so up front. The kitchen often defaults to gentler for foreign guests unless told otherwise.
• Skipping the bread- These curries are meant to be eaten with naan or roti. Rice alone changes the meal more than people expect.
• Underestimating portions- Two dishes plus bread is usually plenty for two people, even if the menu makes it look like you need more.
• Assuming the curries taste alike- Rogan josh, butter chicken, and korma are built on tomato, cream, and yogurt, respectively. They're not interchangeable.

Tips from someone who's eaten through Hanoi's Indian scene

If you've got one night in Hanoi and want the most honest read on a kitchen, order butter chicken, dal makhani, and garlic naan. That combination is where restaurants either get it right or don't, and it tells you more than a longer order would. Biryani is a decent second test - it's hard to fake, because the rice-to-meat ratio gives away sloppy cooking immediately.

Weeknights don't usually need a reservation. Friday and Saturday get busier, mostly hotel guests plus a fair number of locals who treat it as their regular spot.

Final word

Finding a real Indian restaurant near Grand Plaza Hotel Hanoi used to mean lowering your expectations. That's less true now- rising demand from Indian travelers has pushed places like Royal Rasoi to keep the actual technique instead of simplifying everything for convenience. Order the butter chicken, add dal makhani and garlic naan, and you'll know what the kitchen can do before you order anything more ambitious. If you’re a food lover, then this is the best place for Indian curry in Hanoi.

If you're near Grand Plaza Hotel and want food that actually tastes like home, Royal Rasoi is worth the walk. Start with the butter chicken.

Frequently asked questions