What to Order at an Indian Restaurant: A Simple Guide for First-Timers

By the Indian Bites kitchen team, Pustervig 4, Copenhagen. Reviewed for accuracy on 17 August 2026.

If you are wondering what to order at an Indian restaurant, the short answer is this: pick one creamy curry, one lighter or vegetarian dish, one bread to share, and a cooling drink. That combination gives you richness, contrast, texture and relief from spice all in one meal, and it works whether you are eating alone or with six people. We have served more than 200,000 guests across our two restaurants in Copenhagen, and this is the pattern that first-timers enjoy most. Below we explain how an Indian menu is actually built, what each section is for, and exactly what we would put on your table, with real prices from our menus.

How an Indian Menu Is Structured

Indian menus look long because they are organised by ingredient and cooking style rather than by course. Once you understand the blocks, the choice becomes simple.

Starters

Small fried bites eaten before the curries arrive. Samosa is a triangular pastry filled with spiced potato and peas, fried until the shell blisters, and costs 49 DKK at both restaurants. Vegetable Pakora is a fritter in chickpea flour batter, also 49 DKK. Starters at Pustervig run from 49 to 69 DKK.

Mains and curries

The heart of the meal. Every main at Indian Bites is served with basmati rice, which matters when deciding how much to order. Mains run from 125 to 149 DKK at Pustervig, and up to 159 DKK for Lamb Curry at Bakken.

Breads and drinks

Naan is baked at high heat so it puffs and chars in spots, then brushed with butter. Plain naan is 25 DKK, garlic naan 30 DKK, cheese naan 35 DKK. Mango Lassi at 39 DKK is a yoghurt drink that cools the palate, and soft drinks start at 25 DKK.

What We Would Actually Order for You

Guests ask us this at the counter every day, so here is our honest answer rather than a generic list.

If you have never eaten Indian food before: Butter Chicken at 149 DKK. Chicken is marinated, then finished in a tomato and cream sauce that we reduce slowly until it coats the back of a spoon. It is our most reordered dish for a reason. Its heat is barely present, and the sweetness of the tomato does the work. Add a plain naan and a Mango Lassi.

If you want something with more depth: Chicken Tikka Masala at 149 DKK. It shares the tomato base with Butter Chicken but carries a stronger spice profile and a slight smokiness from the marinated, char-grilled chicken pieces we fold in at the end rather than simmering from raw. This is the small step up that most guests take on their second visit.

If you are vegetarian: Palak Paneer at 135 DKK. Fresh spinach is cooked down and blended, then cubes of paneer, a fresh unaged Indian cheese, are added so they stay soft and hold their shape. Dal Tadka at 125 DKK is the other one to know: yellow lentils simmered until they collapse, then finished with a tadka, a hot tempering of cumin seed and garlic in ghee that we pour over the dish at the last second so it sizzles on the way to the table.

If you are eating with a group: Order three or four different curries for four people, keep one of them vegetarian, add two breads, and share everything. Indian food is designed for the middle of the table, not for individual plates.

Understanding Spice Before You Order

The single biggest misunderstanding we hear is that Indian food means burning heat. It does not. North Indian cooking is built on aromatic spices rather than chilli: garam masala, a warming blend of cardamom, cinnamon, cloves and black pepper; cumin for earthiness; coriander seed for citrus notes; fenugreek leaf, which gives Butter Chicken its distinctive slightly bitter finish. Our spices are imported directly from India and ground in small batches, because pre-ground spice loses its aromatic oils within weeks.

Chilli is a separate lever, and we control it separately. Tell us mild, medium or hot when you order and we adjust at the pan. For families with small children we cook a milder version by default, and we say so at the counter rather than waiting to be asked. If a dish does arrive hotter than you expected, yoghurt, rice or bread will settle it faster than water will.

Ordering at Each of Our Locations

We run two restaurants, and what you order can depend on which one you visit.

Pustervig 4, 1126 København K. Our city centre restaurant in Indre By, open every day from 11:00 to 20:30, rated 4.7 stars from 634 Google reviews. This location carries the fullest menu, offers dine-in and takeaway, and delivers through Wolt. If you want to try the wider range of starters, come here.

Dyrehavsbakken 207, 2930 Klampenborg. Our restaurant inside Bakken, the world’s oldest operating amusement park, rated 4.8 stars. Hours are 11:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday and 11:00 to 21:00 at weekends, following Bakken’s seasonal calendar. Take the S-tog to Klampenborg Station on line C or F and walk through Dyrehaven. Lamb Curry at 159 DKK is on the menu here, slow-simmered until the meat gives way under a fork.

One practical note from packing thousands of takeaway orders: thick, reduced curries such as Butter Chicken and Palak Paneer travel far better than thin ones, and we pack rice separately so it does not absorb the sauce on the journey. If you are taking food into Dyrehaven or home across town, order accordingly.

Ready to order? Visit us at Pustervig 4 in Copenhagen or at Indian Bites Bakken in Klampenborg. Feeding a larger group? Our catering team handles events from 20 to 500 or more guests across Copenhagen and the surrounding region, with more than 10 years of experience.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I order at an Indian restaurant for the first time?

Order one creamy curry, one lighter dish, one bread and one drink. At Indian Bites a reliable first order is Butter Chicken with basmati rice at 149 DKK, a plain naan at 25 DKK and a Mango Lassi at 39 DKK. Butter Chicken is mild and slightly sweet from tomato and cream, and it is the dish our guests reorder most often. Eating with others? Add Dal Tadka at 125 DKK to balance the richness.

How many dishes should I order per person?

One main curry per person is enough, because every main at Indian Bites comes with basmati rice. Add one bread per one to two people and one starter per two people. For a table of four we suggest three or four curries, two naans and two portions of samosa, shared. That way everyone tastes several dishes instead of eating only their own plate.

Do I have to order spicy food at an Indian restaurant?

No. Indian food is aromatic before it is hot. Butter Chicken, Palak Paneer and Butter Paneer are built on cream, tomato and warm spices such as cardamom, cumin and garam masala rather than chilli heat. Our kitchen adjusts chilli level on request and cooks a milder version by default for children. Tell us mild, medium or hot when you order.

What is the difference between naan and rice?

Rice is included with every main at Indian Bites, so bread is an addition rather than a replacement. Naan is a soft, slightly chewy flatbread baked at high heat and brushed with butter, and it scoops thick curries better than rice does. Plain naan costs 25 DKK, garlic naan 30 DKK, cheese naan 35 DKK.

What should vegetarians order at an Indian restaurant?

North Indian cooking is one of the world’s strongest vegetarian kitchens, so there are real choices rather than one option. Palak Paneer combines fresh spinach with cubes of soft paneer cheese, Dal Tadka is a yellow lentil dish finished with a hot tempering of cumin and garlic, and Channa Masala is a naturally vegan chickpea curry. Vegetable Pakora at 49 DKK is a good vegetarian starter.

Can I order the same dishes at both Indian Bites locations?

The core dishes are the same but the menus differ slightly. Pustervig 4 in central Copenhagen carries the fuller menu, including Chana Bhatura, Samosa Chaat and Pani Puri, and is open every day 11:00 to 20:30. Our Bakken restaurant at Dyrehavsbakken 207 in Klampenborg runs a focused seasonal menu including Lamb Curry at 159 DKK, open 11:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday and 11:00 to 21:00 at weekends.

Whichever way you order, you are eating food from a kitchen trusted by more than 200,000 guests, rated 4.7 stars at Pustervig and 4.8 stars at Bakken, using halal certified meat and spices imported directly from India. Come hungry and order for the middle of the table.

Last updated: 17 August 2026