Outside of the city, Saffron has restaurants in Bala Cynwyd, Wayne, and Ambler. Each location is bright and pleasant, making it a good date night spot to share dishes like chicken tikka masala, saag paneer, and tandoori lamb chops.

On N. Broad near Temple’s campus, Saffron Indian Cuisine (not to be confused with Saffron Indian Kitchen) offers up biryani, roti, and tandoor-cooked dishes, from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Order the salt lassi on the side.

With several locations throughout the Philly region, Tiffin is a local standby that’s popular for both dining in and delivery (it actually started as a web-based, delivery-only restaurant). Regulars rave about the butter chicken, saag paneer, and chicken korma. Try the samosa chaat as an appetizer.

The all-day buffet at University City’s New Dehli is perfect for college students looking to fill up for $14 during lunch or $18 during dinnertime. At the steam table, find vegetarian, chicken, and lamb specialties, plus appetizers, sides, rice, and dessert.

While International Foods & Spices is technically a grocery store, it’s the perfect place to stock up on goods for your at-home South Asian feast while also eating hot samosas and other dishes cooked in-house. The samosas are flaky and filling and are a perfect snack to munch on while you shop.

Amma’s is a Philly staple, with aloo bonda served with cooling coconut chutney, idli dipped into sambar, masala dosa, and lamb chettinad (a long-cooked lamb dish spiced with coconut and ginger). The Couple’s Combo, which includes chicken and mutton biryani, chicken kuruma, parotta, raitha, raitha, and dessert, is perfect for date night night out or in.

In Old City, Karma has been serving up Indian fare since 2003. There’s also a full bar and a lunchtime buffet. Order the assorted bread basket for the table and one of the sizzling tandoori dishes.

West Philly’s Desi Chaat specializes in the savory, street food-style snacks of northern India. There’s a wide variety of chaats here, with different mixes of thin, crisp bread, chickpeas, potatoes, and proteins, topped with chutneys and yogurt sauce.

Amid the hustle and bustle of South Street, Lovash is a calm retreat with a large menu of classic Indian dishes. Carb-lovers, rejoice: More than a dozen types of tandoor-baked bread, including naan and roti, are available.