Shalimar Restaurant



Cuisine

Indian



Meal Periods

Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch



Dining Format

Buffet



Phone

(734) 663-1500



Address

307 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104



Website

shalimarrestaurant.com



Cuisine

Indian



Meal Periods

Breakfast/Brunch, Lunch



Dining Format

Buffet



Phone

(734) 663-1500



Address

307 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48104



Website

shalimarrestaurant.com

EXPERIENCE

Shalimar brings an Indian buffet to the middle of downtown Ann Arbor, on Main Street between Liberty and William. It’s an appealing address for turning lunch into part of an afternoon out: eat, then step back into the shops and street life. The restaurant advertises weekday lunch and a weekend brunch buffet, with the same freedom to try several dishes before choosing a favorite.

The narrow street frontage opens into a restaurant with a surprisingly elaborate sense of place. Painted arches, decorative wall panels and colorful ceiling lighting give the dining room a little flourish, while booths and cloth-covered tables keep it recognizably a neighborhood restaurant. There’s enough visual interest to make the room part of the outing, without requiring lunch to become a formal event.

That setting suits a mixed table. Tandoori chicken, naan, samosas and curries let different appetites find their own lunch, and the buffet means there’s no need for everyone to negotiate one shared selection. It’s particularly useful when one person wants a familiar chicken dish and another would rather try a few smaller portions. The shared decision can stop at where to eat. That’s already quite an achievement for some groups.

Shalimar also has lower-level dining space for private gatherings, but those celebrations are separate from the regular public buffet. For an ordinary lunch, leave enough time to settle in and enjoy the meal; check the last buffet seating before relying on the posted closing time. This is a downtown sit-down restaurant with an unlimited lunch option, a combination that makes a convenient pause between the day’s other plans.

FOOD

Naan and tandoori chicken give Shalimar’s buffet an immediately recognizable starting point. The bread, grilled chicken, samosas and several curries make a useful selection to explore in small portions. The spread changes, so let the day’s choices guide lunch rather than expecting every dish to appear together on every visit.

The naan comes in pieces ready to take alongside the hot dishes. It’s especially useful with the curries: keep a little of the bread separate for each sauce that interests you. A plate can become surprisingly crowded when every appealing pan receives a generous first helping. Naan deserves some room of its own.

Tandoori chicken offers a different preparation from the sauced dishes. Red-orange pieces sit with sliced onions and herbs on the buffet, giving the chicken a clear place in the meal rather than hiding it beneath another curry. It makes a sensible first choice for someone who wants a recognizable main dish before exploring the rest of the spread.

Samosas bring triangular pastries to the selection. They make a snack-sized beginning before the curries, or a companion to a smaller helping of chicken. There’s no need to turn the first plate into the whole meal when a pastry or two can give lunch a perfectly satisfactory start.

The changing curries provide the other substantial part of lunch. Several separate pans offer different sauces to pair with the naan, giving the meal a saucier alternative to the tandoori chicken. A small serving of each appealing dish leaves room to find a favorite before going back for more.

Kheer supplies a familiar Indian sweet ending when it’s in the rotation. The rice pudding offers a different finish from another helping of bread or curry. A small bowl makes a perfectly reasonable final decision after a varied lunch—especially if the naan has already persuaded you to make one extra trip.

FOOD HIGHLIGHTS

♛ Naan — pieces of Indian flatbread ready for the changing curries.

♛ Tandoori Chicken — red-orange chicken pieces with onions and herbs alongside.

♛ Samosas — triangular pastries for a small beginning to lunch.

♛ Changing Curries — several preparations offer a choice of sauced dishes.

♛ Kheer — rice pudding for a simple sweet finish when available.

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