Michelin Bib Gourmand · Indian Sports Bar · Silver Lake
By Monty Khas, Anonymous Critic. Pays every bill.
Somewhere between the motel sign and the strip-mall parking lot on Sunset Boulevard, Los Angeles got the Indian restaurant it didn't know it needed. Pijja Palace looks like a neighborhood sports bar, with a wall of TVs and a logo of a pizza in sunglasses. Then the food lands, and you realize this is one of the most original kitchens in the city.
The people
Owner Avish Naran grew up in Los Angeles surrounded by Gujarati family cooking, trained as a chef and worked in serious kitchens, including Indian Accent in New York, before coming home. He opened Pijja Palace in 2022 in a former foot clinic, with chef Miles Shorey running the kitchen at launch. Within months it was the hardest table in Silver Lake, and the Michelin Guide gave it a Bib Gourmand that same year.
The room
Thirteen screens, pale pink and teal walls, orange accents and a bar that gets loud the minute a game tips off. Despite the sports-bar setup, it's built for sitting down to a full meal, and the energy is half the fun.
What to eat
The malai rigatoni is the signature for good reason: rigatoni tossed in a creamy, gently spiced sauce that tastes like a vodka pasta raised on garam masala. Tandoori spaghetti brings smoky heat, and the kesar shells and cheese is the comfort-food sleeper, golden with saffron.
The pijjas come with sauces like makhani, korma and a peri peri vindaloo, but the green chutney pie is the one to order, a bright, herby nod to a Lakewood pizza shop the owner loved as a kid. Start with dosa onion rings, battered in fermented rice-and-lentil dosa batter and served with a mango-coconut chutney, and the chaas dumplings, which sit on a bed of masoor dal. Yellow wings are a game-night must.
Save room for dessert. The soft serve tastes of malted chai, and the banoffee pie is made in such small batches that it often sells out early.
Before you go
Book ahead on Resy for prime weekend slots, or try for a seat at the bar on weeknights. Dinner runs every night, with lunch hours on weekends. Big games mean a bigger crowd and a louder room.
Why it matters
Pijja Palace proved that an Indian restaurant in LA doesn't have to choose between authenticity and fun. It's rooted in the flavors of a desi home kitchen and isn't afraid to play with them, which is exactly why so many newer desi restaurants in LA now follow its lead.
The Quick Fix
What to order: Malai rigatoni; green chutney pijja; dosa onion rings; tandoori spaghetti; chaas dumplings; yellow wings; a chai whiskey sour or tamarind soda; the banoffee pie if there's a slice left
Pricing: Mid-range. Generous enough to share, cheap enough to come back next weekend.
Best for: Game nights, casual dates, groups of friends and anyone who wants to show a skeptic how fun Indian food can be
How it compares: LA's most creative Indian menu; more playful than Badmaash, more of a party than Roots; the pasta beats any Indian-Italian mash-up in town
See where Pijja Palace ranks: The Best Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi Restaurants in Los Angeles: Our Top 10 for 2026
The food was always this good. We're just paying attention.