Award-winning

Chai Pani

Name: Chai Pani
Address: 1325 5th St NE Ste A, Washington DC, DC, 20002, US
Telephone: (202) 516-5080
Price range: $30 and under
Rating: 4.7

4.7 (492)

$30 and under

Indian

1325 5th St NE Ste A, Washington DC, DC 20002

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Chai Pani

4.7

$30 and under

Indian

NoMa

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 16, 2026

8:00 PM

Booked 86 times today

About this restaurant

Lively
Vegetarian-friendly
Good for groups

Chai Pani is a James Beard Award-winning restaurant by chef Meherwan Irani, known internationally for broadening the representation of Indian street food in America. Meherwan and Vishwesh Bhatt, the executive chef and southern food icon, believe Indian street food - the everyday cuisine of more than a billion people - reflects the greatness of India. The shareable menu they created honors both street food and Irani cafe traditions of chaat (street snacks), uttapam (savory fermented pancakes), chhota plates (truck stop–style small plates), sigri (grill), pav (street sandwiches, pronounced “pow”), and specialties. An experience that sparks your curiosity, blasts your culinary and visual senses under kaleidoscopic colors, garlands of bougainvillea, and hand-painted museum-worthy murals by local District artists - transporting you to the streets of Mumbai. Ok! Be one of a billion. Come visit us!

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Indian
Hours of operation
Fri, Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm Lunch Daily 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(202) 516-5080
Website
https://chaipani.com/dc
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Vishwesh Bhatt

Location
1325 5th St NE Ste A, Washington DC, DC 20002
Award-winning
1. James Beard Winner Best Restaurant 2022
Neighborhood
NoMa
Parking details
None
Public transit
We are a 10 minute walk from the NoMA-Gallaudet stop on the Red Line.Visit wmata.com/tripplanner to see all public transit routes!
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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What 492 people are saying

Chai Pani reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.6Service
4.8Ambience
4.4Value

Noise • Moderate

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Chai Pani in DC offers an "amazing" Indian street food experience with "incredible flavors" and a vibrant atmosphere. Guests rave about the "excellent" service and the menu's creative twists on traditional dishes like SPDP, kale pakora chaat, and butter chicken. The lively decor enhances the "festive vibe," making it a must-visit.

492 Reviews

R
Rosh
Hawaii1 review
5.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The food and service were incredible! Friendly staff with great recommendations and frequent chai refills.
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A
Andro
Unspecified1 review
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As usual, food was amazing!
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V
Vibhuti
Unspecified1 review
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Nice ambiance, good food, great experience. Portions were decent, prices are okay for the location.
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M
MEILING
Washington DC6 reviews
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Chai Pani gets a 10/10 for me. Food is absolutely delicious. All of it! This is my second visit, the ambience, the aromas, the drinks, and the staff are all incredible. Service is amazing, food and drinks come with exceptional timing, wait staff are brilliant on both food and drink recommendations. The decor from the entrance to the interior is really inviting, I definitely adore their little merch shop as you enter into the lobby and approach the host station. The music at Chai Pani is also a true vibe! I will definitely recommend this restaurant as front runner on the Indian food scene in Washington DC.
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R
Richard
Washington DC35 reviews
3.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 3
The KFC chicken was delicious, The Okra fries were mediocre. The chopped salad was good. The chili chicken was just OK. On the swordfish special, the quality of the swordfish was poor. It was too uneven to return.
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D
Diana
Washington DC1 review
5.0
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great vibe, incredible food for sharing. Good cocktails!
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R
Robin
New Orleans5 reviews
4.0
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great service !! so warm and welcoming; the chaat was delicious and the suva dhaal even more tasty! The uttapam was good , I felt authentically could’ve been more flavorful, the pav bhaji was powerful, and fiercely spicy :) and the chai felt a bit westernized. but overall a terrific experience for visitors -
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D
Devika Gold
Washington DC12 reviews
3.0
Dined on July 5, 2026
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Delicious, authentic Indian street food and the best chai in town. Unfortunately, service was terrible. Our first server left without taking my father’s order and then disappeared. I had to get up and look for another server to place his order. Entrees and several drinks were not delivered until we asked about them again. Dishes were never cleared. It was a huge disappointment and not at all what I had hoped for to celebrate multiple family milestones.
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J
Jyoti
Washington DC1 review
5.0
Dined on July 4, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Food had perfect amount of spices, sweetness and crunch.
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M
Maria
Washington DC7 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 3, 2026
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Great experience overall, the food was amazing, everything we ordered was delicious: okra fries, disco bh, sabudana vada tots (my favorite) and vada pav. Portions were a good size. Drinks were delicious too! We tried the iced chai and golden pineapple. My partner is from India and he thought flavors were quite authentic just nicely elevated. The ambiance is great and service was good.
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Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Indian
Hours of operation
Fri, Sat 5:30 pm–10:00 pm Lunch Daily 11:00 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Thu, Sun 5:30 pm–9:00 pm
Phone number
(202) 516-5080
Website
https://chaipani.com/dc
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive chef
Vishwesh Bhatt

Location
1325 5th St NE Ste A, Washington DC, DC 20002
Award-winning
1. James Beard Winner Best Restaurant 2022
Neighborhood
NoMa
Parking details
None
Public transit
We are a 10 minute walk from the NoMA-Gallaudet stop on the Red Line.Visit wmata.com/tripplanner to see all public transit routes!
Additional
Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Non-Smoking, Vegan, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Featured in

January 20, 2026
Chai Pani Debuts DC Union Market Outpost Showcasing Indian Street Food
Chai Pani opens its DC Union Market outpost, introducing a festive Indian street-food concept to the city. The article highlights signature snacks like SPDP and matchstick okra fries as part of its niche in DC dining.
Published in Washingtonian

Make a reservation

Chai Pani

4.7

$30 and under

Indian

NoMa

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 16, 2026

8:00 PM

Booked 86 times today

Chai Pani

Make a reservation

Chai Pani

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Dining areas

Additional information

Gift card

Overall ratings and reviews

Review summary

Dining areas

Additional information

Gift card

Chai Pani Debuts DC Union Market Outpost Showcasing Indian Street Food

Make a reservation

Chai Pani

Make a reservation