Indique Heights used to be a favorite for family dinners with my parents. I am not sure why it took me so long after Indique Heights closed to go to their sister restaurant, Indique, but I finally went last weekend (maybe it was the allure of bottomless brunch?) and I was thrilled to discover that they have the same delicious food, charming atmosphere and great service as Indique Heights.
Indique is actually older than Indique Heights so clearly I have been missing out by never visiting this Cleveland Park staple. They have a great-looking a la carte menu for dinner, but for brunch (only offered on Sundays) the deal is the following: three dishes plus bottomless brunch cocktails for $24. You can pay $8 extra for pure sparkling wine if you prefer (which I did of course; everyone knows I am a champ purist). The choice of brunch cocktails includes rum mango lassis, tamarind margaritas, mimosas, and bloody marys.
The drinks are strong (except for the mimosas) and a perfect match for the delicious Indian food. The menu has about 20 dishes to choose from, and I can tell you that no matter what you order you can’t go wrong. My favorites included a crispy mini dosa, which is like an Indian crepe, filled with potatoes and served with four different chutneys; the vegetable biryani, wildly flavorful rice cooked with herbs and spices and served with a cool yogurt sauce; ottampam, basically a lentil pancake which is also served with chutneys; a kathi roll, where a roti is stuffed with cheese and peppers; and vegetable samosa chat, which involves a fried pastry filled with potatoes and served like a chaat, a street snack where something is smothered in different sauces and spices. There are a few dessert options too like mango rice pudding.
Somehow D.C. residents have not stumbled upon this fabulous bottomless brunch option so the atmosphere is quiet and calm, so head over before it is “discovered” and becomes crowded and chaotic like all the other bottomless brunches in D.C.!
