KHAKI Reviews: What Diners and Critics Are Saying About San Ramon's Modern Indian Fine Dining
- Khaki Team
- May 21
- 4 min read
Most people who land here have probably already decided to try KHAKI and are doing one last check before booking. This page is for that check. We've pulled together what diners and critics have said since KHAKI opened in August 2025, with context from the press coverage. The Google rating sits at 4.9 from over 291 verified reviews as of this writing. Below is the honest picture: what people praise, what they critique, and what to know before your first visit.
What Diners Are Saying About KHAKI on Google (4.9 from 291 Reviews)
KHAKI holds a 4.9 rating from more than 291 Google reviews, which is unusually high for a restaurant in its first year. Reviews span corporate diners, anniversary couples, larger group celebrations, and first-time visitors from across the Bay Area. One recurring line, seen on Yelp and Google, captures the local reaction: KHAKI is a wonderful addition to Bishop Ranch.
Five themes show up again and again in positive reviews:
Specific dishes named by guests: Lamb Shank Purdah Biryani, Jackfruit Cutlet, Champaran Handi Mutton, Butter Chicken
The cocktail program and the refined bar list
Service quality, with staff often named directly
The dining room, described as elegant without being stuffy
Accommodation of dietary needs, helped by Halal meats and a deep vegetarian section
Critical reviews exist and tend to focus on pricing being higher than some expect for Indian food, weekend wait times for walk-ins, and first-visit parking confusion at the City Center garage. The restaurant responds to reviews directly, often within a couple of days.
How the Bay Area Press Covered KHAKI
KHAKI drew unusual press attention for a suburban restaurant in its first year:
Forbes described the cuisine as a culinary love letter to post-independence India
Eater SF covered the opening and the City Center expansion
Diablo Magazine's 2025 East Bay roundup spotlighted KHAKI among notable new debuts, calling out the lamb shank biryani and jackfruit cutlets
The Infatuation included KHAKI in its San Ramon dining coverage by early 2026
Food & Beverage Magazine and FSR Magazine profiled the chefs and concept at opening
Press coverage matters here for two reasons beyond marketing. It's independent validation a potential diner can verify, and it shows the restaurant kept attracting attention past opening, which is usually when restaurant press dries up.
What Reviewers Praise Most: The Signature Dishes and the Bar
Across Google, Yelp, OpenTable, and Tripadvisor, the dishes guests name most:
Lamb Shank Purdah Biryani: braised lamb shank, aged basmati, sealed under a wheat-dough purdah, served for two. The dish reviewers say is worth the trip on its own
Champaran Handi Mutton: bone-in kid goat slow-cooked in a sealed clay handi, a rustic Bihari dish that's hard to find elsewhere in California
Jackfruit Cutlet: a Kolkata street-food classic, crumb-fried, the brothers' childhood favorite
Butter Chicken: the Delhi post-1947 classic that most diners use to judge an Indian kitchen
Mangalorean Beef Sukka: dry-roasted coastal Karnataka cooking few Bay Area restaurants attempt
On the bar, the signature cocktails (the AK Old Fashioned, Spicy Mirch Margarita, Gymkhana G&T, Saffron Lemon Drop) get named regularly, and reviews that mention non-drinking guests tend to call out the mocktail list.
Critic Recognition: The Michelin and James Beard Connection
Beyond press, the chefs carry credentials that explain the technical execution reviewers describe. Chef Sujan Sarkar earned a Michelin star for Indienne in Chicago, the first Michelin-starred Indian restaurant in that city, and was nominated for the James Beard Award for Best Chef: Great Lakes in 2024 and 2025. His brother Pujan ran Rooh in San Francisco for seven years before they opened Tiya together.
These credentials don't make food taste better on their own. What they predict is the rigor that shows up on the plate: the sealed-pot biryani, the disciplined tandoor work, a bar that treats Indian spices as real cocktail ingredients. That's the level the credentials suggest, and it's what reviewers describe in their own words.
Why Choose KHAKI After Reading the Reviews
Reviews are useful, but they only tell you what other people thought. What they point to, consistently, is the one thing that's genuinely hard to find in the Tri-Valley: regional Indian cooking executed at a level the rest of the area doesn't offer, from a kitchen with real Michelin pedigree.
If you're choosing between KHAKI and another San Ramon Indian restaurant, the practical case is straightforward. KHAKI is the only one in the area where the chef holds a Michelin star (Sujan Sarkar, for Indienne in Chicago), the only one with a full Indian cocktail program, and one of the few using Halal meats alongside a deep vegetarian menu that suits the local crowd. The 4.9 rating from 291 reviews and the Forbes, Eater, and Diablo coverage are the receipts. For a first visit, book a weekday or early-evening table on OpenTable, order across regions, and you'll understand what the reviews are pointing at.
FAQs About Visiting KHAKI for the First Time
Practical questions first-time visitors ask after reading the reviews.
What is KHAKI's rating?
KHAKI holds 4.9 out of 5 from more than 291 verified Google reviews as of this writing, with additional reviews on Yelp, OpenTable, and Tripadvisor.
Is KHAKI worth it?
Reviewers consistently say yes for the food and bar, with the main critique being price. It's a chef-driven fine dining room, priced accordingly, not a casual buffet.
Do you need a reservation at KHAKI San Ramon?
Reservations are recommended, especially Friday and Saturday evenings. Walk-ins are usually accommodated at the bar. Book on OpenTable. Weekdays and early seatings are quieter.
What is the dress code at KHAKI?
Casual to smart casual. There's no formal dress code, though many guests dress up a little for a celebration or date night.
How expensive is dinner at KHAKI?
Plan for roughly $75 to $130 per person for dinner without cocktails, more with the bar and dessert. Lunch runs lower, around $35 to $50 per person.
Where can I read more KHAKI reviews?
Google Maps, Yelp, OpenTable, and Tripadvisor carry diner reviews. Press coverage from Forbes, Eater SF, Diablo Magazine, and The Infatuation is linked from the press page.




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