August 15, 2023 – When the shahi curry paneer pizza turns out as good as it is brave—after the addition of some salty-spicy house chutney—I’m ready to bow. (Yes, paneer pizza.)
That instinct would be appropriate, because the primary definition of the yoga salutation “namaste” is bowing and showing a little love and respect.
And here Namaste is on its game in the name.
Namaste Bar & Grill represents the newest—and most creative—member of the Namaste Indian food family.
Other outposts range from Los Gatos to Palo Alto to Santa Cruz #1 on Mission Street. Its sibling spot on Lighthouse Avenue in New Monterey has itself earned Found Treasure treatment from Edible Monterey Bay.
This one slots in on Beach Street between the Boardwalk and Santa Cruz Wharf.
On the pizza, the mild paneer cheese, clever cashew cream, two types of bell pepper, onions and mozzarella work together unexpectedly well.
Our server calls this one his favorite of the 10 on the menu, which is how he steered us here instead of the other two we were eyeing, lamb boti kabab pizza and the “Namaste special” with marinated ground chicken and homemade chutney base.
The pizzas are only part of the adventurous puzzle here, which vibes with the location, youthful staff, pop-house covers on the speakers, eye-catching bar inventory and bright color palate.
Other curveballs include the short slate of designer cocktails, like the spicy mango margarita and Santa Cruz Sunset, which were selling well on a Thursday night that brought in a full house.
Fun pub-grub Indian fusion also translates to wings (tandoori chicken wings, lasooni pepper wings, spicy curry wings, mango masala wings), masala fries, masaledar cioppino and calamari with Indian dipping sauce.
While the Nepalese momos (steamed dumplings) tempted, we followed the pizza with the fresh zing of the avocado millet chaat, a vibrant spiced melange of avocado, subtle potato and pomegranate. 10/10 recommend.
Meanwhile, more traditional plates persist, making for a lot of choices.
Think biryani three different ways, various naan, saag paneer, vegetarian and non-veg curries, signature tikka masala, rack of lamb, tandoori chicken and more.
Two dishes that landed at neighboring tables—Goan-style lamb and ginger-marinated chatpat murg chicken—also drew admiration. (Alas we were stuffed.)
The old-school local who dined with me at the bar was as pleasantly surprised at the whole experience as I was.
“I’m coming back next week,” he announced.
In short, Beach Street has an atypical new attraction.
Namaste Grill & Bar • 303 Beach St. Santa Cruz • namasteindiabistro.com
About the author
Mark C. Anderson, Edible Monterey Bay's managing editor, appears on "Friday Found Treasures" via KRML 94.7 every week, a little after 12pm noon. Reach him via mark@ediblemontereybay.com.
