Indian Restaurant Opens

The newly opened restaurant The Maharaja is bringing fine Indian dining to the second floor of the Galeria on JFK Street, moving into the former location of the Bombay Club.

The restaurant, which opened on March 14, aims to emulate the atmosphere of an Indian palace, featuring traditional Indian decor on the exterior and interior.

“We wanted to make it more of a destination instead of just pictures of India. We decided to get decor directly from India,” said Aman Thakur, who owns the restaurant along with his two partners Sajal Latka and Rohit Talwar.

“There are lots of smaller ‘hole in the wall’ restaurants, but we wanted to spend a little more and attract people from throughout Boston and Cambridge.”

The restaurant’s recipes are based on royal Indian cuisine, according to Latka.

“It’s an exotic cuisine with all its flavors, but it’s also the whole ambiance,” Latka said. “We want our guests to sit down and enjoy a different cuisine with a beautiful view of Harvard Square and not feel rushed.”

The three partners have previously founded three Indian restaurants in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, all of which are called India Palace.

However, the partners decided to name the Harvard Square restaurant Maharaja, which means “the king of kings,” according to Thakur.

“We wanted a different name to give this restaurant its own identity,” he said.

The restaurant has not held an official grand opening yet, instead opting to wait for a liquor license.

The Maharaja is one of several Indian restaurants in Harvard Square, including Tanjore and Tamarind Bay.

Tamarind Bay owner Vik Kapoor said he is glad to see that the location of Bombay Club has been filled. While both his restaurant and the Maharaja offer Indian cuisine, they vary in style, he said.

“Tamarind Bay stands by what we have done for the last five or six years. We have a limited menu with very authentic food. Maharaja is offering everything under the sun. It’s a different kind of concept,” Kapoor said.

The Maharaja has 2,400 square feet of seating with 120 seats, and is open from 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily for a lunch buffet in the early afternoon and for dinner. However, the restaurant may expand its hours in the future to create a weekend lounge.

Latka said that although the decor may make the restaurant seem more upscale, the restaurant offers reasonable prices. Customers will receive a 15 percent discount with any student ID.

Denise A. Jillson, the executive director of the Harvard Square Business Association, said the owners are “terrific community partners.”

“They hosted the 101st annual meeting and breakfast for the HSBA even before they officially opened and welcomed over 120 HSBA members and the Cambridge City Council and the mayor to a wonderful breakfast,” Jillson said.

Latka said he is hoping to increase their connections with the community and other businesses.

“Boston is one of the best business markets, and this place needed good Indian food. There are some good Indian restaurants here, but we are hoping to be a big one,” he said.

—Staff writer Kerry M. Flynn can be reached at kflynn@college.harvard.edu.