Though smaller than the Orlando location, the Winter Park restaurant offers a dining experience that is simultaneously intimate and distanced, using the interior dining room with its full-wall window looking out to an atrium with covered dining under a never deciduous tree. And if that isn’t enough, there are also tables on the sidewalk fronting Park Avenue.

Tamarind brings fine Indian cuisine to an area of town that could use some diversification. The main menu is extensive, with categories of chicken, lamb, seafood and vegetarian entrees as well as a selection of tandoori items and dosas. The lunch menu has a fraction of the items found on the dinner menu, which was disappointing at first — I wish I had had more options, especially in terms of soups and appetizers, which are essentially nonexistent at lunchtime, a samosa being the only exception.
But everything I sampled was wonderful, and service was warm and gracious.

Almost walked out because the place was empty at the height of lunch hour. I’m glad I stayed.

Like Udipi Café Woodlands is all vegetarian, and it’s all good. Dosai are intimidatingly large crepes wrapped around myriad fillings; Uthappam are Indian-style pancakes that resemble latkes. A house specialty is chana bhatura, a big puffy bread that looks sort of like an expanded Jiffy Pop. But with better stuff inside.
All of the staff I had contact with were friendly and helpful, taking time to explain the various dishes. Although with a clientele that was mostly Indian on one of the nights I visited, not much explaining is necessary.