Cilantro Bangladeshi Bistro

Authentic Bengali family run restaurant serving up simple and homely Bangla food. We were here from Washington DC for a family vacation to Virginia Beach. It is a bit of a drive from the Boardwalk area but definitely worth the trip. Most Indian restaurants here in DC area tend to have a standardized menu of mass produced dishes that taste the same everywhere, Cilantro on the other hand is refreshingly original in its approach and flavor. Their menu seems to change based on what they have fresh for the day and they run specials on a daily basis. Each meal is cooked by the owner herself and you can really feel the attention to the cooking. I caught a glimpse of the kitchen and was surprised to see how much it resembled a kitchen in a home rather than a restaurant. The service was genuine, warm and friendly. Our waiter was one of the family members of the owner of the business and although young, was able to provide us great service and attention. He was very pleasant and made sure we were comfortable and well accommodated throughout out our time at the restaurant. Coming to the most important aspect - the food is absolutely incredibly delicious and the best Bengali/Indian restaurant that we have been to. The servings are generous and the price is great for the quality and quantity of food you receive. The most striking aspect for me was the honesty/simplicity of the preparations which I thought unlocked the flavors of the ingredients used - as opposed to an onslaught of spices that are the standard in most big city restaurants that we have gotten used to in DC. We were served an appetizer of Chop, which was so delicious that we ended up getting everything they had for the day. This place is also great for people with allergies. My nephews that have a myriad of allergies were able to eat everything in the menu with no problem. Great for people with peanut, nut or gluten allergies. If you have a lot of allergies or specific tastes, I would not hesitate to ask the cook for their suggestions and they will gladly give you their recommendation based on the day's menu. We chose the Firni for dessert and it was amazing and was a fitting end to a delightful early dinner. Definitely going here again next time we are in town. I wish we discovered this gem earlier in our vacation so that we could have visited it multiple times.