Martin's House of Indian Food: Paramaribo's Halal Indian Institution
Family-run since 1979, still the city's benchmark for biryani, thali and tandoor.
Why Go
Suriname's culinary DNA is famously Indo-Caribbean, but very few kitchens plate up unapologetically North Indian food. Martin's has been doing exactly that on H.N. Hajarystraat for more than four decades, and it remains the only fully halal, authentic Indian restaurant in the country. Locals bring visiting family here to prove that Paramaribo can hold its own against Delhi or Durban.
The Experience
Tucked into the Rainville side of Paramaribo, Martin's feels less like a tourist stop and less like a canteen than something in between: an airy, open-air dining room dotted with Buddha statues, ceiling fans stirring the humid Suriname air, and the constant clatter of tandoor tongs from an open kitchen. Tables fill quickly at lunch with a mix of Hindustani-Surinamese families, embassy staff and expats hunting for a taste of home, and by evening it becomes the go-to for celebratory thalis. Service is warm and unhurried in classic Surinamese fashion ΓÇö expect friendly recommendations, generous portions and a bill that feels almost apologetic given how much food arrives at the table.
What to Try
Start with a plate of hot samosas and kachori, then commit to the non-vegetarian thali ΓÇö it lands with chicken tandoori, fish curry in a bright tomato-based gravy, vegetable biryani, paneer, freshly griddled roti, tamarind and mango chutneys, and a piece of jamun. The tandoori chicken and butter-soft naans are the reliable crowd-pleasers, but regulars swear by scooping the fish curry with torn roti alongside a spoon of biryani. Wash it down with a mango lassi made from fruit grown on a nearby farm, and finish with the mithai plate (gulab jamun, rasmalai, burfi, laddu, rasgulla).
Insider Tip
Order the thali even if you think you can't finish it ΓÇö it's the cheapest way to sample the kitchen's whole range in one sitting, and leftovers travel back to your guesthouse beautifully. If you're here on a weekday around midday, ask whether the buffet is running: it's not always advertised to walk-ins but it's how in-the-know locals eat here for lunch.
The Practical Stuff
Address: H.N. Hajarystraat, Paramaribo (Rainville side, roughly a 10-minute taxi from the historic centre). Hours: daily 10:00ΓÇô23:00. Phone: +597 743-7535. Fully halal. Cash in SRD is safest ΓÇö card acceptance can be patchy. Reservations aren't essential but are smart for groups of four or more, especially Friday and Saturday evenings. Outdoor seating available; dress is casual.
Pair It With
- 101 Suites Guide — Comfortable Paramaribo stay within a short taxi ride, making Martin's an easy walk-back-and-nap dinner.
- Aanansi ATV Tours Guide — Big appetites after a day off-roading through Suriname's interior pair perfectly with a heaping thali and mango lassi.
- 597SpeedUp Watertubing Guide — River-day adventures burn calories fast ΓÇö refuel with tandoori, biryani and gulab jamun on the way back into town.