NAWAAB RESTAURANT (CAMBRIDGE)

You'll find yourself on Fitzroy Street in that slightly quieter stretch between the market square bustle and the student sprawl, stepping into a room that's warm without trying too hard. Nawaab does the whole spectrum—proper tandoori, rich curries that taste like someone actually knows their spices, breads that arrive hot and puffed. The lunch buffet brings in the local office crowd for a reason: it's honest food at honest prices. Come evening, order properly and they'll take you somewhere worth going.