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The Oven - Downtown, Lincoln, NE

The Oven - Downtown

4.7
4.7
523 Reviews
$30 and under
Indian

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • Great for fine wines
The first Oven Restaurant, located in the heart of downtown Lincoln, has been around since 1988 and owned/operated by a dedicated family of chefs who have been creating Indian cuisine for over twenty seven years. The Oven Restaurants specialize in Northern Indian Cuisine which is known for its rich colors, flavor profiles and a unique style of cooking in a clay oven, called the Tandoor. Chicken, shrimp and lamb marinate for several hours in a yogurt and spice mixture and placed on skewers while various breads are being hand made by our chefs fresh each day. The skewers and breads are then placed in the tandoor over an open flame where breads are cooked to perfection and the rich flavors are sealed in to ensure tenderness and quality of the meat. Whether you enjoy the historic Haymarket atmosphere to the relaxed vibe of the Cellar, we have what you want!

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Indian, Wine Bar, Asian
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 2:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm
  • Phone number
    (402) 475-6118
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Ngawang Rinchen
  • Neighborhood
    Lincoln
  • Cross street
    P Street
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wine

What 523 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.7Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Nebraska

    Best Value

  • Lincoln

    Best Overall

  • Lincoln

    Best Food

  • Lincoln

    Best Ambiance

  • Lincoln

    Best Value

  • Lincoln

    Innovative

  • Lincoln

    Healthy

  • Lincoln

    Hot spot

  • Lincoln

    Great for fine wines

  • Lincoln

    Good for special occasions

  • Lincoln

    Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
The Oven - Downtown offers "consistently outstanding food and service," making it a "must visit" in Lincoln. Known for exceptional Indian cuisine and a "fantastic wine list," it excels in creating memorable dining experiences. Despite occasional service hiccups, the ambiance and diverse menu keep patrons returning for more.

523 Reviews
  1. Amy

    New York City

    3 reviews

    2.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 2
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 2
    Been coming to the oven for 30 years. The food is at times inconsistent but for the most part enjoyable. They also have a great wine selection and the upstairs seating area has a nice ambiance. At dinner meals come with either soup or salad. They were out but we weren’t told until we already had appetizers and drinks. They didn’t provide anything as a substitute saying those items are “free” and they were unexpectedly busy and ran out. First time I’ve run into this situation. When ordering a meal with soup/salad and rice I don’t think of those items as free, they are all part of the price. A small gesture of a piece of bread would have been appreciated.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Maureen

    Omaha

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Always excellent food and service. We are longtime, repeat diners.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Iyrel

    Omaha

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on December 18, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had a wonderful time! Our server was great, ordered dishes were delicious as usual. One of our favorite places to dine in Lincoln. Thank you.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Alice

    VIP

    Greater Boston

    17 reviews

    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on December 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    One of our go to places for ourselves and also when we have company

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  5. Kelley

    Omaha

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on December 15, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent Indian food drinks wine good quality and expensive

    Is this helpful?

  6. Wendy

    VIP

    Omaha

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on December 14, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best place in town for a wonderful dinner! My fav!!!!

    Is this helpful?

  7. tony

    VIP

    Detroit

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on December 4, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always amazing service and food at The Oven in Haymarket LNK! Pratik and the entire team make you feel welcome throughout the evening. Spectacular wine list curated by Pratik is worth the visit itself. Must go while in LNK

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  8. Kim

    Kansas City

    6 reviews

    5.0

    6 reviews

    Dined on December 3, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent. We ate downstairs which was lovely and quiet. Reminded us why we don’t go more often-we will definitely try to correct that!

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  9. Jim

    Omaha

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on November 17, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My wife and I had an outstanding dinner at The Oven (Haymarket). Mulligatawny - excellent. Paneer Kulcha - excellent. Shrimp Pakora - excellent. Lamb Madras - banging. Cassidy was a fantastic server/host. We will be back.

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  10. Abi

    Omaha

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on November 16, 2024

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Sarah was the sweetest server! Great timing and great service! Made sure we got all the food we needed to go and made excellent food suggestions!

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

The Oven - Downtown is rated 4.7 stars by 523 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 29 times today
Google Map for The Oven - Downtown

201 N. 8th St., Lincoln, NE 68508

Additional information

  • Cross street
    P Street
  • Neighborhood
    Lincoln
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 2:00pm Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm - 10:30pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Indian, Wine Bar, Asian
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Ngawang Rinchen
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Delivery, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, View, Wine
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