Taj Indian Cuisine and Bar brings back one of Madison’s first and favorite Indian restaurants, now at 444 S. Park St. It’s closer to campus than its original location, which was torn down and redeveloped in 2019. 

The new Taj has a big square bar and a contemporary look, from the brewpubs that previously occupied the space. At lunch, there’s no buffet, but “express” lunch specials, served in a thali, provide somewhat of a sampler. The vegetarian special ($16) offers a choice of saag paneer, mattar paneer, or paneer pepper masala as an entree, served alongside a dark and spicy dal makhani, basmati rice, a cooling lettuce and cucumber salad, and fresh hot naan. The superb saag paneer has plenty of the soft cheese and velvety spinach and avoids the metallic taste this dish can sometimes carry. Ordered at medium, it was approaching challenging spiciness. Unusual for area Indian restaurants, Taj also offers a vegan special ($15), with choice of vegetable curry, saag tofu, or channa masala and sides of rustic yellow dal and a rich griddled roti. The vegan saag tofu doesn’t taste that different from the saag paneer, in the end. Vegetarian diners can sub the yellow dal and the roti for the dal makhani and naan (which I would do just because I love yellow dal). It’s a lot of lunch — but I also didn’t take anything home in a doggie bag.