PALMER TWP., Pa. – A renovation project has been completed at a popular Lehigh Valley restaurant, bringing updated dining areas and food offerings to the establishment.
Bharat Bistro, offering authentic North Indian and South Indian cuisine, on Wednesday will hold a soft reopening following five months of upgrades at the Palmer Park Mall in Palmer Township, Northampton County.
To celebrate its reopening, the restaurant will offer complimentary dosa, snacks and hot tea from noon to 2 p.m. on Wednesday, co-owner Mariya Afreen told 69 News.
Bharat Bistro
Afreen and her partners, Ricky Kumar and Honey Arora, opened Bharat Bistro in February 2025.
The mall site previously housed other restaurants, including Arby’s, The New Ranchito and Aroma Authentic Indian Cuisine.
Bharat Bistro, which temporarily closed in mid-August, features new flooring, lighting, wallpaper and paint, tile accents, furniture, kitchen equipment and more.
In addition to upgrading the space, the partners also expanded the menu to include new appetizers, entrees and desserts, Afreen said.
Guests can enjoy fresh bread such as garlic naan, roti, laccha paratha and chicken kulcha; and appetizers such as chicken and vegetable samosas, crispy gobi (crispy battered cauliflower tossed with light spices and herbs), vada pav (spiced potato fritter served in a soft bun with chutneys) and various pakora (Indian fritters featuring your choice of chicken, shrimp, fish or vegetable).
Bharat Bistro
Other menu highlights include tandoori selections such as chicken, shrimp, lamb chop and paneer tikka; biryani options such as chicken, lamb, goat and vegetarian; and various dosa (plan, masala, cheese or mysore masala).
A wide array of chicken, lamb, goat, fish and shrimp entrees include popular picks such as chicken tikka masala, traditional butter chicken, lamb rogan josh, goat kadhai, fish curry and shrimp chettinad.
The menu also features vegetarian main-courses such as channa masala (chickpeas cooked in a tangy tomato-onion gravy with traditional spices) and dal makhani (slow-cooked black lentils simmered with butter and cream); and Indo-Chinese options such as chicken noodles, gobi Manchurian, cheese chilli paneer and vegetable fried rice.
“Bharat Bistro is where fine dining meets unforgettable flavor – from rich North Indian delicacies to perfectly crafted Indo-Chinese cuisine, every dish is a celebration,” reads a message on the restaurant’s menu. “Guided by the vision and dedication of its partners, Bharat Bistro offers not just exceptional food, but a truly premium dining experience.”
Bharat Bistro, with seating for approximately 75 guests, also offers desserts such as gulab jamun, kheer rice pudding, gajar halwa (carrot pudding) and assorted ice cream.
Following its soft reopening on Wednesday, the restaurant will operate 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily, Afreen said.
Bharat Bistro operates alongside roughly a dozen other Palmer Park Mall food and dining options, including Carrabba’s Italian Grill, Dairy Queen/Orange Julius, Dino’s Pizza-teria II, Ecua Republic, Hocaa Bubble Tea, Pretzels Plus and Wrap’d Tight 2.0.