Step off the cobblestoned street, cross the threshold of vivid spices and simmering aromas, and you’ll find something rare: a place where food is not simply served, but celebrated. That place is Namaskaar, the Indian restaurant in Baden‑Baden that has carried its torch of warmth, tradition, and exquisite flavour for nearly forty years. The beating heart behind it today is owner Lumnije Rrahmani, known to most simply as Flora, a woman who grew up in the restaurant’s golden glow and now keeps its spirit alive with love, authenticity, and a smile as warm as her welcome.
A Name That Bows to the Heart
Before we dive into Flora’s story, it’s worth pausing at the name itself: Namaskaar.
More than a greeting, Namaskar is a Sanskrit word rich in meaning – a reverent “I bow to you.”
It’s a spiritual welcome, one that recognises the light in each person. That spirit of honour, connection, and heartfelt hospitality flows through every corner of the restaurant, from the first “hello” to the last spoonful of dessert.
A Journey Beginning in 1985
Since opening in 1985, Namaskaar has meant more than “just” Indian food. It has been a refuge, a place of family‑like welcome, rich aromas, and bold but balanced flavors. Birds of many feathers such as local Germans, travelers, devoted connoisseurs have made regular pilgrimages here. Why? Because Namaskaar doesn’t just offer a meal: it offers a memory.
Flora, the daughter of this legacy, grew up in its light. Entering the kitchen at age 14, she learned not only how spices mingle, how lentils simmer, but also how kindness, consistency, and genuine hospitality hold people long after the food empty plates.
When the original founder and mentor, Sandeep Bakshi, passed away, Namaskaar stood at a turning point. Many would have faltered. But it was Flora – encouraged by Sandeep’s wife, Mrs. Bakshi, the family, the staff, and the loyal patrons – who rose to guard the flame. It was never ambition alone, but love: love for the founder’s dream, love for the flavors she grew up with, and love for the community this place had nurtured.
Keeping Flavours Real, Keeping Guests Close
Flora isn’t the chef in the technical sense, but she is keeper of authenticity. Namaskaar’s kitchen is a temple of tradition: fresh ingredients, skill passed down through shared years, recipes refined again and again. Chefs like Om Singh and Shalender Panualy are the master artists behind the curries, tandoori, and rogan josh that so many call “home.”
Her influence is evident in every detail, ranging from the way the menu honours the complexity of Indian cuisine without overwhelming to how each dish resonates with both bold spice lovers and curious newcomers. The staff, many of whom have been with Namaskaar for years, move with quiet confidence, offering not just service, but genuine warmth and heartfelt smiles. It is a continuity rooted in care.
For Flora, Indian cuisine is more than food. It is home, it is culture, it is the weaving together of what makes people human: care, story, belonging.
Between Two Worlds: Tradition and Adaptation
Guests arrive from near and far; many are German, many international, all seekers of something genuine. Flora honors that by refusing to compromise authenticity, yet she listens carefully. The flavors at Namaskaar are unabashedly Indian, yet balanced – not to dilute, but to ensure that every palate can join the feast.
Local ingredients and German hospitality don’t dilute the Indian soul. They enrich. The interplay of local expectation, seasonal availability, and heartfelt tradition gives Namaskaar both roots and wings.
Heart, Family, Dreams
Flora is, among many things: a mother of three, balancing the demands of family and the calling of a restaurant. Yet she laughs, “It has always been this way.” Her husband, children, her mother (who has worked there for over 26 years) all are woven into the tapestry. Perhaps in this blending of personal and professional lies part of Namaskaar’s secret: everyone who steps in is not just staff or guest, but family.
Her truest inspiration? The smiles at the end of the meal. The guests who return year after year. The ones who say: “I for a moment was in India, though I’m here in Baden‑Baden.”
Looking ahead, the dream is simple and expansive: see Namaskaar grow. Perhaps more locations, more possibilities but always with that singular desire: that every person who walks in feels at ease, leaves with full heart and satisfied senses.
What Awaits You at Namaskaar
If you visit Namaskaar, come expecting more than “just dinner.” Expect:
- A warm, family atmosphere, where strangers are greeted like old friends.
- Dishes that sing of freshness, authenticity, and love ranging from tandoori kitchens to curries that whisper stories of spice, earth, heat, and history.
- Staff and chefs who care deeply, whose experience shows not just in technique but in the way they treat you.
A place to linger: over food, over conversation, over memories and connection.
The Warmth That Waits Behind the Door
In a world that so often feels rushed, Namaskaar offers a slowing down. It offers the richness of flavour and the richness of presence. It is, as Flora wishes, a place where you don’t just eat. You arrive. You stay. You remember. And you smile.
So, next time you walk by, allow the spices to draw you in. Allow the familiar rhythms of warmth and welcome to settle over you.
Namaskaar is more than a restaurant.
It is a sanctuary of flavour, a home away from home, and Flora’s heart beats for you to be part of its story.
Namaskaar
Kreuzstr. 1
76530 Baden-Baden
https://www.namaskaar.de/
