It used to be that going out to one of our many local Indian restaurants for a sinus-clearing curry or a crisp pakora meant you had to sacrifice atmosphere in exchange for really excellent food. Then came the rise of the fine-dining Indian restaurant in the Twin Cities. Suddenly we had delicious, inventive Indian food and ambiance to spare, but of course it cost a pretty penny. Somewhere in between, we got Darbar Indian Grill in Uptown, a place that does the greatest hits to a T (silky shahi paneer, rich rogan josh, tender kebabs, and an emphasis on south Indian fare), but with enough polish and sophistication for a romantic date night or pre-theater dinner, at totally fair prices. Its commitment to using free-range poultry and list of specialty martinis and hard-to-find Indian beers make Darbar an especially worthy destination, even in an area populated by Indian restaurants.