Yogurt Kebab sitting in a pink sauce
Photograph courtesy of Bungalow| Yogurt Kebab
Photograph courtesy of Bungalow

The 18 best Indian restaurants in NYC right now

New York’s Indian food scene covers the breadth of flavors from across the subcontinent

Will Gleason
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Finally, Indian food is in control of its own story. Tired of pandering to Western tastes (butter chicken, we are talking to you), Indian restaurateurs are boldly exploring regional specialties of their homelands, and they are graciously inviting us for the ride. From fine dining to street snacks, these are the best Indian restaurants NYC has to offer. 

RECOMMENDED: Find more of the best restaurants in NYC

Best Indian restaurants in NYC

  • Lower East Side

A stellar addition to Manhattan’s culinary scene, Dhamaka offers fare from “the other side of India” that is, the regions and cuisines less familiar to the American palate. Excellent street-food inspired snacks, homemade breads and goat biryani stand out from the wonderfully spicy and texturally diverse menu.

  • Delis
  • East Village
  • price 1 of 4

For nearly 30 years, this deli on the Lower East Side has been a backbone of the Punjabi community. Large plates of rice comes with your choice of three authentic Indian vegetarian options, such as chana masala (chickpeas) and saag paneer (creamed spinach) for an affordable meal.

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  • Indian
  • Gramercy
  • price 2 of 4

Vegans, pescatarians and meat eaters alike will delight at the options available at this Union Square area cafe, whose name means “conversation.” You’ll have plenty to talk about as you dig into both their more unique takes on Bombay-inspired flavors like the crispy okra and guacamole or the Gupshup fried chicken, and more traditional offerings, like curried chickpeas and black dahl. Oh, and the butter naan is absolutely divine.

  • Indian
  • Queens

A vegetarian Indian food haven in Floral Park, Queens specializing in fast casual bites, savory snacks and colorful desserts. Usha is one of the best vegetarian destinations for generous portions, combo platters that allow you to try a little bit of everything and a menu that strongly demonstrates you don't need meat to have one of the city's most satisfying meals. It's just down the road from Patel Brothers, one of our favorite supermarkets for hard-to-find Indian pantry staples.

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  • West Village

Of Semma, Padma Lakshmi said it best, "this menu is a love letter to South India." Here, chef Vijay Kumar pulls from his upbringing growing up in his family’s rice paddy fields in Tamil, India. Starters begin with Mulaikattiya Thaniyam, a snack of sprouted mung beans that frequented his childhood, and the gingery Kudal Varuval or goat intestines prepared just as his mother had. Unfamiliar with this cuisine? Semma’s well-prepared servers invite conversation so you can learn while you eat.

  • Indian
  • Jackson Heights

This no-frills-yet-beloved restaurant is located in Jackson Heights, home to arguably the best Indian food in all of NYC. The menu features mostly northern-inspired traditional Indian dishes. Go for any of the biryanis – a mixed rice dish – or the chole bhature, a combo of chana masala (curried chickpeas) and puri (deep-fried bread).

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  • Indian
  • Clinton Hill
  • price 1 of 4

A South Indian staple in Fort Greene, this colorful restaurant is destination-worthy. A slew of apps and curries are heavy on veggies, and feature cheffy-riffs on traditional Indian fare. Butter chicken is grilled before slathered in sauce and fried eggs can be added to five types of rice. Of course, the namesake course, dosas, are top notch, large enough to stretch over the plate and served with an option of toppings. Visit during lunch for great deals! 

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  • Indian
  • Midtown West
  • price 2 of 4

Indian Accent is the first international outpost of Rohit Khattar and celebu-chef Manish Mehrotra’s South Delhi blockbuster, previously India’s sole representative on the S. Pellegrino list of world’s best restaurants. On looks alone, Indian Accent edges closer to fine-dining than fun-loving.

  • East Village

With a resume that includes host of MasterChef India and manning Michelin-starred revue, Junoon, chef Vikas Khanna's name alone is enough to draw a crowd. But Bungalow's buzz stands on its own. Tackling the broad scope of Indian cuisine, you can find Banarasi Puri with cilantro and tamarind chutneys and a pleasantly pink beetroot raita to lamb chops straight from the recipe book of the owner's mother. Don't be surprised if you see chef Khanna making his rounds, greeting tables and personally serving plates. 

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  • Indian
  • Kips Bay
  • price 1 of 4

Grab a mango lassi and nizam roll from this Indian street-food shop. Choose from a mix-and-match menu of bread (roti, paratha, the puffy Mumbai bread pav) and fillings (chicken tikka, slow-cooked lamb bhuna, paneer with tomatoes and green chilies). Since the pandemic, the 22-seat spot sports lined with colorful wall hangings and paisley stenciling has also been offering meal kits.

  • Indian
  • Long Island City
  • price 2 of 4

The restaurant’s name means, “a place where people hang out,” which is the desire of the team behind this Queens spot. Indulge in traditional dishes—buttered chicken on the bone, say, or Lucknowi dum biryani—in the eclectic space lined with collages of Indian newspapers.

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  • Indian
  • East Village
Malai Marke
Malai Marke

Locals know to flock to Malai Marka on the East Village’s “curry row” aka Sixth Street. This low key North Indian restaurant serves excellent renditions of the classics, like saag paneer and chicken tikka masala, and the vegetarian malai kofta are worth seeking out. The extensive menu also has a dedicated section for Calcuttan Chinese cuisine and a “spicy club” for curries that bring on the heat.

  • Indian
  • Queens
  • price 1 of 4

Tucked in the basement of the Hindu Ganesh Temple you can find this humble cafeteria, dishing out South Indian classics. Savory fritters vadas and Indian-style flatbread uttappam make up the bill of fare. Plus, find 13 dosas (lentil flour crêpes), ranging from mild (masala with potatoes and onions) to fiery (Pondicherry with sliced green chilies). Cooling coconut chutney and a spicy sambar vegetable stew accompany each order.

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  • Union Square
  • 3 out of 5 stars
  • Recommended

This Union Square invites you to journey from Mumbai to Kanyakumari. Expect coastal South Indian cuisine with starter-sized plates like crisp bonda and fried chicken and fantastic curry covering a bone-in fish. 

  • Flatiron
  • price 2 of 4

There is not a single wrong choice to be made at this stunning Tribeca-based fine dining restaurant, which is perfect for special occasions – the individual outdoor tents are designed to both insulate diners from one another (a pandemic perk), but also serve to set the stage for romance or celebration. If you’re in the mood to imbibe, go for the The Ultimate Maharaja, a cardamom-infused vodka cocktail that pairs perfectly with nearly everything on the menu. 

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  • Indian
  • Midtown East
  • price 2 of 4

Amma is the Hindi word for “mother,” and if you let Mom take care of you at this restaurantyou’ll thank her later. The courteous waitstaff will help you sort out the à la carte menu. You might try crisp fried okra or bhel puri, a lighter interpretation of the classic street food. Thick, buttery tandoor-grilled lamb chops are perfectly complemented by pear chutney.

  • Indian
  • Midtown East
  • price 2 of 4

Don’t be overwhelmed by the number of options at Chola, since you’ll rarely go wrong with whatever you get. Dine in for dishes like Savitri Amma’s idli (steamed rice cakes), which arrive with fresh coconut chutney, a southern Indian specialty, or take away one of their signature lunch boxes to go, which include an entree, rice, dal, and naan or roti ($14.95-17.95). Also worth a mention that the varied spices are balanced with care.

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