The Best Indian Restaurants in New York - Our Favourite Places to Eat in Gotham

Okay, so when you think of great Indian food, it’s safe to say that New York’s unlikely to be one of the first destinations that springs to mind. But while NYC might be more famed for its cheese-laden pizza and apple pie that it is or it's delicious curries, if you look hard enough you can also find some A-grade Indian food here as well.

All over New York City there are excellent Indian restaurants, each serving up some of the best South Asian food outside of India. Here we take a look at some of the best of them, so the next time you’re in the Big Apple you aren’t caught short and you know exactly where to head for some top-quality Indian cuisine.

Tamarind Tribeca



One of the best options for diners looking to treat their palate to some excellent Indian food is Tamarind Tribeca, a spin-off branch from the Michelin-starred restaurant of the same name that was once based in Flatiron.

Owner Avtar, who came to the USA 30 years ago, has retained every ounce of passion he brought with him all those years ago, and on any given night he can be seen tending to his guests and ensuring the service maintains its usual flawless standard.

The restaurant places a strong emphasis on fine dining, with the chefs looking to blend all of the traditional flavours of India with the trendy surroundings of its Tribeca home - this is Indian food with a difference.

It’s worth noting that they don’t allow children to dine here, so if you're with the kids you’d better opt for somewhere else on this list.

Indian Accent



If standard, run-of-the-mill Indian cuisine is what you’re after then you might want to give Indian Accent a miss as this trendy place is probably not the place for you.

However, if it’s fine dining and food that incorporates all of the traditional flavours of India while blending them with progressive, contemporary cooking that you’re looking for, then make your way to Indian Accent as you’ve found your spot.

While this Midtown West-located eatery has only been open for a few short years, the owners are by no means new to the restaurant industry; the New York branch is one of a trio of establishments - the other two based in London and New Delhi - that are featured on the acclaimed S. Pellegrino list of the world’s best restaurants, so you know your taste buds are in for a treat when you book a table here.

Indian Accent offers a truly inventive approach to Indian cuisine and although this high standard naturally comes with a hefty price tag, believe us when we say every mouthful is worth it!

Junoon



Situated in the up-market Chelsea area of Manhattan, it’s no surprise that this restaurant is on the upper-end of the luxury scale. However, even in these swanky surroundings Junoon has managed to distinguish itself, becoming the only Indian restaurant in the city to currently hold a Michelin star.

Junoon’s menu covers all regions of India, employing traditional Indian cookery methods you’ll have come across such as tandoor and handi pot cooking, as well as more specialized and unique techniques such as the patthar dishes, which are cooked on stone, giving the meat a distinctive flavour.

While Junoon has a Michelin star, don’t let that put you off if you’re budget is running low - the restaurant is very affordable - particularly for a fine dining establishment - and most main courses are priced at just $30, which is an absolute steal compared to most upper-end joints in NYC!

Ganesh Temple Canteen



If all of the above is a little too fancy and you’re just looking for some good old authentic and hearty Indian grub then Ganesh Temple Canteen in Flushing is the place to be.

While the decor at this simple-yet-charming restaurant might not project the glamour of its predecessors on this list, the food is another story. Serving up fiery, traditional Indian food with more kick than a thoroughbred racehorse - as well as a number of options for vegetarians - one thing Ganesh Temple Canteen has over its rivals is affordability; you can get your fill for as little as $10, making it by far the best value for money we could find.

Based in a Hindu house of worship, the restaurant is often filled with people who have just finished with their prayers, which only serves to add to the charm and authenticity of this delightful little establishment.

This guest post was written by Anna Mumford at newyorkweekendbreaks.com, a travel blogger with a passion for NYC who offers travel tips and guides to all the best things to see and do in the Empire state.

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Lip Smacking Assamese Cuisine

Recently I was in the state of Assam and was lucky to taste some of the local food there. As with any state, local food can be tasted in selected restaurants that only locals seem to know or at a native home. During this trip, my car driver, who was Assamese himself guided us to Assam’s amazing food.

My personal favourite is lye saag and young bamboo shoots in a hot steaming broth that I had along with local red glutinous rice. In fact, I liked this so much that everywhere I travelled in Assam I seemed to ask for this combination for my meals. Since lye saag was not easily available in the markets, we used to buy it straight from the farm. This combination tastes best with sliced raw onions and the famous spicy Assam green chillies. This combination is extremely healthy too. No wonder the locals, who eat this as staple food are fit as a fiddle. This same combination can be had with a non-vegetarian flavour too when the Lye Saag is replaced with mutton/chicken or river fish.

My other favourite on the vegetarian menu is the Baingan Pitika (a variant of the Baingan Bharta) where the Brinjal/Eggplant is steamed in a plantain leaf and then its outer skin is burnt on the fire. This tastes much better than the traditional Baingan Bharta. On the non-vegetarian menu, there is the fish pitika and fish tenga, both of which are hot favourites and were voted as ‘yummy’ by my non-vegetarian friends. Both the fish pitika and tenga are cooked in plantain leaves. The preparation though is slightly different.

Most of Assamese cuisine is surprising not too spicy and is cooked in mustard oil which gives it that distinct flavour and aroma. And after these lip smacking meals, you can relish the aromatic Assam tea (best tasted without milk).

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Nirvana – A Great Lounge and Restaurant at Hyderabad

If you happen to be in Hyderabad and wish to taste some authentic local cuisine and soak in a great lounge like atmosphere, then do visit the Nirvana Restaurant. This tastefully done up lounge-restaurant is located on the 4th floor of Lumbini Mall on Road No.2, Banjara Hills.

This place has an amazing bar and an excellent kitchen. My friends swear by the Nizami Murgh Biryani here. Me being a vegetarian, I can only vouch for their vegetarian fare.

The service is excellent and the dimly-lit paths surrounded by waterways, fountains and rose-petals is certainly very soothing. These guys have an exhaustive menu dealing in Indian, Hyderabadi, Italian and Mediterranean dishes. The food is fairly priced. For such an ambience and taste, the cost is very much within reach. 

I like this place so much that I tend to plonk myself for at least a couple of hours during my every single visit to Hyderabad.

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The famous Murugan Idli Shop!!

Murugan Idli Shop - this might sound a new name to you, but for the passengers of Indian Railways who have had their breakfast of Idlis and Vadai sambar at the Madurai railway station will tell you otherwise. These people, including me and my dad, blindly trust this brand name for the sheer taste  and quality that they offer. Murugan Idli Shop is one of the rising South Indian cuisine brands in India and Singapore. A recent entrant into the Chennai market, they have been seeing a hugely positive response from the masses. People of Chennai typically don't go out to eat Idlis at restaurants, but most people break the trend here as the Idlis at Murugan Idli Shop are much better than the ones made at home.


On the morning of Aug 16, 2009, my friends and I went to sample their Idlis for breakfast at their newly opened T Nagar branch in Chennai. We had to wait for a while as this place was bustling with people and activity even at 10 AM, which is post standard breakfast timings. Once we found our place, steaming hot Idlis, 4 types of Chutneys and Sambar was served to us on plantain leaves. On special request, one can even ask for the searing mulagai podi (gunpowder mix made of lentils, red chillies and sesame seeds) with nalla yennai (sesame oil). The food was truly amazing. It was the best South Indian breakfast I have tasted. The only breakfast that tastes better than this are the ones cooked at my Grandma's place. After a series of helpings, we topped off our breakfast list with Sakkarai Pongal (Sweet Jaggery Rice) and steaming hot South Indian filter coffee. 

While I liked the hygiene that this place offered, I would prefer if they did not serve drinking water in disposable plastic glasses and rather in traditional stainless steel tumblers. Overall, a great dining experience. Traditional South Indian breakfast at its very best!

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