Panna Ii Garden Indian Rstrnt

(212) 598-4610

93 1st Ave
New York, NY 10003 40.7262 -73.9865

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Neighborhoods: East Village, Downtown

PANNA2.COM

Price:

$

Last updated 10.17.11

Category:

Restaurants

Payment Methods:

Cash

Catering Services:

Restaurant Management

Restaurant Special Features:

Local Favorite, B.Y.O.B., Cheap Eats

General Info:

Open 7 Days

Cuisine:

Indian

What People Are Saying About Panna Ii Garden Indian Rstrnt

Featured Review

Contributor

Contributor

In Short – The one up the stairs and to the right, this restaurant blends in with a neighborhood of tiny Indian joints. It is distinguished by its maximalist approach to decoration, as it wages a who-can-accumulate-more-hanging-lights battle with neighbor Milon. The menu covers the expected standards: curries, kurmas, biryanis, tandooris. Specialties include lobster with spinach, spicy marinated Bombay chicken, and a chicken-liver appetizer. The prices are such that meeting the $10 minimum charge is an effort. –

ambiance
88.88999938964844% positive
  1. “Add bhangra playing in the background, a busy atmosphere, a decent menu and great prices, this will soon become your favorite as it has mine.”
  2. “Having visited over the past few years enough to have a number of less than ideal experiences, I recommend this place for small parties looking for good food, cheap prices, a short casual dinner, and a crazy atmosphere you can tell all your friends about-”
  3. “However, the atmosphere is overwhelmingly ridiculous and the environment so conducive to fun, that you're likely to fall in love with this place if you take it on its own terms.”
  4. “From the insane decor to the very affordable prices and the amazing food.”
  5. “Panna 2 brings trendy and fun to the lower east side, I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a greatatmosphere and/or great indian food”
  6. “With enough christmas lights to challenge any oversized christmas tree, or winter suburban home for that matter, this restaurant ranks as one of my favorites for the ambience alone.”
  7. “This small restaurant is packed with red christmas lights, it adds a fun and interesting appeal.”
  8. “This place is sensory overload with the lights and decorations, but the food is always good and the service is friendly.”
  9. “crazy decorations, great prices”
dessert
100.0% positive
  1. “Sometimes, the service is good, sometimes, the guys are real weirdos and try to get you out before you can finish dessert.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “Shop for some exotic beers at the deli down the street -- they'll be happy to provide empty glasses, and go with a big group and try one of everything from the menu.”
  2. “The service is incredible and fast- they cork whatever bottle of wine you bring with you!”
food quality
86.3599967956543% positive
  1. “Very good Indian food with a price that doesn't hurt the pocket.”
  2. “Terrible food”
  3. “The chicken kashmir is quite good and the banana fritters are excellent.”
  4. “diners, you will really be stonished about tasty, unexpensive menue.”
  5. “would recommend the chicken with bananas dish, it was great.”
  6. “Having visited over the past few years enough to have a number of less than ideal experiences, I recommend this place for small parties looking for good food, cheap prices, a short casual dinner, and a crazy atmosphere you can tell all your friends about-”
  7. “The food and service are superb.”
  8. “And it's all really great food.”
  9. “If instead you pay other people to cook food for you because you want to be able to have a conversation with your dining companions and enjoy eating tasty food, go somewhere else.”
  10. “Check it out, it's at least good drunk food.”
  11. “This place had amazing food, it's definitely worth going to.”
  12. “This place is sensory overload with the lights and decorations, but the food is always good and the service is friendly.”
  13. “The food was mediocre at best (very dry rice, over-cooked chicken, tasteless tandoori) and the staff literally took my brother's plate out from under his fork to get us out of the restaurant in under 30 minutes!”
  14. “From the insane decor to the very affordable prices and the amazing food.”
  15. “During the weekend it's packed but the food still comes super fast.”
  16. “Whether it's the lights, the waiters, or the food, I LOVE THIS PLACE.”
  17. “It's quite an experience and the food's cheap, and you get good portions.”
  18. “The food is good (taste wise) for the amount of money you pay.”
  19. “The service is horrible and the food is worse.”
  20. “If you want yummy Indian food, friendly service and chili pepper lights, Panna II has no equal.”
  21. “Panna 2 brings trendy and fun to the lower east side, I recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for a greatatmosphere and/or great indian food”
  22. “but the service is attentive and pleasant and the food is delicious!”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “Shop for some exotic beers at the deli down the street -- they'll be happy to provide empty glasses, and go with a big group and try one of everything from the menu.”
  2. “Add bhangra playing in the background, a busy atmosphere, a decent menu and great prices, this will soon become your favorite as it has mine.”
overall
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “Everything is great about the restaurant.”
  2. “Not sure why others have given such good rating for this place.”
  3. “The food was mediocre at best (very dry rice, over-cooked chicken, tasteless tandoori) and the staff literally took my brother's plate out from under his fork to get us out of the restaurant in under 30 minutes!”
service
66.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The food was mediocre at best (very dry rice, over-cooked chicken, tasteless tandoori) and the staff literally took my brother's plate out from under his fork to get us out of the restaurant in under 30 minutes!”
  2. “The server is nice and forgetting.”
  3. “service was rude.”
  4. “If you want yummy Indian food, friendly service and chili pepper lights, Panna II has no equal.”
  5. “If instead you pay other people to cook food for you because you want to be able to have a conversation with your dining companions and enjoy eating tasty food, go somewhere else.”
  6. “but the service is attentive and pleasant and the food is delicious!”
  7. “The service is horrible and the food is worse.”
  8. “Whether it's the lights, the waiters, or the food, I LOVE THIS PLACE.”
  9. “Sometimes, the service is good, sometimes, the guys are real weirdos and try to get you out before you can finish dessert.”
  10. “The service is incredible and fast- they cork whatever bottle of wine you bring with you!”
  11. “This place is sensory overload with the lights and decorations, but the food is always good and the service is friendly.”
  12. “Service is fast, and yes, at peak times, the wait staff will do their best to manage you out quickly so that they can sit the next table from the line of people outside.”
  13. “went Panna II with my girls tonight, when the manager took our order, he showed us a poker face when we did not order any appertizer.”
  14. “the worst service that I've ever met”
  15. “The food and service are superb.”
value
92.30999946594238% positive
  1. “especially on those nights that you've just had more than enough of all the trendy expensive restaurants.”
  2. “Panna II is AMAZING and amazingly cheap!”
  3. “From the insane decor to the very affordable prices and the amazing food.”
  4. “It's quite an experience and the food's cheap, and you get good portions.”
  5. “Good prices for what they give you.”
  6. “The food is good (taste wise) for the amount of money you pay.”
  7. “Delicious foods, in small portions make for great sharing, and an even better check.”
  8. “And the prices are really amazing.”
  9. “Having visited over the past few years enough to have a number of less than ideal experiences, I recommend this place for small parties looking for good food, cheap prices, a short casual dinner, and a crazy atmosphere you can tell all your friends about-”
  10. “Add bhangra playing in the background, a busy atmosphere, a decent menu and great prices, this will soon become your favorite as it has mine.”
  11. “crazy decorations, great prices”
  12. “This place had amazing food, it's definitely worth going to.”
  13. “Very good Indian food with a price that doesn't hurt the pocket.”
wait time
0.0% positive
  1. “The food was mediocre at best (very dry rice, over-cooked chicken, tasteless tandoori) and the staff literally took my brother's plate out from under his fork to get us out of the restaurant in under 30 minutes!”
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

12/23/10

Panna II rules!!!!!

by glennspina at Citysearch

first visit to Panna two 12/21/10 . got there at 730pm . luckily there was one table left for us. place was packed on a wednesday night. this place is great because its one of three indian restaurants all in the same building--they each have their own door--two upstairs and one downstairs and there is are three guys, one in each door almost pulling you in to their restaurant. so Panna two is decorated with insane lights inside and loud indian music. the food is really good, and everything is spotless--including the small bathroom in the back of the place. this place is on first ave between 5th and 6th streets. two meals with appetizer and drinks only 41 bucks! fried banana fritter appetizer, chicken with brown gravy and a seafood combo in its own little sizzling cauldron, plus rice and cheese naan and 2 cokes. the place rules, if you like funky, overly decorated where you have to hunch over to get under all the lights then this is the place to check out. awesome food experience. traveled from asbury park nj to check it out and WOULD GO AGAIN. check their website www.panna2 dot com - also the place is very small and the meals are cheap with good portions--so don't hang there all night yakking it up--eat, enjoy and get the heck out so they can make enough money to pay the electric bill for all those lights they have in there. you might have to wait for a table, but hey its new york, and a small place, but in the end its a lot of fun and worth it. this place is for fun groups of people--not stuck up demanding types.

1 Star Rating: Poor

01/04/09

worst indian restaurant

by familyof123 at Citysearch

we had a reservation but still we waited for almost 1/2 hrs for our table. service was rude. the rice was overcooked. not a great experience. if you want decor, go to rolph's

  • Pros: bad service, smelly bathroom
  • Cons: do not go
1 Star Rating: Poor

12/02/08

CLOUSED BY THE CITY OF NEW YORK

by millon at Citysearch

I LOVE RICE & CURRY,2 WEEKS AGO I HAD GUNK FOOD @ PANNA 2,DRY RICE,TERIBLE CURRY,LENTILE SOUP, WAS BAD,BAD,BAD.I KNEW IT SOME THING WRONG,ON OCT.1st I WAS @ MILLON RESTAURENT,I SAW PANNA WAS CLOSED,ASK 4 REASON FOUND OUT BECAUSE OF DIRTY KITCHEN (D.O.H.) HEALTH: CLOUSED DOWN PANNA GARDEN INDIAN RESTAURENT,I DON"T HAVE ANY THING TO RATING PANNA 2 ,

  • Pros: NOT AGAIN
  • Cons: NEVER
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

08/18/08

Long may it last

by nealr2000 at Citysearch

I have been going to Panna II for 13 years now and intend to keep going. My wife and kids love it, too. We tend to visit during off-peak hours, although we do occasionally go on a Friday or Saturday night when the place gets packed. The prices are absurdly cheap, but even if I won the lottery, I would still continue to go. The food may not be up for any awards, but it's still pretty good curry house fare. Service is fast, and yes, at peak times, the wait staff will do their best to manage you out quickly so that they can sit the next table from the line of people outside. Look, at these prices, I don't think you should expect to spend two hours in deep conversation while you run up a $15 check for you and your dining partner. The profit margins at this place are razor thin, so eat up, enjoy the vibe, and get out!

  • Pros: Prices, The vibe
  • Cons: None
1 Star Rating: Poor

06/27/08

Terrible food

by Mosumi at Citysearch

This restaurant was a total waste of time and money. The service is horrible and the food is worse. If you want to taste real indian food go elsewhere.

The Details on Panna Ii Garden Indian Rstrnt

Place Categories:

  • good drunk food
  • friendly service
  • good cheap prices
  • favorite restaurant
  • good indian food
  • recommend this place
  • dry rice
  • amazing panna ii
  • mediocre food
  • overwhelmingly ridiculous atmosphere
  • interesting appeal
  • great better check
  • tasty menue
  • not best indian
  • enjoy vibe
  • not order appertizer
  • tasteless tandoori
  • recommend chicken
  • excellent banana fritters
  • bad panna
  • good short casual dinner
  • best bargain indian
  • quite good chicken kashmir
  • forgetting server
  • good portions