(212) 749-9200

2791 Broadway
New York, NY 10025 40.8027 -73.968

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Neighborhoods: Upper West Side, Midtown

rhgnyc.com/ic/index.html

Hours:

Monday 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Tuesday 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Wednesday 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Thursday 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Friday 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Saturday 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Sunday 12:00 PM - 12:00 AM

Price:

$$

Last updated 10.14.11

Category:

Restaurants, Grill Restaurants

Payment Methods:

American Express, Visa, MasterCard

Restaurant Special Features:

Family-Friendly Dining, Food Delivery

Cuisine:

Indian

ambiance
100.0% positive
  1. “But some of the dishes, affordable prices and decor at this sidewalk cafe might surprise you.”
  2. “The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, and the food is really good, especially the daily specials and vegetable dishes (but skip the chicken dishes if you like your chicken on the bone and flavorful, since they cater to the American preference for white mea”
  3. “After my visit to Indian Cafe, I changed my views on Indian Food, great restaurant.”
drinks
100.0% positive
  1. “This is the Upper West Side where non-exotic neighborhood people and frazzled workers too tired to cook dinner every night stop for a drink, some chat and a pretty decent plate of Indian food.”
food quality
81.66999816894531% positive
  1. “The food was tasty and the staff was really friendly.”
  2. “Is it the best Indian food in NY?”
  3. “The first time I went back, a few weeks ago, the food was wonderful.”
  4. “Good food, Great waiters!”
  5. “The atmosphere is cozy and inviting, and the food is really good, especially the daily specials and vegetable dishes (but skip the chicken dishes if you like your chicken on the bone and flavorful, since they cater to the American preference for white mea”
  6. “The worst Indian food I've had in a long time”
  7. “really like their food.”
  8. “Well, coming from London, I'm used to good Indian food as there's a great, long-established Asian culture here.”
  9. “Indian Cafe generally provides a tasty (if unexperimental) Indian bite but can be uneven.”
  10. “But some of the dishes, affordable prices and decor at this sidewalk cafe might surprise you.”
  11. “The food can be great but I have encountered some cold, tasteless offerings.”
  12. “Good food for great price”
  13. “This is the Upper West Side where non-exotic neighborhood people and frazzled workers too tired to cook dinner every night stop for a drink, some chat and a pretty decent plate of Indian food.”
  14. “hoped Manhattan might have had this too and provide an alternative to all the poor TexMex, grease ridden offal that passes as food.”
  15. “never used to enjoy Indian food, but after my leg got pulled by my room mates to come here, I was pleasantly surprised.”
  16. “Always a fast, tasty meal.”
  17. “ordered the Chicken Pakora as an appetizer which was delicious, and the Chicken Tikka Masala was great too!”
  18. “The food I had was great.”
  19. “On my third trip this week, I went back to the chicken tikka masala since I had such a good experience the first time and it was a let down- tasted like a totally different dish.”
  20. “This time I had the chicken korma, which was good but not great and, like one poster here mentioned, seemed to be lacking some vital ingredients.”
menu variety
100.0% positive
  1. “And you won't find the variety of Little India on Lex in the E. 20s, with its good, modestly-priced restaurants and their distracting Bollywood-style music videos playing on screens in the background.”
  2. “The whole menu is reasonable priced, so I went back the following week.”
overall
100.0% positive
  1. “After my visit to Indian Cafe, I changed my views on Indian Food, great restaurant.”
service
85.71000099182129% positive
  1. “This is the Upper West Side where non-exotic neighborhood people and frazzled workers too tired to cook dinner every night stop for a drink, some chat and a pretty decent plate of Indian food.”
  2. “The first two visits I was served by a nice gentleman, but even he was not that attentive.”
  3. “The waiters are very nice, funny, and service was prompt!”
  4. “What I don't forgive is poor service.”
  5. “Good food, Great waiters!”
  6. “To top it all, the bill was quickly presented as if we were been hurried out of an emergency evacuation (perhaps the restaurant owner - a charming fellow, by the way - had realised what unprofessional staff he had hired).”
  7. “The food was tasty and the staff was really friendly.”
value
75.0% positive
  1. “Good food for great price”
  2. “The price here is very decent.”
  3. “First off this is not East 6th Street in the Village where you have a pricey block of door-to-door Indian restaurants to choose from.”
  4. “But some of the dishes, affordable prices and decor at this sidewalk cafe might surprise you.”
wait time
50.0% positive
  1. “Well, coming from London, I'm used to good Indian food as there's a great, long-established Asian culture here.”
  2. “The worst Indian food I've had in a long time”
3 Star Rating: Average

08/24/09

It can go either way

by fuzzy66 at Citysearch

I have rediscovered the Indian Cafe after having gone there once with a friend a few years back. I wanted to find a new place to eat on the UWS. The first time I went back, a few weeks ago, the food was wonderful. The chicken tikka masala was simply to die for. The whole menu is reasonable priced, so I went back the following week. This time I had the chicken korma, which was good but not great and, like one poster here mentioned, seemed to be lacking some vital ingredients. On my third trip this week, I went back to the chicken tikka masala since I had such a good experience the first time and it was a let down- tasted like a totally different dish. The tandoori taste of the chicken was missing and there was hardly any spice to the sauce. (And I like my food spiced rather mild, so if I say if was lacking, then it really was!) It tasted like basic browned chicken in tomato sauce. Yet, I understand that dishes can have up days and down days. What I don't forgive is poor service. The first two visits I was served by a nice gentleman, but even he was not that attentive. The last time, the server was a young woman who never checked to see how my meal was or if I needed/wanted anything. I had to ask the bus boy to bring me my check. If I never planned on going back, I would have left zero tip but since there are a few more things I'd like to try on the menu and due to the fond memories of my first visit, before I write this place off, I gave her a minimal, undeserved tip. Another con is the cleanliness of the bathroom- those need to be a little nicer and cleaner. Hopefully my next experience will be improved, but it's still worth a try!

  • Pros: atmosphere, food can be great
  • Cons: service, cleanliness
3 Star Rating: Average

05/31/09

Not a bad experience all-in-all

by MikiVega at Citysearch

First off this is not East 6th Street in the Village where you have a pricey block of door-to-door Indian restaurants to choose from. And you won't find the variety of Little India on Lex in the E. 20s, with its good, modestly-priced restaurants and their distracting Bollywood-style music videos playing on screens in the background. This is the Upper West Side where non-exotic neighborhood people and frazzled workers too tired to cook dinner every night stop for a drink, some chat and a pretty decent plate of Indian food. And guess what? The staff and patrons actually talk to you here. So you don’t feel like a loner or a tourist getting milked for his euros. Is it the best Indian food in NY? No. But some of the dishes, affordable prices and decor at this sidewalk cafe might surprise you. Don’t over-order: those low-cost appetizers add up. My personal favorites include a Hyderabadi-style biryani (rice cooked with chicken and more) and the saag paneer (spinach sauteed with mustard leaves, lemon juice and whole milk farmer's cheese). Total disclosure: was recently introduced to one of the owners, after years of chowing down there, and, against my objections, he threw in a free, six buck appetizer. But neither he nor the appetizer was impressive enough to alter this review. Have at it. Miki Matos Vega.

  • Pros: Good food for a neighborhood restaurant
1 Star Rating: Poor

05/30/09

Here's a tip - don't tip!

by curlies7 at Citysearch

Well, coming from London, I'm used to good Indian food as there's a great, long-established Asian culture here. I hoped Manhattan might have had this too and provide an alternative to all the poor TexMex, grease ridden offal that passes as food. Now, the service was prompt in Indian Cafe, but I had to remind the disinterested waitress about fundamental restaurant service manners on several occasions (e.g. I haven't received my drink yet, I'm still waiting for my nan, etc.). Now the food: where's the spice, the flavour? I had to resort to salt, which I would never do with any meal. The curry my wife ordered was medium instead of mild and upset her stomach, the extra poppadoms I ordered arrived with my main meal which was delivered too soon and nearly removed in the same manner had I not told the waitress that I hadn't finished eating. To top it all, the bill was quickly presented as if we were been hurried out of an emergency evacuation (perhaps the restaurant owner - a charming fellow, by the way - had realised what unprofessional staff he had hired). I thought I'd leave the change as a 'tip' (about $1.50) as what was there to applaud? Upon noticing this, the waitress pointed out that it was obligatory to leave a 15% tip in New York restaurants. Not only did this enrage us, but it also made us feel uncomfortable. In no mood for a row, we calmly reacted by just walking out without leaving a tip, much to the displeasure of the staff - I only regret not taking the change as well. I do hope this place sinks soon as a favour to all customers expecting a positive experience.

  • Pros: Leaving without tipping!
  • Cons: Everything!
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

10/11/08

Love their Malai Kofta

by donrickles at Citysearch

I really like their food. Good service. Recommended. Try Bhaigan Bhartha, Malai Kofta, spinach with ginger.

  • Pros: Good service, good food.
  • Cons: Not south Indian food & Pakoras are bad.
5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/26/08

Great Indian

by mereditheats at Citysearch

I was tromping all over the UWS with some friends and we needed to eat. We came across the Indian Cafe and decided Indian for dinner!! I let my friends order as i am an Indian Food Novice so i cant tell you exactly what dishes we had...but they were all very good. The food was tasty and the staff was really friendly. It is the type of place that can definitely become a regular staple in your neighborhood eating out adventures.

  • Pros: Food & Staff are great
  • Cons: Really far away from where i currently live

The Details on Indian Cafe

Place Categories:

  • affordable price
  • cold tasteless offerings
  • very nice waiters
  • pricey block
  • poor grease ridden offal
  • poor service
  • like chicken
  • fast meal
  • great longestablished asian culture
  • love malai kofta
  • good videos
  • tasty indian bite
  • pretty decent plate
  • great chicken tikka masala
  • reasonable whole menu
  • poor texmex
  • good neighborhood
  • delicious appetizer
  • bad experience allinall
  • highly recommend place
  • great restaurant
  • charming fellow
  • good indian food
  • really friendly staff
  • good chicken korma