08/31/09

Very good food, but awful service

by tallindiandude

The food at this restaurant is very good, some of the better I have experienced. Unfortunately, the food is overshadowed by service that was pathetic. A group of six of us visited the restaurant for lunch on a Sunday afternoon when the restuarant was essentially bare. One would think that they would have appreciated the business. Instead, we were rushed out the door from the moment we arrived. It go so bad that by the for the 15 minutes of our meal, we were essentially being stared at by five different servers. Then one decided to come and stand within 2 feet of our table. We tried to playfully hint to him that we didn't appreciate it by asking him if he "wanted to join us" but he didn't take the hint. When I confronted management, I was told that the issue would be handled and that I would be called back later that evening. No call back. When i called back the following day, I was ridiculed for how I was expressing my frustration. Apparently, I am no longer welcome at this restaurant - what a loss for me?!?!?!

• Pros: Great food
• Cons: Poor service and questionable management

06/07/09

Best Indian in NY by far!

by LT1175

This is the best Indian in NYC, by far. As a vegetarian, this place is ideal. To see our review for this restaurant, and others, go to www.urbanherbivores. In addition to restaurant reviews, we also have a lot of other great information for vegetarians, including recipes, cookbook recommendations, and other resources for vegetarians. Check it out!

• Pros: Vegetarian food
• Cons: none

01/25/09

Very nice dinner

by trimiami

I took my boyfriend from out of town. I wanted to take him to eat ethnic food but wanted Manhattan ambience and this place combined it well. The food was great, classic dishes I believe speaking from little experience of indian food. The restaurant had a trendy decor. The owner was there and walked around to every table, which is nice to see at a restaurant. The only drawback I remember is slippery floor for some reason. Oh well, no accidents occurred.

• Pros: Food, service, value, decor, atmosphere
• Cons: none

01/15/09

Great experience

by MrsFlowers79

I recently stayed in New York City for a week with my fiance and when we asked our hotel concierge to recommend an Indian restaurant, Tamarind is where we were sent. We went on New Years Day in the evening. The restaurant had a lovely lively atmosphere and tasteful decor. We were invited to sit at the bar until a table was ready for us. On our way to the table, we were offered the opportunity of putting our coats in the cloakroom.

The staff were all very friendly and helpful. I would say that my preference would not have been to be sat so close to other people (we had couples both sides of us in very close proximity) but it was a busy night. We both chose lamb curry dishes from the menu with rice and naan bread and all of the food was fantastic. We are from England and Indian food is something we eat often at home, so we are used to curry, but this food was at least as good as, if not better, than any Indian food I have had before.

I would definitely recommend this restaurant.

• Pros: Fantastic Indian cuisine
• Cons: Sitting so close to other customers

12/10/08

Tamarind is great!

by augames

Been there numerous times. Just one bad experience with the halibut being too dry, but the rest were delightful. One notch above the rest! Recommend!!!

• Pros: Great food most of the time, great service
• Cons: None except for the one experience with dry halibut, but waiter brought a new one, which was only slightly better

10/01/08

Be forewarned, depending on when you go you can end up from 5 star to 2 star , better at night? was bad this time Around oh yeah after spending about $100 or more

by Foodcritica007a

I love tamarind, been there quite a few times but oftentimes one does need to pay attention to negative comments. It had been great and five star, however lately especially turning the afternoon , the food quality can be very spotty at times. Nights seem to be better at times , but maybe it was a bad cook.

I went just recently and it wasn't just one time (to be fair) , the food quality was not too much to write home about.

Venison chops were hard not tender ($27 for 2 pieces!) cooks are supposed to make it acidic and more tender . Malsador chops I ate at night great but three pieces for $27. The lamb kebabs were nothing to write home about , great but could be better and certainly not worth the $20 pricetag for just that, by the way it was only 4 pieces not that big. I could get the same chops for $10 at another high end place.

The lamb shank is great but I had that at night and I think the only because its made with wine

The tandoori chicken, well the last time it was great and marinated, this time - Burnt more than usual although not too bad and instead of 2 breasts , they gave me four thighs for $20. Desserts were great the last time , horrible this time

rasmali This time around not moist but dry, very little pistachios unlike before, only a few drips of milk (aka a few small half and half 1 oz condiments people put in their coffee) and two small pieces for $6

Creme brulee tasted like maple syrup over cold eggs, cheesecake was okay at night but the mango sauce which supposedly comes with vanilla smelt as if it was spoiled, you don't even need the sauce, (its already sweet and has mango).

Food itself is 3 stars and were talking about $80 just for the entrees.

The raita also seemed as if it was made a bit more watery ,weak flavor of tomato/mint

Be forewarned! a former favorite gone downhill

• Pros: Food is okay, staff acts a bit better than most places i trying to be more professional, great decor and arrangement considering its price , clean , open late, interesting selection
• Cons: Extremely high price for food that for average food,not getting what you pay for, desserts not that great, quality gone downhill, condiments watery, meat can be overcooked at times

07/31/08

One of The Best Restaurants in New York

by SebastianFlyte

Tamarind is not only the best Indian cuisine in New York, but one of the best restaurants in all of the city. Very lovely atmosphere and incredibly attentive service. What is wonderful too is that you could blindly point at any single item on the menu and it would most likely be excellent. If you are able, reserve a cozy booth in the back of the restaurant, which is very romantic. Avoid eating up front where the noise level is high.

• Pros: Best Indian in Manhattan
• Cons: a little loud up front, more quiet in the back

03/29/08

Outstanding; Best Indian restaurant in the city

by nycrsc

After 5 years of going to Tamarind, I just returned from dinner two nights ago and had yet another fantastic experience. The curry dishes were superb. The shrimp dishes was outstanding. The service was impeccable along with outstanding wine choices. The tamarind martinis were underwhelming, but given the overall atmosphere, menu, and the high service, I could think of a better indian restaurant in city (and we have tried all of them!) . I meet Aluwalia every time i am there and the owner always makes a point to say hello.

02/12/08

Great food, great scene

by bobbyhbobby

Tamarind feels like it wrote the guide to being a popular and successful Indian restaurant in the city without. The food is amazing, the service is excellent, and the scene is trendy. Reservations recommended for thurs/fri/sat dinners. The restaurant has quality dishes whether they be fish, meat or vegetables. My personal recommendations are the shrimp moiley, the lamb chops (to die for), and the . If you prefer more traditional Indian food, that is very good as well, but while you're eating there, go for their more creative dishes. Pretty good wine and cocktail selection. Overall, a great dining experience. If you want more personal attention, grab a drink at the bar before having a late dinner.

• Pros: food, ambience
• Cons: can be crowded, sitting near bar is busy

11/14/07

Excellent modern Indian food

by mr_meursault

We came here for dinner. Reservations are a must, as the place is hopping busy. that said, we did not have to wait a second for a table, which shows the efficiency of the operation. The decor is stylish and pleasant, and the open tandoori kitchen is a nice touch. The service was good an efficient, not magnificent as some have described it, but perfectly good nonetheless. For an appetizer, we shared a samosa (only the vegetable samosas are available). It was quite good, albeit not much of a departure from the ordinary. We then shared the Lamb Pasanda (with apricots) and Jhinga Angarey (grilled shrimps with chili peppers). The lamb was truly outstanding. The shrimps, while good, were too spicy for my taste. The rice was the typical rice you will find at an Indian restaurant, but it is nice that they have a choice of three kinds of rice. The garlic naan was probably the best naan I've had. The mango cosmopolitan was a very tasty drink, which oddly enough didn't taste much like mango. Overall, I highly recommend this place. In my mind, if this isn't the best Indian place I've gone to, it's certainly in the top three. That said, next time I am not getting the shrimp.

• Pros: Excellent food
• Cons: None that I saw