Surya

09/05/2008 Posted by gnorman

This is one of the best restaurants in the city in terms of ambiance and service. The food was good, we were seated out in the garden and were tended to very well. Visited this place 3 years ago and am glad to see theyre still the same. The food was well cooked, I loved the eggpland and potato dish while my wife had the goat. Good food. Will def be back when im in the city again.

08/20/2008 Posted by bluedaisy

Terrible food. Took three bites and threw it away. Still looking for a good take out place in the west village. I miss Indus Valley on the UWS.

05/31/2008 Posted by kmgorman

We love Indian food, but don't like the cheesy atmospheres that come along with most "authentic" Indian restaurants. The owners of Surya have finally succeeded in creating a restaurant with outstanding Indian food, and a trendy, swank atmosphere. The cocktails are fantastic, and we really enjoyed the outdoor seating. All of the ingredients tasted extremely fresh, and they used all white meat chicken in the chicken dishes. They have a ton of choices (both vegeterian and non-vegeterian) on the menu, and I can't wait to try all of them! The appetizer selection was also tremendous, and we loved the Onion Bhatias. We have been back at least once every 2 weeks since our first visit, and have not been disappointed. The only negative thing I have to say is that the waiter was visibly annoyed during one of our visits, and tried to push expensive appetizers and drinks on us. Other than that, every experience was fantastic.

Pros: Finally - outstanding Indian food, with a trendy atmosphere

Cons: None.

05/19/2008 Posted by pgab

went in on a relatively slow night and it still took 45 minutes to get our food. we were about to leave when it finally got there. we saw 3 other tables who were seated after us get their food before us. the head waiter refused to acknowledge a mistake - he insisted that "there were a lot of tables tonight" - an odd assertion given that the restaurant was half empty. when the food got there, the potatoes in the sag aloo were boiled and flavorless, the spinach tasted like it had been frozen, and the lentils barely had any flavor. we won't be back.

Pros: decor is nice

Cons: food is bad, service is awful

10/18/2007 Posted by probate

Well to begin with this is an exceptional indian restaurant I have ever visited .And it was weekend buffet . Well pepared chiken tikka masala an excellent blend of spices and cream , fresh lemon and spiced flavoured tandoori chicken and of course the channa saag, the cauliflower potatoes, the black daal everythig was far superior than any other restaurant in midtown, while feeling the freshness of the vegetable.I am not even from this neighborhood and not even an Inidan but I am enjoying indian food for the last eight years and believe me this is one of the finest I have discovered and the waiter Gomes was excellent in explaining me each and every item displayed in the buffet including the dssert mango Halwas which was just right even a diabetic patient could enjoy it . I do not believe with the previous reviews where the restarurant was criticized for food and service. Even the Zagat 2008 has appreciated the food and service of this cozy restaurant . Come see it for your self. Thank you Surya.Wish you good luck.

10/17/2007 Posted by peace70

I went to Surya on Sunday after reading their review in the Zagat. Wow, am I glad I did, i've never tasted Indian food like this before. It was so refreshing to eat food like Surya's. It's so light and fresh on your taste buds. I just want to say the wait staff was so sweet and helpful. I started out with the baby lamb chops which melted in my mouth. I than ate salmon with sprouted lentils which was absolutely delicious. I really enjoyed the mango masala which is a cocktail. I'm really surprised with one of the reviews that gave Surya a one star and wrote such bad things. I read that review when I was posting this one, and I think that person has no idea what Indian food should taste like. I don't want the strong flavours that typical Indian restaurants have, that's why I love Surya's food and I can't wait to go back.

Pros: The food is great

Cons: None

09/25/2007 Posted by lovemyfood4444

Went durning holidays and service was over the top and the garden was great besides the food and drinks....... Would go back as many times as i could when in city....... The best is im not indian and there waiters help was so good the food flowed for me and my friends without knowlege of what i was eating and food was great thanks again

Pros: HOW CAN THERE BE WHEN FOOD AND SERVICE IS GREAT

Cons: ............................NONE

08/27/2007 Posted by abhay_k

Surya on Bleeker St in downtown Manhattan belongs in the category of impostors that cast a dark stain on the reputation of fine Indian cuisine.While Surya lays claims to offering Indian cuisine, its place belongs in the dungeons of Indian restaurant wannabes. Our lunch at Surya the other day was a series of unrelenting assaults on the tastebuds. A fixture at virtually every Indian restaurant in New York City, Chicken Tikka Masala shouldn't be hard to master. But not so apparently for Surya's kitchen. Hopelessly bland in taste, Surya's Chicken Tikka Masala was a travesty of the real thing. The rubbery texture of the Lamb Curry left us in high dudgeon. Tandoori Chicken had a forlorn look and an equally hopeless taste.Since the regular Naan bread was unedible, we ordered Garlic Naan. They were not bad. Surya is an equal opportunity offender to the tastebuds. Vegetarian or non-vegetarian, the so-called Indian food at Surya gets the same shoddy treatment. Even desserts are not spared. Sag Channa was a bland mess while the Alu Baingan tasted sour. The flavorless Dal Makhani and Mushroom Alu Mutter didn't do much to improve our mood. With all hope turning into despair, we now turned our attention to dessert only to encounter further misery. Besides lacking the mango flavor, the Mango Halwa ($5.00) was also lacking in sugar. We found the Vermicelli Payasam so sweetless that we wondered if it was directed at diabetics. If there was a Nuremberg court for bad Indian restaurants, Surya's chef would easily qualify for the maximum sentence. Service is so-so at Surya. Although the restaurant was mostly empty during our meal, our waiters were desperate to remove our plates before we'd had even completed. To add insult to injury, this restaurant adds 20% tips to a Buffet lunch! Our waiter was not pleased when we asked him for a copy of the itemized bill. Among the scores of Indian restaurants we've been to in New York City and Long Island, Surya easily ranks among the worst

10/28/2006 Posted by champagnemandy

Surya is one of the best Indian restaurants in the city, mostly because of its atmosphere and service. The setting is very open and sophisticated, so it will never be loud or over crowded. The cocktails are fabulous, I suggest the Indian Rose. We had multiple waiters tending to our table, but they seemed to slide in and out without us even noticing that our water glass needed a fill, or that a plate was removed. The food is good as well, my friend who lived in India for two years raved about her lamb vindaloo.

Pros: cocktails and ambiance

Cons: none ...

10/26/2006 Posted by naki051

This place was fantastic when it opened back in 1998. The garden is a treat but the food is truly disappointing. The worst tikka masala ever! Watery and acidic. Get ready to chew on the meat forever - am not quite sure what part of the animal is used but it is TOUGH... Very disappointed. If you are on the west side, it is well worth to hop a cab across town to little India (Lexington and 27,28, 29th st) and stuff yourself there. Or, go to the lower east side and for lots less, eat food that is way more authentic than this stuff. Surya, get back to your roots.

Pros: garden

Cons: food very poor