My friends and I dined at Moti Mahal Delux recently. The service and atmosphere were excellent. We ordered several curries and starters; while most of the food was decent (around 3.5/5), the Paneer Lababdar and bread were standouts. The Dahi Palak, their signature appetizer, was just okay, and I've had better kebabs elsewhere in NYC. Overall, I'd rate my experience 4/5, mainly because the vegetarian options felt somewhat limited.

When I moved to the neighborhood, the name of this restaurant immediately caught my eye. For those unfamiliar with Hindi or Urdu, it translates to "House of Fat," which I found quite intriguing. I visited on a weekday evening with a group of friends. We arrived early and were seated quickly, but within 30 minutes, the place filled up so plan on making a resy if you're going during prime hours. The interior is charming and cozy, creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere. As soon as we sat down, they brought out papri with chaat to nibble on--a nice touch. For appetizers, we ordered the Chicken 65 and aloo tikki. The Chicken 65 was incredibly spicy (and that's coming from someone who can usually handle heat!). The aloo tikki, on the other hand, was packed with flavor and a bit more forgiving on the spice. For our main dishes, we went with daal makhani, butter chicken handi, white rice, and garlic naan. It was more than enough for the four of us, with plenty of leftovers to take home. The food was satisfying and well-prepared, though I wouldn't call it extraordinary. Overall, it's a solid spot to have on your list when you're craving Indian food--reliable, flavorful, and comforting. A great option for a casual meal with friends.

A classic take on Indian food. We started with the dahi kebabs, not really where the dahi was but it was a ghee roasted and pretty tasty! The saag paneer was AMAZING, one of the best saag paneer I've had in a while. The garlic naan was decent, I wish it had more garlic on it and was a little bigger. The paneer makhani was also a standard taste, nothing to write home about. Service was friendly and ambiance is clean and tables are nicely spaced apart which I appreciate.

The employees were friendly and on top of it. We didn't have to wait long to order and to get our food. The food was delicious! The gobi and paneer were yummy. The inside is cute and nice.

If you're looking for great Indian food on the UES, this is your place! Ordered all of the classics and they did not disappoint.

After hearing this was a popular chain in India, I had visions of an Indian Din Tai Fung or Ootoya. And that's pretty much the experience we got: slightly upscale, good quality Indian food in an elegant setting where you would feel equally comfortable bring a first date or your mother. - Khasta Aloo Tikki: Scrumptious - crispy aloo patties, sweet yogurt, mint sauce - Gafari Shorba: Tastes more or less like cream of chicken soup with some diced apples for crunch. Could've been more interesting if they'd added some spices. - Murgh Makhani : Is this the best butter chicken I've had? No. But it's not bad. The curry was spot on; the chicken was overcooked. - MMD Signature Chicken: Got this by accident, but I wasn't sad about it. The chicken was super tender and the curry was complex. - Lobster Masala: Not bad, though it's hard to top Semma's lobster dish. - Shahi Tukda: Whatever you do, leave room for dessert. We loved this so much, we got it twice. Flavor profile: caramom, pistachios, cream (like many Indian desserts). Delish. If you're stuck on the Upper Boring Side, don't settle for one of the overpriced, generic Italian restaurants in the area. Come here. Experience flavor.