Darbar Fine Indian Cuisine (46th St.)

We had dinner at Darbar on a quiet Sunday evening. We're in New York for a week each January, and we like to mix up our dinners and Sunday was decreed Indian Night. The interior atmosphere was one of calm and tranquility, softly lit and overall very relaxing. We were seated upstairs near the front, so we had a nice quiet table. To start, I ordered the green salad and my beau ordered the Mulligatawny soup. My salad was wonderfully simple, almost deconstructed. All parts were arranged precisely on the plate, and it made for a wonderful presentation. I dipped into the dressing (an amalgam of a light-yellow and a dark-orange sauce, one poured inside of the other) and found it to be delicious - tart, yet smooth and a perfect foil for the veggies on my plate. My beau's Mulligatawny soup was delicious, yet puzzling. It did not taste like any other Mulligatawny soup we've tested - it truly tasted like a Thai coconut curry soup, and had a velvety consistency. Next came the chicken Tikka Masala. It was good, but pretty average as far at that dish goes. A plus, the chicken was all white-meat, which is a personal preference of mine. \r The crowning glory was a dish of Kulfi for dessert. It has a wonderful dense consistency and finished the meal perfectly. Definitely give this place a try! more

This place has big portions for take out, good menu, fast service, good price. more

I ordered take out last night. We had Lamb Vindaloo, Palak Paneer, Mushroom and Peas Pilaf and Naan. The Vindaloo was fantastic, not to spicy, but the heat stuck with you and lingered in your mouth. Even when washing the dishes, smelling the Vindaloo made my nostrils flare and my mouth water. I mixed the Paneer with the Pilaf and was definitely satisfied. The prices are decent for Indian. It's not cheap, but unless it's a buffet, there's no good, cheap Indian around here. Meat dishes are $14, Veggie $10. I would like to go back and eat in the restaurant. I recommend Darbar. Pros: $10 Vegetarian Dishes, Everything Well Spiced Cons: I wish there was more meat in the meat dishes more

Best damn indian food ever!!!!....\r Iam pretty choosy with my Indian cuisine, do not experiment, but after reading many good reviews about this joint I decided to try it out.... and boy iam sooo happy!!.. they had the best damn lamb chops ever!!.. also the friendly service and pleasant ambience made the night even better. !!.. We were a group of eight, so tried a variety of dishes and it was simply DIVINE!!.. trust me guys... if you feel like some good Indian food .. this is the place to be!!... Great Job DARBAR!!...\r Pros: EVERYTHING Cons: NOTHING more

I have been to Darbar, it was a good experience, the service was very good and the place itself is nice. the food is just okay not somewhere i would go to impress someone. price wise its good Pros: service more

great indian food, i'd def go there again more

great indian food, i'd def go there again more

Four of us went to Darbar for the first time a few nights ago to celebrate a friend's retirement, and everything I read in the reviews was true. The service was excellent and unobtrusive. The waiters were friendly and helpful with our menu choices, even making suggestions when asked. Every dish we ordered was delicious. After eating all the wonderful food, we were too full for dessert. Imagine our surprise and my friend's delight when the waiters surprised us with a complimentary assortment of ice-creams with a candle on it! They had asked what the occasion was when they saw us writing our messages in a greeting card, and they provided that special addition at the end of the meal. It was a nice touch to a good evening with friends. We will definitely return. more

I cannot speak to the service as I ordered takeout. I ordered the goat, and though it was absolutely excellent. I will definitely visit the restaurant for dinner. The flavors were just perfect, and not too spicy for a westerner. more

Had one of the best dinner experiences for an Indian restaurant in the US. The service, the drinks (highly recommend MumTaj) and the food was excellent. Went back after a couple of days to try the lunch buffet and it was very ordinary. The food in the buffet was not that fresh. I still highly recommend the place for Dinner and will definitely go back . Pros: Excellent food, cocktails and service during dinner Cons: They charge ( $4- 5) for each accompaniment like Papad, Pickle etc so watch out for that more

Enjoyed the buffet, tried it for the first time.. was a little crowded, guess it would be ..since the taste beats the price for a manhatttan haunt!!.. did'nt mind waiting a little bit, coz the wait was worth it!.. great spread of excellent Indian food.. fast service... got fresh soft nans off the tandoor before my fingers could dry!!.. which generally happens in most indian restaurants!.. the meats were tender and juicy, cooked with the right amount of spice!!.. closest to anything i would find in India!!.. I will surely give this two thumbs up and five stars!!... Pros: Everything Cons: could'nt find any more

Don?t get wrong impression with the small entrance guyzz.. Once u enter the restaurant u can feel the authenticity of INDIA.. The beautiful brick walls decorated with amazing artwork are enough to capture ur attention but guess what you get trapped in the aroma of delicious Indian food. I mean at the end of a tiring day the one thing that I want is good food and when I got the BEST food in darbar with such a lovely decor and genuine people serving the food for me I felt I was being served in my own house. I love the tandoori chicken and that gulab jamun cooked in ghee is so tempting that I just can?t wait to go there again. \r \r Food is so affordable that I must confess I have found an exact match for my search of a restaurant that I can recommend my family members and where I can throw all those special parties with a confidence that the party will be a huge success.\r \r PLZ PLZ PLZ don?t forget to have their gulab jamun, chicken tikka masala and crab kulcha :-)\r Pros: Mouth watering food, homely feeling, Beautiful decor more

I think this restaurant does deserve high praise. I was really hungry and i know all the Indian restaurants are closed by evening but to my surprise I found this restaurant open and with full service. I ate the buffet and I took their lassi (salted), which was very good.\r If you need to go to some place at odd times in a day and to eat good Indian food then darbar is the place to go. I loved it and will definitely go there again.\r \r Remember to ask the staff there to get yourself seated upstairs. That?s a total different experience in itself.\r Pros: Lamb Chops, Good place, excellent service, yummy food more

FOOD: Extraordinary....fresh, and actually taste like REAL Asia Indian food!! The tandoori is skewed to perfection....tender and juicy. The mango lassi is so yummy, I have to have it everytime I am there.\r \r ATMOSTPHERE: It is really suitable for both big or small groups. They have big round tables that can fit 6-10 people....everyone won't have to shout from one end to the other just talk!!\r \r CUSTOMER SERVICE: Well, it's kinda busy, so don't expect first class attention from the servers....it's not French Cuisine.....it's buffet!!\r \r If you like spicy, authentic asian food....you HAVE TO try DARBAR!! You'll not regret it!!\r \r HIGHLY....VERY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!! YUmmmmmmmmmmY!! Pros: Spice, Food, Good for big groups, Mango Lassi, Affordable Cons: Need more servers more

Had dinner here last night. the food was really great, but really no atmosphere at all to speak of. Go here for a good meal if you're not all about the ""feel"" of the place. more

If you want value for your money with authenticty grab the buffet at this place. After trying it, I had to go there again, this time with my friends for dinner. Great ambience, classy decor... innovative cocktails and a good wine list. The Lamb chops for appetizer were to die for, the kababs are by far the best I've ever had, juicy and well marinated really prepared to perfection, unlike the dry and not very well seasoned tandoor items you get in most Indian restaurants. Enjoyed the main course with courteous service they offered. Iam a bread lover, relished their assorted breads with chicken tikka masala and their chef recommended chicken malai ... hmm yumm ....my mouth waters as Iam writing about it!!.. All I'd like to say is great job these guys do in that place with food and the works. So, I had to share my pleasant experience, thankfully I found this hide in city search...! Try it guys, you won't regret it!!.. Bon Appetit. ... foodies! Pros: Thumbs up more

i went to darbar about 3 months ago not bad i would say the food was just ok and service was alright. But not somewhere i would go back more

This is a great restaurant with a very interesting menu and a very friendly staff. I look forward to going back soon! Pros: Value, Ambience, Service more

I really loved this restaurant. The staff were friendly and approachable, and offered polite advice on the menu. The decor was modern and understated, with a low-light, lounge atmosphere suitable for intimate or casual dining. The food was inexpensive, and exceptionally good, with strong flavours. The dishes we had used citrus fruits for flavouring which meant they tasted quite different from those we have had at other Indian restaurants. The food was very mild in spice, although apparently they can make it hotter, as you please. Pros: Price, taste more

I have never physically been to this restaurant, but I always order their boxed lunches to be delivered. These box lunches are fantastic. They come with a meat curry, a vegetable curry, rice with Daal, and Naan. The portion is fairly large and I usually barely finish it (I believe they have a few options that you can choose from with the box lunches). I must say that I love their chicken Tikka Masala. Many places do not marinate the chicken enough before cooking, which makes the meat dry, but Darbar's chicken tikka masala is marinated very well, resulting in the meat being very tender and juicy. It is my favorite Indian place to order lunch from. more