No-contact delivery
Yes
Moti Mahal Delux in New York
Categories
Location on the map
New York, New York County, New York, US
Service options
Delivery
Yes
Takeaway
Yes
Dine-in
Yes
Health and safety
Staff required to disinfect surfaces between visits
Yes
Highlights
Fast service
Yes
Great cocktails
Yes
Great tea selection
Yes
Popular for
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Solo dining
Yes
Accessibility
Wheelchair-accessible seating
Yes
Wheelchair-accessible car park
No
Offerings
Coffee
Yes
Comfort food
Yes
Halal food
Yes
Quick bite
Yes
Small plates
Yes
Vegetarian options
Yes
Dining options
Lunch
Yes
Dinner
Yes
Dessert
Yes
Amenities
Good for kids
Yes
Toilets
Yes
Atmosphere
Casual
Yes
Cosy
Yes
Crowd
Groups
Yes
Tourists
Yes
Planning
Lunch reservations recommended
Yes
Dinner reservations recommended
Yes
Accepts reservations
Yes
Phone: +1 212-371-3535
Site: http://www.motimahaldelux.us/
Site: http://www.motimahaldelux.us/
Opening hours
- Monday:12–2:30PM
- Tuesday:12–2:30PM
- Wednesday:12–2:30PM
- Thursday:12–2:30PM
- Friday:12–2:30PM
- Saturday:12–2:30PM
- Sunday:12–2:30PM
Comments (199)
I had chicken signature dish with white rice. Chicken came in sauce that was similar taste as masala but served with a tasteful spice that made a little spicy. The server was very helpful but menu is pricey.
We had an enjoyable Sunday Brunch and highly recommended Moti Mahal. The food not not too spicy...thank goodness! The owner/chef took his time and explained all the dishes to us. Their Lamb chops is a must have dish! Our family really enjoyed the freshly baked butter naans and rotors made in a tandoor oven. Hats off to the chef!!
The food is excellent but the service is curt. We had ordered our appetizer and main course simultaneously. The appetizer arrived and was awesome. We waited for over 30 mins for the mains and saw other tables being served even though they arrived 15 mins after us. So we asked the server when would the food arrive. Her response was ‘it will come when it comes’. But then she went to the kitchen and our food was on the table in under 30 seconds. Begs the question on how much longer would we have been made to wait.The food is great and would heartily recommend it. And that’s why I give a 4 star instead of 2/3
Amazing and consistently delicious indian food - probably our favorite in New York City and my fiance and I return monthly. Ive taken family members (who were born in india) and they all love the place and say its the place that comes the closest to serving food they get back home. Really friendly staff as well.
I used to go here fairly often in 2018. First time trying this again after returning to NY. The place was mostly empty, service was ok, however the food was a major disappointment and the staff were indifferent to that. Ordered 2 appetizers and parantha and subz panchmael. I basically was served some almost heated frozen food, with a little ginger added for spice. Covid has really distorted something here, perhaps everyone has lost their sense of taste. Im not sure how this place is still in business based on my experience. Only positive was that the Masala Chai was good. So go have a chai and ignore the rest of the menu.
I ordered delivery and thought the prices were definitely steep for the portion size. I enjoyed the dal makhani. They did send the wrong item at first and were quick to resolve by sending the correct entree right away; I appreciated their service.
The chana masala was ok, but the two pieces of tandoori chicken I ordered were small and dryed out. No chutney was included with my delivery either...talk about cheaping out. This establishment is seriously overpriced and overrated.
This place was supposed to be amazing, but honestly the entire experience was pretty lackluster. The food was fine, but didnt taste better than your average Indian restaurant, and the portions here are tiny. We actually ended up leaving hungry and still paid almost $30/person for barely any food. The Makhani is their specialty and it was pretty good, but not stellar. If you want to watch your diet but still eat Indian, this is the place to come because youll leave here wanting a second meal.
I had been wanting to come to this place since almost one year. So glad that I finally made it!Had a wait time of 15-20 minutes since we did not have a reservation and it was Friday night.The servers are very courteous.Food is outstanding.I feel the place is a little cramped up >_<So I HAD to try their famos chicken makkhani (butter chicken). Besides that I tried paneer shashlik and pomegranet fish from the aps.Yummy food! Will surely go again so I can try their different varieties.Now Im in food come.Okay, bye! ●____●
Good hearty Indian food. Location is ideal and service was with a smile. Also food arrived quickly and the server recommended new dishes which were good. Every dish we ordered in the menu was delicious. Daal Makhani and Vegetarian Biryani are recommended. Interiors is very clean. Low lighting makes the ambience very pleasant.
We have tried Indian food from many different restaurants in NY/NJ area. We did a dinner take out (for 2) at this place and found it to be a bit pricey compared to other indian restaurants. People are generally okay paying more for authentic regional food, ambience, location, unique drink menu, etc.We ordered the following: 1 Paneer Tikka Shashlik $12.951 Paneer Makhani $16.951 Murgh Tandoori $15.951 Murgh Makhani $17.952 Garlic Naans $9.90Total with tax $80.24Food was okay, good not bad, nothing special in my opinion, nothing that blew away my taste buds based on the items we ordered but the quantity vs the price was not good. Once again, perhaps (pre-covid) eating at the restaurant with food presentation, ambience, etc may strike a different experience. This is purely judging the food by itself. Not looking for buffet quantity for few bucks but this in my opinion is not suitable for dinner for 2!
Wonderful experience! Excellent service and delicious food! Highly recommended! Sea bass dish was outstanding!
The lamb was outstanding! We also loved the broccoli and the butter chicken. There were 4 of us and this was the right amount of food. The crab was the least favorite of the group, not bad, just not super interesting/flavorful.
Buttered chicken, their riff on chicken tikka masala was phenomenal. Terrific balance of sweet with a hint of spice. Garlic naan was herbaceous and delicious. Basmati rice was fluffy with perfect ratio of spice and peas. Very busy on a Sunday night at 830pm but service was well timed and never left me stranded. Highly recommend.
If you haven’t been here you are missing out. This is one of the best Indian restaurants in Manhattan hands down. The take out is always hot and fresh. The servers are so nice and the food is always perfection.
Excellent Mughlai and North Indian food. You cannot go wrong with ordering anything on the menu. My favorite are ajwaini macchi tikka (mustard flavored sea bass), cream murgh tikka, lamb chops and dahi palak kabab. Dal Makhni was out of this world!
For starters this place is always empty and like many restaurants, they make a descent amount of money from delivery services (no biggie). However, I have dined into this restaurant many times and have watched the employees yell at delivery drivers from grub hub, Ubereats, etc. to go through the back door to pick up the food as if they’re embarrassed to have delivery drivers into their establishment. However, I have seen non-delivery people come in and pick up their order from the main entrance (weird but no biggie). However, today I came in to pick up my food after calling for takeout and was immediately yelled at to go to the back! Of course, I refused as I was not a delivery driver. But regardless, this place is extremely disrespectful to loyal customers (now former customer) and honestly classless for making anyone, delivery driver or not, enter their restaurant through the back door. Like seriously, this is not the Jim Crow south!And by the way, they got my order wrong!!
We had non veg and veg for lunch today. It was delicious and my daughter had channa masala. The lunch special comes with 4 little plates and rice and gulab jamun. It was good! Service is ok, though. My chicken and lamb taste so good! They were tender and juicy! Will come back again!
Food was amazing, great service. Our server, Naseem was very helpful in deciding which food choices were the best. Will be coming back again!
Excellent chicken tiki masala and garlic naan. I love this place.
We ordered for the first time here on Friday night. Moti Mahal disappointed mainly in its presentation and portion size. Their murgh biryani was actually tasty and a decent portion for the price. But the MMD Signature Chicken Masala was a huge disappointment. The quantity was miniscule for $23.95!! Below is an image next to a $17 entree I purchased the next night from a nearby Persian restaurant. Also, one naan bread for $5.95?? Im of Indian ethnicity and the tiny container for the price and quality felt like a joke. They should do better. Obviously, inflation and covid have been hard on the restaurant industry, but the meagre portions here have turned me off and I rather pay more for better quality and portions at establishments like Junoon and The Drunken Munkey.
Ive been to this place before and food is still top notch! Went with a friend to have dinner and service was good and attentive. Food comes quick. No complaints.
Bunch of cheapskates from india writing reviews saying the addded tip is bad, Just imagine their mindset, when you come to the country you have to accept its culture, this is the reason many people doesnt like indians, and especially in restaurents, It takes most of cheapskates to ruin it for some indians who actually pay tips.
Thoroughly disappointed with the service!!Food was good. Not the best Indian food in Manhattan. Well, thats not my concern.I took two of my international friends here who wanted to try different Indian cuisines. After reading good enough reviews, I finalized Moti Mahal.Now, the manager seemed indifferent towards my friends. He gave no explanation and always looked in a hurry to take orders. Anyway, its fine. I kept my friends busy and everything was alright.For the substandard service he provided, I saw that 20% tip was added already. I have no qualms with that but it should be justified. We had to serve our wine ourselves after he just opened the bottle.The manager didnt even say Thank You or visit again or anything while we were leaving. Thats definitely not the service I expected after spending over $300.
Bad service, very cold hostess, food was bland, chicken and goat over cooked, small portions, buffet isnt even worth it. Avoid.
I have been a regular patron of this restaurant for more than a year now. Both the food and the service is exceptional.
Loved it! Great food, friendly staff, fast service. Go there!
Little pricey but food was really good. we got chutney paneer tikka platter, shahi paneer, garlic and plain naan. Their complimentary papad was out of the world.
The food here is consistently on point. Unlike a lot of Indian restaurants that will serve you butter chicken and some neon palak dish, the buffet here offers some unique dishes that are more like what youd get at home - daal makhani, mixed vegetables, keema, etc. The meat dishes are actually cooked with proper vegetables unlike the plain masala curries you get at a lot of places. The buffet is more like an infinite refill of all the dishes (and naan) rather than a self-serve, but that really doesnt make any difference.I like to try a place two or three times before recommending it and Moti Mahal is definitely worth it.Id feel remiss if I didnt mention the following through:Usually with the non-veg buffet youll get some kind of chicken tikka or chicken pakora for an appetizer. On this trip though I got a chicken tikka leg and CHICKEN NUGGETS. I swear I thought Id entered some kind of Indian twilight zone for a second. I guess theres something to be said for the novelty of it all, but it was really bizarre. I know Moti Mahal is a chain, and some quick googling showed that chicken nuggets are in fact actually on the menu in some parts of the world, but I question the logic of serving chicken nuggets as an appetizer in the UES.Ill still stand by the quality of the dishes here, theyre delicious and reasonably spicy for my taste, but across from one of the best chicken tikkas Ive had in a while I did not expect to find garnished chicken nuggets.
Horrible service. The host is rude and so is the rest of the staff. Hygiene issues especially during the coronavirus (when changing plates between appetizers and entrees they put the cutlery down on table mats which aren’t changed just wiped down between each guests) and on top of that 20% tip added to bill for a party of less than 4 people was the last straw for me. There are better Indian restaurants in NYC with way better service. I am not sure if they’re going to survive for long especially in the Upper East Side where people love to discuss places and I bet they won’t have a lot of returning customers.
Where to start, food has always been great and only thing that makes this place survive, but after receiving poor service multiple times, I am compelled to write this review here. Worst service ever, the host always change and they somehow manage to get most unprofessional staff possible. Rude and untrained staff, they could not care less for you. You should feel welcomed when you are paying a good amount for a food (additional 20% pre added tip for party of 2, such a shame), it’s more of a hostile environment as if food they are serving is charity. High time they do a check on their staff, and hire some professionals. I repeat food is good, service is unimaginably bad. Never again.
Service was good but the food was okay. It wasnt bad but after so many good reviews, I expected more. Spinach chat was not crispy and the covering on spinach was thick. Naan and kulcha were good. Rest whatever we ordered was okay but not worth the rave reviews I read.
Nice ambience, food is delicious! If you like Indian food this place will not disappoint. I suggest to make reservations because this place gets pack pretty fast.
Called ahead at 7:40pm for a table. Was told there should be an opening at 8:15. Made a reservation for 8:30 to be safe. Had to wait for over 30 minutes in a cramped space with no waiting area. Finally was seated on a table meant for 4. Food was decent but not spectacular. Rest of the staff was attentive. It’s really a small local restaurant that should not take reservations. Would not recommend to anyone that values their time.
Nothing special. I don’t like how they charge for rice when you order a chicken dish. Many Indian restaurants provide free rice, they don’t. They are expensive and should give free rice. Also, their food is super spicy. I asked for a bit spicy and the food came out so spicy , to the point my lips were burning. I had to send the food back. The service was super slow and the waitress didn’t come to check on us. The portions are also very small. The chicken dish I ordered came with about 7 super small pieces of chicken and for that, they want $18. I left the place not being full. I don’t recommend this place.
Was ok, i expect it more as its named after a place which is a historic reference to best delhi food and invention of The Butter Chicken.
Disappointing experience. We came here because it was Michelin recommended. We were escorted a table by the window, ordered a bottle of wine and had our glasses filled with water. We even had time to order our food. Then the head waiter ( or manager) came by to say they would like for us to move because they wanted to use our 4 too table for a large group that will be arriving later. We wanted to be easy to get along with, so we said fine and moved our things to another table. That should have been a sign of things to come.A different bottle of wine arrived ( because the one we ordered appeantly has not been available for the last six months yet still listed on the menu and no mention of it when we ordered. The waitress was ready to proceed to serve it when I noticed the change. I stopped her and changed my mind and went for wine by the glass instead of the bottle.We ordered a shrimp appetizer. It arrived completely undercooked. We returned it. The rest of the meal was average.I don’t really understand why the Resaurant is Michelin recommend. We are not normally critical of small things at restaurants but this experience was only memorable for bad things; service, food quality and general management. I made the waitress aware of our disappointment. There was no acknowledgement by the management team at all. I bet there will not be a response to this post. I guess they just don’t care. Which makes the experience even more disappointing.
I usually get the palak pander here and it holds up every time. Food is great. Good service. Often emptyAccessibility: Narrow entrance, but spacious inside. No we menu.
Very average Indian food at best. I can see why non-Indians may like it and give it so many questionable 5 star ratings but being Indian myself, I can tell you for sure there is absolutely nothing special about this place. The franchise name is probably what lures people in and fools them into believing the food is amazing. Thats probably what fixes the unjustified higher prices as well. There are so many Indian restaurants in NYC that are much better that this lackluster place.
Great food, especially the butter chicken. ambience was excellent!
This place is not what we expected it to be. The food was of poor quality and not worth the price. We ordered murgh makhani (butter chicken), daal makhani (black lentils), subz biryani, garlic naan, laccha paratha and bhuttey ka kebab. Contrary to what is said about the butter chicken (that it’s supposed to be a signature dish), it’s terrible. The daal makhani, butte ke kebab, garlic naan and the lacha paratha were mediocre at best. The biryani was honestly terrible and do not be fooled by the photos for biryani. It does not come in the clay pot!! I don’t think I’ll be visiting this place again. It was very disappointing.
The creamy Dal Makhani and Chicken or Lamb Biryani are MMD cult favorites. Try the stuffed breads for some fun flavors. Among the appetizers, the Anaardana chicken is our favorite (really soft, flavorful and juicy.) Overall, Moti Mahal prices are slightly higher than you expect to pay for week night Indian food so I usually reserve this for the once in a while take out order.
Best Indian food Ive had in NYC!! The garlic naan was so good! We also really enjoyed paneer lalabdor, daal makhani, and paneer makhani. The outdoor dining setup was perfect. Enclosed on 3 sides with 2 heaters for our little table and noone else was nearby. A bit pricey and dishes dont come with rice but overall excellent!!!
Overpriced restraunt for the quantity and quality of food.Service is good. The quantity of food can be really improved
My go to place for the lunch special! Sooo yum, I’m a regular customer there. The aalo gobhi, dal makhani, paneer/chicken tikka are amazing.. in general is very good quality and taste!
When doing lunch ask for the buffet. Excellent service and delicious food!
Amazing authentic Indian food. Picture below is better chicken and railway meat Curry and mint lacha paratha.
The food was amazing, best Ive had in weeks, and my Indian friends say its quite authentic
I ordered from here on date night because one of my friends told me this is the best Indian restaurant in the city. We ordered takeout with the daal makhani (black lentils with butter), bureau kebab (lamb chops), and aloo gobi (cauliflower and potatoes). Everything was so good! My favorite hands down was the black lentils but my boyfriends fave was the lamb chops. Would def order from here again.
Solid choice for authentic Indian food. Its a small place.. and I love their lunch buffet. Great prices, great selection but gotta get there before 2:30. We always get the butter chicken, tandoori chicken and garlic naan so not too adventurous but try to make it up here at least 2-3x a week.
I was disappointed. Don’t get me wrong, it’s on the level of Mughlai or Om but not anywhere close to the best in Manhattan and definitely not the boroughs. The seekh kabob was spiced heavily but chewy, the khumani kofta was oversalted and not that perfect freshly made crumble in your mouth texture and the curry for it didn’t quite hit that cashew sweet creamy/savory balance right. The murgh makhani came with a LAYER of grease on the top and leaned too far in the tomato/vinegar direction. Serviceable but not something I’d get again. The breads were solid, no complaints there. I think for the hype this place gets, this takeout order was very disappointing.
We loved the flavors, the spices, the servers and the cozy/ busy atmosphere...strongly recommend!!!
Few items we tried were good. I am from Delhi, India so I believe it was a good attempt to bring those flavors back which delhi is known for. BUT BUT their service was horrible. By far this place experience can be amplified if their service can get better.
Loved their lunch buffet. Unlike conventional buffets, the serving team serves the dishes to your table, rather than you having to go and take it from a stall. The food was flavorful and the spice levels are to meet the average goers needs.As for the ambience, I generally like restaurants with big windows and a lot of natural lighting and have tables along side them. Theres no shortage of that here.Id recommend.
Tandoori chicken and Paneer Tikka were fantastic. Butter chicken was alright. Portions are small so keep that in mind when you order.
Its worth it to make a trip from anywhere in the city to Midtown just to eat here. An incredible, unpretentious restaurant with reasonable prices.
Went there for lunch today. We ordered vegetarian daily special. The waiter for got to place the order in the kitchen. Half hour later he took our order again after profusely apologizing.The vegetarian meal did not have any vegetables. When I started to to eat the paneer one paneer piece was a piece of chicken. I pointed this to the staff and they promptly removed the dish and brought a fresh dish of the same.Poor service and poor food. Needless to say I will NEVER go to this place ever.
Their lunch buffet menu is quite tasty!! Their non stop customer service is on point. The moment you enter the door you are greeted seated and served drinks. The array of food lentils, spicy cauliflower, buttered creamy chicken, stewed lamb, spinach and cheese. Everything was delicious! They rrefill your plates even before they reach the bottom. Friendly & quick staff. Will definitely frequent again.
Delicious food with attentive service. Many different dishes. I loved the butter paneer. My friend loved the eggplant.
We went there on Saturday to have dinner. We wanted to try Indian cuisine. Food was delicious. Server (David) was very polite, friendly and made us very comfortable with Indian menu. Me and my husband will be there every week now. Highly recommended if you want to have good service and food.
Top Indian food and reasonably priced for NYC. Highly recommended
Scratched the craving we had for Indian food on the upper east side - delicious palak paneer, flavourful veg , & fluffy naan. Best lunch special in the area
Great north indian! try to paleek paneer
Phenomenal Lunch Buffet at an unreal price, we came back to back days! Love the selection!!
Authentic Indian food - if you are from Delhi then it beats the Moti mahal in Delhi as well.Everything on their menu is perfect and I love their khumb and dal makhani with lacha parantha and my wife being non vegetarian loves there anardana tikka and butter chicken. Try anything - it’s all amazing
Great place for Indian cuisine lunch in east midtown. Has variety of options for a decent price. Appetizers are good. Different kind of buffet where you dont go and pick food but is actually brought to the table. Only thing is its little far for midtown.
Had a very good time and food at Moti mahal last evening. We had ordered Paneer Lababdar, Dal Makhani, Goat bhiryani, Murg anardana and few breads. Everything wasted really well. I felt the food quality has drastically improved recently (very similar flavors as Awadh, could be bcoz of the same owner). Highly recommended.
Lovely restaurant - went with our 1 year old and the staff was so friendly and accommodating. Delicious food, great service - highly recommend! It gets busy so would recommend getting a reservation and if you are going with kids go on the earlier side so they can accommodate high chair/ stroller.
Its just ok. We went there as its nostalgic to visit some restaurant from our home town. But food is just okay, too much hype. Quantity is too less with mediocre quality. I would avoid it next time when Im the city.
I brought my meetup group here-there was 8 of us-and it was a wonderful dining experience. The restaurant smells so good! Incense or candles -it was a wonderful calming smell. The food was delish, I left with leftovers and the servers were so awesome. I will come back.
Amazing Indian restaurant, will definitely come back.
Everytime I visit NY I have to eat here its in my top 5 favorite places. So good ,not terribly expensive, love the staff! I was so happy to see them open.
How this is anything but a 5 astounds me. One of the best Indian restaurants in the city. Delightful decor, a phenomenal set lunch, tender chicken, and fantastic vegetarian dishes. The cauliflower was a particular success as were the tandoori pieces. So yummy. Definitely go!
A dimly lit place where you cannot see the food. This together with Indian spices make it difficult to distinguish between fish and chicken or any other meat. Quantities are small. Have some snacks at home before visiting the restaurant for dinner! Besides the location on first avenue nothing else is positive. Pricey - but poor value for money. 20% service charge is always included irrespective of service or quality of food!
We took a veg buffet here. The starters were decent. The main course was cold and average. The restaurant falls in the trap of trying to please both Indians and Americans and fails to do so for both. It ends being a bland, soulless preparation.
Incredible service and amazingly delicious food. We had the lobster masala served in lobster shell and eggplant with samosa and garlic naan appraiser all fresh and full of flavor. I didnt realize something had dairy on it and they replaced it with a freshly cooked dish without the dairy no questions asked.
A favorite of mine for the past six or seven years (both delivery and dine-in). Its hard not to pass up the luxurious murgh makhani (butter chicken) with naan to sop up the remaining sauce. I also enjoy the cocktail simosas. My wife orders the bhindi naintara and loves it. The service is quick and courteous.Note: there are many aromatics, so if you are smell sensitive, delivery is the better option.
On Food: Extremely disappointing food. Their key dishes (murgh makhani and dal makhni) tasted nothing better than frozen Indian food microwaved and brought to the table. We ordered 2 rounds of murgh makhni (bad decision as we did so before tasting the 1st round) and the gravy was completely watered down with extra cream and different from the earlier order.On Service: we had an 8:15pm confirmed reservation and got the table only about 20 minutes late, very convenient and disappointing given we were celebrating my moms birthday.
A MUST VISIT!Beautifully refines and elevates the standard of Indian cuisine and such a delight to travel to when visiting Manhattan. It is a staple restaurant in Lexington and an amazing experience every time. The restaurant accurately portrays the modernization of the food industry and corroborates that southern Asian taste and spice seamlessly in the food, which creates a lovely atmosphere. I wish I could give it more than 5 stars!
Delicious authentic Indian restaurant food(Indian restaurants in India serve similarly greasy food), amazing chai, service is a bit slow hence 4 stars. Never refilled water, had to wait close to 30min between courses. Will definitely go there again though.
We had been going to this Restaurant at least every 6 months and had always enjoyed food in spite of prices, which for the ambience and service are on the higher side.However, this time we decided to go for Lunch and invited a newly wed couple ( American bride) and that is the biggest mistake we made. The food was below average and the Service pathetic. Had it not been for the embarrassment, I would have asked them to reduce the Tips to 15% (pre-charged 20% in the Bill) or just pay 10%.On enquiring, we were told that the Chef is different during lunch and that is the reason for different taste (what about Service).So please be careful for Lunch!
This place has terrible Indian food. Their chicken isnt fresh and its very mildly flavoured despite asking them for spicy. As an Indian I would never go back here .
I’m a really picky eater when it comes to Indian food. I come from northern India and have grown up eating delicious home made Indian food. This place serves authentic Indian food. Every single one of their dish I have eaten here has been made deliciously. Whenever I go with my friends there, I always make sure to order their biryani and rarha gosht. Would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for real authentic Indian food.
Good location and good service besides that nothing to brag about. Food is sub par and very pricey. We went there for lunch and they were out of couple of appetizers. Paneer Makhni and khumani Kofta had no flavors, very sweet and very heavy on cream. Garlic naan and Onion Kulcha was good. Wouldn’t return, there are better places in NY for quality Indian Food.
Moti Mahal is an iconic restaurant chain in India and I grew up eating the richest, most delicious meals in their restaurant in Lucknow. The dinner menu of their NYC restaurant is reasonable and priced well. Their malai kofta is a must try. However I am disappointed in their lunch buffet. It is limited and flavorless. It includes basic options which are presented carefully and beautifully to compensate for the lack of taste and justify price point.
Dinner was terrific and the tastes were rich and tickled the palate. We enjoy eating at Tamarind and Dawat but have to say that the food here is even better.The owner/hostess is also terrific……….her husband is the chef. She has a daytime career at Morgan Stanley and is here at night. They own 3 restaurants and she genuinely cares that each client has a great experience. She explained the menu, took our orders and watched from just the right distance to see that all was well.The location is in a neighborhood but the restaurant rises way above being a neighborhood restaurant. Its small and nicely appointed. Tables are a little tight and noise reverberates but doesnt get in the way of conversation. Unfortunately, we had a table of 6 young women behind us and 2 young women on the side. Theres a particularly annoying sound of the pitch of exuberant young womens voices when they talk over the noise in a restaurant......like screeching birds. That was the only thing that detracted.Well be back when we dont want to schlep to Tamarind as its just a few blocks from home. Prices are extremely reasonable for a restaurant at this level.
So so so disheartening. The spices were AMAZING. The to-go containers were actually quite cute. To say the food was DRENCHED in oil, would be an understatement. We literally had to pour an inch of oil off of each dish in order to get to the food. I would have given this place 5 stars if they had actually believed their seasoning and spices were comparable if not more impressive than the American more oil = better food ideal. Too bad. Likely wont order again.
Bit of a hidden gem. I went here recently for lunch buffet (which is actually served by table service), which was surprisingly nothing like the typical Indian lunch buffets you find. Food had its own eclectic style, without losing the authenticity we would be accustomed to. Wasnt unusually pricey either.
Amazing and authentic Indian food! One of the best I have had in the US.Ambience is good, place is always busy - more indication that its popular. I have tried several vegetarian options and breads, they are all delicious.I would highly recommend Paneer Lababdar and Lachchha Paratha - trust me, you wont go wrong.
Delicious lunch menu (kind of tasting menu). Veggie and non-veggie option available.
Always takes forever to get a table, and they keep you hanging on with false time estimates. Its a shame because the food is rather good.UPDATE:We have since been back again, and this time was completely different. Quick sitting at our preferred table, a plate of food straight away for our two year old, dessert for him also...tasty food and relaxed seat in the window.
Tasty Indian food with good service! I only wish there were more deals to try more of the options
Hands down the best Dal Makhani in whole of New York...being a cook myself, I’ve tasted it in all other restaurants but their dal makhani is the deal!!!5/5 without a doubt!! Also their weekend buffet are really good...
Very courteous and attentive service, classy, cozy atmosphere and excellent Indian food. I was a little hesitant hearing all the hype about this franchise, but was pleasantly surprised. It was full on Sat night so I am glad we made reservations for 6 ppl. We were seated immediately, the Manager came to take our order and everything that was recommended was outstanding (butter chicken, daal and rarha ghosht were my top picks). The owner was also around and she came by to every table to say hello, which I thought was personal touch. Will return.
This was the most unplanned and unexpected surprise lunch! My daughter had a doctor appointment up the block and after was hungry so we decided to seek out lunch without breaking the bank which can be really hard in the city... anyway we found this amazing place that boasted a lunch special price ! We were the first people inside for lunch where we sat by the window to do some people watching. They served us an appetizer of chicken sausage chimichuri sauce and chicken drumsticks, we figured we were having a light meal for the price , no they proceeded to bring out 6 mini pots of food with rice and peas and garlic naan .. the dishes included chickpeas, roasted cauliflower and potatoes , chicken tandoori, tofu , braised lamb and one other chicken option. All of these you could get more if you wanted but really it’s so much food I can’t imagine getting a 2nd round .. we did get another braised lamb because it was incredible and cooked perfectly! If you are in the area from 12 to 230 all week long you need to eat here
This is the #1 Indian food place in the US. Their Dal Makhani and Chicken Makhani taste authentic, just the way Delhi makes it. Its a lot saying this but I can compare the food here to Gulatis at Pandara Road in Delhi. Order the food with Mint chutney, Onion & lemon along with Tomato and Mint Raita and you wont have ever try any other Indian restaurant in NYC (or the US)
Amazing food. Decent service. Their Paneer Makhani and Daal Makhani are to die for. We eat / take-out from here regularly and absolutely love the food. Easily the best / richest North Indian food in the city. We only wish they gave more puris (the thin shells) with their Golgappa shots appetizer, which doesnt make too much sense.
The food was excellent. It was fresh and hot. Perfect for a fall or winter evening.
I had heard good things about the Moti Mahal restaurants, particularly the one in London, so when one opened up on the upper east side, a few blocks from work, I was eager to give it a try. The decor is subtle and elegant, the service more than satisfactory but the food-not spectacular. Hard to say if its because I had high expectations to start with or because Ive sampled cheaper, far more flavorful Indian fare in the city, but both their Murgh Makhni and Lamb Xacuti seemed a tad bland and not worth the price. Good overall ambiance but food-wise, Im leaning towards the other popular Indian restaurants in the area.
This place has fabulous food. Go there!
Got the buffet for like $18 and everything was good-the butter chicken, the veggies, the naan, and even the lamb which I normally can’t stand. My friend was also highly impressed. Would try again some time.
Amazing Indian food in Upper East side. Biryani is a must try.
I have eaten in Moti Mahal in India and this place is able to match the taste and quality of food, which is best thing about this place.Great restaurant, good staff, great service.Must go for people in/visiting NYC, looking for Indian food.
Following from my good lunch special experience I decided to take my family there for two different occasions where I was extremely disappointed.Occasions 1:Party of 4 we sat there ordered as usual service was good till I got my entree(Rarha Ghost) which to my surprise was very salty and couldnt even finish 10% my serving and rest 90% was untouched. I complained to manager and manager asked to remake it but no one wants to wait for another 20 min while rest of the family is eating so I ate other entrees from the order. It was so salty that despite they asked me if I want it to go and I had to leave is behind (90%). So you figured how salty it must have been!!So when the check came I expected as customer satisfactions they would have cut down the price for my entree and charge me portion since I ordered. To my surprise they charged me every single penny. So before leaving I left a disappointing note on receipt despite I paid it. When it comes to public confrontation I am not the one. So I left for that day.Occasion 2: 05-13-2017 late evening.I decided to give them second chance since Ive been fan of MMD from back home India!! Party of 4+1 kid(5 yrs)This time everything was going good until when waiter served me he recited my entree Kadhai Murgh so I asked to repeat and he said same name again. So I confirmed with Host and he also at first confirmed it was Kadhai Chicken only for fraction and than he changed name to MMD Special Chicken which is 5$ extra than any other Chicken plate. After receiving I knew it was not MMD special and they expected me to be fool. Yet again I did not create fuss since I didnt wanna argue and wait and waste time etc. I can bet it was no way MMD Special Chicken!! I shoved it down to my guilt of embarrassing someone. Also they were super extremely busy due to weekend and I get it mistakes happen so I went along.Now what was more frustrating is that after dinner was done without even asking me if we want dessert or chai(tea) they handed me check and that upset me even more because I was being rushed out of there. Again I kept my calm and we paid check and we left and upon leaving we realized they had already added 18% tip to bill which was almost 27$ and I was not given option to decide how much to tip or whether to tip or not based on their service and food quality! Im not sure whats their gratuity policy for party of 4+1 child (5yr).I usually tip well most occasions without even asking but this time I was really frustrated with over all experience and extremely disappointed!!!MMD has lost my interest for now as one of the top Indian restaurant that usually take friends and family.Its not the money its the service and product people pay for wasnt delivered to my opinion.I was obligated by myself to write such negative review today which I normally dont.I apologize for being honest and mean no harm but its my expression of my experience for last two occasions.Hope someone pays attention to this kind issues and dont rush their customer and make them feel ripped off for their deficiencies.They deserved 2 stars but lost one due to two strikes in row. 2 stars would be for their host who accommodated my family of 5 total instead my reservation was for 2 which by mistakes I forgot to change it to 5 due to quick google map approach for faster reservation. I appreciate you let us have dinner but you could have also rejected me if it was gonna be too much and I would open heartedly left the venue assuming my mistake for reservation.For now Ill not prefer this restaurant for my family and friends hence my disappointment.
I always go for their Weekday Lunch special with classmates and friends. For ~$13 you get appetizers, refillable entrees, unlimited rice and naan, and dessert. The food is great, and Im always super full after going.
Usually come here for lunch and love the buffet option. A range of food from veg to non veg and the food is delicious. Thoughtfully prepared. Service is impeccable.
Just had dinner there last night Met with @Chef.anand . Always a great experience if there’s ever a time I’m looking for Indian food I drive from Suffolk county Long Island to NYC just for his creations. Service was fabulous.
Best Indian restaurant I have ever been to! Great food, good price and perfect service. Waiter Sinjit was incredible with our kids! Will be returning soon for Chicken Tikka!
Went for lunch special ($12), all of the dishes were very well done; the fish curry in particular was excellent and for the price the portions were really generous. Had appetitizers, entrees, rice and bread and was stuffed at the end.
We frequent this place cos its great for bigger groups too and has some amazing food. Weve been here with both Indian and non-Indian crowds and everybody loved the food here.Among appetizers, their kebabs are a must-try. Try the bharra kebab or the anardana tikka. The latter one is slightly sour, but has amazing flavour of pomegranate along with other spices.Palak paneer and butter chicken are pretty good too. Birayanis are great, specially the ghost(goat) biryani. Meat is perfectly cooked and tender enough to make you crave for more! They also had something like gol gappa shots which look fancy but are not worth trying.Theres a guy there who seems to love kids. Both the times we went there with our friends with kids, he got the kids tablets to play with one time and peas pulav for free this other time! They also start with free papads that are delicious.
MOTI MAHAL DELUX... Good Indian restaurant with sober ambience, cozy restaurant with a prime location..Talking about food , we had buffet on table with lots of options for veg and non veg. Food was good it could be even better. Not the best.Service was Okay.I would rate the restaurant 3.5 out of 5 .
I honestly love going to this place for lunch. Its inexpensive, the food is delicious, and the service is very quick. They have a vegetarian or meat lunch specials that never disappoint!
I bring guests and parents whenever they visit. My mom is a hard critic of south asian food because shes an amazing cook herself but had to admit the flavor and intricacies of the dishes. Our favorite is Anardana chicken.
In general, Indian is not my thing, although one of the best meals Ive ever eaten was at an Indian place in London.This place is...uneven. But Ill tell you what: if the combination of spice and lots and lots of butter speaks to you, give MMD a try
Delicious food, great value for money, usually no long wait, and good for groups.
Much hyped than it actually deserves . As I belong to Delhi and going to Moti mahal back home since I was in diapers this was no match. Butter chicken (their legacy) was nothing more than what you will find at other Indian restaurants. I expected more.
Went there for buffet with a friend from London. The appitizers were very good. The vegetarian food on the main course was good. The chicken and lamb curries were mediocre.
Since its a buffet and you can order as many times as you want, they make you wait a long time to bring your food thats already made. They Keep Reaching Over Your Food To Fill Up Your Cup with water That You Didnt ask for....annoying
Overpriced when compared to small portions. Taste isn’t that great. You can go for other Indian restaurants which provides better food at comparable rate with much bigger portions. Less options to choose from.
Was not very happy with the service or food. Maybe we were expecting too much. Ordered all you can eat veg option for lunch. The options though healthy were very basic. Not as spicy as we were expecting. It maybe just us. Try for yourself.
The ambience was nice of the restaurant. Food portions are small. The service was extremely slow. Our order was misplaced once and after having to constantly getting someone’s attention we finally got our right order. It was disappointing for all the hype and reviews
Great Food, probably one of the best restaurant in NYC. Their tandoori chicken, murgh makhni, butter paneer, malai tikka, chicken biryani, dal tadka, dal makhni infact everything that i tried are excellent. Highly recommended. I guess if you want great food in cheaper price $13 probably go in the afternoon before 3pm and order veg or non-veg menu. You wont regret im sure.
Great little place in the city for authentic Mughlai indian food. Good service although we did wait quite a bit at times. Biryani and butter chicken were on point.
Ordinary quality food with poor staff. Even on complaining on taste and quality of both the dishes ordered meant nothing to anyone in the resturant, not anyone considered to apologize but did offer free desert with full bill charged.Never coming back.
I would not describe myself as an expert regarding Indian food, but lived just off Brick Lane in London for several years so had no shortage of alternatives available and have been very lucky in randomly finding very good (and very economical) Indian eateries - from Jersey City to Hong Kong.Here - the Zagat rating for MMD seemed kind. The chicken tikka / butter chicken equivalent lacked that special flavoring which typically makes me hope I wont get full and can keep eating and eating.Otherwise ...> No apple / fruit chutney for the papadums> No Peshwari (or other sweet) naan> Personal preference is for brown basmati rice, but they only serve whiteGarlic Naan was OK (and frankly the highlight of the meal).
Ive had dinner out here a couple of times.Fantastic service and food quality. Some of the vegetarian dishes are absolutely delicious. Highly recommended!
Its good Indian food. They dont have a lot of the topical dishes for the main and AWESOME naan. 4 stars because they didnt have curry or vindaloo.
Good food and cosy restaurant. Staff was very nice but not very knowledgeable. Very good but not perfect. If only the waiter knew how to explain the food better and help us choose.
So this is the buffet to go for! Wow - good tasting food and its served hot at the table! Very polite staff. Love the place!
I love this place. I used to live near it, now I just work near it and I STILL pick it up after work to bring back to Brooklyn for dinner. The dhal markani (sp?) is amazing as is the butter chicken. Go hungry, leave happy!
Good lunch specials in this Indian restaurant.
Their chicken tandoori and dal makhani are delicious. They should be on everyones must order list. If you like lamb then rahra gosht was also very good and a little spicy.
Love love love this place first time and now a staple in my date night spots.Service was incredible and the food was mind blowing plus the venue and location are great for a early dinner and night out option.
I went with family and friend. Naan was not fully baked. Butter naan was sans butter. Chicken makhani was sweet. Kadahi chicken was good. Veg biryani was good. But everything was overpriced.
Such a delicious Indian food brunch!!!! You will be very satisfied because the portions are deceivingly generous. Definitely recommend!
Do not order delivery from here, you’re better off going and picking it up yourself. It’s been 1.5 hours and we still haven’t got our food. The restaurant manager was not very helpful in this situation either.Very disappointed.
Very good Indian dishes. I recommend the lunch buffet - its always delicious and is very reasonably priced!
I would leave 6 stars if I could, this place is delicious. Highly suggest the Lamb Rahra Gosht with Garlic Naan
Amazing discovery! Super tasty authentic Indian food on the Upper East Side! Their bhel is simply amazing along with the chicken tandoori starter.
Tandoori chicken is great. Some of the rest of food was good, not great. Prices pretty good. Went for dinner. But I highly recommend their lunch.
Well placed on 1st Avenue ,63 street corner with good street views. Nice tasty Indian spicy food, both veg and non veg are available. Enjoyed the veg food.
The chaats (bhel puri and tikkis) were spot. I personally felt though that the entree was just average and so was the dessert. I might go back to give them another chance because I have heard good things about them.
Went for weekday lunch. Really loved the concept if unlimited food that could be ordered. Good service too. Food tasted really great.
Excellent Butter Chicken, one of the best I had outside of India
Best food ever we had in New York downtownLoved dal makhno and paneer butter masala
Food is yumm. Just wish they allowed takeout option for leftovers. We ordered from menu but still the wait staff refused leftovers takeout.
Food is very good. The space is very small , especially when it gets busy . So I really didn’t feel that comfortable,other than that the food was amazing.
Delicious food. Place is small and crunched up but who wants to miss out on delicious treats over crunched place. Prices are little high but its worth it. deserts are really good.
Tasty food. We had the brunch buffet which was a good deal for around $25 per head. Nice staff too
A/C did not seem to work on 90 degree day. Food good, but waiter implied dishes were small causing us to over order.
Great place. Service is excellent. Must try the Gajar Halwa.. it’s heavenly and the golgappa shots... you would never forget that! A five star restaurant all in all !! Love it ♥️
One of the best Indian restaurants in nyc. Come for the lunch special. Dinner cam get very expensive. I recommend the butter chicken.
AMAZING! Guarenteed best food you will ever eat. I am italian and I love this food. The best thing about them is that they have indian food but not too spicy.
Superb bhindi (not fried) and I absolutely loved Anardana chicken tikka (grilled pieces in a black pepper and pomegranate marinade)
Excellent food and flavor! Definitely recommend the garlic Naan and original butter chicken.
Food was delicious!! Great experience!! I will definitely go back!!
Ive eaten at many Indian restaurants in my life, and this is hands down the best. Definitely worth the trip.
Best Indian in the city. Black Dahl and chic tiki Marsala. Spicy means spice! 🌶 you can not go wrong.
This place can get busy. So don’t be disappointed when they take long to serve u. The food is good though.
Very much enjoyed the food and the staff was wonderful. Had a really nice time.
Had dinner with my friend Ben D after attending a healthtech conference at Rockefeller. Good chicken makhanee, 94/100. Dimly lit.
Amazing food , service, great buffet. Super friendly staff! Love this place ! New favorite
Wow. Delicious food, and unbeatable lunch special. Appetizer, 2 main dishes, rice, naan, and dessert for $15.
Great food. Very friendly staff. Fun to watch all the people passing by in the windows. Best palaak paneer that Ive had!
Good place for delivery. Dine in is just okay. The biryani is amazing. The food is pretty authentic.
One of my favorite places for Indian food in nyc! The ambience is fun, food is amazing and service is great!
By far the best chicken Karai we have eaten! Made a reservation and arrived early however that was not a problem.
Decent food but small portions.
Visiting this Place for a while now, Nice & Tasty Indian Food.Service used to be excellent, Not any more unfortunately,
Excellent service and great lunchtime menu. I would highly recommend this restaurant to everyone.
One of my faves. Food and service are great
Okay Indian food, had better food at cheaper prices. Good service. Nice ambience.
Excellent food, great decor and prompt service. Great job guys, keep it going. definetly a must visit. Ill be back for sure.
Loved it!!! Great authentic Indian food and the lunch special is a good option.
Best butter chicken in the city! Small spot, can get quite busy so make reservations!
Amazing food. Im comparing with Indian restaurants in London U.K. Highly recommend
Best in the world tandoori chicken and daal Bukhara... Its an upscale restaurant so a little expensive but definitely worth it.
Wow. The butter chicken is so delicious! It’s expensive but wow. Wine selection is good as well!
Endless all-you-can-eat lunch brought table side surprises daily with terrific quality Indian fare and makes you wonder how they could survive at such prices.
We have been here a few times now the food speaks for itself the atmosphere is warm and inviting #lovethisplace
The food is not fresh and there is a lot of spices in food but the not recommend but i want to say one good thing services is excellent i think they need to change the chief
I had best Indian food in USA here.Eating here is like joy to your taste buds.
Fantastic value in midtown... All you can eat lunch buffet for 20 bucks including tax and tip
Best Indian cuisine. Everything is delicious.
I had the buffet menu on sunday. Its pretty bad. Should be so highly rated
Very attentive staff, butter chicken and korma were fantastic! Would definitely recommend this place.
They have a wonderful lunch set with both vegetarian and non vegetarian options!
Hands down the best butter chicken Ive ever tasted. Well worth the price.
Amazing lunch special with authentic Indian Mughlai cuisine. Highly recommended.
Total reviews rating 4.2
199 Reviews for Moti Mahal Delux 2023:
Review №1
2021-09-28I really liked the food here. From the appetizers to the entree- it was fantastic! We ordered all vegetarian items. The service was good. I am definitely coming back here. The food tonight was definitely a 4.7 on 5 because theres always room for improvement, isnt it 😊
Review №2
2022-07-17Have had 6-7 meals spread out over a couple of years here. The lunch buffet is worth it & surprisingly European & African colleagues like the food here. Dinner is always a la carte with some interesting combos.PS- they have outlets all over India.
Review №3
2022-05-16Food is ok but portions are VERY SMALLGot the Murgh Makhani which was goodAlso got the Mutton Soola Kebab which was ok and there were 5 pieces totalIn the picture i ate 2 pieces of the lamb already…And of course the garlic naan is always delicious
Review №4
2021-12-31This restaurant was very tasteless. We had the palak paneer and the chicken korma. Both were lacking spice and taste. The chicken korma just tasted like ghee (butter) with no spice. Neither were authentic at all. I wish I had chosen a different restaurant.
Review №5
2022-02-13I ordered Tandoori chicken at this restaurant through Grubhub and check out the portion size I received after paying ~$16.0 (without taxes). This restaurant is a SCAM stealing money for meager food portion. I wish there was an option for selecting 0 stars for quantity and taste. Waste of money!
Review №6
2022-04-12Highly overrated restaurant. Ordered Butter Chicken, supposed to be their special dish. Turned out to be most ordinary rather below average preparation. No taste or flavor, like chicken thrown into cream with food color. Onion Kulcha naan too, below grade, had to return to get replacement. Name from famous Delhi restaurant is highly deceptive.
Review №7
2022-03-23Good hearty Indian food. Location is ideal and service was with a smile. Also food arrived quickly and the server recommended new dishes which were good. Every dish we ordered in the menu was delicious. Interiors is very clean. Low lighting makes the ambience very pleasant.
Review №8
2022-04-17One of the best Indian restaurants we’ve tried in UES. The eggplants, butter chicken and biryani were sooo good! Great service, will definitely come back!
Review №9
2022-03-28Good food and as all Moti Mahal restaurants across globe amazing kababs both chicken and paneer. It lives upto the name. The service was quick and the staffs were friendly.
Review №10
2022-02-22This is my favorite Indian restaurant in all of New York City and I think a lot of people also have that opinion. The menu is very large and can be intimidating but the staff is always there to give a recommendation. If youre new to Indian food or want to try something new, this is the spot to do it. The lamb chops had been recommended by the staff, They were nicely seasoned